@souggy I asked in the buhund group on Facebook and there is one person in Sweden who described how she still uses buhunds for hunting:
Yes, they hunt! We have had two hunting buhund and now we really hope that our new one will hunt deer and moose. And yes, they even hunt bear. I think it´s a bit sad that there ain´t no test for hunting buhunds. In Sweden the most used dog for moosehunt is Swedish Jämthund. Norwegian elkhound grey is ofcourse a big hunter too. The norwegian elkhound black is also used but it´s avery tiny breed. Maybe it will be more used now because of all the wolves in Sweden.
Sorry for my bad english but I will try to answer. They hunt almost everything, we have two kind of deer that is the most interesting for us. The dog is following and barking and it comes back to us in 15 minutes normally. The deer runs away and hopefully there is a hunter in it´s way. When they hunt moose it´s a different thing because the moose stop when a dog is barking. We call it standing hunt. The moose is standing and the dog is running around it and barks all the time. We have problems with wildhogs and we don´t wont our dogs to hunt them because of the risk getting injured. But sometimes they hunt them to. We start training when they are small, dragging an elkbone in the forest. And we dont let them hunt free before 14 mounth age. They have to get ready in the head. The most important thing for our buhund is to catch an lead us to injured wild animals. We train on bloodmarks in the forest. We use a sponge with blood and mark stamps in a 600 meter track.
So Lobo and I met our first two (two!) Hokkaidos this weekend. The first was @Losech's pup, Katana, on his first day in the US. Sadly, I don't have pictures of that. I seem to have lost my camera battery and charger. On Saturday's hike, I decided to swallow my pride and bring the big ole iPad so I could take some pictures. I felt like such a dork, but it was awesome to document Lobo's playtime with @Whobitme's Meitou. At first Meitou gave Lobo a few nose bops that Lobo did not appreciate, but I guess they warmed up to each other because when we got to the summit, they started wrestling and seeing who could hump each other more (can you guess who won?).
Anyway, I was really impressed with how good Meitou was on the trail. @whobitme kept him on a long lead, but he stayed close and kept checking in with her. You always hear about hunting dogs being notoriously bad off-lead but Conker and Willie (@Losech's shibas) and Meitou seem pretty awesome with their recall.
The hike was a blast, even if I did think I was going to die right before hitting the ridge, lol. Meitou loved playing with Lobo and got a little too friendly (my interpretation, haha). He gave Lobo a ton of kisses and kept trying to lick inside Lobo's ears. And oh yes, the humping. I think he attempted to hump practically every part of Lobo. I don't remember the final tally, but I think Meitou might have come out ahead on that one, though Lobo did some major catching up in the last mile or two. I'm just glad Meitou and Lobo got along so well. Meitou is always wanting to play with other dogs, but usually his rudeness is not appreciated.
I was pretty impressed with how Meitou kept checking in with me, too. Maybe he thought I was going to die, too (joke). I made sure to praise him every time he checked back. He never got any treats because he usually refuses treats while out hiking, even when I bring some of his favorites. He'll actually spit them out if I slip one into his mouth. Meitou had a busy job checking in with me on the way down because he reeeallllly wanted to stay with Lobo, but also wanted to make sure I was still coming.
Thankfully the weather never got too warm (Meitou is a mega heat wimp), and even though Meitou decided horse turds made great pillows, he didn't get much on him and most of it was gone by the end of the hike (he still got washed down before going home, and hosed off once I got home).
I think one of the funniest moments was when Meitou stepped on a snake's head. He kept going like nothing had happened and the poor snake sat there wriggling until Meitou walked away. I wish I'd had my camera out at that point.
And I still have no idea why Meitou wishes he could be an extreme off-roader and go down the steep inclines. There is no way I could make it down them.
@LoboSpam After I got home I was showing everyone some of the pictures I took and telling them about Lobo and they all thought he was a super cool dog (lol, my mother asked why I got a Hokkaido instead of a buhund). And indeed he is. He even let my sister and I throw some sticks for him.
@TheWalrus (just in case you'd like to see how Meitou is doing)
@LoboSpam So, today I took Meitou to that walking trail I mentioned while on our hike, and guess what? I met another buhund. I didn't talk to the owner long (she was vague, but implied her dog didn't usually get on with other dogs) and it seemed like maybe she was in a bit of a hurry to move on. She was impressed that I knew what a buhund was. Meitou wanted to play so badly. The poor guy.
@whobitme No way! Meitou was probably like, ohai, here let me nose bop and lick you, it'll be a good time, trust me. Haha! We'll have to have another hiking play date. They got along well and wore each other out.
Been a while! Oops. I have a lot of spam to catch up on
One of the things about Lobo is his happy greetings. You can go upstairs and come back down and he'll act like he hasn't seen you in weeks. When my boyfriend comes home from work every day, he practically faints:
This is one of my favorite pictures of Lobo:
I work from home and this is why I can't sit on the couch with my laptop:
Lobo's GQ pose:
Offering to help clean up? Not really...
Viking hat...breed history...couldn't resist.
Thanksgiving Day walk:
We haven't been doing as much hiking, but when we do, it's pretty epic:
He was especially happy in this spot. I've never been to Norway but I wonder if these are the kinds of hills/mountains where they were bred and something in him was stirred.
This was the first time he'd been in snow since he was a little pup. Obviously he likes it:
I love this shot
Getting in touch with his inner metalhead:
Our most recent hike, this past weekend:
I was so impressed with his performance in the snow. At some points we were breaking trail in 3-4 feet of fresh powder and he started sinking into it, so he practically SWAM through it. It was an 11 mile hike, 3000 ft elevation gain, no problem for him.
Sounds like he is doing great! You should know that every time my oldest Shiba barks at new noises (we recently moved from a house in a rural-ish area to a condo in a large metropolitan area, so she does this a lot lately!), I tell her not to be a barky buhund.
Oh, yay! A Lobo update! I've been wondering how he's doing. He's so stinking cute. That epic hiking shot is is amazing. Looks like that was a pretty awesome hike. And the inner metalhead photo is super cute. His eyes are so big.
I was wondering, when you go hiking, how do you figure out if a trail is a less frequented one? Do you just go by information on websites like the Portland Hikers Field Guide? Or is it more through trial and error? I haven't been doing much hiking over the winter and Meitou's been having some dog reactivity issues recently so once I get back into it I want to try and avoid hikes with a lot of other dogs so it is easier to manage training.
One hike I know I want to try...well, part of it.... I discovered a local trail that I though was only a few miles branches off into a 7 mile trail that leads to like a 24 mile loop. So there will be more for me to explore that isn't just the more popular part. But I don't want to try it when it's rainy, lol.
You should know that every time my oldest Shiba barks at new noises (we recently moved from a house in a rural-ish area to a condo in a large metropolitan area, so she does this a lot lately!), I tell her not to be a barky buhund.
I was wondering, when you go hiking, how do you figure out if a trail is a less frequented one? Do you just go by information on websites like the Portland Hikers Field Guide? Or is it more through trial and error? I haven't been doing much hiking over the winter and Meitou's been having some dog reactivity issues recently so once I get back into it I want to try and avoid hikes with a lot of other dogs so it is easier to manage training.
@WhoBitMe There is definitely some trial and error, but generally, the longer/steeper the trail and more unpredictable the weather, the less likely you are to encounter traffic! Hamilton Mountain and Eagle Creek are exceptions (unusually popular). You'll want to avoid longer trails that have a shorter hike built in. For example, Yocum Ridge is a good long hike but first you have to get through the crowds taking the first short part of the trail to Ramona Falls. The last two I did with Lobo were Big Huckleberry Mountain (terrible road approaching the trailhead, that filters out a lot of traffic) and Salmon Butte (just surprisingly not very well known).
This is a good time of year to explore trails, though you're likely to hit snow as you climb elevation and you'll want to sharpen your navigation skills or bring a GPS unit. You can use the PortlandHikers.org find a hike search, and sometimes it tells you whether the trail is crowded (and when). I tend to avoid hiking during nice sunny weather, not just because of the hordes that come out hiking, but also because both Lobo and I tend to overheat and we don't particularly enjoy hot hiking
One hike I know I want to try...well, part of it.... I discovered a local trail that I though was only a few miles branches off into a 7 mile trail that leads to like a 24 mile loop. So there will be more for me to explore that isn't just the more popular part. But I don't want to try it when it's rainy, lol.
Sweet! Yeah, it's a gamble with the rain. I did a short hike this weekend with friends (no Lobo) and we got slammed with hail just went we got up past the tree line. I'd suggest investing in good rain gear and just checking the weather for the area in which the trail starts right before you do the hike.
Sorry to hear that Meitou is having dog reactivity issues. What does he do? I'd be happy to help if I can with Lobo. Maybe he can hump the reactivity away :P
@LoboSpam LOL if all the world's problems could be solved by humping, then Meitou would be boss. He's actually quite a bit better about humping (unless it regards a cat...and maybe dogs, don't know), but sometimes he just gets in a humping mood and can't help himself, LOL. And thank you for hiking tips for places and gear.
As far as his reactivity, for some reason I find it hard to explain. He seems to do alright in stores and in big group things (like Barn Hunt events, dog classes, etc). I think this may be because I did more of his socialization in places like that. He has more issues when out walking on streets and out hiking. On the streets he seems to get overstimulated by other dogs either in yards barking at him or dogs out being walked. And he really hates loose dogs rushing up to him, he'll bark and growl if a dog rushes up to him. He just kind of obsesses on other dogs. Sometimes I think it's just his excitement getting too over the top, and other times I think he really doesn't like the other dog. But we've been taking classes with trainers who specialize in reactive dogs (I'm freaked out that Meitou is actually the calmest dog in class, lol) and the things we've learned have helped (except when a chubby older fly tackled Meitou out of nowhere on Thursday). Meitou has been taking treats again on walks (bacon, hot dogs, meat of other varieties, and cheerios mixed with tuna are his favorites) and recently even after some bad experiences he'll take treats and mostly focus on me. Hiking I usually try to avoid other dogs and I'm normally pretty successful. Sometimes he seems fine with other dogs, other times not. Usually I can pull him aside and he doesn't mind too much, but other times he gets odd. We had one pretty bad experience recently when two off leash dogs came up behind us unexpectedly and Meitou chased the (luckily non-reactive) dogs and did some tackling. I'm still learning to better read dog body language so sometimes it is hard for me to figure out what Meitou is 'thinking' and I'm sure I misinterpret things sometimes.
I certainly wouldn't turn down any help you would like to offer. I like @WrylyBrindle 's idea of hiking with Meitou and Lobo. Hopefully Meitou remembers how much he loved Lobo.
Erm, sorry for the massive incoherent Meitou hijack. I think this means we need even more Lobo spam to make up for it to get the thread back on track.
Comments
Anyway, I was really impressed with how good Meitou was on the trail. @whobitme kept him on a long lead, but he stayed close and kept checking in with her. You always hear about hunting dogs being notoriously bad off-lead but Conker and Willie (@Losech's shibas) and Meitou seem pretty awesome with their recall.
Hokka-buhund spam:
I was pretty impressed with how Meitou kept checking in with me, too. Maybe he thought I was going to die, too (joke). I made sure to praise him every time he checked back. He never got any treats because he usually refuses treats while out hiking, even when I bring some of his favorites. He'll actually spit them out if I slip one into his mouth. Meitou had a busy job checking in with me on the way down because he reeeallllly wanted to stay with Lobo, but also wanted to make sure I was still coming.
Thankfully the weather never got too warm (Meitou is a mega heat wimp), and even though Meitou decided horse turds made great pillows, he didn't get much on him and most of it was gone by the end of the hike (he still got washed down before going home, and hosed off once I got home).
I think one of the funniest moments was when Meitou stepped on a snake's head. He kept going like nothing had happened and the poor snake sat there wriggling until Meitou walked away. I wish I'd had my camera out at that point.
And I still have no idea why Meitou wishes he could be an extreme off-roader and go down the steep inclines. There is no way I could make it down them.
@LoboSpam After I got home I was showing everyone some of the pictures I took and telling them about Lobo and they all thought he was a super cool dog (lol, my mother asked why I got a Hokkaido instead of a buhund). And indeed he is. He even let my sister and I throw some sticks for him.
@TheWalrus (just in case you'd like to see how Meitou is doing)
One of the things about Lobo is his happy greetings. You can go upstairs and come back down and he'll act like he hasn't seen you in weeks. When my boyfriend comes home from work every day, he practically faints:
This is one of my favorite pictures of Lobo:
I work from home and this is why I can't sit on the couch with my laptop:
Lobo's GQ pose:
Offering to help clean up? Not really...
Viking hat...breed history...couldn't resist.
Thanksgiving Day walk:
We haven't been doing as much hiking, but when we do, it's pretty epic:
He was especially happy in this spot. I've never been to Norway but I wonder if these are the kinds of hills/mountains where they were bred and something in him was stirred.
This was the first time he'd been in snow since he was a little pup. Obviously he likes it:
I love this shot
Getting in touch with his inner metalhead:
Our most recent hike, this past weekend:
I was so impressed with his performance in the snow. At some points we were breaking trail in 3-4 feet of fresh powder and he started sinking into it, so he practically SWAM through it. It was an 11 mile hike, 3000 ft elevation gain, no problem for him.
I was wondering, when you go hiking, how do you figure out if a trail is a less frequented one? Do you just go by information on websites like the Portland Hikers Field Guide? Or is it more through trial and error? I haven't been doing much hiking over the winter and Meitou's been having some dog reactivity issues recently so once I get back into it I want to try and avoid hikes with a lot of other dogs so it is easier to manage training.
One hike I know I want to try...well, part of it.... I discovered a local trail that I though was only a few miles branches off into a 7 mile trail that leads to like a 24 mile loop. So there will be more for me to explore that isn't just the more popular part.
This is a good time of year to explore trails, though you're likely to hit snow as you climb elevation and you'll want to sharpen your navigation skills or bring a GPS unit. You can use the PortlandHikers.org find a hike search, and sometimes it tells you whether the trail is crowded (and when). I tend to avoid hiking during nice sunny weather, not just because of the hordes that come out hiking, but also because both Lobo and I tend to overheat and we don't particularly enjoy hot hiking
Sorry to hear that Meitou is having dog reactivity issues. What does he do? I'd be happy to help if I can with Lobo. Maybe he can hump the reactivity away :P
As far as his reactivity, for some reason I find it hard to explain. He seems to do alright in stores and in big group things (like Barn Hunt events, dog classes, etc). I think this may be because I did more of his socialization in places like that. He has more issues when out walking on streets and out hiking. On the streets he seems to get overstimulated by other dogs either in yards barking at him or dogs out being walked. And he really hates loose dogs rushing up to him, he'll bark and growl if a dog rushes up to him. He just kind of obsesses on other dogs. Sometimes I think it's just his excitement getting too over the top, and other times I think he really doesn't like the other dog. But we've been taking classes with trainers who specialize in reactive dogs (I'm freaked out that Meitou is actually the calmest dog in class, lol) and the things we've learned have helped (except when a chubby older fly tackled Meitou out of nowhere on Thursday). Meitou has been taking treats again on walks (bacon, hot dogs, meat of other varieties, and cheerios mixed with tuna are his favorites) and recently even after some bad experiences he'll take treats and mostly focus on me. Hiking I usually try to avoid other dogs and I'm normally pretty successful. Sometimes he seems fine with other dogs, other times not. Usually I can pull him aside and he doesn't mind too much, but other times he gets odd. We had one pretty bad experience recently when two off leash dogs came up behind us unexpectedly and Meitou chased the (luckily non-reactive) dogs and did some tackling. I'm still learning to better read dog body language so sometimes it is hard for me to figure out what Meitou is 'thinking' and I'm sure I misinterpret things sometimes.
I certainly wouldn't turn down any help you would like to offer.
Erm, sorry for the massive incoherent Meitou hijack. I think this means we need even more Lobo spam to make up for it to get the thread back on track.