The Karelian Bear Dog is a very old dog breed. It has always been engaged in hunting in the areas of Lake Pagoda, Olonets and Russian Karelia. It arrived from the Urals in the wake of the Komi, Zyrian and Olones populations around 900 A.D., who brought with them their own dogs, the Komi, who are the ancestors of the Karelian Bear Dog, and who in turn were direct descendants of the Arctic wolf.
This breed spread very quickly in Finland and was used for all types of hunting: game, waterfowl, moose, lynx, deer and bear. In Finland the breeding of this breed began in 1936, with the aim of having a dog that would be specialised in hunting bear and elk. The Karelian bear dog is a primitive spitz dog, i.e. those dogs that regardless of human intervention have never changed over time and still retain their original characteristics.
During the Second World War the breed risked extinction with the almost complete destruction of the dog population, but sixty specimens were saved, which gave rise to the rebirth of the Karelian Bear Dog. However, this breed is mainly known and widespread in Finland and almost unknown in the rest of the world.
Character of the Karelian Bear Dog
This breed is very proud and independent but also brave, bold and balanced. It is by no means an indoor dog, but must have a job to do, be outdoors a lot and get plenty of exercise. It is therefore particularly suited to hunting, even of large prey, but is also sometimes used to guard flocks and guards, after a good period of training for this.
It has a highly developed fighting instinct, as it has been bred for hunting large animals. It is an energetic, tenacious and athletic dog, has a highly developed sense of smell and has to work hard on this, to follow tracks and find animals. When it has found the animal it tries to engage it with courage and determination until the hunter arrives.
This breed is by no means aggressive with people, but it can be aggressive with its own kind, which it generally does not tolerate, especially if they are of the same sex. It is considered to be a sociable dog and well suited to being with man, in fact it is very sensitive and intelligent and becomes very attached to its owner, it suffers greatly if confined in small spaces or if it lacks the attention of its human.
Training is fundamental in the Karelian Bear Dog, for socialisation. It must be trained with consistency and patience, it is not a dog suitable for those who are new to dogs. It does not tolerate cats as it sees them as prey.
A curiosity: in Russia it is used to keep bears away without having to kill them, when they get too close to villages or towns. The dogs bark and chase the bear, which, being a very intelligent animal, understands that it should not return to those areas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjjQpYZtpWQ&ab_channel=KalebGreen
Appearance of the Karelian Bear Dog dog breed
The Karelian Bear Dog is a medium-sized dog; the height for males is about 57 centimetres, for females about 52, the weight for males can reach around 28 kilograms while the female around 20 kilograms.
The body is vigorous, athletic and robust. It develops more in length than in height, the thorax is ample and the limbs are well straight and turned, the thigh is wide and long, with a good musculature which gives it the typical gait with wide strides.
The head is triangular and the skull is wide when seen from the front, the muzzle is high and becomes thinner as it approaches the truffle which is wide and black. The eyes are rather small and oval, brown in various shades, the gaze is always alert and attentive. The ears are straight and attached relatively high, of medium length with slightly rounded tips. The tail is of medium length, generally curved in an arc, preferably complete.
The coat has a smooth, straight and sparser outer coat, and is longer on the neck, back and back of the thighs, while the undercoat is thick and dense. The colour of the coat is black, but there may be well-defined white spots on the head, neck, chest, abdomen and limbs.
Health and care of the Karelian Bear dog breed
This breed is extremely hardy and robust, has uncommon endurance and never gets tired. No particular predisposition to disease is reported, routine check-ups and vaccinations are sufficient.
A traditional diet based on vegetables, raw meat and carbohydrates is advisable, but it should get plenty of exercise.
As far as coat care is concerned, regular brushing is sufficient to keep its coat healthy. It does not lose much.
