Bear Karelian dog: breed description and content

The Karelian bear dog is also called the Karelian Laika, it belongs to the wanted hunting breeds. Brought her out as a versatile game trader, she is perfect for almost any kind of hunting: for birds, moose, bears and other animals. She got her name after her amazing qualities in bear hunting were recorded. The fearlessness of the dog was amazing, so the term “bearish” was added to the name of the Karelian one.

The bear Karelian dog was first obtained as a result of crossing a husky of Arkhangelsk origin and Finnish dogs... The first puppies appeared in the second half of the 19th century in Karelia, where Finnish and Arkhangelsk breeds were quite common as hunting dogs. As a result of selection, representatives of a new breed were obtained, who were able to combine the best quality indicators of their ancestors. Used dogs of a new breed for hunting large animals: moose, wild boars and, of course, bears.

In the 30s of the XX century, the breeding and development of the Karelian Laika became more active, the first breeders and nurseries appeared, who achieved recognition of the breed at the best exhibition forums. The breed has been officially recognized by dog ​​handlers. Unfortunately, the war had a negative impact on dog breeding, the number of individuals was reduced to almost complete destruction. From the surviving several dozen dogs after the war, the breed was restored. They were guarded during hostilities, taken to Europe, preserved and even developed.

According to the standard, individuals of the Karelian dog have an average height at the withers, well-developed muscles and a strong skeleton already at the age of puppies (at 3 months). By sex, this breed is dimorphic. Height, depending on gender, varies from 48 to 60 cm. As for weight, it does not exceed 23 kg in both bitches and males. It is strictly forbidden to allow more weight, otherwise the hunting characteristics will decrease: activity decreases, speed decreases, weight interferes with vigorous movements.

The description of the appearance of the breed includes the following characteristics:

• wedge-shaped head with a large convex forehead;
• smooth line of transition of the forehead to the muzzle, tapering near the nose, deepened;
• the mouth is thin, the lips are tight and fit well to the jaw, completely hiding the teeth;
• medium-sized ears in the form of a triangle, stand, slightly rounded towards the ends;
• the eyes are proportional, not too large, the look is very smart, does not squint, it is distinguished by its seriousness;
• eye shade according to the standard brown, other tones are more often discarded;
• strong muscular neck, short, curved in shape;
• the body is elongated, more than the height of the dog;
• the back is sloping, muscular, strong;
• the chest is deep and voluminous;
• legs are hardy, strong, muscular;
• the front legs are slightly smaller than the hind ones;
• the tail is small, bent in a ring;
• there are scanty representatives with a tail length of no more than 5 cm or without it at all, however, this is allowed with great reservations.

Separately, it is necessary to consider the possible colors of the animal and the type of wool:

• the undercoat is dense, very fluffy, the coat is rather coarse, straight;
• on the back and neck, the hair is elongated, if compared with the rest of the zones - limbs, body, muzzle;
• puppies and adults of Karelian Laikas have a black color of a non-shiny type;
• the wool has a bronze sheen;
• there are snow-white spots with pronounced boundaries on the chest, neck, head, limbs and at the end of the tail;
• color of white and wolf type with black spots is possible.

Karelians attract dog breeders with their amazing qualities, they are fearless by nature. They are distinguished by extreme perseverance in achieving the goal, they are undemanding in care, perfectly adapt to any conditions, and very hardy. When breeding, the emphasis was placed on the development of hunting qualities, since the purpose of breeding is precisely hunting. It is noted that hunting with the Karelians is always successful. The dog perfectly smells and looks for game, skillfully drives it.

Hunting brings the Karelian and the owner extremely close, they work in pairs, closely contact and quickly begin to understand each other, merging into one organism. However, it must be remembered that such unity is possible only in the case of hunting with one husky. If you want to arrange a hound hunt with several dogs, you will have to abandon this idea with the Karelians: they do not tolerate each other's presence.

Karelians are not very trusting, especially when it comes to people they don't know very well. If you see a representative of this breed, you should not bother him, come close, iron. Moreover, if the owner is not in the immediate vicinity. At the same time, the Karelians are incredibly fond of the owners, the family in which they live. They are affectionate, faithful, devoted, generous with tenderness, affection for all family members. At the same time, the owner of the dog is one and he will only obey him, he does not recognize other authorities of the husky.

Unfortunately, Karelians do not get along very well with other representatives of the animal world, therefore they are unlikely to make friends with other pets. The hunting instinct tells him: all animals are potential prey, it is unlikely that it will be possible to retrain the dog. It is all the more not recommended to have several Karelians. This is a dog-leader, he needs to dominate, so such a neighborhood will provoke constant conflicts and fights.

It is recommended to purchase such a dog with a traditional hunting purpose. This breed is not suitable for either watchdog or decorative purposes. Lack of serious physical activity will lead to the fact that the dog will get bored, lose all its qualities, become irritable, aggressive. The absence of a constant load will lead to health problems and diseases. In addition, behavior becomes outside the norms of adequacy, a dog can ruin things out of boredom, conflict.

Before starting a dog of this breed, you need to think about whether you have all the conditions for its maintenance and quality development. Karels cannot be kept in the apartment - this is the first condition that cannot be ignored. Dogs love freedom very much, their nature cannot stand restrictions, in such an environment they wither. The dog should move absolutely freely, therefore experts recommend keep the dog in an aviary.

Walking on a leash will not fix the situation, the dog needs to run a lot and freely. Best of all, such dogs live in private houses outside the city with the ability to run around a large walking area, fenced off by fairly high fences. The aviary should also be spacious enough to allow running. As often as possible, the dog needs to be released for free walking in the territory or in the forest under supervision.

This limitation in the conditions of detention is compensated by the ease of caring for the Karelian Laika. Nursing activities are elementary and do not require special skills. The coat of dogs is not long, therefore it does not get confused, tangles are not formed on it. Animals molt every six months, but not too much. It is necessary to comb out the wool, but not more often than once a week, when it sheds it is better to do it every day. Combing takes place with a conventional metal brush.

Karelian huskies practically do not stink of a dog, this is their undoubted advantage... It is often not recommended to wash dogs of this breed, because the dirt does not really stick to them. Water treatments are carried out using special dog shampoos.

After each walk in a warm period, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination of the dog, its skin, wool, since ticks and fleas perfectly settle there. Experts advise Check your dog daily for external parasites. There is a wide variety of antiparasitic agents that must be used.

Thorough care of your ears, teeth, and eyes is essential on a regular basis. Cleaning of various kinds of contamination is carried out constantly, this allows you to track the signs of infectious diseases. Treatment and cleansing are carried out as soon as dirt arises, this prevents the development of inflammatory processes.

Claws are clipped only if they are not grinded naturally when the dog lives in an apartment. This is done using special clippers.

In order for the animal to develop well and not get sick, it is necessary to regularly visit a veterinarian, routinely carry out vaccinations, treatment against helminths, parasites. Karelian huskies live up to 15 years old, if care and maintenance are organized properly.

The breed has a strong immune system, so dogs rarely get sick, there are no genetic predispositions to any diseases. Pathologies are extremely rare, therefore all diseases are acquired in nature. All this is due to inadequate care, lack of vaccinations, improper feeding.

For a dog to be healthy, it needs to be properly fed. A good diet allows the husky to be hardy and strong. At the same time, the dog eats very little, especially if you compare it with representatives of other breeds of this size with an active lifestyle. Gluttony is unusual for a dog, so it is difficult to overfeed her, she eats as much as she needs to feed, the rest will remain in the bowl. It is necessary to monitor the amount of calories in the diet, especially in winter, during the hunting season.

Feeding can be organized both with special mixtures and in natural form... If you make a choice in favor of the latter, you need to carefully consider the diet, it should be balanced and composed in such a way - ½ the protein component, that is, meat, the second half should consist of the following components:

• healthy cereals, slow carbohydrates;
• vegetables, fruits as a mineral and vitamin complex;
• offal;
• sour milk in the form of yoghurts, kefir, sour cream, curd products.

It is not recommended and even prohibited:

• feed the dog with food from a regular table;
• give her pastries, pastries;
• smoked products of any type;
• sweets, chocolate, other sweets;
• marinades and preservatives;
• pork;
• tubular bones;
• potatoes;
• unhealthy cereals such as semolina;
• salt, spices, seasonings - this can harm her scent, in this case the qualities of the hunter will decrease or be lost.

If you decide to feed the dog with ready-made food, you need to choose a high-class premium mixture, of good quality, from a trusted manufacturer. The feed should be suitable for active breeds. You can use both dry and wet feed, and the former does not need to be soaked. In this case, it is imperative to increase the amount of available drinking water.

An adult dog should be fed twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. Karelian babies are fed at least 4 times. The diet of puppies and mature dogs is similar, but in the case of feeding the puppies, the amount of sour milk is increased.

The training of the Karelian Laika should begin from the first day of its appearance in your home. The character of the dog is quite specific, so in no case should you waste time. Dog breeders do not recommend getting this breed for people who have a dog for the first time, it is better if there is at least modest experience in raising and raising hunting dogs. The Karelian's disposition is independent, freedom-loving, independent, it is important from the first acquaintance to set himself up as a master with a firm hand. The dog must clearly understand who is the owner, to whom to obey and initially be within the boundaries of the permissible.

There is no need to teach the dog hunting skills, since these skills are genetically incorporated into it. The most important thing is to form a clear habit of acting on command and only after it. This is the most difficult moment in the training of the Karelians. If a person can initially show himself as the owner and gain a foothold in the dog's mind in this position, problems in training should not arise.

In addition, there is one more difficulty in educating a Karelian - a too strongly developed hunter's instinct pulls him free. Systematic practice and persistence will solve this problem. Dog handlers warn against assault during training: cruelty, aggressive behavior, cursing, shouting do not affect the dog the way you want it... Rather, the effect will be the opposite: the dog will become vicious, aggressive, disobedient, stubborn.

Walking the dog is a great way to educate, it should be done at least twice a day. Control over the dog at this time makes it possible to once again demonstrate who is the boss in the house. It is best if you walk the dog in a muzzle from the first days, walk in different areas, so that the dog learns to navigate and get acquainted with the diversity of the world around him.

The first time the dog walks on a leash. She will need to get used to it, in addition, so she will be under control. After the dog is trained, in a forest area, you can provide him with the opportunity to walk without a muzzle and a leash. At the very beginning of your relationship, the dog will simply not obey and will run after birds and cats, despite your protest.

The owner's responsibilities include:

• development of hunting skills;
• regularly honing them;
• refusal from physical pressure unless absolutely necessary;
• socialization of the dog, that is, the gradual accustoming to other animals, since the husky perceives them all as prey;
• do not entrust the training of the dog, otherwise it will not recognize the owner.

To develop hunting skills are important:

• clear and complete mutual understanding;
• confident command execution;
• fixation of the main commands in the mind of the dog, it must run forward, approach the owner, run back, obeying implicitly;
• knowledge of the owner's intonations, the ability to react correctly;
• calmness during shots and other events of a distracting nature;
• search skills;
• orientation skills;
• the ability to distinguish traces;
• confident delivery.

In other countries, the dog is often trained in highly specific activities, such as scaring away bears. However, the main purpose of the dog is universal hunting. Weather conditions are not important for them, dogs are very hardy. Be sure to consider the fact that Karelians are extremely fearless, they are not afraid to come close to predators, therefore they often die while hunting.

For more information on the Karelian bear dog, see the next video.