Welcome

Who are we?

Currently: Just a girl who was raised with the wolves… or rather Elkhounds and loves them with her whole heart. She has no intensions of becoming a large scale breeder, just growing a fur family of her own and sharing some with others along the way. In the meantime, sharing awareness of the breed, training the dogs in her care and making sure the breed continues to thrive in health and standard variations.

Historically: From the time my husband and I (the parents) received our first Norwegian Elkhound when we first got married, we knew the breed was the only one for us and our farm home. Myself (the mom) coming from a background of only having strays that just settled into the family because no one else would accept them, that first purebred pup we were gifted was like winning the lottery in more ways than one. Elkhounds are intelligent, hardy and loyal, making great companions and farm co-inhabiters. So when we found it difficult to locate successors to our first love, we decided breeding was the only way to ensure we would always have an Elkhound in our family. This ancient Viking breed would be exclusively in our lives for the next three decades of our life together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is our mission & purpose?

Our mission is to keep the integrity of the breed to standard and health while expanding the longevity of our favorite dog breed.

Our purpose is to always have Elkhounds to love on and some to share with others along the way. We don’t breed to make money, we breed to make loves.

How much are our pups?

Each of our canine offspring is important to us and to ensure they all receive homes that will value their well-being, we set our price to be an investment, not just an impulse reaction. We also strive to provide quality feed and care, for which we hope to compensate, at least in part, with the fee received when pups are adopted. Please see our puppy page for current prices and availability.

How often do we have puppies to share?

We keep our core stock low to provide the best care and attention to our dog family. Because of that, we only have a couple of litters each year.

Do we test our dogs?

We are in the process of testing all of our adults that we breed. It is a very lengthy process, but we have ensured that the dams and sires we use are historically free from any major risk factors. We do have DNA testing results available that shows they are free from genetically prone issues. OFA testing will be done as we can get the opportunity to do so.

Where are we located?

Our farm is located about an hour south of Springfield, Illinois, near the rural town of Nokomis.

hillelkhoundfamilyfarm@gmail.com