Tahltan Bear Dog

Associated with the Tahltan people of northwestern British Columbia, the Tahltan bear dog was a small hunting dog used in rugged forest and mountain country. Historic accounts describe an agile, foxlike dog with erect ears, a narrow muzzle, a curled or brush tail, and a coat often marked in black and white. It was used in packs to harry bear and other big game, relying on speed, noise, and bold movement rather than size.

The original working population is generally considered extinct, although occasional modern dogs are advertised under the name. Without documented descent from Tahltan-managed lines, those claims should be treated carefully and with respect for Tahltan cultural history. Museums, historians, and Indigenous-led research are better sources than pet listings for understanding the dog. Similar living spitz and hunting breeds can be appreciated on their own merits, not as replacements for a lost landrace.

Colors: Albino, Apricot, Bicolor, Black, Black and Tan, Black and White, Black Mask, Blue, Blue and Tan, Blue Merle, Blue Roan, Blue Tick, Brindle, Brown, Brown and Tan, Brown and White, Chocolate, Cream, Dapple, Domino, Fawn, Fawn and White, Gold, Gray, Grey, Harlequin, Irish Marked, Leucistic, Liver, Liver Mask, Mantle, Mask, Melanistic, Merle, Mottled, Parti-Color, Piebald, Red, Red and White, Red Merle, Red Roan, Red Tick, Reverse Brindle, Roan, Sable, Saddle, Silver, Speckled, Spotted, Tan, Ticked, Tricolor, Tuxedo, White, Yellow