If you have already decided that the Norwegian Buhund is the dog for you, it may be because you know somebody who owns one, in which case you should already have a good idea of the type of dog you would be buying.    If however, you have just been studying dog books, or have met one or two briefly you will, no doubt, have a number of questions which you would like answering.    This web page sets out to answer the most common queries, but the best way to find out about the breed is to meet as many as possible.    Like people Buhunds are all different.   To find you nearest Buhund breeder in the U.K., contact the Secretary of the Norwegian Buhund Club.     Details are given on the Officers page or alternatively you can contact the Kennel Club.

The breed characteristics for a show Buhund are given in the Breed Standard, this section aims to give you the characteristics from an owners point of view.

Norwegian Buhunds are a medium sized breed, big enough to be a "proper" dog, but not too big for anyone in reasonable health to be able to handle with ease.    They are intelligent and very affectionate towards people they know.     They are happiest in a home environment as they enjoy being with people and adapt very well to being a member of the family.

They are very hardy dogs, usually only going to the Vet's for their annual boosters and they can stand the cold very well - although they do like a nice fire in the winter!    Being a Scandinavian breed they are not so happy in very hot weather and prefer to sleep away the hot days in a shady corner.    They have a thick double coat consisting of a soft woolly undercoat and a top coat of harsher, waterproof hair.    Their coats need very little attention for most of the year, just a brush or comb two or three time a week.

Buhunds generally get on very well with children but, like any breed, they should not be left alone with un-supervised young children who can easily frighten or hurt a dog without realising it.    Neither should children be allowed to take a dog for a walk without being accompanied by an adult.    A well trained Buhund is not aggressive, but any self respecting dog will fight back if attacked by another dog and children may not be strong enough to cope with that sort of situation.

The Norwegian Buhund makes an excellent house-dog and their warning bark will deter unwelcome visitors despite their relatively small size.    If trained correctly they can be very obedient, although you will have to be very dedicated to achieve success with Buhunds if you intend to do Obedience work seriously.    Unlike the sheepdog the Buhund much prefers to please himself than to please you.    A Buhund looks upon his owner as an equal, so if you are looking for a dog that will worship his owner and believes him to be infallible, don't buy a Buhund - he will discover your week spots even before you are aware of them.

A few Buhunds are still trained and used to do their original job of herding livestock and there are some in the U.K. who are working on farms.    The instinct to work is still present, so if you live in an area where there is livestock you must be prepared to make doubly sure that your Buhund is not allowed to wander, as anything on four legs could be chased and a farmer will not hesitate to shoot a dog which is worrying livestock.

If you think that you may like a dog which you can show, the Buhund is an easy dog to prepare and train for the show ring.    All that is necessary is that the dog is trained to stand to allow a judge to examine him and that he will walk sensibly on a loose lead.

A Buhund will take as much exercise as you can give him, once he is fully grown but, provided he is also mentally exercised, he will be equally happy with just a few short walks a day.    Like most of the working breeds, the Buhund is an intelligent dog and so easily becomes bored if left alone ignored for long periods.    When he is bored he is quite likely to cause trouble and become destructive.    Likewise, while a Buhund will be quite happy to live part of his day in a kennel and run, if he does not receive sufficient attention he will simply bark at anything and nothing.    If it doesn't annoy you, it will certainly upset your neighbours and cause complaints.    If your lifestyle means that you are out of the house for long periods, or don't have enough spare time to devote to a dog, you should seriously consider whether or not you have the time and energy to own any active working breed.

The two main disadvantages of owning a Buhund are that they bark and they moult.    The barking can be controlled by firm training, but there is little that you can do about the moult, which occurs once or twice a year.    If you are very house-proud, then the Buhund is not for you.    During the moult your dog will need brushing every day and your house will need vacuum cleaning at least twice.    At the height of the moult it is often useful to bath your dog as this helps to loosen the dead coat more quickly.    This is probably the only time during the year when he will need a bath as Buhunds are naturally clean and will wash themselves like cats.    Unless they are particularly dirty or wet Buhunds do not have the doggy odour of many other breeds.    For most of the year, very little coat is shed but all Buhunds moult to some extent, usually in the spring and autumn, before growing a new coat.

Generally speaking the Buhund is a remarkably healthy breed and most will only visit the Vet's once a year for their annual boosters.     They do have the occasional ear or eye infection and some tend to be more accident prone than others.     Properly cared for, the Buhund should live an active life well into his teens.    Until recent years it was thought that, unlike most other breeds, the Buhund was not affected by any hereditary diseases.     However, it has been discovered that there is an incidence of Hereditary Cataract, in the breed.     In most cases the dog's sight is only minimally affected, if at all, but as it is possible that a dog with very small cataracts can produce puppies which are far more seriously affected, no Buhund with cataracts should ever be bred from.     The Norwegian Buhund Club is actively involved in trying to eliminate this condition from the breed, but as the number of Buhunds is comparatively small, this will inevitably take a number of years.
The condition can only be correctly diagnosed by specialist vets who will examine the eye while the pupil is fully dilated, so that the whole of the lens of the eye can be seen.     Most owners would not be aware that their dog has this condition without this specialist examination.     In the Buhund the condition is caused by a recessive gene, so it is not possible to guarantee that any dog is genetically clear of the condition at the present time.    If you buy a puppy from a member of the Norwegian Buhund Club, you will know that the puppies should have been screened at the age of six weeks and that the parents have a current clear eye certificate under a recognised eye scheme.     When a dog has been proved to have cataracts, or to be a carrier of the condition, that dog is not used for breeding again, so eventually the condition should be eliminated altogether.     Meanwhile the vast majority of Buhunds who are affected by cataracts live normal lives and suffer no ill effects from this condition.
Since Buhunds were introduced into this country more than forty years ago, there have been a small number of cases of epilepsy and a few of hip displaysia.     If considering buying a Buhund, the club would recommend that you ask if both parents have been hip scored.     Any dog producing or suffering from these conditions should not be bred from.    Any cases which are discovered should be reported to the Breed Working Party, so that the situation can be monitored and steps taken to ensure that these diseases do not become widespread in the breed.
The Buhund is fortunate in that the main problems within the breed are not life threatening to the dog.     It is because breeders have tried to ensure that they breed an un-exaggerated dog that it remains a basically fit, healthy and intelligent breed.