Our Process
We are very intentional in our approach to finding the right homes for our Karelian puppies. We understand future owners will hopefully have a Snowy Mountain Bear Dog for a decade. Thus, our process for placement is very regimented and focused. We place a tremendous emphasis on drive, grit, ancestry, and health to ensure our puppies will be superior in every aspect. Our meticulous methods provide the best possible outcome for dog and man alike. Click Here for our Puppy Application.
Early Scent Introduction
We perform our Early Scent Introduction (ESI) regiment on our puppies from day 3 to day 16 of their life. It is a brief, 5-10 second process where we expose the pups to a new, unknown scent and then record their reactions. Whether they react positively, negatively, or neutral to the new scent is of no concern. Rather, the objective is to stimulate the olfactory senses and scenting parts of their brain earlier than normal. ESI has shown marked improvements in dogs' nosework capabilities as adults, providing you with a higher quality Karelian Bear Dog.
Early Neurological Stimulation
We perform our Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) regiment on our puppies from day 3 to day 16 of their life. ENS is a 5 step daily process, with each step lasting 3-5 seconds. It involves: tactile stimulation, head held erect, head pointed down, supine position, and thermal stimulation. ENS was developed by the U.S. Military and has shown drastic improvements in adult dogs' ability to cope with stress, cardiovascular endurance, faster maturity, higher performance, and many other improvements. You'll receive a Snowy Mountain Bear Dog at its full potential.
Exposure and Socialization
Exposure and socialization are key to producing a healthy, well-rounded dog. We start introducing our pups to the outside world at 3 weeks of age. We begin with short forays in the yard and inviting friends and family into our home. Children are an essential part of our socialization process and all the puppies will be very familiar with children when they are bound for their new homes.
Personality Testing
Throughout the eight weeks that we are caring for your pup, we are paying very close attention to their different personality traits. We do things a bit differently than most kennels when it comes to which pup you will receive. Instead of you picking out of a lineup in a picture, we will carefully match you with what pup best fits the description of your intended use. We will put each pup through a series of personality tests. This includes, for example, recording their response to loud noises, observing their ability to follow our lead as well as tracking their reactions to mild stress and many other things. Their scores on these tests will help us to determine which pup will be the best fit for you.
Bear Temperament Testing
Bear Temperament Testing is one of the final tests we will perform on the pups before they go home with you. During this test, we present the pup with a visual of a lifesize stuffed bear as well as bear sounds and scent. We will record each pup's reaction from the least to the most aggressive. KBD's can, mainly, be categorized into 3 groups when it comes to bear interaction - head dog, tail dog, and protection dog. The results of this test will serve as a tool for us to place you with the pup that will best fit your needs.