- Black, may be dull or with nuances of brown.
- Most individuals have clearly defined white markings on the head, neck, chest, belly and the legs
About the Karelian Bear Dog
Origin: Finland
- Typical life span
- 11-13 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 20-23 kg
- Female
- 17-20 kg
- Height
- Male
- 54-61 cm
- Female
- 48-56 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Spitz and primitive types
- Origin
- Finland
- Also called
- Perro de Osos de Carelia
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Karelian Bear Dog?
Medium-sized, sturdily-built spitz-type hunting dog with distinctive black and white coat, bred for courage and tenacity in hunting large game including bears, moose, and wild boar
Karelian Bear Dog history and origins
Ancient breed developed in the Karelia region of Finland and Russia from spitz-type dogs to hunt large game. Standardized in the 1930s and nearly became extinct after World War II but was saved by dedicated Finnish breeders. One of Finland's most prized national breeds
Karelian Bear Dog appearance and size
Males typically weigh 20-23 kg and stand 54-61 cm at the shoulder; females 17-20 kg and 48-56 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Hunting spitz. A dog mainly for elk and bear hunting, holds the game at bay
- Behaviour and temperament
“Eager hunter; very independent, yet works co-operatively to game, marking game by barking. The senses, especially of smell, are sharp, thus the breed is suitable for big game hunting. Very good sense of direction. Balanced, courageous and persistent. Highly developed spirit for game. Very self-confident, may be territorial towards other males, never aggressive towards people. Slightly reserved”
Quoted from FCI standard n°48. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Hunting spitz. A dog mainly for elk and bear hunting, holds the game at bay” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Karelian Bear Dog
What you get with the Karelian Bear Dog
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Hunting spitz. A dog mainly for elk and bear hunting, holds the game at bay”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Eager hunter; very independent, yet works co-operatively to game, marking game by barking. The senses, especially of…”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Karelian Bear Dog
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
Outer coat harsh and straight.
On the neck, back and backside of the upper thighs longer than elsewhere.
Undercoat soft and dense
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°48 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Males: 54–60 cm, females 49–55 cm. Ideal height: males 57 cm and females 52 cm. Weight: Ideal weight males 25– 28 kg and females 17–20 kg”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°48. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Karelian Bear Dog down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Overshot or undershot mouth.
- Blue eyes.
- Ears hanging or semi-drop.
- Other colours than described in the standard. N. B.:
- Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
- Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Karelian Bear Dog in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Karelian Bear Dog
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Karelian Bear Dog on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Karelian Bear Dog owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Karelian Bear Dog breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.