1) Origin
The Norwegian Elkhound is a very old and ancient Nordic breed, with ancestry that most likely even predates the Viking age. During the Viking age, the Norwegian Elkhound accompanied the Vikings and they were used as hunters, guards and companions. The Norwegian Elkhound is most likely a result of crossing a female wolf and male domesticated dog from South, but since it is extremely old dog breed, we can not be sure about their exact history and ancestry. But it is definitely very ancient breed.

2) Name
The breeds full name, and i might mispronounce it a little bit, is Norsk Elghund Grå, which is describing the dog perfectly. Norsk, means norwegian and Grå means gray. The word Elghund can be translated either as elk dog or moose dog, and indeed, the moose is the main prey of the Norwegian Elkhound. So the breed is sometimes called as Gray Norwegian Moose Dog rather than Norwegian Elkhound, but both names are correct.

3) Black Elkhound
Why is it important to mention the gray color in their name? Is there any other Norwegian Elkhound? Well, there is! The Black Norwegian Elkhound. It is much younger breed, bred for the same purpose as the original Gray Elkhound, but they are smaller, more agile and thanks to their black color easily recognizable in the snow.

4) Hunting
As you already know, the main utilization of Norwegian Elkhound is hunting. They serve this purpose for many many centuries and they are great asset for any big game hunter. These dogs are bred to track mostly moose on large distances in harsh Norwegian weather and terrain. When they track down the moose, they typically corner it and start barking to alert the hunters. To be good at this kind of hunting, the Norwegian Elkhound must be very endurant breed with high stamina, extraordinary sense of smell, great courage, little bit of independence and great loyalty to the hunter. And the Norwegian Elkhound posses all these qualities.

5) Companion
Of course, every individual dog is different, but most of Norwegian Elkhounds create extremely strong bond with its owners and family and they are absolutely devoted to them. Some of them might be little bit protective and possesive over their loved ones, but typically, these dogs do not show agression towards other people. But they are alert dogs, that can be trained to be very good guards and protectors. They truly create very good playful and intelligent companions, especially for active families. They can be little bit headstrong and consistent training and socialization is needed to have obedient dog in your home. They are pretty tolerant with kids and they will love to play with older kids. Of course, younger children must be supervised with any kind of dog breed. Norwegian Elkhound can also live with other dogs, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood.

6) Size
The Norwegian Elkhound is a medium to large sized dog breed with sturdy and squerly built body which is pretty muscular. The average height of this breed is between 19-21 inch, which is 48-54 cm and weight is usually between 44-51 lbs, which is 20-23 kg.

7) Spitz
On the first sight it is obvious that the Norwegian Elkhound is a Spitz type of a dog, and they share all the typical Spitz appearance characteristics. The most obvious are erect ears, curled tail and very dense double coat. The thick and dense doublecoat is protecting them from even the coldest temperatures and it is essential for their survival in Scandinavia. The coat comes in mixture of black and white color and it gives expression of gray or silver. The head is broad and wedge shaped with shorter muzzle, pointed ears, dark brown eyes which gives friendly expression.

8) Exercise
The Norwegian Elkhound is very active and high-energy dog breed who needs plenty of exercise to stay in good shape, physically, but also mentally. Daily longer walks or hikes, combined with fun playtime are absolutely essential for this breed. This dog is ideal for people who love spending time outdoors, as they will be always ready for any kind of outdoor activity. This is definitely not a coach potatoe and it is important to be prepared for a high energy dog breed when considering purchasing a Norwegian Elkhound.

9) Maintenance
The Norwegian Elkhound can keep its coat in good condition by itself, but the dense doublecoat does shed. And they do shed all year long, which is why regular brushing is very beneficial to minimize the shedding, but it is impossible to stop it. But no other grooming is really required. Of course, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
The Norwegian Elkhound is usually very hardy and healthy dog breed. They might ocassionally suffer from the same health issues as other larger breeds, such as hip dysplasia or kidney problems. Some Elkhounds posses genetic predispotions to suffer from progressive retinal atrophy. Just like with all dogs, you can minimize the risk of serious health concerns by purchasing the breed from reputable breeder. The average lifespan of Norwegian Elkhound is around 13 or 14 years. ​

1) Designer dog breed
The Corgidor is not a purebred dog, but a so called designer dog breed, which is basically just another term for a crossbreed or mixedbreed. It is mix of two pure breeds, the Labrador Retriever and Welsh Corgi, either Cardigan or Pembroke.
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2) Origin
Most crossbreeds are rather newer creations, but that is not the case of Corgidor. Since both – Corgis and Labs – are dog breeds developed in United Kingdom, it is almost certain that these two dogs were unintentionally crossed together for a long time. And there are even some reports, that some people in Britain intentionally crossed these two breeds since the 1990s, when they tried to create a new herding dog breed from them. But nevertheless, the Corgidor is not recognized by any major kennel club as a separate breed, but lately they are gaining more and more popularity.

3) Appearance
Just like with all the crossbreeds, the appearance of Corgidor is not unified and it is pretty unpredictable. Most often, they look like dwarf Labradors, or Labradors with short Corgi like legs. The head is usually squared with almond shaped eyes and relatively long muzzle. The ears tend to be set high on the head and they are typically slightly larger than pure Labradors ears. But again, this is only what is the most common appearance, as they can truly inherit the appearance of two pretty differently looking dog breeds and some Corgidors will look more like Corgis and some more like Labs.

4) Size
Again, the size can vary quite a bit, but the Corgidor size is usually between the size of Labrador and Corgi. The height can truly differ a lot and it is normally between 12-23 inch, which is 30-58 cm and weight is usually between 40-55 lbs, which is 18-25 kg. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males.

5) Companions
Even though the Corgidor was first bred for herding purposes, vast majority of them are typical companion dogs. And they have amazing temperament for being the best companions! They are absolutely loving, affectionate and loyal towards their owners. The Labrador gives them their famous friendliness, while the Corgi gives them alertness and little bit of protectivness, which makes interesting mix of personalities. Most Corgidors are very smart dogs that are relatively eager to please, but just like with all dogs, patient and consistent training is essential, just as early socialization with different environemnts, animals and people.

6) Living with
The Corgidor is very adaptable breed that can live in big houses, but also in smaller apartments, if they have enough exercise. They will be very happy if they have access to big yard and some of them will enjoy guarding yard, while some of them woud invite everyone right inside your house. The Corgidor is typically very friendly, gentle and playful around kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed, with a very young child unsupervised. Corgidors can also live with other household pets without problems, as they do not posses high prey drive, but again, it is important to socialize your Corgidor with your other pets from the beginning. But overall, this is truly very adaptable breed that will happily live almost anywhere, if they can live there with their people.

7) Exercise
Both Corgis and Labs are very active dogs, so as the Corgidor. Regular daily exercises are absolutelly essential to have happy and healthy Corgidor in your home. Daily longer walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime and fun training sessions are great to deal with the Corgidors energy. You should also exercise them mentally with regular training, some dog sport or puzzle toys. Without enough exercise, they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction.

8) Coat and color
The coat of Corgidor is typically pretty thick and dense and in medium length. The main Corgidor colors are brown, black, red and tan and the coat can be in solid color, but it can also be a mixture of different colors.

9) Maintenance
The grooming needs of Corgidor are minimal. Even without any grooming at all, they will keep their coat in great condition. On the other hand, they do shed quite heavily, which is why regular brushing is recommended to minimize the shedding. But it is impossible to stop it. No other grooming is required. Just like with any other breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
There are no health related studies about Corgidors, but we can presume, that they will inherit the same health issues as their parent breeds, which includes mainly hip dysplasia, patellar luxation and intervertebral disc disease. Other problems might include bloating, some eye problems, allergies or infections. The average lifespan of Corgidor is somewhere around 13 years.

 Sled dogs are dogs specifically bred for one main purpose, which is pulling heavy sleds across frozen terrain in arctic temperatures for days or even for weeks. It is a very hard task and only few breeds in the world are capable of doing it. In this video i will tell you what are the TOP 10 sled dogs, what is the history of sled dogs, what makes a good sled dog and i will also show you some famous individual sled dogs. Lets jump into it!
For a long time, sledding was the main transportation of people living in Siberia, Greenland, Northern Canada or Northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. We do not know for sure, what is the exact ancestry of sled dogs, but there is a theory that suggest, that most of the sled dogs have their roots in ancient Mongolia more than 30 000 years ago, from where people migrated with their dogs to migrated north of the Arctic Circle with their dogs about 25,000 years ago, and began using them to pull sleds roughly 3,000 years ago.
In the arctic regions, sled dogs made it much much easier to transport people, goods and even just to communicate and without sled dogs, people would have it much harder to survive in these cold areas. Many sled dogs were not only used for pulling sleds, but also for hunt and to help provide food for their owners. They were truly unreplaceable companions.
Even today, sled dogs are used in Greenland and in some rural areas of Alaska and Canada, but of course, with the invention of trucks, snowmobiles, trains and airplanes, the original purpose of these dog is not so needed as it was in the past. Today, many sled dogs are used just as companions or for dog sports like mushing.
And what does make a good sled dog? Well, every sled dog must combine a great strength, stamina and endurance with speed and athleticism. Back in the past, the strength and stamina were much more important and the dogs used to be larger and heavier. Today, most competitive sled dogs are rather lighter and much faster and most of them weigh around 25 kg, which is 55 lbs.
Every sled dog must also have very thick weatherproof doublecoat which protects them from extremely cold temperatures. These dogs also must have strong work ethic, lots of energy, strong pack mentality, as they most often work in groups and they must show loyalty and devotion to the owner. And now lets take a look at the list of 10 amazing sled dogs!
10) Alaskan Malamute
The first sled dog on this list is one of the most famous of all of them and it is the official state dog of Alaska, the Alaskan Malamute. They are one of the largest and strongest of all sled dogs. Most often they were bred for stamina, rather than speed and they were commonly used as freight dogs.
9) Yakutian Laika
Laikas are typical hunting dogs of Siberia, but the Yakutian Laika is exception, as they were not only used for hunting, but also sledding and herding. These dogs come from the Russian Sakha Republic.
8) Canadian Eskimo Dog
Also known as Canadian Inuit dog, Canadian Husky or Esquimaux Husky, the Canadian Eskimo dog is extremely old breed originally used by the Thule people of Arctic Canada. These dogs can also be used for hunting and they typically have pretty high prey drive.
7) Chinook
I said that most sled dogs are very old breeds, well the Chinook is an exception, as they were developed only in the 1900s by Arthur Welden as a mixture of Greenland dog, English Mastiff, German and Belgium Shepherd.
6) Samoyed
Samoyed is another sled dog that is quite popular these days as a companion dog. They have a long history and they were developed in Siberia by the Samoyedic tribe. In the past, they were used not only for hunting, but also for herding reindeer. This is very alert, loyal and obedient breed.
5) Greenland Dog
The Greenland dog has very old history with the Inuit people of Greenland and even today, their main purpose is sledding. In 2010 it was estimated that there is 18000 Greenland dogs living in western Greenland from which approximately half is used for working as sled dogs. They are considered to be the same breed as Canadian Eskimo dog, that only evolved in different place.
4) Eurohound
The Eurohound is the second dog on this list without long history, as they were developed only recently, specifically for the sled dog racing. They were developed in Scandinavia by crossing Alaskan Husky and German Shorthaired Pointer. They are extremely fast, but not so strong as typical sled dogs.
3) Alaskan Husky
The Alaskan Husky, just like the Eurohound is not a purebred dog breed, bur rather a dog type developed from breeding various Nordic breed for the purpose of sledding. The Alaskan Husky and the Eurohound is the most common breed that can be seen in todays sled dog racing, mushing or canicross.
2) MacKenzie River Husky
The MacKenzie River Husky is again not a breed, but rather a term, that is describing local populations of Arctic sled dog types. One of the most famous is the Yukon type, that was developed by crossing Newfoundland dogs with Saint Bernards and it is amazing powerful freight dog.
1) Siberian Husky
One of the most popular breed in the world, the Siberian Husky, is also one of the tough, endurant and resilient sled dogs. They are descendants of the sled dogs used in Siberia by Chukchi people. They were mostly famous for their use in Alaska in the late 18th and early 19th century as sled dogs.
There are some other breeds that can be called as sled dogs, like Saint Bernard, Newfoundland or Chow Chow, but i believe that the list truly include the 10 best sled dogs that have either long history in sledding or they are used for recreational sledding these days.
By the way, i made videos about most of the dog breeds mentioned in this video, so if you will be interested in any of them, just search for Rocadog + breeds name in the Youtube search and check it out!
There are few especially famous sled dogs. The most famous is probably Balto, a black Siberian Husky who was a lead dog of the sled dog team who brought the diphtheria serum on the last leg of the relay to Nome during the 1925 diphtheria epidemic. They brought this lifesaving serum from a one place to another for over 700 miles only in 6 days. There is even a movie from 1995 about this heroic act called Balto. Another famous dog from this journey is Togo, who was anoter lead dog of this sled team.
Another famous duo of sled dogs is Taro and Jiro. In 1958 several researchers have to evacuate themselves from their positions in Antarctica. They left behind 15 chained sled dogs with small supplies of water and food, because they believed, that they will return in just few days. However the weather turned bad and the team never made it back to the dogs.
A year later another expedition arrived to the outpost, finding out that two dogs, Jiro and Taro, survived. There is also a movie about their story, called Nankyoku Monogatari and Eight Below.