By Kelly A. Shue
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Fascination, intrigue, and amazement recently filled Riderwood’s performance hall as residents, staff, and guests enjoyed a special dog show performance by Norwegian Elkhounds Yorik the Wonder Dog and Tuck, tracking specialist.

Bob Ness, long-time dog lover and head of Riderwood’s Dog Owners Group, invited the two young dogs—trained and owned by Karyl Parks (Tuck) and Marilyn Slaton (Yorik)—to showcase their numerous talents and educate the audience on the breed’s innate intelligence.

Proud lineage
Tracing its origins to Norway more than 6,000 years ago, the Norwegian Elkhound, or “Norsk Elghund” (meaning moose dog), was used in the hunt to hold the moose at bay—jumping in and out toward the moose until the hunter arrived.

Now a popular pet, these dogs are known for their affection for people, loyalty, enthusiasm for life, and love of treats.

All you need to do is ask
As owners of a Norwegian Elkhound named Karla, Bob Ness and his wife Ruth work diligently to promote the wellbeing of the breed as active participants in the National Elkhound Breed Club and Elkhound Rescue. Frequenting dog owner websites and lists, they were familiar with both Parks and Slaton.

An honor to be asked
“Both Marilyn and I agreed to take our dogs to Riderwood because we had been invited by Bob and Ruth Ness,” Parks says. “They have given so much to the Norwegian E lkhounds and are just good people who are highly respected breed-wide. When they asked for a personal appearance, I couldn’t think of any higher honor.”

Eager to see the Norwegian Elkhounds in action, animal lovers at Riderwood quickly marked the upcoming event on their calendars. More than 200 people attended the performance, and 40 more came to an encore performance at Renaissance Gardens.