The content of the article
This breed of dog is a species of huskies. The Finnish name of the breed sounds different and difficult for the Russian-speaking person to understand - Karjalankarhukoira. Representatives of this breed are descendants of an old Finnish breed and Arkhangelsk husky, brought to the territory of Karelia by local hunting enthusiasts.
These large spitz, having a developed flair, are designed to search for animals. The breed was bred by the Finns hundreds of years ago, but their ancestors lived in the forest area of the north for many years before the appearance of people there. Karelian bear dogs are quite brave and active animals.
During the hunt, they help hunters pursue their prey. These animals help Finns to pursue elks and wild boars, while Karelian bear dogs are not particularly suitable for guard purposes.
Breed description
These are rather large animals, they are about 60 cm in size at males at the withers and slightly smaller in females, and their weight is about 25 kilograms.
Breed standards:
- Torso It has a stocky, slightly elongated shape, withers slightly elevated. With a developed chest.
- Neck. Oval shape. Muscular It has an average length.
- Head. It has a neat triangular shape. The nape is flat. The forehead is wide, moderately convex.
- Nose necessarily smooth. The tip is slightly tapered and rounded. Small in size. The nostrils are wide open.
- Bite. Be sure to correct.
- Ears. Small in size. They look forward. Widely set. The tips are rounded.
- Eyes. Small in size. Rather round than oval. Eyelids black. The irises of the eyes are amber or darker brown. Look intelligent, attentive and somewhat wary.
- Paws. Muscles are well developed in the area of the shoulder blades and shoulders. The limbs are of medium length with rounded, tightly assembled fingers. The toes on the front paws are shorter than on the back. Due to the thick wool, they are visually more voluminous than they actually are.
- Tail. About 5 centimeters long.Most often bent in the form of a ring.
- Wool. The outer hair is very thick and coarse, rather long. The undercoat is soft, thick and very dense. In the area of the neck, hips and spine, the hair is longer than on the rest of the body.
- Color Black with a bronze tint. Characterized by the presence of white spots on all parts of the body. The main color of white with black spots is undesirable, but let's say. Bronze should be a shade of black wool, but not shine.
Character traits
This animal is not a couch, apartment pet. They are categorically contraindicated to be kept in the same room with other animals, especially dogs. With all its external prettiness, it is a real hunter, possessing very peculiar traits of character. It cannot be called good or evil, by no means aggressive, a completely different word - specific - fits the character of the Karelians.
They usually get along well with children. But they are not recommended to leave alone with the kids. Karelians are tolerant and reserved to them. Prefer to stay away.
Sore problem of many owners are walking with a bear dog. This animal is inherently different in that it requires free range. However, often after removing the leash behaves quite unpredictable. After some time, his hunting instincts turn on, and a four-footed friend takes off in pursuit of the prey caught in sight. As a result, other members of the animal world may suffer, for example, cats or rabbits. Yes, and the pet can be lost. For this reason, Karelian residents are not recommended to walk without a leash in the habitats of potential victims.
Raising puppies should start at a very early age. Even toddlers instinctively chase a potential victim. Training requires extreme patience and it is better to entrust it to experienced professionals. But even with the right approach, this dog will not make a diligent student, humbly and restrainedly standing on his hind legs on the first command of the owner. The most important task of education is to establish interpersonal contact between the animal and its owner.
This pet is poorly suited as a guard.At the same time, he, of course, possesses the necessary qualities in terms of protecting the territory, but is prone to excessive aggression towards those who violate its own borders. For their training there is a specially designed system. It is for this reason that the trainer should be as experienced as possible in terms of training Karelian breed dogs.
Attention! The manifestation of human emotions of a dog of this breed is perceived as a sign of weakness and cowardice. Raising the voice or physical punishment is by no means permissible.
Hunting skills
Hunting is a natural vocation of a bear breed. As soon as the puppy independently becomes on the paws, he considers himself to be an already accomplished hunter from ear to tail. The best time for learning the skills needed in the process of hunting is from six months to a year. For about a year, you can begin to improve the knowledge gained in practice. If the pet is too aggressive to the four-legged brethren and people, then they should not be allowed to the hunting process.
Attention! Initially, puppies are taught to respond properly to loud noises and other possible annoying moments.And only then start learning. Individuals that do not properly respond to commands during the hunt are dangerous.
Features care and maintenance
Representatives of this breed are not intended for keeping in the house in any way. The ideal place to live is a fenced area with a booth and an aviary. City conditions are not the best option for bearmen. Because an animal that needs regular walking can create huge problems with its hunting instincts and excessive aggressiveness for the owner. In principle, it is possible to keep a pet in an urban setting if there are nearby places suitable for walking without a large crowd of people.
Fact! A distinctive feature of the representatives of this breed is the absence of a characteristic dog smell. Even after wetting the animal will not stink of dog.
Grooming
As a rule, does not cause much trouble. However, during periods of molting, due to a rather thick undercoat, the owner of the Karelian may suffer from its excessive loss. During such periods, the animal must be brushed daily with a special brush, removing the remnants of wool with a wet towel.
Several times a week it is necessary to examine the pet's ears and eyes.After all, they primarily reflect the health of the dog. The same goes for teeth. In addition, teeth should be cleaned regularly. At least 2 times a month to avoid the appearance of caries and tartar. This should be started while the puppy is still quite small, otherwise it may cause difficulties for owners of adult dogs.
Pillows paws and claws do not require close attention. The only thing that paws should be treated with antiseptics, if they are subject to mechanical damage, it is necessary in order to avoid infection, due to the ingress of pathogens.
Nutrition
It is the main and most important aspect of keeping dogs of this breed. It must be of high quality and properly balanced. Given that the bear cubs have a rather active temperament, their food should be high-calorie and easily digestible. By their nature, they are not subject to individual reactions to certain components of food, which gives owners complete freedom to choose between homemade food and special food.At the same time, the food must be of high quality and perfectly balanced for large breed dogs that need a nutritious diet.
In principle, it is quite possible and even advisable to feed them with a natural and balanced meal. The basis of the diet of the animal should be fresh and high-quality meat of low-fat varieties, preferably - veal or rabbit. It is imperative that you include cereals and vegetables that wild representatives of the animal world eat.
Mixed food is quite acceptable when natural food alternates with special food. If dry food is used to feed puppies, then they need to be given a large amount of liquid.
When a pet is weak or prone to frequent diseases, specialized complex vitamins should be added to its diet. As for which ones are best to choose, the ones recommended by the vet will be ideal.
During periods of mating, animals can become more aggressive and focus more attention on their owners. Most likely, their behavior in such periods depends on the individual characteristics of each particular dog.
Health
Karelian dogs are among the healthiest members of the canine family. This is confirmed by statistical data. Life expectancy of representatives of this breed is on average about 12 years.
Nevertheless, they are still subject to certain diseases characteristic of representatives of this particular breed, namely:
- A set of extra pounds and subsequent obesity.
- Endocrine Disorders.
It should be noted that even such good health and natural physical resistance to various possible influencing factors do not give any guarantees that a pet cannot suffer from infectious diseases dangerous for dogs.
In order to maximize the quality of life of the pet and increase its duration, it is necessary to vaccinate the animal according to the calendar. Regularly carry out preventive deworming (once a quarter) with the help of special preparations purchased at a pharmacy, in full compliance with the conditions of use and dosage. Otherwise, the animal may suffer.
Purchase
Each future owner of a bear cub should weigh all the pros and cons before such a serious step as buying a dog of a given breed. It should be borne in mind that males are more suitable for hunting than females. The female can be permanently excluded from her professional activity for periods of estrus, pregnancy and feeding her babies. The male is always "ready for battle". In this case, the female can cost more.
It is advisable when buying to ask what kind of food they fed the baby, and what skills it has been trained. This will make it possible to do without many unpleasant surprises and additional problems.
In Russia, this breed of dog is found, but rarely enough. You can find them, having received recommendations in professional clubs of hunters.
Together with the puppy, the new owner should receive all the necessary documents: a passport, pedigree and veterinary passport. The price for puppies of a Karelian bear dog starts at $ 800 per pet class and above.
Video: Karelian Bear Dog
To send