Live Life Team
The Tahltan Bear Dog was an ancient breed of dog. Its country of origin was Canada. More specifically, it spent its time in the cold, mountainous regions of the Northern Yukon and north-western British Columbia. Tragically, Tahltan Bear Dogs are now extinct. They were called the Tahltan Bear Dog for two reasons. First, they were kept by the Tahltan people of the region. These were tribes of natives that lived in these areas of Canada. They were also called the Tahltan Bear Dog because they were primarily used by these people for hunting bears. While they were small in size, Tahltan Bear Dogs were very brave. They weren’t afraid to run at a bear and attack it if need be.
Tahltans used their dogs for the hunt. Since Tahltan Bear Dogs were so small and light, they could run on top of the crust that formed on the snow. This meant that the dogs could swiftly catch up with bears that were slowed down by the snow drifts. Once the Tahltan Bear Dogs caught up with the bears, they would howl and bark as a way to both confuse the bear, and let their masters know where to find them. The Tahltan warriors would then come and kill the bear.
While Tahltan Bear Dogs were mighty warriors when it came to bears, they still made good companions. In fact, they even slept in the huts with the Tahltan families, and were said to have been very good around children.
