Its quick reflexes and fearless nature have made it very popular for hunting large game including brown bears, moose, and wild boar.

[4] The breed standard for Karelian Bear Dogs and Laikas today calls for a black-and-white marked dog, but originally the breed included individuals with coats of wolf gray of various shades, red coats like the standard spitz, and black-and-tan specimens as well.

[5] Males stand 54–60 cm (21–24 in) at the withers; females are shorter, at 49–55 cm (19–22 in), weighting 17–20 kg (37–44 lb) for females and 25–28 kg (55–62 lb) for males The breed has a coat of straight, stiff guard hairs and a fine, soft, thick undercoat.

Karelian Bear Dogs are very territorial and will alert their handler to the presence of any strangers or other animals nearby that they do not know.

It is very rare for a Karelian Bear Dog to bite a human, but it may kill another animal if it feels threatened or hungry.

They are very social hunting dogs that prefer an outdoor environment, and need plenty of space to run free and get sufficient exercise.

Symptoms include curvature of the forelimbs, carpal valgus, retarded ossification, and a shortening of the vertebral body.

The presence of the condition in the breed is believed to be due to a popular sire actually being a crossbreed with the Norwegian Elkhound.