Karelian Bear Dog is originated from Finland but St. John's Water Dog is originated from Canada. Karelian Bear Dog may grow 7 cm / 3 inches higher than St. John's Water Dog. Karelian Bear Dog may weigh 18 kg / 39 pounds lesser than St. John's Water Dog. Both Karelian Bear Dog and St. John's Water Dog has same life span. Both Karelian Bear Dog and St. John's Water Dog has almost same litter size. Karelian Bear Dog requires Moderate Maintenance. But St. John's Water Dog requires Low Maintenance
The Karelian Bear Dog is a Finnish Spitz-type dog who is regarded as a national treasure in the country. They have always been noted for their hunting skills, and because the dog has been found in ancient Viking graves you can assume it is an ancient breed.
In fact the ancestry of the dog can be traced to neolithic times, when dogs followed human settlers to regions of Scandinavia and Europe.The American Kennel Club does not fully recognize the Karelian Bear Dog. It is however included in their Foundation Stock Service.
The breed known as the St. John’s water dog is an extinct landrace breed. They were domestic dogs found in Newfoundland and at times were called the lesser Newfoundland. There is not much information available about the other breeds that went into its development. Hypothetically it is believed they are a mix of the Irish, Old English and Portuguese dogs bred to work.
It is also thought that other breeds in their family tree, descending from them, include the Golden Retriever, the Flat-Coated Retriever, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the Labrador and the Curly-Coated Retriever. The Newfoundland is also related to the St. Johns Water Dog through the line of Rafeirio do Alenteios that Portuguese fisherman brought to the island.
The breed was exported to England in the 19th century and early 20th. There the breeds of retrievers were developed. In Canada during this time frame restrictions were placed on dog ownership in order to encourage people to raise sheep. At the same time England imposed a long quarantine on all animals coming into the country in order to get rid of rabies. These two factors contributed greatly to the extinction of the breed. It seems the last two dogs were seen in a remote area in the 1980’s. All attempts to save the breed failed.
Standing at between 54–60cm in height and weighing roughly 20–23 kg, the medium sized Karelian Bear Dog has a beautiful shiny coat. The outercoat is shortish, straight and dense and the undercoat is soft and thick.
The color of the coat is black with white markings. The dog has a bushy tail which curls in a circle over the back and the tail’s end is white. The ears of the dog are small and erect while the small eyes are intense.
It is best to have your Karelian Bear dog trained and socialized as he can tend to be aggressive towards other pets in the house, and even towards people he isn't familiar with. The owner of these dogs must be firm and fair with training as the Karelian is a strong-willed dog.
He is devoted to his human owners while being somewhat aloof and unfriendly with strangers. They are very territorial.
He is a very social dog and just loves spending time outdoors with his family. He is also good with children in the home as he is a playful dog.He is a dog who is going to require a lot of space to use up his energy. He needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation, as in the past he has always had a lot of work to do, and just loves being active. He is a confident, brave dog who takes his job as family protector seriously.
St. John’s Water Dog is strong, medium sized and stocky. They looked more like English Labs than American Labs. They had a thick, short coat, loved swimming, had a lot of endurance and rudder tail. It was also described as a thin, black dog with short hair. They had white patches on their chest and feet. His nose was thin and tapered, his legs powerful, his chest muscular. The breed is quick, swims, runs quickly and is a fighter as well.
Never accepted by any major kennel club except as a foundation breed. They became extinct.
Your energetic Karelian Bear Dog isn’t recommendeded for life in the city in a small garden. He needs a large garden or farm where he can run far and wide.
Exercising him will be an important part if you own one of these dogs. He is a social, friendly, active family pet who happens to make a good watchdog too.
Make sure you have your Karelian Bear Dog trained and socialized and he’ll make you a wonderful friend and pet.
The Karelian Bear Dog can reach 10 to 12 years of age with good care, but just like with other dog breeds, he can be prone to certain health problems such as eye and dental problems as well as hip dysplasia.
Many people don’t realize that dental problems are far more serious than what they imagine. An offensive breath can be the first warning sign of tooth decay with your canine friend.
There are other problems that can develop orally for your dog and these include inflammation of the gums, swollen gums and mouth tumors. You need to brush your pet’s teeth but also see to it that he goes for regular dental check-ups at the vet.
There is no documented history of any genetic or hereditary illnesses in the breed. However, it seems rational to believe they suffered from ailments similar to Labradors and newfoundland though they are smaller dogs.
There are many people who just keep a dog for watchdog purposes and fail to make the pet a proper family member by meeting its physical and emotional needs.
Caring for a dog means providing nutritious food and clean drinking water, seeing that he has a warm, dry place to sleep, providing the dog with exercise and ensuring the dog is healthy and content.
Caring for a dog is a big responsibility, and you have to think carefully before you bring a dog into your home and life.
You need to be careful with the food you select for your pet. If you’re feeding him a commercially manufactured food, you need to make sure to read the label and make sure the top ingredients are meat and not meat by-products. If this is something you’ve never thought about, ask your veterinarian for food recommendations.
Speaking of veterinarians, make sure you have a reliable, reputable vet you can call on. At some time or other your pet may get sick and then you want to have the name of a reliable vet in your contacts list on your cell phone. Sometimes your pet can become suddenly sick where he will need immediate, emergency help from the vet.
Just like you look after yourself, you need to look after your pet by brushing him, checking him for fleas, ticks and worms and keeping an eye on his eyes, ears, teeth and general health.
1Feeding the puppy – Don’t overfeed – they have a propensity toward obesity. Feed high quality, high protein 3 x a day.
2.Feeding the adult – Don’t overfeed. Feed a high quality, high protein 1-2 x a day.
4. Games and Exercises – They need space to run and they love to explore. They would also love to be near water where they could swim. Good at dock diving, field trials, flyball and frisbee.