Breeding quality, top notch Karelian Bear Dogs and carefully placing them with their forever families.
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Snowy Mountain Syksy - (Snowy Mountain Kestää X Kolatselän Liisa)
Snowy Mountain Kestää - (Koba Wacipi Hoksila X S**a)
Syksy was firstborn.
Kestää was lastborn.
Kestää has earned his spot as the cornerstone of our Staker Line of Snowy Mountain Bear Dogs.
We’ll see if Syksy earns his spot in our Staker Line - so far, he’s off to a good start
“Sparrow relaxing! She had quite the experience yesterday. Like I do every morning I let the dogs out to run around and stretch and make sure the coast is clear…. I could hear Sparrow barking at something. I’ve learned she has a few different barks, and this bark was definitely the bark that signaled something she didn’t like. My wife starts yelling at me that Sparrow is chasing a grizzly bear! Sure enough... she had that big boar running with her right on his heels. We were so proud. Called her and she came running back. This was really her third time hazing a grizzly bear, but the first where it was not me helping.” - Jordan
Snowy Mountain Sparrow is our first pup to “bark” a grizzly, as the Finns say. The fact she did it at 7 months old exceeds all our expectations for this litter. Kudos to Jordan for giving her the opportunity to work.
It’s a safe bet to say we’ll be doing the Kestää x Selah cross again next year.
A Dynasty in the Making
1st pic - Near to Far
Syksy | Kestää | Sage
2nd pic - Left to Right
Syksy | Kestää | Sage
3rd pic - Left to Right
Selah (Dam) | Sage (daughter) | Kestää (sire) | Syksy (son)
Snowy Mountain Siren 🚨
Now called “Rani” by her new handler, Patrick, and his family in West Virginia. This one was a personal favorite. We are partial to that all black face, making her resemble her grandma, S**a.
Rani will spend the next couple years proving herself (as will all of the pups) to her handler, as he is looking to accomplish something very specific with her. Rani will be hunting solo, no hounds to back her up. We sent her to Patrick because we have full confidence that she can do this with his background and experience.
In Finland, where the breed originated, hunters are allowed a maximum of two dogs in a pack. This means they gotta be good.
We’re ready to watch Rani exhibit those old hunting lines she has running through her blood as she becomes one of the first hunting Karelians to face the Appalachians. 🐺
Happy 2nd birthday to our Winter War Litter! ❤️🔥
Snowy Mountain - Smoke, Staab, Senter, Sinder, Sonnett, Slain, Sylvi, and Seven.
This litter has already done some awesome work in their first two years and we’re stoked to see what this next year holds.
Something tells me we’ve got some big things in store this year which may or may not include one of these pups producing our fourth generation of snowy mountain bear dogs 🤫
any guesses on which one??
The last two pups to be introduced to the gram - Syksy + Sage !!
These two both went to our partners in CO and . Dallin hunts year round for a living so he and his family have become essential to our program for proving the dogs we plan to breed. They own the Sire of this last litter, Kestää. And we co-own Selah, our finnish import and Dam of our last litter.
If a dog checks all of our boxes for breeding, Dallin is the final litmus test. He hunts them into the ground and by the time he’s done with them they will have been on their fair share of cats and bear.
With Syksy and Sage, we’re doing something we’ve never done before. Syksy is a male and was the highest drive of the litter. Sage is a female and was the lowest drive, most timid dog by far. We sent them both to Dallin to have equal opportunity and training put into them. By the time they’re two, we will evaluate how each one is doing and see if our scoring system for them as pups really matters as much as we think it does once they’re given the same environment to learn in.
nature vs. nurture if you will.
Whichever is the stronger hunter, Dallin will keep in his working pack. Second best will be sold as a finished hunting dog with more experience than most dogs will get in a lifetime.
we’re eager to know the results of this one. stay tuned. 🤑
Snowy Mountain Stryker! ⚡️
Now called “Kenai” by his new owners over at !! Our friends at Rocky Mountain are also ethical breeders in North America, and we were excited to partner with them as they expand their breeding stock!
Stryker was a solid pup. We’re looking forward to seeing what he does as well as the excellent pups we’re sure he’ll produce!
Snowy Mountain Sword ⚔️
now called “Krill” to go along with his new handler’s ocean theme 🦐
Krill was one of 3 males and, man, did he spend every day proving himself. Not only are his looks striking, but he had the power and drive to match. It says a lot about a pup to bark at a “bear” at only 7 weeks old, but Krill opened up right away and didn’t hesitate to do everything we hope to see a strong head dog do.
Krill was a typical young boy when it came to how easily he was distracted 🤣 but once redirected towards the target, he didn’t back down. He’s now the pride and joy of his new handlers, Frank and Becky, in Idaho where he will be a full time hunting dog on bear and lion.
Y’all stay tuned, cause we expect big things out of this little shrimp. 💪🏼
“And I sing because I’m happy, and I sing because I’m free! For His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know he watches me.”
Snowy Mountain Sparrow has already had her first day on the job as a game warden’s assistant in Wyoming! She will be a full time working dog alongside her new owner, Jordan.
Sparrow was a powerhouse puppy. She tested as a head dog, meaning she was one of the higher drive pups of the litter. Which is important, giving she’ll be spending most of her time in thick grizzly bear country.
We have some high high hopes for Sparrow. and we trust that His eye will be on this one. 🪶
Snowy Mountain Stryker (Kenai) has arrived at home after his long trek to Montana.
Thanks to Jim-Debbie Miner for the transport across the country!
Snowy Mountain Sunday, now called “Tulsa,” is making her trek to Oregon! Her new owners Jim + Debbie are the perfect fit for this little sweetheart. Sunday tested as a companion pup, but don’t be fooled, she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve.
Our goal is that even the lowest drive puppies will still do well on big game when given the chance. Sunday is headed into bear country and will provide some great peace of mind to her new family (& their livestock!)
Snowy Mountain Silk, now called “Rowena,” is headed to live out her days in Oklahoma! Silk crushed all of her tests and we couldn’t have been more pleased with her results. Her owner, Jamie, reached out some time ago, looking for a dog to hunt wild hogs with, and we believe Silk is just the lady for the job.
Hog population, sleep with one eye open. Silk is headed your way. 🐗 🚫
Merry Christmas and God Bless from our family to yours.
We have so much new life in our family and our kennel to be thankful for. Most of all, we’re thankful for the new life of a baby Jesus we all received in a humble stable across the world 2000 years ago.
Coming in hot!
Introducing the third generation of Snowy Mountain Bear Dogs! Monday morning, Selah beautifully delivered TEN perfect pups.
All are doing well and growing fast! We’re so excited and grateful for this next generation and cannot WAIT to see all that they will become! 🤎
*please excuse our photo quality - as 3 day old pups tend to have a hard time sitting still 😅*
“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one” - is the original saying.
Just a couple of Snowy Mountain Karelians (male / female team ) working on their on their jack status of decoying ‘yotes.
Finns use them to hunt bear, moose, boar, lynx, fox, raccoondogs, water fowl, and game birds.
So, these two are decoy dogs by spring, bear dogs by summer.
Primordial. Fierce. Noble.
Queen 7 has it all. The first of her kind in Tracks and Trails pack.
Bear dog in the summer, mule dog in the winter.
Kestää is a Karelian of many talents. He’s also going to stud our next litter.
For all your bear chasing, cat treeing, mountain climbing, bush-whacking, hardcore folk out there who want a Karelian Mule Dog pup from this handsome fella, better send your application in
A.S.A.P
That stands for
As
Soon
As
Right
Meow.
This Bear Dog is feeling a whole lot better… he needed to burn some energy. Bear hunting is good physical therapy to get stronger to go bear hunting, right?
Faith and I have steadfast beliefs which guide our practices as breeders and hunters. One desire we have for our family and children is to hunt animals in North America using Karelians. For us, we do not want Karelians if we cannot hunt with them and we do not want to hunt if we cannot use Karelians. They are intrinsically tied to one another.
Why? Because Karelians are called Karelian “Bear” Dogs because they started as a Dog used by Finnish peasants to hunt Bears in Karelia, Finland.
All the traits which we praise and breed our dogs for - intelligence, athleticism, agility, ferocity, beauty, drive, and stubbornness - are directly linked to the founding characteristics the first dogs had to have to search, track, find, and bay a brown bear for hours, solo, until it could be harvested.
Our kennel exists to breed Karelian Bear Dogs who hunt, and hunt well; to send our pups to families who will use them to hunt and work; all while building a community in the process. For our Kennel to continue to exist, we have to protect the tradition of hunting with dogs - which is a fundamental tradition to the history of mankind. It is fundamental to us as humans and also fundamental to the genetic code and purpose of our Karelians. It runs in our blood. It runs in their blood.
There are a number of ongoing efforts to eliminate the tradition of hunting in many states at this time; from AZ to WA and from VT to CO. We cannot list them all. Whether you’ve hunted your whole life or never hunted a day in your life, you can still voice your support for the traditions which are foundational to our kennel. If you feel obligated, go to page and follow their links to express your support for the tradition of hunting.
Also, this is a pic of Kestää on his first live bear - and it’s perfect.
We are excited to share this project we have been working on! We hope this helps you to learn a little bit more about us, the foundations of our kennel, and what we are most passionate about as breeders!
Brogen Davis Photography is a masterful photographer/videographer. He did an excellent job capturing our hearts and providing us with this video that we will enjoy for years to come.
https://www.snowymountainbeardogs.com/Snowy Mountain Bear Dogs is a Karelian Bear Dog Breeder located in Nashville, TN providing North America with quality, ...
King Kestää and his Black and Tan kingsguard.
Just a guy, his Karelian, and a bear in the air.
Snowy Mountain Slain
The last pup and the runt of the litter. With any runt, we wondered how he would develop. He did not disappoint.
He was a terror to his siblings - which made sense because he was outsized and outmuscled since day one in the fight for food. Whether he was born with the fight or developed it, we don’t know. This boy has the fight of two pups crammed into his little body.
Slain went to Bill of Grand Falls Outfitter. Bill will use Slain primarily for bobcats in Maine and run him on bears for training.
Bill will call Slain, “Ranger”. Of all of our pups, Ranger scored the highest for drive with 4 of his sisters right behind him.
He is his own dog and we are stoked to see the good work Ranger and Bill will do.
Snowy Mountain Senter
It was hard to send this girl away. This pup is and will be a powerhouse. A unique fact - she was the only pup who had a solid black tail, no white tip.
She looks the part of her sire with her blazing white chest - and we hope and think she’ll play the part by being a bear hunting machine.
Senter went to Dan and Shannon in British Columbia. Dan and Shannon will call her “Rohkea” which means “brave” in Finnish. They will use her for bear conflict work contracting for power companies in the summer and hunting in the fall and winter.
Dan and Shannon also plan to partner with us in our breeding program. They plan to have 2-3 Karelians that will enable Snowy Mountain to maintain a healthy genetic, working selection of dogs for breeding.
We’re excited to see what this little spitfire does!
Snowy Mountain Sylvi
This pup is a special one - she’s the female version of Soldier (the male puppy from last litter that we kept, then lost to an accident)
She is full of playfulness and energy. We think she is by far the most physically striking of the litter with her coloring and markings. She is a head turner.
Sylvi was placed with my (Josh) brother, Ben. Ben has been instrumental in the start of our kennel. He designed our logo and he kept a young S**a for months on end while I traveled for work.
Ben will call her Tuulikki, which means “Little Wind” in Finnish. Tuuli for short.
She is a little wind indeed - of mischief, curiosity, and sheer beauty. We guarantee we’ll have plenty of breathtaking photos of this pup as she grows.
Snowy Mountain Sako putting
Bears In The Air
This dog was bred to hunt bears. Its good to see that his genes fit 👖 🧬
Snowy Mountain Sinder
Talk about a consistent pup. This girl is consistently confident in every new environment she runs into - and she is one that likes to run.
Sinder was the second born but the firstborn of the females, she she made it known. The females definitely ruled the roost with this litter and she was right in the mix.
Sinder tested as a head dog (highest drive category). Thus, she was placed in a working home with Carrie Hunt of Wind River Bear Institute.
Carrie will call Sinder, “Ember”.
Ember will contribute to Wind River breeding lines and will spend her days helping Carrie and WRBI teach trouble bears in the NW the importance of staying away from humans.
Ember will reduce human-bear conflict and help maintain the necessary balance of managing wildlife in our present world.
We are very excited to see some Wind River pups flow from this Snowy Mountain girl.
The Band of Brothers pups are 2. (A day late)
What a litter.
Sako took the early lead this year helping his owners tree and harvest two mature boar bears in BC.
Cowboy is busy hunting coyotes this Spring in Wyoming.
Sisu is living his best life in New England after a year of exploring the lower 48.
Kestää is starting to get in shape for his second bear season after being on 50 bears last season.
And finally, we’re missing Soldier. But happy to have his half sister from our Winter War litter to fill his absence.
Happy Birthday you bear chasing furballs,
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Snowy Mountain Syksy (red collar) learning the ropes from his sire, King Kestää (green collar) 8 months old - he’s coming right along
6 months old and Snowy Mountain Story just wanted to tell Mr. Yogi a story. It was interesting enough he ignored the 7 dogs directly in front of him to focus on her. 🐕
And then there was yet another fat bear who also did not enjoy the Karelian + Hound combo
Turns out fat bears don’t like the Karelian + hound combo.
Kestää dog does Kestää dog things. Kestää pups do Kestää dog things too, it seems. Snowy Mountain Story tracked and treed this coon solo - at 4 months old. Her owner is tickled. We are tickled. There’s 9 more of these pups out there.
That good ol’ Appalachian Mountain Music with some Finnish melodies.
a very Karelian Christmas 🎄 #christmasdog #christmaspuppy #karelianbeardog #christmasdecor #christmastree #christmaslights #christmas
Snowy Mountain Sylvi “Tuuli” decided she, too, wanted to demonstrate her bear barking skills. Tuuli tested as one of our company puppies, which are the puppies we assess to be lower drive puppies and most suitable for recreational focused owners. We believe our company puppies will hold their ground against predators. Lower drive does not mean no drive, as Tuuli so adequately demonstrates in this video. You can tell she’s a little nervous, but with good encouragement from @ben_troop , we are thrilled with how well she treed her first bear at 18 months old. Tuuli means “wind” in Finnish. This girl has some wind in her lungs and yogi does not like it. Mark one more bear in the air to our Winter War Litter.
Snowy Mountain Slain “Ranger” is learning how to chase bears with @grandfallsoutfitter this summer. If you can’t tell, Ranger is excited. If you’re interested in a Maine bobcat guided hunt, Bill @grandfallsoutfitter is your guy. Plus, you’ll get to see a Good Boy learning how to be a hunting dog
There’s a lion in that tree. Seven is determined to keep him there. #karelianbeardog #kbd #huntingdog #beardog #liondog #karjalankarhukoira #karelskbjörnhund #snowymountainbeardogs #lionhunting #spitzman #spitzwoman
Snowy Mountain Sako putting Bears In The Air This dog was bred to hunt bears. Its good to see that his genes fit 👖 🧬
Suka is officially pregnant until proven otherwise!! 🥳 She had her surgical procedure yesterday and will have a straw insemination today just to maximize our chances of the most pups! Next up is the ultrasound in 30 days to confirm pregnancy! Now let the puppy countdown begin! ⏰
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