THE ELKHOUND KNOWS

By Lisa Peterson

In mapping the canine genome, 85 AKC-recognized breeds, including the Norwegian Elkhound, were genetically grouped in relationship to the Grey Wolf, thought to be the ancestor of all domestic dogs. Dr. Elaine Ostrander of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and her colleagues conducted the research and on May 21, 2004, published “Genetic Structure of the Purebred Domestic Dog” in the journal Science (the complete article can be found at www.akcchf.org).
The following excerpt, discussing the cluster of ancient breeds, prompted media inquires to our parent club:

“This cluster includes Nordic breeds that phenotypically resemble the wolf, such as Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky, and shows the closest genetic relationship to the wolf, which is the direct ancestor of domestic dogs. Thus, dogs from these breeds may be the best living representatives of the ancestral dog gene pool. It is notable that several breeds commonly believed to be of ancient origin such as the Pharoah Hound and the Ibizan Hound are not included in this group. These are often thought to be the oldest of all dog breeds descending directly from the ancient Egyptian dogs drawn on tomb walls more than 5000 years ago. Our results indicate, however, that these two breeds have been recreated in more recent times from combinations of other breeds. Thus, although their appearance matches the ancient Egyptian sight hounds, their genomes do not. Similar conclusions apply to the Norwegian Elkhound, which clusters with modern European breeds rather than with other Arctic dogs, despite reports of direct descent from Scandinavian origins more than 5000 years ago.”

     Even before the story hit the newsstands, NEAA Media Contacts Leslie Forest and I were fielding questions from newspaper reporters around the country. A reporter from the Washington Post was asking me if this “controversial” discovery made me feel “disappointed” or “surprised” in any way.

Background Check
    Before replying about the elkhound not being as genetically close to the wolf or the other Spitz breeds as once thought, I did some basic research on where the claim of “Dog of the Vikings” and the 5000 B.C. date came from? The Science article footnotes the American Kennel Club’s Complete Dog Book (19th Edition) as one of two sources that link the elkhound to 5000 B.C. So, I looked up what the researchers read first.
     The passage reads: “We read of him in sagas, we find his remains by the side of his Viking-master along with the Viking’s weapons-sure proof of the esteem in which he was held; and in the Viste Cave at Jaeren, in western Norway, his skeleton was uncovered among the stone implements in a stratum dating from 4000 to 5000 B.C.”
     Where did that information come from? Scanning my bookshelves I gleaned some clues from The New Complete Norwegian Elkhound (Howell Book House, 1987) by Olav Wallo.
     “In Denmark's flat woods, where the Veidefolket (gypsy peoples) hunted and roamed, the Torvmosehund (swamp dog) was found. It is generally believed that he was the forerunner of our Northern breeds, including the Norwegian Elkhound. It is also assumed that the people migrated into Scandinavia from the South. Some came as free men, others as hunted. They roamed the wild country, hunted and trapped, and lived off what the valley gave, for rich was the land in wild game and fish.
     “Very little is known concerning the origin and the ancestry of the Veidefolket. But in their wanderings they left a wealth of information in their modings (rubbish dumps), where the modern archeologist finds an interesting study. In these modings, not only in Denmark but also in Southern Sweden, tools and weapons have been found, and it has been established that both big and small game were hunted with the Torvmosehund.”
     Wallo further wrote: “In another period of the Viking regime, the king or commander would be buried with full accoutrements -- with his ship, weapons, tools and even his dogs; this was the case at Vistehulen, Jaeren, in the southwest part of Norway. There Professor Brinchmann of the Bergen Museum found relics of the stone age, including four skeletons of dogs, two of which were very similar in bone structure to modern Elkhounds. Expert archeologists presume that this grave dates back from 4000 to 5000 B.C.”
     “Then there were such other finds as the dog skeletons in the famous Gokstad ship, and the clay bowl in the grave at Valloby, which bore in bas-relief a hunting scene with Elkhounds.”
     The Norwegian Elkhound (Doral Publishing, 1995) by Dr. Nina P. Ross offers further clarification:

“Brinchman analyzed bones as well as other relics of the Stone Age found in Viking burials. He concluded that the bones were dog skeletons, a testament to the value man placed on his dog in that era. Artifacts unearthed from a grave at Valloby leave little doubt as to the existence of elkhound-type dogs in Norway before the time of Christ.”

     This source says the skeletons are “elkhound-type” not dyed-in-the-wool Norwegian Elkhounds as we know them today. Perhaps the word “type” was lost in translation in the AKC book.
     So where did this more modern genetic influence come from? Perhaps, according to passages in My 60 years with Norwegian Elkhounds (Show Quality Publications, 1988) by Olav P. Campbell and the Wallo book events following the Wolf Night of February 14, 1852, led to interbreeding with more modern European breeds. The Wolf Night legend details how the elkhounds stood up to the wolves plaguing Norway and kicked some serious wolf butt.
     According to the Wallo book, “After the wolf period the woods of Norway were very quiet. No big or small game was left. Only in Osterdalen and Hedmarken did a small herd of moose remain; the rest had been killed by wolves. Just a few Elkhounds remained and it was difficult to find good specimens among them. Only in a few secluded valleys did the better strains exist. Then man – breeder, hunter, friend – came to pick up the pieces and give the breed new life.”
     In fact, the book goes on to describe 1865 as a benchmark year in which Bamse Gram was whelped. That dog, later known as Gamle Bamse Gram, was an influential stud. The book declares, “no pedigree goes back further than Bamse”.
     From the Campbell book, further evidence of modern genetic influences may be found: “However, it is believed that the Spitzes were relatively uninfluenced by other breeds until the 19th Century when some Harehounds were imported by Army officers and government officials. Some crossing of Spitzes and Harehounds has certainly taken place with the blessing of the owners, and at a time when there was no restriction on letting dogs run loose. The dogs took care of this all by themselves.”
     Of course there have been other genetic influences in the Norwegian Elkhound in the last 200 years. And science has just verified what we’ve known all along. Surprised? I think not. Disappointed? Hardly. The Norwegian Elkhound has certainly earned the enduring title of “Dog of the Vikings” at least in my book.

CUTLINE:
A Bronze Age petroglyph from Boshalan, Sweden (near the Norwegian border, south of Oslo) shows dogs with curly tails hunting large game with antlers. – photo courtesy of Karen Elvin

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