![]() ![]() That is how much pride the Finns have in their Karelians." "This whole thing, the whole affair, was in honour of one breed of dog. ![]() "It was a very big honour for me to be invited to attend this," said Deeley. It was open to only the top 14 Karelian Bear Dogs in all of Finland. The next day an invitational hunt was held. Dawne Deeley, a Bear Dog breeder from Sidney on Vancouver Island was there. ![]() All businesses shut down for the day and the town hall was given over to dancing and speeches. It was in this town, in the fall of 1996, a commemorative life-size bronze statue of the Karelian Bear Dog was unveiled and erected in the town square. The Finnish Kennel club formed a committee and set to work re-establishing the breed standard in a small town in south-eastern Finland. The breed - which had officially been named in 1936 - was destroyed to near extinction. Those who owned dogs killed them rather than leave them to the Russians. So dear to the Finn is the Bear Dog that when the Russians invaded Finnish Karelia in the Winter War of 19 and the Continuation War of 1941 to 1944 - over a million Finns fled the territory. The dog of a Finnish peasant and of the hunters and artists and scientists who moved into the backwoods of Karelia in the 1800s. A dog bred with the courage to hunt the Russian brown bear. Loyal to one master for whom it will kill. It is a hound with a wild and primitive spirit and energy. Karelia straddles the present-day border of Finland and Russia but the political split of the territory has shifted back and forth with bloody battles through history - a bifurcation between the competing influences of east and west.īut Karelia holds a place vital in Finnish cultural history and it is from this torn land one of the Finn’s national icons originates - the Karelian Bear Dog. The dog is like a piece of untamed wilderness" He respects a fair, intuitive relationship with those accustomed to, and confident with, his breed.Finnish Bear Dogs are now being trained to protect bears, but controversy surrounds breeding of the animals Intelligent, independent and possessing acute instincts, the Karelian Bear Dog needs exercise and space that an urban environment cannot offer. The dog’s affection does not extend to other pets, though. PersonalityĬourageous and athletic, the Karelian Bear Dog’s connection with his “person” is affectionate and unfailing, and for this reason, he is beloved by many hunters. The Finnish Kennel Club recognized the Karelian Bear Dog in 1946, and today it’s one of their most popular breeds. The arrival of World War II almost destroyed the breed, but fortunately, a group of Fin and Russian supporters took steps to bring it back. Thought to be descended from northern Spitz breeds, the Karelian Bear Dog thrived for generations in Karelia, a region presently encompassed by Finland and Russia, where isolation kept its genes pure. Named for his ability to hunt and provide protection from bears, the Karelian Bear Dog is bold enough to go after large game such as elk, moose and wolves, and tough enough to withstand the harsh northern climates from whence he came. ![]()
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