The Black Norwegian Elkhound is a small Spitz breed classified by the FCI as a hunting dog. It is very rare outside the Nordic countries of Scandinavia. It is bred for the same purpose as the Grey Norwegian Elkhound but is smaller, more agile, and easier to recognize in the snow. Historically, it is a much 'younger' breed, first bred in Norway during the 18th century. The breed name 'Elkhound' comes directly from its original Norwegian name 'Elghund', meaning 'elk dog' or 'moose dog'. In Norwegian, 'elg' refers to the animal English speakers know as an 'elk' (in Eurasia) or 'moose' (in the United States), and 'hund' means 'dog'. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)