Karelian Bear Dog

The Karelian Bear Dog is an old breed from the forested areas of Karelia. It is a traditional big-game hunting dog that is nowadays used by hunters to corner elk and bears.

The Karelian Bear Dog is a mid-sized, sturdily built, but not heavy, dog that is powerful and only a little longer than it is tall. It has a thick coat, which is black and white with clearly-defined markings. Its coat may, at times, have a slight shade of brown. Its eyes are relatively small, somewhat oval and dark-brown in colour. Its expression is alert and sharp. The ears are erect, mid-sized and only a little rounded at the tip.

From: Kennelliito (The Finnish Kennel Club, IPFD Founding Partner) Native Breeds

From:  Kennelliito (The Finnish Kennel Club, IPFD Founding Partner)

    Native Breeds: Karelian Bear Dog

The following is archived content from the Finnish Kennel Club website (2017)...

"The Karelian Bear Dog is an old breed from the forested areas of Karelia. It is a traditional big-game hunting dog that is nowadays used by hunters to corner elk and bears.

The Karelian Bear Dog is a mid-sized, sturdily built, but not heavy, dog that is powerful and only a little longer than it is tall. It has a thick coat, which is black and white with clearly-defined markings. Its coat may, at times, have a slight shade of brown. Its eyes are relatively small, somewhat oval and dark-brown in colour. Its expression is alert and sharp. The ears are erect, mid-sized and only a little rounded at the tip.

The ideal height at the withers is 57 cm for males. The minimum height for males is 54 cm and the maximum is 60 cm. The corresponding figure for bitches is 52 cm (49 cm and 55 cm).

The Karelian Bear Dog enjoys its own company and may be slightly sullen. It is alert, unyielding, bold and gutsy. Some individuals are eager to defend their territory and have a strong ego. The Karelian Bear Dog is happy to stand guard and it has a very powerful hunting instinct."

read more... at Internet Archives  - original page: http://www.kennelliitto.fi/en/dogs/native-breeds/karelian-bear-dog

FCI: Karelian Bear Dog: Breed by Breed Education (Breed standard explanation)

• Karelsk björnhund
• Karjalankarhukoira
• Chien d'ours de Carélie
• Perro de osos de Carelia
• Karelischer Bärenhund
• Karelsk Bjørnhund

Country of origin: Finland

Finnish Kennel Club - An IPFD Founding Partner !

WOW!  Awesome new link;  The Finnish Canine Museum.  Fabulous online resource with information on the history of Finnish breeds.

Karelian dogs instinctively harass bears as management alternative
By SARAH DETTMER
Billings Gazette: Aug 9, 2016

• https://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/karelian-dogs-instinctively-harass-bears-as-management-alternative/article_b742a919-e8c1-5bb7-ac25-06596f3926d6.html

There are numerous breed standards.

The basis of breed/conformation shows is the judging of pedigree dogs against the 'Breed Standard', which is a picture in words that describes the range of features that are deemed appropriate for the breed.

One of the major international standards is:

FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale)

1. Swedish Insurance Data

• Breed-specific information on rates of disease and death from Agria Pet Insurance (Agria Djurförsäkring) is available for many breeds.
  This breed has information on Veterinary Care and Life Insurance.
  Click here to view downloads (2006-2011 version)

           Downloads: 2011-2016 version

2. 2. Finnish Kennel Club:

Registration and breeding statistics available online.

Health/Breeding Strategy Documents and Links:

1. Sweden: Breed-specific Breeding Strategies: (in Swedish) and/ or English summary
2. Finland: Jalostuksen tavoiteohjelman päivitysliite 2020-2024 Karjalankarhukoira: https://jalostus.kennelliitto.fi/RotuPDF.ashx?R=48&T=2
   1. PEVISA: https://spj.fi/rodut/karjalankarhukoira/terveys/pevisa/

Part 1 of a Series: Barking Up the Right Tree: Washington's Karelian Bear Dog Program

Guest Commentary by Bob McCoy, MLF Volunteer
Field Representative, Sammamish, Washington

WDFW'S Karelian Bear Dog Program: Helping People & Helping Wildlife

Origins and wanderings of the Finnish hunting spitzes

• https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0199992

Article: University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center: Skeletal disease found in Kare­lian Bear Dogs rep­res­ents the first spon­tan­eous an­imal model of hu­man hy­po­phos­phata­sia

• https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/health-news/skeletal-disease-found-in-karelian-bear-dogs-represents-the-first-spontaneous-animal-model-of-human-hypophosphatasia

Scientific Report

• A homozygous missense variant in the alkaline phosphatase gene ALPL is associated with a severe form of canine hypophosphatasia

We are listing sites for breed clubs with health or other information that might be helpful. Follow links below.

Finland: Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö ry: https://spj.fi/

Breed Description: https://spj.fi/rodut/karjalankarhukoira/rotukuvaus/ulkomuoto/