have great temperament and are kid friendly. They rarely bark and very tolerant towards smaller pets and can also be used as a companion dogs with other dog breeds. They are highly intelligent and love physical contact with humans. This is the dog that will willingly seek to be petted, hugged and will prefer to be near family members at all times. The Black Norwegian Elkhound is a very robust and hardy dog: very alert and full of power and pride. It is more strong-minded than the Grey Elkhound and therefore off-leash walking or hunting is not recommended. The most recommended training method is one that focuses on motivating the dog; such as clicker training or reward-based training methods. Using punishment or dominance-based methods could negatively impact training with the Black Norwegian Elkhound. It is easy to train, but it needs continuous exercise and high activity level. Regular walks in the woods and fields right from the puppy stage lay the foundation for an excellent hiking and hunting companion. Hunting The Black Elkhound is used primarily in hunting large game such as moose, deer and bear. This dog is bred for on leash dog hunting and has the ability to cooperate well with the handlers. The black Elkhound primarily picks up the smell in the air, so it jumps to a higher ground to pick up the scent. Which also makes it an excellent search dog. As opposed to grey elkhounds, the black breed rarely bark. It behaves calmly and silently in contact with game so that the hunter can approach the game undetected and take a precise shot. Health Norwegian Elghund Black has been known as a healthy and vigorous breed, but surveys and investigations in recent years show that there are cases of hereditary glaucoma, ataxia, epilepsy and transitional vertigo in the breed. The Norwegian breeding committee for the breed prioritizes health highly in the breeding work to avoid sick offspring. Breeding It is important for the black elkhound breed to focus on preventing inbreeding. Based on Norwegian kennel club's 5% rule, each male dog for the breed should not have more than 40 registered offspring. It is planned to introduce a new breed requirement that both parent animals are genetically tested for hereditary glaucoma and ataxia. The Norwegian breeding committee currently only approves matings where one of the dogs has been tested genetically free - this to