How easy is it to train an elkhound?
Elkhounds are often considered “difficult” to train. This attitude usually comes from people accustomed to training breeds developed specifically to work with people and take instructions from people, like herding breeds, working breeds, or retriever/pointer-type hunting breeds. This “difficult to train” attitude is also common among folks used to the old-fashioned “jerk and correct” method of training. Elkhounds are very independent, preferring to make their own decisions. After all, they were bred for a self-confident, independent, quick-thinking personality that is not afraid to go head-to-head with a 2000-pound bull moose. This type of personality gave rise to what experienced elkhound owners call “selective deafness,” wherein your elkhound seems to hear only the things he or she wants to hear. But you can obedience train your elkhound (or agility-train, or train them for most anything), if you use the right approach. You must use motivation to train elkhounds. You cannot force or
