FACTS ABOUT THE BREED

Over the past few years we have done a lot of research on the Karelian Bear Dog breed and have read everything: pleasant, unpleasant, truths and lies.
The information available on the Internet is not always correct, leading to misinterpretations or even causing a negative image of the breed.

On this page, we debunk some of this misinformation:


Is the Karelian Bear Dog a sled dog?
– No – The Karelian Bear Dog, despite being Nordic, is not originally a sled dog. It can do it, but it's difficult because it's a hunting dog and as such has predatory instincts, which may hinder its concentration on the activity.


Misconduct towards one's family, and especially towards children.
– No – They are very affectionate, although independent, but only with family (family being understood as those who live under the same roof). They are reserved dogs towards all strangers, even becoming hostile in their territory, but within the family they are gentle and protective of their children.
However, because primitive and robust dogs play like they hunt, in a rough and violent way, this can be a problem when there is no supervision and children are around. The dog must learn to play calmly with children, with patience and adult supervision, and vice versa, so that there are no accidents or bruises.


Karelian dogs are "stupid" and limited.
– No – Karelian dogs are extremely intelligent, and what makes them "unwilling" to learn is their ability to outsmart their trainers. All dogs, regardless of breed, will do what we ask of them; we just need to be patient and provide them with playful activities during the learning process.


They are very sociable.
– No – This doesn't mean that with good socialization they aren't [friendly], but generally, specimens of this breed are very reserved and distrustful. Their appearance is deceiving, as their plush-like look doesn't match their temperament towards those who haven't asked permission to touch them!
The same applies to other dogs: due to their nature, they are not, a priori, a good dog for walking in the dog park.