I guess 6000 years of hunting isn't too bad for a dog breed.

Seriously though, I don't think there can be many more breeds in the world (that basically haven't changed/evolved at all in 6000 years) with such long hunting traditions? Most other hunting dog breeds are much newer/younger.

The Vikings of course used these dogs as mentioned in the quote above, and ultimately, when a Viking warrior died, his dogs would be buried with him so that he would have the dogs with him in Valhalla.

Erik