A Tahltan Bear Dog was primarily black, dark brown or blue, with some white patches on the chest, underbelly and sometimes the feet or tail.

The morning of the hunt, two dogs were carried in a sack over the hunter's shoulder until fresh bear tracks were sighted.

Upon release, the dogs moved lightly over the crust of snow while the bear was slowed by the deep drifts.

Their fox-like staccato yaps harassed the bear into submission or confused it until the hunter could come close enough for a kill.

As European explorers came into the territory, bringing guns as trade, the Tahltan Bear Dog faded from history.