| dc.description.abstract | The Norwegian Hound is one of our seven national dog breeds in Norway. This breed emerged in the 19th century, as several other Nordic hare hunting dogs, from an uncertain ancestry of European scent hounds. From then on the Norwegian Hound has been through ups and downs, with a population size varying greatly with demands of society, and changing breeding strategies. In the beginning the breed work was not specialized, though there were people like Lieutenant Dunker who worked to develop the breed in a certain direction. He was aiming to produce a good scent hound and fixing the dapple fur colour. Breeders were following up on Lieutenant Dunker’s work, and the breed was formally acknowledged as the Norwegian Hound (“Dunker” in Norwegian) in 1902. In the following years and until World War II the breed population grew significantly to a population of wide genetic diversity, with local populations all over the country. In the late 1960’s began the recession that was to make a great impact on the Norwegian Hound’s future. With random matings, an increasing amount of mediocre hunting dogs and less desired colour variations, together with strong competition from other Nordic hounds, the number of Norwegian Hounds was decreasing. Trying to save the breed massive inbreeding and matador breeding was carried out, and in the 1980’s one could clearly see signs of inbreeding depression in the population that was now approaching critically low numbers. From then on the Breed Club and the NKK has been working hard to help the breed back on its feet and save this important piece of cultural inheritance for the future. A carefully managed crossbreeding program was started in 1989 to outcross the Norwegian Hound, and in 1992the NKK, Norwegian Agricultural Museum and the Norwegian Genetic Resources Centre joined forces to build the semen database. Today the Breeding Committee is working closely with the breeders to maintain a healthy breed with excellent hunting skills, and this special dappled appearance. My goal has been to analyse the different breeding programs up to this date, their impact, and further to discuss the future of the Norwegian Hound. The breed is still regarded as threatened by extinction and certain issues are of concern, but with all good efforts and forces in this project, the cooperation of geneticists, breeders, the Breed Club and the NKK, and the focused work of the Breeding Committee, this breed will hopefully continue to grow and survive well into the future. | en |
