{"id":159,"date":"2026-05-15T22:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T22:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/?p=159"},"modified":"2026-05-15T22:01:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T22:01:13","slug":"field-testing-luna-x-pretty-boy-leif-pups-at-six-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/field-testing-luna-x-pretty-boy-leif-pups-at-six-weeks\/","title":{"rendered":"FIELD TESTING \u2014 LUNA \u00d7 PRETTY BOY LEIF PUPS AT SIX WEEKS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Once\u2011in\u2011a\u2011Lifetime Demonstration of Early Instinct, Maternal Mentorship, and Handler Focus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Kamia Kennels \u2013 Field Notes Series<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Field Testing entry captures one of the most astonishing demonstrations of early instinct ever recorded at Kamia Kennels \u2014 or anywhere else in the world. In this video, the <strong>Luna \u00d7 Pretty Boy Leif<\/strong> pups, only <strong>six weeks old<\/strong>, are hiking fully off leash in remote mountain terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For almost every breeder on earth, this would be impossible. Six\u2011week\u2011old pups are normally:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">confined<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">dependent<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">uncoordinated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">glued to the mother<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">unable to range or return<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">unable to focus on a handler<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But these pups are not normal. They are the product of <strong>Luna<\/strong>, one of the most intelligent maternal females in the Tekla line, and <strong>Pretty Boy Leif<\/strong>, the strategic outcross sire who reinforced the working lines without diluting instinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What unfolds in this video is nothing short of extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>THE GENETIC FOUNDATION \u2014 LUNA \u00d7 PRETTY BOY LEIF<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This litter represents a powerful fusion of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Luna<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Daughter of Tekla<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Mother of Revna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Grandmother of Nyra<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">One of the most intelligent, balanced, handler\u2011aware females in the program<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">A maternal anchor whose instincts are so strong she can <em>mentor her own pups<\/em> in real terrain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pretty Boy Leif<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Brought in as a strategic outcross<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Reinforced the working maternal lines without compromising instinct<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Sire of multiple elite females and males<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">A male whose temperament and structure complemented Luna perfectly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This combination produced pups with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">early maturity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">natural handler focus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">calmness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">terrain reading<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">instinctive return behavior<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">and the unmistakable Tekla\u2011line intelligence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At six weeks, these instincts are already visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>THE BEHAVIOR \u2014 SIX\u2011WEEK\u2011OLD PUPS WORKING LIKE ADULTS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The footage shows behavior that is almost unheard of at this age:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Off\u2011leash reliability<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Following my lead<\/strong> when I move<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Settling near me<\/strong> when I stop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Ranging correctly<\/strong> without drifting too far<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Checking back naturally<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Responding to \u201cCome By Me\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Focusing more on me than on their mother<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This last point is one of the most astonishing elements of the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Most pups at six weeks:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">cling to the mother<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">follow her exclusively<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">ignore the handler<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>These pups at six weeks:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">look to <em>me<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">follow <em>my<\/em> movement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">respond to <em>my<\/em> tone<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">treat Luna as a mentor, not a crutch<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the hallmark of the Norrland \u00d7 Tekla lineage \u2014 <strong>handler focus appears early<\/strong>, long before training is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>LUNA \u2014 THE EXCEPTIONAL MATERNAL MENTOR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most mothers cannot mentor pups off leash. Most mothers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">become protective<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">become distracted<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">gather pups away from the handler<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">do not participate in training<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">do not guide pups toward the human<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luna is different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">calm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">confident<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">intelligent<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">balanced<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">deeply connected to me<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And she does something almost no other Elkhound mother will do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>She brings the pups to me.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is maternal intelligence at the highest level \u2014 the same intelligence that made Tekla one of the greatest working females in Kamia history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luna is not just supervising. She is <strong>mentoring<\/strong>, shaping the pups\u2019 behavior, and reinforcing their connection to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>THE TRAINING \u2014 \u201cCOME BY ME\u201d AND EARLY REWARD<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This video also demonstrates the foundation of my early\u2011age training philosophy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">repetition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">tone<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">movement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">reward<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">terrain exposure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">maternal mentorship<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I show how to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">call pups to me<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">reward them immediately<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">reinforce the behavior<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">build the handler bond<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">activate instinct through terrain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the blueprint for raising elite working Elkhounds \u2014 and it begins at six weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>THE KEY TRUTH \u2014 INSTINCT CANNOT BE TRAINED<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This video proves a fundamental truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou cannot train a six\u2011week\u2011old pup to do this. You can only preserve the genetics that make it possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These pups are not performing because of training. They are performing because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">the instincts are already inside them<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">the terrain activates those instincts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Luna reinforces them<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">I guide them<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">the Tekla line produces early maturity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">the Norrland blood produces handler focus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is pure, unchanged instinct \u2014 preserved through generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>CLOSING THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Field Testing entry is one of the most important videos in the Kamia archive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">six\u2011week\u2011old pups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">fully off leash<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">in remote terrain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">following my lead<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">mentored by their mother<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">showing early maturity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">demonstrating inherited instinct<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">proving the power of the Tekla \u00d7 Leif \u00d7 Norrland architecture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No other breeder in the world is showcasing this level of instinctive behavior at this age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the Kamia standard. This is the Kamia legacy. This is the true Norwegian Elkhound<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"6 Week Old Norwegian Elkhound Pups Mountain Hiking\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/D6kVwi4iTNk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Once\u2011in\u2011a\u2011Lifetime Demonstration of Early Instinct, Maternal Mentorship, and Handler Focus Kamia Kennels \u2013 Field Notes Series This Field Testing entry captures one of the most astonishing demonstrations of early instinct ever recorded at Kamia Kennels \u2014 or anywhere else in the world. In this video, the Luna \u00d7 Pretty Boy Leif pups, only six [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14,19,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genetics-lineage","category-training-development","category-working-dog-philosophy"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6-week-Luna-pups.png?fit=1034%2C523&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":163,"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions\/163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamiakennels.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}