2010 - Elkhound Howl
This would be a super easy pattern, except for all the fur. That constant in and out makes it a lot of work. Try carving it without the spikes of fur going in, then go back and add the fluff by carving lots of tiny parts out to give it that fur feel.
Looking around the internet I saw a picture of a wolf howling at
the moon. Well, it just so happens that this year we added a dog to
our family. His name is Koda and he is a Norwegian Elkhound. See
http://www.youtube.com/user/MikeReedKS for all my YouTube videos,
including several of Koda.
We took a few shots of Koda reaching for a banana in my daughters hand
to get him to stand in the right pose, and with the help of Photoshop,
*POOF* we had our new pattern. I think this one will be fairly easy to
carve and as a family we just love it!!! We hope a few Elkhound lovers
will see this an enjoy it as well.
About Elkhound
The Norwegian Elkhound is one of the ancient Northern Spitz-type
breed of dog and is the National Dog of Norway. The Elkhound has
served as a hunter, guardian, herder, and defender. In a land of
subzero temperatures, deep snow, thick forests, and rugged
mountains, only the hardiest of the breeds could evolve to perform
the variety of jobs at which the Elkhound excels. It's known for its
courage in tracking and hunting moose and other large game, such as
bear or wolf. The Norwegian Elkhound was first presented at a dog
exhibition in Norway in 1877.
The AKC breed name "Norwegian Elkhound" is a direct translation from
its original Norwegian name "Norsk Elghund," meaning "Norwegian
moose dog." The breed's goal in the hunt is to independently track
down and hold the moose at bay — jumping in and out toward the
moose, distracting its attention, while signaling to the hunters by
barking very loudly — until the hunter who follows the sound can
arrive to shoot it. The dog will only bark while the moose is
stationary, but it can also slowly drive the moose towards shooters
lying in wait. The Norwegian Elkhound is also used on a leash; in
this mode of hunting the dog shows the hunter the direction to the
moose, but keeps quiet.