Museums and archives of Russian cynology provide documentary evidence of dogs that look identical to today's Karelian Bear Dogs (KBDs) or Russo-European Laikas -- both descendents of the ancient spitz-type hunting dogs -- before there were breed standards or names like Karelian Bear Dog or Russo-European Laika.

It was in 1936 that the Finns began breeding their local dogs to a standard, selecting for breeding only black dogs with white markings on the head, chest, legs and abdomen. In 1946 the Karelian Bear Dog breed (called Bjornhund in Swedish or Karjalankarhukoira in Finnish) became recognized by Scandinavian and Finnish kennel clubs, and today the KBD is among the top ten most common dog breeds in Finland.

Before There Were Breed Standards

Centuries and centuries ago, aboriginal (native) dogs of similar type were originally distributed over a vast area in the taiga forest zone of Northeastern Europe, from Finland eastward, including Karelia, provinces of the European part of Russia, and Siberia. In some areas the dogs were more agouti gray and red-and-white. Black-and-white and solid black dogs also occurred in pockets across eastern Europe and western and eastern Siberia.

Far away from Finland, Karelia or the European part of Russia, the Laikas used by the natives of Tungus (in East Siberia) looked identical to the Karelian Bear Dogs or Russo-European Laikas of today (left and immediately below, photographs provided by Vladimir Beregovoy; photographed by N.P. Naumov, 1926-1927). These aboriginal (native) Siberian dogs hunted in the same way as today's hunting Laikas, tracking on the ground, sniffing air, listening and barking under trees at birds, squirrels, and sables. Perhaps most importantly, they were bear hunting dogs, as good at hunting as any other in Finland or central Russia.

Defining A KBD Breed Standard

With selective breeding of local dogs, identifiable breeds emerged. Breed standards diverged for the Finnish dogs and the Russian dogs, both descendents of the ancient spitz-type hunting dogs.

The Finnish breeding of local dogs to standard began in 1936. The Finnish people selected for breeding only black dogs with white markings on the head, chest, legs and abdomen. The Karelian Bear Dog breed (called Bjornhund in Swedish or Karjalankarhukoira in Finnish) became recognized by Scandinavian and Finnish kennel clubs in 1946. Today the breed is among the top ten most common dog breeds in Finland. [more]

The Russians began breeding many of the same aboriginal dogs from Komi in addition to those from the Archangelsk Province and other regions during approximately the same time as did the Finns, but the Russians began by breeding all the original colors of the dogs: wolf gray of various shades, red coats like the standard spitz, and even black and tan. After World War II, the Russians too began to selectively choose black-and-white dogs for breeding. Crosses with West Siberian Laikas (left, photograph provided by Vladimir Beregovoy) occurred. The Russians named their red-grey or grey dogs West Siberian Laikas and their black-and-white colored dogs Russo-European Laikas (or RELs). [more]

Vladimir Beregovoy, a world renowned expert on dogs, himself owns West Siberian Laikas. He writes, "Despite the fact that these dogs [Laikas in Russia] were essentially no different from the Karelian Bear Dog of Finland, the breed was named differently, as Russo-European Laika." [more]

Today, the Karelian Bear Dog and the Laika are indeed different breeds in dog registering organizations. In fact, there are several recognized breeds of Laika. Yet, to fully know the Karelian Bear Dog is to appreciate the common heritage of the Finnish KBDs and the Russian Laikas.

Dispelling a Myth

A false statement repeated by some who have written about the Karelian Bear Dog is that the Russians bred their dogs with the Utchak Sheepdog to create a "super bear dog" that exhibited even greater courage and stamina. Some sources offer descriptions of the physical and temperament traits of a large and ferocious Utchak "breed."

However, the Utchak has never been proven to exist in Russia. Russo-European Laikas originated from aboriginal dogs of the northeast part of European Russia, and they are not believed to have been cross bred with any other imported breed. In fact, the very existence of a so-called Utchak Sheepdog is yet to be proven. [back]