Rare Finnish Bear Dog Sighted in Buffalo
And why we have to keep him away from Hertel Avenue
In Delaware Park yesterday, on the Ring Road — a rare dog!
A Karelian’s Bear Dog, to be specific. This is a Finnish breed, dating to 1936. It was bred to hunt big predators like moose, wild boar, and especially bears. This Buffalo Karelian Bear Dog is named Yogi and is 12 years old, and — yes — he lives right here in Buffalo.
Karelian Bear Dogs are a popular breed in Finland — However, there are only a few hundred Karelian Bear Dogs here in America.
The dog’s owner, Clarence Carnahan, let me pet Yogi. What a pleasure that was! Yogi’s fur was incredibly dense and soft. Just patting him on the head was a treat. If I had not been in a terrible hurry — I had to grab a Reddy Bike and head downtown to to Lounge Academy, Howard’s weekly Friday happy hour at the Hyatt — I would still be there in Delaware Park.
The dense fur made you sense he was outfitted to go out there and get those bears. And sure enough, everything I hae read says these dogs are highly motivated hunters. They don’t just want to chase bears. They need to.
That is one reason pets are not allowed at the Buffalo Zoo. Imagine if Yogi saw Luna!
Plus, Carnahan had better keep Yogi away from Hertel Avenue. I saw this bear there just recently.
The Finnish site Kennellitto says: The Karelian Bear Dog enjoys its own company and may be slightly sullen. It is alert, unyielding, bold and gutsy. … eager to defend their territory and have a strong ego.”
They are silent but tenacious hunters … keeping prey at bay by barking and running back and forth or around the animal until their handler arrives. … If a bear tries to leave, the dog will nip at it on the backside and otherwise aggravate it to keep it from running away.
Bears have big backsides, as I illustrate in this video I shot last spring at the Buffalo Zoo. (Find more of my videos of our cute polar bears here.)
That backside must be a big, slow target. Imagine a Karelian Bear Dog nipping at it.
Bear: “Ow! Quit it!”
Dog: “You’re not going anywhere. Sorry to be a pain in the butt.”
No wonder Karelian Bear Dogs are so rare in these parts.
But what a treat to know we’ve got one here in Buffalo.
The polar bears are always so filthy with lots of mud streaks
Nice doggie. It looks like spring in Delaware Park!