Friday, April 23, 2010

The Beautiful Karelian Bear Dogs

I first met the Karelian Bear Dog in 1997, and when I saw this beautiful breed with its excellent conformation and color contrast, I fell in love with it. This breed is an Arctic breed from Finland originally and because of wars, later a breed of Russia. Like many far Northern Breeds the dog is hardy and has a thick coat that keeps it warm in severely cold weather. Different from many Northern Breeds like Malamutes or Siberian Huskies, the Karelian Bear Dogs' coat is short (in comparison) but dense.
This breed can be strong willed and yet very willing to please and they are extremely quick to learn anything. They pick up obedience training very fast, much faster than many other breeds, and do well in competitions. They are not seen very often in Obedience Competition because they are a rare breed.
This breeds' fame lies in that it is a natural protector of property and has the courage to move bear or large animals out of its area. The KBD is a natural hunter and is very devoted to its owner.