Kari up in the Yukon, still mushing on

I received a really great update from my friends up in Whitehorse, Shelly and Brett. Shelly sent me a lovely update on Kari, one of the two sisters they had. Nika as you recall was lost tragically a year or so ago. This is a very nice update and I wanted to Thank Shelly for keeping us posted. That Kari, she is a great female, none like her, that is for sure. Kari is one of the dark daughters from Takoda and Mia.

"Hi Merv!
It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve emailed you with good news. It’s been a tough year and a half without Nika; we had a picture of her and Kari commissioned by a local artist, it hangs on our wall and Nika stares down at us everyday. We’ve created a small memory corner in our house with a shadow box of her collar, our receipt from when we first got her, her vet records, her leash, our son will go over and “talk” with Nika and tell her about his day regularly. Kari took some time to getting used to being alone, and of course to really make things entertaining we had a baby (#2) (Mckinley (a girl) is now 13 months) 5 months after Nika passed. Kari had her world really flipped upside-down, she’s back to her self now…she looks forward to when we all get dressed up to go out…she now has a job to do; taking our son down the trails on his sled. He loves it when Kari is pulling him along, and she loves taking care of him. She sleeps in his room every night and is always on the look out for him…they spend a lot of time wondering the bush together. This fall while out for a walk with her she veered off the trail, about 5 seconds later Brett heard an awful squeal…out comes Kari with a rabbit…oh dear! She was so proud of herself she turned and without even thinking of finishing her walk she ran home, I found her sitting on the front step with a rabbit between her legs, looking rather proud. She’s a hunter through and through, squirrels, birds, grouse, rabbits…small game doesn’t stand much of a chance near our house. I’ve attached a few pictures for you; I haven’t been able to get a picture of Brayden (our son) and Kari pulling the sled yet as I’m running with them; this weekend I’ll try and remember my camera and take some new pictures. Hope all is well with you and your family and I must apologize again for being so poor in correspondence lately."
I wanted to offer a big Congratulations as well to Shelly and Brett on the new lovely daughter, Mckinley we are all very happy for you both. What a neat photo, Mckinley has a great protector there once she is up walking around with Brayden, Kari should be able to easily pull them both, no problem. Keep in touch, we all think of you.

P.S. I am going to be getting some harnesses for all the dogs here finally this winter, I'll keep everyone in the loop on this. Shelly had sent me all the details on the ones she uses, I have a full team here now and hopefully can get them to run in a straight line, not through the bush...maybe...

 Maui - Greg and Anna-Marie have a stunning daughter of Takoda and Mia, an older sister to Kari, full sister to Nika

I got a really nice update from Anna-Marie a while back and wanted to get it online. It was such a neat thing to hear from the Perrot family. Quite a few years ago, 7 or 8 even, Anna-Marie contacted me about getting a great family dog. They have three children now, I think they only had 2 then, but have a full house right now. They are purebred cattle ranchers down in the southern east side of Saskatchewan, near a town called Alameda. I know that part of the world a little bit, that Oxbow, Carlyle, Souris River region, just a beautiful part of the world. Excellent grazing country, lots of hay, great for those Angus they raise. Now on the farm you need a versatile dog, the Elkhound is perfect. We had cattle and hogs growing up, our old Elkhound King was always with us.  They get along great with livestock.

That Maui she has some siblings, her full sisters are Tora, Tegan, Nika, Reba, Tula and Sophie, and her brothers are Bosco and the two big boys up in MacKenzie, Bruin and Kona. There was ten amazing pups in that litter. All Stunning Elkhounds.

Anna-Marie wrote that Maui has been the perfect dog for their family, she loves the farm life, and even sleeps with the bulls sometimes, they love her to pieces.

We are sure happy for Greg and Anna-Marie and the kids, and wish to thank the whole family for the great life that Maui has down in that cattle country of southern Saskatchewan. Keep us posted anytime, we sure appreciate the update. Thank you. That Maui looks fabulous, you can pick those dark daughters of Mia and Takoda out of thousands of Elkhounds, they are awesome.

Sky - Male Elkhound Son of Takoda and GAEDA - Half Brother to Maui and Kari above

I have a photo I recieved along with a nice update on this rascal, Mr. Sky, a really great looking young male from Takoda and GAEDA. This big fella is a full brother to Nalla, Desna and Magnus. Amanda and Bob mentioned he doesn't stray too far from his young handler when she is playing in the yard, I figured as much. Takoda stamps on that protective nature to the young children in all his pups. They make excellent family dogs. I want to thank Bob and Amanda for the great home that Sky has, he is in great hands out there, be sure to keep us in the loop on this big fella. A stunning male you have, no doubt about it.

"Hi Merv,
Bob and I were talking last night about how it’s hard to believe that we have had Sky for just over a year! I thought perhaps you would enjoy a quick update....he has been a wonderful addition to our family and our daughter has a very special bond with him! He is protective of her and usually doesn’t stray too far from her side when she’s outside playing. He is extremely good tempered and such a pleasure to work with. We’ve had a lot of compliments on him. I’ve included a picture for you.

Wishing you and your family all the best in 2016!
Bob & Amanda Reitenbach"

Shasta - Daughter of Takoda and Mia Full Sister To Jaegar and Tesla 

 This past spring 3 famous Kamia Elkhounds turned 5, Shasta this beauty you see here, and her two little brothers, Tesla and Jaegar.

I remember well when those three were born, they were born only a couple days ahead of Tora's litter of 7 in the next pen. All those rascals are 5 this season. I received a neat update from Lynn who has Shasta up in Slave Lake. It's always great to hear what's happening up that way with Shasta. Send us some new photos when you find them Lynn, keep in touch, thank you for the great home that Shasta has.

"Hi Merv,
Things have been going well. Payton is a big girl, in Kindergarten now. I will have to get some more recent pictures off of my phone, however, this is one of my favourites, taken when we were camping a couple of years ago.. the protector/watcher of her domain.

Unlike you, moving further out of town, we moved into town this last year, with Payton in school, there is more running around, and it has been good. Just renting right now, but have a nice back yard with a nice big tree for shade. Shasta has adjusted fine to town, she also became a bit of a sled dog this year…. Slave Lake’s Christmas Parade, the school put in a float and asked for any kids that wanted to come, however, because of space, they said that some of the kids would have to walk. As the route is well over 6/7 blocks… Here is what we did. Payton has a wagon (Fisher Price with big wheels), so, I decorated it, harnessed Shasta to it and off we went. You would have been very proud of her, I think everyone in Slave Lake thinks we have a real sled dog… She pulled it fine the whole way (I had an extra rope for myself if needed), and as quite a few people coming to watch the parade bring their dogs…. Well, Shasta could have cared less that there were dogs barking at her, she was at work. Straight down the street with our float, didn’t even sniff at anyone else. I heard a lot of people commenting as we went by how good she was, needless to say, I was very proud of my daughter waving at everyone from the warmth of her wagon, and our ‘sled dog’.

Anyways, Happy Birthday to our little Litter….
Take Care
Lynn"

Tesla - Son of Takoda and Mia, Full Brother To Jaegar and Shasta

Here is the big brother to Jaegar, Tesla. What a great update Julia sent over. Years ago I met Julia and Eric in Kamloops with Tesla, he has been a standout family companion for his entire life, and he will continue to be one. This is one of those awesome dogs you hope you get when looking for a family pal. All Kamia dogs are great, don't get me wrong, but Telsa, he is something no doubt. Way to go big fella.

Thank you Julia and Eric, Matthew and Katherine, what an truly awesome life that Tesla has. Keep us posted on the big fella, we sure are happy for you all.

"Thank you so much for writing! The pups are adorable

We’re really pleased with Tesla; he shows his quality so many times. He is patient with kids and takes far more kid abuse than I would in his position. He’s had toy cars run into and over him, had a baby twisting and tugging his ear, had my daughters soccer jersey put on (only once, and now I know how come there are so many rips in it), had a Halloween bag tucked into his tail and probably more outrages that I don’t know about. It’s not all fun and games for urban elkhounds!

He’s never nipped a kid (even when he would have been justified), never started a fight (but never backed down either) and is probably the only dog to be called inside with “doggie storytime” as our son, who struggles with reading, reads aloud to Tesla every night. Truly a very supportive and forgiving audience! The dog loves this so much he has refused evening walks in favour of this quiet time. While he’s a “family” dog, there is no doubt that Tesla and our son have a special bond. I think that dog has done more to bolster his self-esteem, build confidence, love and empathy than anything else we’ve tried. Truly an amazing dog!

Tesla has had his paws full around here with the ‘coons. A bunch decided to move into the kid’s treehouse for the winter. I’m sure you can imagine how noisy it was! Finally got ‘em moved out…Tes and I have developed into hunting partners ourselves (in a very minor way). At night he’s been busy treeing the rats and mice that head for the bird feeder at night and I whack ‘em out of the bushes (with my “rat bat”). He catches them and gives them the coup de grace. Then, funny thing is, he never eats them. Instead, he lines them up on the grass, side by side, neatly arranged with the heads all at one end. Our best tally so far is 3 in one night. He makes sure I come see them all lined up. A very interesting dog…

He’s still a trickster with a huge fondness for stealing boots and popping soccer balls (though not balloons – he had one pop beside him and gives them a wide berth now). He still has his favourite den in the back garden under a dense cypress tree. He loves to lurk in there until you forget he’s there.

Thanks again for writing Merv and for all your newsletters. We love to read them!

Julia, Eric, Matthew and Katherine"

Jaegar - Premier Elkhound Sire - Shown here with Takoda and I July 2016

Jaegar today like his two siblings above is a tremendous Elkhound. Jaegar has developed into one of the strongest dogs pound for pound anywhere, anytime. He has some serious strength. This is a full tilt male as well, I have 9 foot high fences for him when breeding season roles around, as he is going where the females are, period. No keeping him out.

He spends almost all his time in Kamloops with Ashten, but he gets out here with me a fair bit as well. This past winter I had him lots so we did a ton of hikes. He is a tremendous mountain dog. Jaegar has a huge bark, and he loves to use it. Something crosses his turf, we know about it, immediately. He is social though, which is a very good thing overall, he is great around kids, folks, pretty much everything except other dogs. As a breeding male, that is understandable though. Nothing to worry about at all, unless of course your the other dog! At five years now he is handling most of our breeding duties. He has produced some really great pups, we are expecting him to continue to provide the best family dogs ever as always for a long stretch yet.

Ashten is very proud of this big rascal, she has done an outstanding job with him, probably our best mannered dog ever, all thanks to her of course. She has to retrain him after he leaves here every time I bet as it's pretty much chaos here he figures.

With my recent trip over to Finland and taking in the show and seeing all the great dogs over there I came home with a renewed appreciation for how good Jaegar is. Jaegar in his prime right now is a stunning example of an all you can be Elkhound, no doubt about that! Rivals any male out there today, no question.

Kobe - Male Elkhound - Son of Tora and Bram

Henry sends me updates on a regular basis with the most amazing set of photos of hikes he has been on with Kobe. There are no Elkhounds, in fact there are no dogs period, world wide that are photographed in better shots, surroundings and with such clarity as Kobe. On top of Henry and Elena getting out to some of the most amazing hiking locations, which is a feat in itself, my god, some great hikes, but on top of that, his camera skills are awesome.

Now, to top off all of that, Kobe is such a masterpiece Elkhound Male. I am like Wow everytime I get the updates, this dog is solid, well muscled, excellent style. Super stance, alert, obedient. Can you say skilled ranging Elkhound! Most people would give anything to have a great ranging dog, especially when you are hiking in regions like this. I can fully bet there are thousands upon thousands of people who look at these photos and just can't believe you can let a dog loose in that terrain and it doesn't take off. Well, hats off to Henry, he has done a very good job with Kobe, make no mistake, this took some time, and effort. Of course those ole genetics from Tora and Bram sure didn't hurt. Way to go Henry!

I put the whole set of stunning new photos Henry sent up on the new gallery, you have to check it out. Thank You Henry and Elena, Awesome!

Awesome Photos Of Kobe Hiking

Ryker - Elkhound Male, Older Brother To Kobe - Son of Tora and Bram

Its no coincidence that Kobe the male above is such a great dog. No sir. Great genetics they flow, from one great Elkhound to another, it's very consistent. This big brother to Kobe, this fella is Ryker. Ryker is down in Calgary as well, Amber and Chris keep me posted on this rascal.

Ryker was one of the males in the pen next to Jaegar, Shasta and Tesla over 5 years ago now. Ryker was in a litter of 7. As you can see these big boys, they are truly standouts in the Elkhound world. You get a Kamia Elkhound male, whoa man, you have a dog. I want to Thank Amber for always staying in touch, I love to hear about Ryker and folks have followed along watching this big rascal for years. It's neat to follow these big boys. Thank you for keeping us posted, please continue to do so.

"Hi Merv! So great to hear from you and see an update on Tora. She is looking great still! And now I know where Ryker gets all of his hiking stamina from. He will go probably three times as far as us when we are out walking with all of the hills that he is running up and down (and all the deer and coyotes he chases!). And he never looks tired. Always on duty, always alert, until we get home and he knows he can sleep, then he crashes. Ryker is still pretty stubborn and very independent - he wanders of to investigate things and doesn't listen if I call him, but he always comes back, I never have to worry about that. Too bad you didn't have the Desna program when we got him - we would have loved to take part in that!

I have included some pictures for you, and I apologize that we haven't been sending regular updates. Life seems so busy sometimes! Ryker now has a little brother named Austin. Tough little guy with so much energy. He is a rescue, he was found alone as a 4 month old puppy on a rural road in Saskatchewan. We think he is a shepherd/husky cross but we're not entirely sure. He's big now though! Taller than ryker by about half a foot, and longer by about half a foot as well, but still the same weight. One ear was almost completely ripped off (now he has a permanently floppy ear!), he had almost no fur on him due to Mange, and he also had a severe case of Parvo! This one is a fighter for sure, and he just absolutely adores Ryker. We never doubted that Ryker would be a good role model for a young pup, but to see how much they have bonded and how Ryker teaches him the tricks of the trade is pretty amazing.

Ryker is still getting to work on his scentwork when I have time. I'm hoping to get him back into real training in the spring. He practices when we go for our walks, always tracking rabbits and scaring up prairie chickens from the long grass! Always looks so proud afterwards too. After 5 years, I have gotten to know his signals pretty well and when he smells something in the air he is not sure of, I can tell and it definitely puts me on alert! Great nose on this one for sure!

Thanks again for the update - we'll keep in touch!

Amber and Chris"

We Remember Nola - Last Daughter Of Mia - Passes on

It was a real tough break for Linda and Darryl down in Montana when little Nola took ill. She ended up with something or injesting something that caused her kidney to shut down and she couldn't pull through. She has went on to join Mia, and her sisters Lexie and Nika, along with brother Shadow.

I always liked Nola, she was such a great little rascal, she of course had such a tough break when she was born, Ashten and I fed her by a bottle the whole time. I had a chance to work in the mountains with Nola, I went and picked her up one time and brought her home for a while with me. We had a truly great time. She just fit right in like she never left.

She is shown here, Mia and Kai were sharing a bone with her. These three females are all dominant females, all the same size, style and type, tough as nails little rascals. Super fast, super agile. All peas in a pod. Nola was the last pup Mia had. Our thoughts are always with Linda and Darryl, I speak with them often, I have young Shorty here now, he was Nola's sidekick for the whole time. He came up here after she passed on. He is doing well here, he was a good buddy and pal to Nola. I sneak him a snack now and then extra. I'll always think of little Nola.

Tegan - Older Sister of Nola, Full Sister to Maui

I remember well meeting Tracey and Dennis up in Williams Lake to pick up Tegan years ago. What an awesome young couple, so excited to meet their new Elkhound female, Tegan. Tracey and Dennis have stayed in touch over the years with us sharing the great stories and lifestyle this great Elkhound has. We always enjoy getting updates on Tegan. Tracey took this picture of the flowers in the park by their house with Tegan, awesome spot.

Tegan is the perfect Norwegian Elkhound, right from day one, and still remains a perfect illustration of what makes this breed so outstanding. Tegan is the same litter as Maui, Tora, Reba, that awesome group. Dennis and his daughter hunt with Tegan, Tracey and Dennis camp and hike, she has a great life. I have been meaning to take Tora and drive up to Kelowna one of these days and let those sisters play, sometime I'll do that. Dennis said they may be able to drop in here some time on the way by as well, we sure look forward to that. Thanks for keeping us posted Tracey and Dennis, and for the great life that Tegan has!

"Hi Merv,

So it has been some time since we have sent you any updates on our girl. Tegan is turning the big 7 this month! She has slowed down a bit though once you get her outside, she is as rambunctious as ever!
Her health has been great. No concerns. And her personality is still as calm and loving as ever.

Keep up the good work providing such great companions!

Tracey and Dennis Swanson"

Stefan, Janine and Maya - What a lovely photo

Some couples are just destined to have an Elkhound. Doesn't matter how it came about, why they chose one, none of that, once you see them with the Elkhound you know, that is the dog for them, and they for the dog. And, as Janine says its far beyond just the perfect dog, but the perfect breed, the only breed. I know I have witnessed some great bonds over the years, and this my friends is one of those between the handlers and the Elkhound. Maya was the very best selection for them as well. I have her two sisters here, Tekla and Tuva, I know how good that Maya is. There would not be a better female anywhere in the world, no doubt. Maya has a great life, I want to thank Janine and Stefan for providing such a caring home for Maya, and for keeping us all posted on all the new and great things in Northern BC.

And on behalf of all of us, Congratulations you two on your new baby girl, that is so great, we are all very happy for you!

"Hi there Merv

It was really good talking to you the other day. As promised, I have sent some photos of Maya. I can't believe she turns 2 this week. Time really flies.

She is an awesome dog and a valued member of our family. We have gone on many a great walk as well as many wonderful trips with her. She loves camping and we have even done a couple of trips on the plane with her (definitely not her favourite!). Her recall has really solidified although that stubborn streak definitely rears its head occasionally!

We were quite curious as to how she would react to the new baby. But I must say I was confident it would go well. She has such a generous spirit and loves meeting new animals and people. She took so well to the baby. Very interested from the start, she would quickly come over if Maëlys cried to make sure that I was going to tend to her. I think Maya would have been a great mother. Her instincts were spot on and she kept me in line from the start; making sure I was not slacking! She would even make me feel guilty by staring at me if I allowed Stefan to care for the baby. According to her, it was my job.

She is an amazing companion to us, but we have been saying for a long time that she needs a friend as well. And not just any dog friend will do. Elkhounds have a unique way of playing with each other and we have fallen in love with the breed so deeply that no other breed would have what we want. We would love it if we could be on the list for a female, especially from Tekla/Tuva. We trust that you would choose a great dog for us Merv.

Stef was asking if we could put down a deposit so long, then we can work closely with you when the right elkhound comes along. I am looking forward to your next newsletter to hear what all the other elkhounds are up to!

Yours sincerely
Janine (and Stefan)"

Teeka and Nikeeta - Sisters - Daughters of Tora and Bram, Half sisters to Maya above

John and Denise have two beautiful sisters down in Calgary. Truly outstanding females from Tora and Bram. These are half sisters to Maya right above. They are out on an excursion in the Kanaskis area of Alberta, a great winter hiking and trail location for them.

I want to thank John for always staying in touch and keeping me posted on these two great females. He does such an outstanding job with these girls. Denise and him provide a very loving home with tons of companionship, they have some cats as well and the two girls love those cats.

"Hello Merv

Teeka wants to thank you for the birthday greeting you sent earlier this month. The photos of Tora are beautiful, Teeka at 5 years sure has the same solid body structure. To celebrate Teeka's birthday we went on a hike in Kananaskis Country just west of Bragg Creek. Teeka and Nikeeta just love to go out. Their enthusiasm is contagious and it makes one feel like hiking forever. I took a few pictures, then the memory chip in my camera become full with no replacement on me. Please enjoy the attached photos of Teeka and Nikeeta.
As far as the photos you just sent me, all I can say is WOW. You are making me so totally jealous of your environment, absolutely awe inspiring. What fantastic Elkhounds, off leash and (seemingly) well behaved. Am I a nervous Nellie or what, Nikeeta wants to pull like crazy when she finds a scent trail and I fear I may never see her again if I let her loose. I suspect that Teeka would come back but I do not trust her entirely if she scented something and had a visual as well. Perhaps it is not them but more my fear of losing these precious creatures. What can I say other than I love them.
Your photo file set up sure is slick. One day I will have to become more familiar with the latest photo technology.
Always a pleasure to hear from you and learn about your latest excursion with the mighty Elkhounds. All the best to you and your family.

Sincerely,
John"

Gunnar Male Elkhound - Full Brother To Maya Above

When ever I get a new update from Teri about the episodes in the life of Gunnar and the Murray boys I am smiling for the rest of the week. You can't get a happier bunch than these three rascals. That Murray family is a good bunch, no doubt. You just don't have happy rascals by chance. Takes some work, way to go Teri and Jeff. Great family!

So that Gunnar, you can see he is a steady boy, but has a little mischief up his collar as well, I think these photos are great. A companion dog needs to be as versatile as the handlers, and that my friends is why the Elkhound is and always will be the greatest family dog, that photo says it all!

"Hi Merv,

Just wanted to send you an update on Gunnar. He's still loving life and living large. These three boys are inseparable. Life is still good in NS for Gunnar.

We loved reading about your upcoming possible litter with Gunnar's mommy...it took a lot of willpower not to write you and say we wanted another pup. We probably will in the coming years, but for now Gunnar will remain a lone pup.

I've attached a picture of the boys and Gunnar from this past weekend. He lives being in the truck and near his human brothers.

Hope all is well!

The Murray's
Teri, Jeff, Connor, Quinton & Gunnar"

Shorty and Kai - Norwegian Elkhounds

I am standing here with Shorty and Kai. I was hoping to have a litter between these two. I am not going to get one this round. Now this season has been a tough season on breeding. Kalia didn't mate with Rico, and now I did not get a litter with Shorty and Kai. I did see a hook-up with this pair, but for some reason, Kai is not bred.

I am not happy about that for sure, Kai is the best or in my opinion one of the very best females in Canada, or North America, after my trip overseas she probably is pretty much as good as any world wide, but she is still not bred. Potentially could be her fault, I doubt that very much, but could be, but more than likely, Shorty is to blame, or timing. At this point I won't say one way or another. All I can do it wait till she cycles again.

However, I am going to find another male just in case, even if I have to import semen from Norway. It's a major league disappointment for all the folks waiting for pups only to find out the mating was not successful. Shorty is a great Norwegian male, a solid stout dependable fella, he is from show stock, so is different in many ways from mine, but truly a good match up for Kai and my lineages. I was really looking forward to these pups. Kai is exactly like all the Norwegian dogs I saw over in Finland. Splitting image of them all. So getting a pup from her is like getting a pup from the best in the world basically. But, if I can't get her bred, doesn't matter at all.

Kalia Female Elkhound

Visit Our Breeding Update Page For The Latest Elkhound Pup Litter Announcements

Kalia is the other beauty queen Elkhound I have here not bred. Now that was my screw up. I didn't have Rico here in time, so when he did arrive, by the time he was making friends, it was too late. That was all my fault, for sure. Kalia and Rico are not to blame.

So this next round I am bringing Rico way earlier, so they can get to know each other a bit more, and be at the early stages of her cycling. Kalia is a big girl, if she is not happy with a male and she wasn't, she can cause some damage. She is older than Rico and was not having anything to do with him. Sure didn't want to cause Rico any problems either, it was his first mating, he was ready, she wasn't.

So the folks waiting on this litter have to wait once more. We will get a litter just later now is all.

Kalia is a tremendous female, she is a big girl, very close to my largest female, her and Kamp are very close size wise now. Kalia has all the personable nature to the handler you could expect, she lives to spend time with me. She has a ton of protection ability as well, and shows it. This is a great dog. Her pups combined with Rico will be stunning dogs. I saw some really beautiful Jamthund females in Finland and outside of a few of the Jamthund markings that come out after a few years of all Jamthund breeding, Kalia is every bit as good as those I saw over there. Kalia has the old Swedish Elkhound blood so doesn't have the white jaw, chest area like the recent Jamthunds all have. Only after a few years of selective breeding Jamthund upon Jamthund did those traits come right back out. Now, basically every Jamthund has them. So Rico will pull that right back out. Rico is a full Jamthund, his ancestors entered registration from the early days, Kalia's did not. I am so excited about this litter from Kalia, and make no mistake, I was kicking my own butt around for days, still am, I'll get it right next time.

Tora - Turned 7 - A Complete Warrior

Tora turned 7 this spring. She is shown here on a deep powder hike with Takoda, Kalia and I. I had packed up some gear, we had some lunch while we rested and took a few photos. Roughly 4700 feet, heavy sledding the whole way. I speak to this hike on the Elkhound Athletic Ability Article .  Tora is the height of reliability. She is so dependable. Actions so consistent every time. Absolutely predictable. Completely fearless. Unbelievable work ethic. Never stubborn. Never fails to respond to a command. Rarely do I ever have to give her a command. She is my training partner with all young dogs.

Tora is what any person could ever want in an Elkhound!

Rico - Jamthund Male Comes For a Working Visit

Russ and Beth brought big Rico up for a stay when Kalia was in heat. We were hoping that he could mate with Kalia. I messed up the timing a bit and had him come just a bit late in the cycle. My mistake. I feel really bad about that. Rico was all business, and ready to get the job done, but Kalia was not.

Beth and Russ were awesome to leave Rico with us for the week, we really enjoy this big fella. He is so well mannered and such a polite fella.This is a stunning big male Jamthund. One of the very best in the world of course. Now if you are not familiar with this big rascal, I have some background on his breeders, Jani and Satu, who I met over in Finland when I went to get Aina. Satu and Jani are Master Breeders of the Jamthund. There are no better dogs to be found than those they raise.

Aina, our new little Jamthund female is shown here with her new buddy Rico, shortly after I arrived back in Canada with her. I will be posting more details on Rico on the Elkhound Litter page as well. I will be updating Rico's page here with some more information shortly as well.

Beth and Russ have done such a great job with this big fella. We can not thank them enough for working with us and all they do to assist us. It's been a great time working with them both. We can't wait to have Rico back up soon when Kalia cycles again, and of course we sure look foward to Aina and Rico having a litter some day as well.

Joensuu Finland Trip - I Attended The International Dog Show

One of the big deals this spring for me was of course taking in the big International Dog Show in Joensuu Finland. I was traveling over to Finland to get Aina of course and our trip timing worked out that we could take in that big event. It was awesome! A chance of a lifetime to see the top Swedish Elkhounds and top Norwegian Elkhounds compete. What a great time.

I have a whole story on it here Joensuu Finland Dog Show - please enjoy.

Satu and Jani - Jamthund Master Breeders - Our Gracious Hosts In Finland

Our hosts and new friends over in Finland, Jani and Satu treated us so well. Satu and Jani are the breeders of Rico. Russ and Beth were so impressed with this young couple and I can sure understand why now. They are an awesome couple.

Satu and Jani are master Jamthund breeders over in Finland. They raise some outstanding Swedish Elkhounds, one of which of course is Rico, who is in North America now with Russ and Beth.

Satu was extremely gracious to offer to assist me in finding a Jamthund female. I had initially wanted to get a great female from Satu but timing and litters were not going to work out, so she offered to assist me in finding the best female we could find.

I have a great story up here on Satu and Jani and I speak about the Jamthunds they have, the work they have done and much more, please check it out.  

Aina - Our New Jamthund Female Here in Canada

So this is Aina our new Jamthund Female. I recently went to Finland and brought her back here to Canada. I am so excited to have her here, this is such an oustanding young Swedish Elkhound.

She has been a busy girl with all her travels and new friends plus trying to learn all new skills and  new language, a very smart girl though, totally bilingual now, Finnish and English.

Aina is a real dominant young female who is already taking charge around here. She is a hunter through and through, already she has stopped two young bucks for me. I was able to walk right up to 30-35 yards quiet like. They were standing still looking at her barking at them. She doesn't have her recall down pat just yet, so when I called her off, they took off, and she of course right after them. Took me quite the hike through the bush to catch up and get a hold of her. She wanted to stop them again for me hoping I was a much quieter hunter with a better aim next time. So her and I have been working dilgently on her recall. After that great work though she is on leash with me now in the bush. She just has so much drive that if she smells a small Moose, which is what she thinks those Whitetail are, she is gone.  I'll be working on getting her scent switched over to Moose soon as well, it's just we have deer all over the place here so to her, they are it for now. So incredible to see the instinctive ability come flying out at 3 to 4 months and with skill. Not fooling around either, a pro in a small package. Mighty barks, 60 to 70 a minute. Just rapid fire. Amazing.

Super protective dog as well, already very good at watching and guarding the yard. Has a ton of instinctive skill in that area. Bunking out with Takoda those first few months has been splendid for that. Her and Takoda are exactly the same in one owner mentality. She is a one owner dog, no question. Super personable to me, not to others. Same as him.

This my friends, This is a Swedish Elkhound!

I have a whole page on this young Jamthund, please check out the Swedish Elkhound Aina page.

Takoda - Premier Elkhound Male - Kamia Kennels

Well I am about to wrap up this newsletter, but no news is complete without something on the big fella himself, Takoda.  There has been a ton of things going on for us around here and Takoda has had to be making some allowances for sure.

Females cycling of which he was not going to get to mate with. New males coming in like Shorty and Rico, neither of which Takoda is happy with, but has more tolerance for them than I thought. And of course Jaegar here freaking over the females as well, so a fairly hectic time last while.

Takoda is an phenomenal pack leader though, GAEDA when she was going to come in I thought she had a couple days yet, but she decided it was time. So she just pushed Takoda over on the mat, curled up beside him and had them. Talk about socialization from day one. Too funny. I go out, all the rascals are nursing away, GAEDA is happy, Takoda him and Tora, they are off to the side a bit away, not far, just relaxed. The females they have total confidence in Takoda. There is nothing like pack oriented ancient Elkhounds.

Takoda he sure likes Aina. Watches out for her, gives her his bones and shares his meal with her, it's so unreal. Last dog he did this kind of thing with to this extent is Tora when she was a pup. Talk about a spoiled Aina. I had Aina bunking out with Takoda and Tora the first couple months, just so she was comfortable and got to know the whole group.

I switched his food around a bit, changed his ration to a little more fat and oil, a wee bit less protein. Increased his total intake a slight bit, but not much. I have been using a wider range of product for him, including some of the new Performatrin Ultra. I give him a cup of that every third day or so with about 3 good squirts of this salmon oil I have been using lately in addition to all of his other ration outlay. I have not been able to find my Salmon yet this year, so opted for that oil. It seems excellent. I have a butcher in Kamloops that Ashten found making us a ration, just testing it out on Aina and Takoda now. Both seem to be doing really well on it. Has a lot of fun, you can see he is happy and enjoying himself. Still plays like a pup with me, fascinating really, you wouldn't know how old he is watching him.

I think he actually enjoyed his time with Rico. For one reason or another, even though females in heat all around them, these two got along extremely well. No altercations at all. It's like they could sense they were long lost kin or something, not sure how to explain it. Sure was neat to see the big fellas side by side though. Always through a fence of course, I wasn't taking any chances with two males this size. Rico is 78 pounds, Takoda pretty darn close if he ain't.

Takoda is in really good shape these days. This past winter we had some great hikes, did some nice treks this spring and summer, lots of shorter hikes in the timber zone as we had pups around almost all the time.

He sure was a huge help with Bane and Havoc. I used him a lot to assist me with them. They follow what he does without question, so makes my life easy to instill all the basics of offleash with his support.

It was nice of him to offer to help Jaegar and I with getting young Ranger off to a good start. He was happy to be there helping his young grandson learn the loose leash. Ranger hadn't quite got it just yet in this photo, still pretty tight lead. But he was learning.

Three generations of the best mountain ranging Elkhounds there are, those my friends, those are some serious Elkhounds!

Till later,

Merv 

Canadian Based Kamia Kennels!

Located in The Boundary District of Super Natural British Columbia, Canada

We are in the southern end of the province of BC, right up next to the old ghost town of Phoenix, once Canada's highest city!