Dog breed in danger of extinction, six out of seven can disappear! Spread the word!


  • It gave me great pain and sorrow reading this news, since I have previously had 2 dogs from this breed. It saddens me that I cannot take one in to my home since I have already made a commitment to a Basenji pup and am only permitted 1 animal in my appartment.

    These Norwegian Buhund’s are a wonderful breed, loving, energetic, playful, intelligent, gentle, …they truly are the “potato” (good with everything) of the dog world. And a big snuggler!! 🙂

    This is a translated news article from VG, a Norwegian newspaper:

    Norwegian dog breeds dying out - six out of seven can disappear

    Verdens Gang (transl.), July 1, 2009

    The Norwegian Kennel Club is warning that that six out of seven Norwegian dog breeds are in danger of becoming extinct. Dog owners are hoping celebrities could save them.

    Halden Dog (Haldenst?ver), Norwegian Hound (dunker), Puffin Dog (Lundehund), Hygen Hound, Norwegian Buhund (norsk buhund), Norwegian Elkhound Grey (Norsk elghund gr?) and Norwegian Elkhound Black (norsk elghund svart) are the names of the seven Norwegian dog breeds. But now six of them are seriously endangered, warns the Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK). According to them only the Grey Elkhound is safe. For some of the breeds, especially the Halden dog and the Hygen Hound, there are barely any known specimens outside Norway. Therefore it would be impossible to import the breed from abroad when it dies out.

    "The Norwegian dog breeds are caught in a vicious circle. There are few individuals, and so as a result few people are introduced to them. Ask a person on the street if he has heard of the Haldenst?ver (Halden dog) and the answer is no," says Espen Engh, administrative director of NKK. "What the Norwegian breeds need first and foremost is publicity", he adds.

    Engh hopes Norwegian celebrities will make the breeds more popular. He points to Paris Hilton's Chihuahua and Barack Obama's Portugese Water Dog as examples of successful celebrity advertising.

    (FYI: the Crown Prince/Crown Princess just bought themselves a family dog, a Labradoodle)

    "If the Crown Prince-couple had bought themselves a Haldenst?ver then clearly more people would have known about it," says Engh but underlines that the Crown Prince-couple should be allowed to choose whatever dog they want.

    Buhund owner Ellen Katrin Enge thinks the main problem is competition from foreign breeds, "Norwegians choose foreign dogs. The Buhund was used as a herding dog, but a few years ago it was 'outcompeted' by the Border Collie." Enge explains that there is dangerously low breeding of the Norwegian dogs, making them hard to come by. Only about 60-70 Buhunds are registered each year in Norway.

    The original Norwegian dogs also vanish because Norwegians have simply forgotten about them. Very few recognize a Buhund when they meet it. "When I'm out walking my Buhund a lot of people go 'Oh my God, what kind of dog is that?' They think it's a Japanese Spitz or a Shiba."

    In addition to publicity it's a challenge in itself just keeping the breeds alive. A sperm bank has already been created to maintain the Norwegian dog genes. The NKK will intensify their work in this area, and the Norwegian Gene Resource Center has given more money to the sperm bank.

    The Norwegian breeds have a reputation of being good work dogs. One example is the Buhund, a farm- and herding dog which has also been used for hunting since before the viking age, many would even accompany their viking owners on their travels overseas. Enge, vice president of the Norwegian Buhund Club, is hoping more people will notice the breed; "The Buhund is the perfect family dog, it's fun, friendly and active, its fur can stand both heat and cold and it demands little maintenance. I'm surprised not more people have discovered this."

    Some Norwegian breeds are exported abroad. In January of this year the Norwegian Buhund was finally recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club.

    ==========================================================

    I just felt it my duty, to spread the word about this news, and hopfully draw attention to this truly beautiful breed. And maybe help it gain popularity, and save it. 😞

    If you know someone considering a dog, why not inform them about the Norwegian Buhund?

    Some more info on the breed:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Buhund
    http://www.buhund.org/
    http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/norwegianbuhund.htm
    attachment_t_6656_0_buhund1.jpg
    attachment_t_6656_1_buhund2.jpg
    attachment_t_6656_2_buhund3.jpg
    attachment_t_6656_3_norwegian-buhund4.jpg


  • Really nice looking dogs - would be a shame to lose them.


  • I agree with you about Buhunds being a lovely breed I grew up with living with several Buhunds over the years and will probably be getting another in the future:D

  • Houston

    I had no idea they were that bad off… They are beautiful dogs.. Since I grew up in Sweden, I am familiar with the breed, never owned one in our family but had several friends that had some.


  • I have been fascinated by Lundehunds for years and would love to have one. I think they would make great Basenji companions! There used to be a few American breeders listed in the Dog Fancy magazine, but I noticed about 3 years ago they disappeared.
    Buhunds, I think, are in the process of AKC eligibility, which may help them!

    Terry


  • @Terry:

    I think, are in the process of AKC eligibility, which may help them!
    Terry

    They have been accepted as of 1st January of this year so hopefully the numbers might increase a little in the US. Numbers have fallen in the UK as many of the breeders are no longer breeding or have passed away and not many new people have gone in to the breed:(


  • @Terry:

    Buhunds, I think, are in the process of AKC eligibility, which may help them!

    Terry

    Dude, the very last line of the news article: In January of this year the Norwegian Buhund was finally recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club.

    lol, helps to read before commenting. 😉

    But yeah, I do hope it helps. Would be a shame that a breed dies out this day and age just because it's not as popular.


  • Yeah, they've had full acceptance this year. Very interesting breed, I've been learning quite a bit about them. There's actually a bunch in MI. I've never interacted with them, but they have been at some of the local shows. And I was going to set up an appointment last year to meet the breeder with a terrier friend, but we never got around to it. I suppose one of these days I should go check them out.

    I don't ever expect to have one, but just a neat breed none the less.


  • I know someone with a lundhund and who is trying to breed. She shows him in the UKC shows. The lundhund actually doesn't get along well with many dogs, it has to be the alpha in all situations, which doesn't work.


  • It is so sad that these dogs are endangered, ofcourse a lot more dogs are in fact, like the portugese podengo grande, but I dont think it is a good idea to try to get these dogs popular by getting celebrities to buy them….. everybody knows what happens with breeds that have become populair because of celebs owning them or playing in movies...... 😞

    by the way did you know that Frasier has or used to have a b/w basenji? 🙂


  • @ibi_n_sane:

    I
    by the way did you know that Frasier has or used to have a b/w basenji? 🙂

    Do you mean Kelsey Grammer, or Frasier? Can't remember seeing a Basenji in that TV show.


  • yes I mean Kelsey Grammer 😉 I didnt know his real name 🙂

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