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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGarden State Norwegian Elkhound Club Regional\nSpecialty Dog Show<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For more\nthan 50 years, the Garden State Norwegian Elkhound Club (GSNEC) has hosted an\nannual regional specialty dog show. A specialty dog show is limited to dogs of\na single breed. Each year club members select a suitable location in the\nNorthern New Jersey area to hold a dog show just for Norwegian Elkhounds. GSNEC\nmay hold an independent specialty at a stand-alone location or may hold it in\nconjunction with a large kennel club which hosts all 205 breeds recognized by the\nAmerican Kennel Club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n GSNEC 2025 Regional Specialty Dog Show<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Save this Date – October 1st 2025 the club will hold its annual specialty dog show at the famed Morris and Essex Kennel Club Dog Show<\/a> at Colonial Park in Somerset, New Jersey, on October 6th. The dog show classes will also include a Puppy Sweepstakes, a Veteran Sweepstakes, and classes for Veteran dogs (aged 7 and older). This commemorative dog show is held once every five years as a tribute to the philanthropy of Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge and her dedication to the sport of purebred dogs. This fun, family event includes exhibitors and spectators dressed in period garb\u2014from the 1920s through the 1950s, when the original dog show was held on Mrs. Dodge\u2019s New Jersey estate\u2014as well as antique cars on display around the majestic dog show rings held under classic white tents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Recent\npast locations for GSNEC specialties have included the Sussex County Fairgrounds\nin Augusta, New Jersey, in conjunction with the Ramapo Kennel Club, and at North\nBranch Park in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, in conjunction with the Somerset\nHills Kennel Club. In addition to its specialties, GSNEC supports the Norwegian\nElkhound entry at these larger events with special trophies and ribbons. The\nclub is proud to invite some of the top Norwegian Elkhound judges to its events.\nThese include longtime, respected\npreservation breeders from the United States to breed specialists from Norway,\nEngland, and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What is\na Dog Show? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According\nto the American Kennel Club, \u201cThe official term for dog shows is\nconformation \u2014 as in, the act of\nconforming<\/em> or producing conformity<\/em>. While a dog show\nmay look like a beauty pageant, it\u2019s not. Dogs are not being compared to each\nother; they\u2019re being measured by how closely they conform<\/em> to the standard of their particular\nbreed. Why? Because the closer a dog\u2019s appearance is to the breed\u2019s\nstandard<\/a>, the better that dog\u2019s ability will\nbe to produce puppies that meet the standard. It\u2019s also the reason why mixed\nbreeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in\nconformation. As one of the most popular AKC events, conformation events range\nfrom large all-breed<\/a> shows, with over 3,000 dogs entered, to small local specialty\nclub shows that feature only one breed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Norwegian\nElkhound Breed Standard <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n General\nAppearance: The Norwegian Elkhound is a hardy gray hunting dog. In appearance,\na typical northern dog of medium size and substance, square in profile, close\ncoupled and balanced in proportions. The head is broad with prick ears, and the\ntail is tightly curled and carried over the back. The distinctive gray coat is\ndense and smooth lying. As a hunter, the Norwegian Elkhound has the courage,\nagility and stamina to hold moose and other big game at bay by barking and\ndodging attack, and the endurance to track for long hours in all weather over\nrough and varied terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n