What is The Karelian Bear Dog Price?

The Karelian Bear Dog is one of the top 10 most common breeds in Finland. It is known to have strong hunting instincts, able to defeat even large animals such as brown bears, wild boar, and moose.

Karelian Bear Dogs are very loyal to their owners, however, they often have a hostile and aggressive temperament when it comes to other dogs, especially on their territory.

Karelian Bear Dogs have a strong need for exercise, are highly intelligent, and trainable but they are also very loyal and protective of their owner, often showing affection and being quite playful.

How much do Karelian bear dogs cost?

The cost of a Karelian Bear Dog in the United States can be anywhere from $800 up to $2,500. This price will greatly depend on your geographical location, the breeder, whether you’re buying a puppy or an adult, and its pedigree. Also, keep in mind that if the dog is registered at the American Kennel Club, the cost of a Karelian Bear Dog may exceed $2,500.

The website RockyMountainKarelianBearDogs.com sells Karelian Bear puppies for $1,500 each. In order to purchase one of their puppies, you must book one in advance and pay an initial $400 of the total cost, which is followed by the rest of the $1,100 when you take your puppy home.

Aspen Valley Bear Dog stated that the basic price of a Karelian Bear Dog is $950 on average. They also claim that the cost will include current shots, registration, de-wormer, and the sales contract.

According to AnimalCorner, this rare breed will cost you between $1,400 and $1,700 for a puppy. They recommend always purchasing the Karelian Bear Dog from a reputable breeder, to ensure that it has a healthy clearance.

Another dedicated website, PetLur.com, claims that you can expect to pay between $1,000 and $1,200 per puppy, and the cost will increase if the Karelian Bear dog is purchased from a reputable breeder.

On the American Kennel Club marketplace, there are a few listings for Karelian Bear dogs. For instance, one breeder sells three male and one female puppies 12 weeks old for the cost of $950 each. Another breeder has listed one Karelian Bear puppy of 9 weeks old for the cost of $1,800.

According to PetCalculator.com, the average cost for a Karelian Bear Dog will be around $1,490, but they typically range between $1,400 and $1,790. Also, they state that you can purchase a Karelian Bear puppy for as low as $950.

The cost for a Karelian Bear Dog will greatly vary depending on the breeder, its pedigree, and whether it is a puppy or an adult.

Karelian Bear Dog Breed Overview

• Origin

The Karelian Bear Dog is thought to have originated from Northeastern Europe and Scandinavia and it is considered to be a descendent of the Arctic Wolf. Being in the top 10 most common dog breeds in Finland, it became a national treasure in its home country.

• Appearance

The Karelian Bear Dog is medium-sized, with a robust and muscular body, weighs between 44 and 50 lb, and has a height between 19 and 24 inches. With an athletic body, these dogs are usually longer than taller and males tend to be larger than females. They can weigh up to 60 lb.

You might also like our articles about the cost of a Portuguese Water dog, Catahoula Leopard dog, or Caucasian Shepherd dog.

Their head has a triangle-shaped form when viewed from the front, with a slightly pointed muzzle, and medium-long ears, slightly rounded tips pointing upwards. They have curvy necks, with a defined muscular back that ends with a long tail that curves on their back.

As for their coat color, it is predominantly black with white marks that are distinctive for the Karelian Bear dogs and typically they have brown eyes and black noses. The white marks are well-defined on their head, neck, abdomen, and limbs.

Karelian Bear Dog has a double-coated fur, to protect them from all types of weather, especially the cold ones, being a Scandinavian breed. The underlayer of the coat is soft and thick, while the outer layer is straight and firm, which will need constant grooming due to its shedding.

• Temperament

Known as having great hunting instincts, the Karelian Bear dog is an alert and courageous dog, that will hunt even large animals such as brown bears, mosses, and other animals. Being highly aggressive when it comes to hunting, they may also present a hostile temperament when it comes to other dogs, especially the small ones. They are usually not pack-type creatures.

However, the Karelian Bear dog is very loyal to its family, and very protective as well. The owner will need to spend more time training the dog and socializing, in order to teach him that not all animals are a threat. Also, they are excellent as guard dogs, due to their alert temperament.

Even though they have such strong temperaments, they are known to be very affectionate and playful with their owners. But keep in mind that they have a constant need for physical activities, especially outdoor exercise. The Karelian Bear dogs need quite a large space and are perfect for owners who love hiking.

They are strong, brave, and confident, with an independent side, but also very loyal and affectionate to their owners, especially one in particular.

What are the extra costs?

The Karelian Bear dog is a rare breed that can usually be found in Finland and sometimes Canada. If you want to purchase a dog from a foreign country, you will have to factor in the airline tickets and lodging.

If the breeder will ship the dog, so you can avoid the travel, you should expect to pay somewhere between $250 to $500, depending on the length of the route. However, if you need to travel to take the dog and bring him home, the traveling cost will increase considerably.

If traveling or shipping the dog is considered, a travel crate will be required and will add an extra $120 to the final bill, on average.

Usually, reputable breeders will include vaccination shots and health papers. However, if the shots required based on the age of the puppy are not included, in order to keep your puppy healthy you will need to get the vaccines and these will come with an additional cost.

To keep your dog healthy and their fur clean, grooming sessions are required at least once a month. These services will add an extra cost. Groomers usually charge between $30 and $50 for basic service.

In case the breeder did not spay or neuter the puppy and you want this to be done, you should consider an additional cost of between $160 and $200 or more, depending on the vet facility.

Important things about this puppy

This Finnish-bred dog has been recognized in the AKC Foundation Stock Service.

The average lifespan of a Karelian Bear dog is between 11 and 13 years old.

In War World II, the Karelian Bear dog breed was almost extinct, with only 60 of its kind remaining around the world.

The Karelian Bear dog does not work well in a pack. It is more of an independent creature. You may try to socialize it with other dogs but don’t expect a lot of success. Also, they may be aggressive with children, so it is important to train them very well and try to avoid letting noisy children around.

A little-known truth is that the Karelian Bear dog is highly noisy. It will bark to inform its owner of any potential threat, and it will also bark to alert its companion of the presence of prey while hunting.

Being highly active, with high energy levels, this breed needs to exercise or go on long walks for at least 60 minutes per day. Keep in mind that this is a dog that needs a large outdoor space to waste its energy. Keeping it indoors or in small spaces might turn him destructive, chewing up the furniture or anything to get rid of the boredom.

It’s best to adopt a younger puppy so you can have it adapt to your household surroundings. This is highly recommended for those with animals and children.

The Karelian Bear dog is prone to health issues such as elbow and hip dysplasia, gum disease, ear infections, cataracts, and heat intolerance.

These dogs are highly active so they need a relatively large amount of food every day, not being prone to obesity. However, you should still purchase food specially formulated for their active breed.

Most breeders typically provide the first set of vaccinations, medical records, deworming, AKC registration paperwork, and a health guarantee.

Finding cheaper Karelian Bear dog puppies for sale

Dogs with high pedigree and born from champion parents are typically expensive, so if you are not interested in taking it to shows, search for Karelian Bear dog puppies for sale that are still pure breed but do not cost that much.

Adopting a dog from an animal shelter will be much cheaper. However, this breed may not be so easy to find.

In order to get the best deal, search for at least three different breeders. As shown above, the cost will vary for each breeder.