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.

Information about Karelian Bear Dogs from American Kennel Club

Karelian Bear Dog Did You Know?

•The Karelian Bear Dog has been assigned the Working Group designation.

•The first petition to add the Karelian Bear Dog to the Foundation Stock Service program was May 2005. It was approved on June 9, 2005.

•The Karelian Bear Dog originally was a dog of native Russian Peasants, and Finnish peoples of northeastern Europe. They were used for hunting and as a watch dog.

•In Finland, its country of origin, it is spelled Carelian, with a C. In the Finnish language it is called Karjalankarhukoira.

•The Karelian Bear Dog is primarily a hunting breed, but can be trained for and compete in obedience trials, search and rescue trials and sled dog trials in its native Finland.

•The Karelian Bear Dog is a silent hunter, and only barks once the game is stopped or treed. Working with an experienced hunter, he communicates the type of animal he has located at by the sound of his bark.

•Today, the Karelian Bear Dog is one of the 10 most common dog breeds in Finland.

Karelian Bear Dog History
The Karelian Bear Dog originated in northwestern Europe, and was originally the dog of Russian and Finnish peasants. The breed was mainly used for hunting and as a watch dog. Only the toughest survived fightings, and hunting under very hard conditions.

The Karelian is a Finnish breed. Early dogs had red, red-gray and black & white coats. The Komi dog is considered to be the origin of the breed and basic stock dogs originated from Ladoga's Carelia, Olonets & Russian Carelia. In further breeding, the progeny was selected to the Karelian Bear Dog type and black & white dogs were preferred for breeding. The first breed standard was established in 1945. The first Karelian Bear Dogs were registered in the Finnish Kennel Club in 1946. Today the breed is one of the top 10 most common breeds in Finland.

Origin of the Karelian Bear Dog

The area once known as Karelia in Northern Europe has always been populated by tough, big-game hunting canines. For a long time, similar dogs had been bred in Karelia for hunting large game. These dogs were known to have followed the first settlers to Finland thousands of years ago. These early tribes of people survived on what they could hunt, which is why dogs that were hardy, brave, smart, and tough enough to tackle bear, wolf, lynx were so important.
The Karelian Bear Dog closely resembles the Russo-European Laika. It evolved in the part of Finland claimed by the Soviet Union earlier this century. The Karelian Bear dog, which is more numerous outside its own country than any of the Russian Laikas, is used by elk hunters throughout Finland, Sweden, and Norway. It was first exhibited at a dog show in Helsinki in 1936, but after World War II the breed almost became extinct. All modern Karelians are traced back to forty dogs found and saved after the war. The Karelian Bear Dog was very popular towards the turn of the century when it could be found in vast numbers. Its numbers declined in the 1960's, but its popularity has been on the rise and it is now being bred in North America and many European countries.
Among this avid hunter's game are buck, wild boar, hare, and moose. He is also fearless enough to fight the wolf and bear and therefore, functioned as a protector by hunting these large wild animals. In his homeland of Finland, the dog is used mostly on elk and is the favored dog of native big-game hunters.
(from dogbreedinfo.com/karelianbeardog.htm)

Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. -- Mark Twain

Questions and Answers about the Karelian Bear Dog

Do I have to train them to run bear?

The instinct to move bear is in them from when they are very young. Many of our puppy owners have told us how protective their puppies are from the time they are quite young. One told us that their eight week old puppy was barking and growling at their door when there was a bear in their yard.
Many Montana and Alaska owners use our dogs to move bears from their yards and property. One Alaskan owner told us that his dog saved his life from Grizzly Bears three times that he knows about.

I am having a hard time finding any information on the web about these dogs?

This is a rare breed and so there is not a lot of information about them. Keep looking on the Internet as new information comes out all the time.
This breed is very devoted to their homes and very loyal to their people. They are wonderful hunters and also excellent companions.

Questions and Answers about the Karelian Bear Dog

I would like to know more on the karelian breed as far as using them for bear hunting. If you have any links to information on training, maintenance, etc?

This is an excellent site that tells about hunting with Karelian Bear Dogs.
http://www.everythinghusky.com/dogswestsibe.html

Do I need to keep them penned up like regular hound dogs?

Most of our dogs are penned just because of their investment and to protect them from accident. However, if you have country space they do very well free also. They set their territory around their place and then they stay in that home area. They might like to go adventuring if they have a chance but they then return home.
Most places do not have space for free roaming dogs, and the dogs are safer confined. A remote collar can be used to set up an invisible fence to contain the dog in the area of the owners choosing.

Will they travel long distances on a hunt?

This is a very hardy breed and they will hunt as long as the owner wants them too. Also they are pretty good at pulling a sled for quite a distance.

I live in the mountains so can they handle rough terrain on a hunt?

We also live in the mountains and the dogs handle rough terrain and extreme cold with no problems. They are a tough Northern Breed of dog.