We are dedicated to sharing information to educate those interested in learning about the Karelian Bear Dog, a rare Finnish breed, and the unfortunate situation that exists here in the United States, and in Canada.
 
Many KBD'S in the U.S called purebred by their owners, are actually crosses of the Karelian Bear Dog and Russo-European-Laika. It happened innocently enough in the beginning, when a breeder imported some REL, and registered them as Karelian Bear Dogs with the Universal Kennel Club.  A search under Universal will bring up site after site of warnings about various breeds registered with their club.  It is NOT recognized by the American Kennel Club, the Canadian Kennel Club or any FCI country’s kennel clubs.  These two breeds both originate from the Finnish/Russian border area, from the ancient Komi dog of that region.  Having been developed as individual breeds in their respective countries for  generations,  the greatest similarity today is in their colour.  Both are striking black and white, although the REL can be white with black markings, or black with white markings, or even shades of grey, while the KBD standard is black with white markings only on the head, chest, neck and feet, as well as the tip of the tail.  No other colours are acceptable.

Each is recognized as an individual breed in all FCI countries, with it's own breed standard.  It is only in the United States and Canada  that some breeders insist that they are interchangeable.  Why would these breeders be right and the rest of the world be wrong?  Of course these breeders are not right, but having sold many puppies to families as "purebred", they refuse to back down, even today, when the KBD has been accepted into the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Services, and they cannot record their dogs, because they are not PUREBRED.  In the U.S., The United Kennel Club is the only U.S. kennel club accepted by the AKC, and United recognizes the purebred Karelian.   In Canada, The Canadian Kennel Club recognizes the KBD, and the Canadian Animal Pedigree Act, states it is illegal for someone to claim a dog to be “Purebred” unless it is registered or eligible to be registered with the Canadian Kennel Club.

Before buying a puppy, everyone has the right to know what they are buying.  Do your research.     If you live in the US , ensure your puppy is registered with the United Kennel Club and/or with the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock.  If you live in Canada, ensure that your new puppy is registered with the Canadian Kennel Club. No matter where you live, be wary of a breeder who does not ask anything about you and your reasons for wishing to own a Karelian, be wary of any breeder who just asks for a deposit and does not offer any information on the breed, make sure to ask to see pedigrees and let the biggest warning sign be Universal Kennel Club on that pedigree.  It may not matter to some whether or not their dog is a cross of these two breeds, but everyone has the right to know the facts before they make their decision.  No one deserves to be be misled or lied to, or even innocently misinformed.  Recently, some breeders  have added a purebred stud or bitch to their breeding stock, advertising them as such, but deliberately omitting that they are breeding with a REL/KBD cross.