Tahltan Bear Dog

The Tahltan Bear Dog is a breed of dog that is indigenous to Canada. The Tahltan is bred somewhere between the lines of the spitz and pariah types. The ideal dog is, above all else, athletic and agile. As they were always bred solely for hunting value, appearance vary significantly between dogs. A Tahltan Bear Dog is primarily black, dark brown or blue, with some white patches on the chest, underbelly and sometimes the feet or tail. Standing 14 to 17 inches high at the shoulder, with relatively large, erect pointed ears, with a refined, pointed muzzle. The glossy coat is of average length, with guard hairs covering a thicker undercoat. Paws somewhat webbed and relatively large for the size of the dog. They are bred to be double jointed and gaited, enabling them to switch gaits as they move through different terrain or heavy brush, as were all the aboriginal dogs of the North and South American continents. Like others of their group, they have a peculiar yodel. Foxy in appearance, their main distinction among dogs is their novel tail. Short, bushy and carried erect, it has a shaving brush or a whisk broom.