The work to write out a breed standard for the Karelian Bear Dog was initiated under Dr. Antti Tanttu’s leadership in 1943. The breed standard was approved at the Finnish Kennel Club's council meeting on 14th December 1945. The Karelian Bear Dog was officially registered as a breed on 12th May 1946.
Hunters in the Russian Karelia region used black hunting spitz to hunt various game, such as land and waterfowl, wild deer, squirrel, elk, marten, and large predators. The need to take in this well-known hunting dog breed was recognized in the early 20th century. The first recorded notes date back to 1917. These were made by Border Officer Lauri Hannikainen while he was wandering in the Karelian wilderness. He stated that a thick-coated dog different from the Finnish Spitz had formed in the area; it was larger, sturdier, and had a longer body. To collect this black-and-white dog, that could be used to hunt all game, into one breed was something Hannikainen deemed to be desirable. Several Russian researchers had also extensively mapped the strong, versatile working dog. The first reports for collection purposes of the black spitz that was found near the Finnish eastern border were however presented by Johan Bruning, K. G. Suvenvuo, and Kalle Airaksinen.
The first appearance of the bear dog took place at a dog show in Helsinki on 2nd–3rd May 1936. At that time, three black spitz males were presented as Karelian Bear Dogs. These dogs were Musti, owner Viljo Kivikko from Ilomantsi,Lelu, owner F.E. Eskelinen from Pielisjärvi, and Mille, owner V. Tshokkinen from Liperi. These dogs were judged by Doctor Antti Tanttu. Musti received a special mention from him as ‘festive’. The next significant event took place three months later on 16th August 1936. A dog show was held in Sortavala where several black spitz were presented. First prize was awarded to Kivikko’s Musti and Temu, a beautiful but slightly lightly built dog owned by Tshokkinen. Raju, owner P. Kuikka, had distinguished himself in bear hunting but received only a second prize due to his small size.
These dogs were mostly black with white markings or blazes. Doctor Antti Tanttu, an authority figure and expert from the early days of the breed, judged bear dogs in Sortavala. The situation of the breed at that time is well described by him in his general review in the prize judge’s report: “This collection of mopey, mostly black spitz, is an invaluable sight. The general appearance was disturbed by the weak condition of most dogs, since dogs that were recently purchased from the wilderness had not been fed enough and had not had time to recover just yet” (Perttola 1989, page 29). The show in Sortavala can be considered as remarkable for the formation of the breed, making the direction of desirable breeding material clearer.
Antti Herrala, a legend within the breed, made a strong impression with his dogs at the Vyborg dog show on 29th May 1938. He was a professional hunter with a natural ‘eye for a dog’. Herrala’s Jeppe (later progenitor Jeppe) had been exchanged to a squirrel dog in Käsnäselkä, and was a bobtailed, sturdy, black-and-white male with prick ears that showed excellent work on elk. Herrala mated his brown hunting spitz to Jeppe, thus changing his dog population black in colour. Jeppe mated its daughter Tovi and from this uneven inbred litter, one true star was born; Töpö was awarded with first prize at dog shows in Sortavala and Vyborg, together with his brother Poku from the same litter. According to oral tradition, Antti Tanttu had written the first breed standard for Karelian Bear Dogs based on Töpö. The breed standard is still relevant to this day.
Collection of the breed interrupted by the Winter War – significant canine material salvaged from the war
The show in Helsinki in 1936 can be considered as a kick-off for the Karelian Bear Dog as a breed, since the new black spitz drew a lot of attention and the collection of the breed started. At that time, it was however impossible to know that there would be only three years available to do the work. In 1939, the Finnish Kennel Club appointed a committee for the breed work of the Karelian Bear Dog. The committee consisted of A. Tanttu, K. Ritala, E. Raappana, Olof Z. Berg, and E. Kivinen. The Winter War however broke out in November 1939. The war interrupted the work right from the start and destroyed a significant amount of the bear dog population. The committee started its actual work only after the wars, with a composition consisting of A. Tanttu, E. Raappana, and W.G. Nohrström. Olof Z. Berg, farm manager for Pitkäranta Oy, deserves a special mention for collection work of the breed that he started right after the Helsinki show. He was not a professional hunter but had a passion to salvage this black spitz breed he found to be spectacular. A lucky coincidence stepped in when Berg got acquainted with Captain Viljo Kivikko, who served at the Finnish Border Guard in northern Karelia. Like Berg, also he was a passionate admirer of the black spitz but also a hunter. From Kivikko, Berg learned more about the black spitz and especially of its use in hunting, after which he started to collect black spitz from the border village areas with a determined mindset.
Success at the Vyborg show in 1938 inspired Antti Herrala to acquire several new dogs and to register the kennel name “Jepen”. Herrala used the inbred model dog Töpö a lot in his breeding. As Antti Herrala was a professional hunter, many dogs with a strong hunting drive were included in the breed. Before the Winter War broke out, Berg and Herrala sent many dogs collected from the Karelian areas to safety to the Finnish side of the border. Puppies were sent to a wide area, for instance to Southern and Western Finland. Berg alone is said to have brought four adult bear dogs and about 40 puppies. However, people were forced to give up good dogs as they had to quickly leave the bordering areas on the Russian side. Musti had changed owners from Kivikko to O.Z. Berg. When fleeing from the war, Musti’s faith for instance was to end up in a grave, alongside with five other adult dogs.
During the Continuation War, significant additions to the Karelian Bear Dog population were obtained from the combat zone, by collecting homeless dogs or by purchasing dogs from people that had stayed in their homes. Significant progenitors for the breed were obtained from northern Olonets, such as Viljo Kivikko’s male Selki (11103/X) from the village of Präkkilä in Selgi and female Saida (11102/X) from Saidoma, as well as Tuusik from the village of Pohjoispää, owner Forest Councillor Kaivola. During the war, Antti Herrala managed to return to Salmi and purchased Ukko, a large, good elkhound he used to continue his breeding work with. From Olonets, O.Z. Berg acquired Mishka, that was already quite old and completely black, for the price of 5000 Finnish marks, leather for boots, and two bottles of spirits. At that time, the price was substantial. However, Mishka was used a lot for breeding.
From four different populations to the Karelian Bear Dog
The post-war population of the breed that was registered in 1946 was divided into dogs from four different areas. There was the domestic population that descended from the Karelian Bear Dogs brought to Finland before the wars, the populations collected from southern and northern Olonets during the wars, and the smaller population from White Karelia.
As the wars were going on, it was lucky for the breed that interest towards the black spitz that made its debut in 1936 had sparked among dog enthusiast in Southern and South-west Finland. South-west Finland in particular served as a Karelian Bear Dog reservoir for the war-torn breed. The breeding work of Mam Impi Markkula in kennel Otso was exceptionally valuable for the breed as she had purchased two female puppies from Antti Herrala before the war. These dogs descended from model dog Töpö. Otson Jahti proved to be an excellent elkhound, so Antti Herrala repurchased the female from Markkula and continued his breeding in kennel Jepen after losing his previous dogs during the Winter War. Otson Jahti was a natural elkhound who passed a strong hunting drive for large game on its offspring.
The domestic material varied, for instance regarding colour and size: from black-and-white to completely black or white or wolf-coloured, from medium-sized to small. There were long-haired, blue-eyed, and bobtailed dogs. Only the males progenitor Jeppe and Töpö, owned by Herrala, Musti, owned by Kivikko, and female Penna, owned by Berg, really corresponded to the breed standard from 1945 when it comes to domestic population dogs. The population in southern Olonets was more coherent to its colouring; black-and-white, black, almost white, multicoloured, or grey. Dogs were large and had tight muscles. Heads were narrow and tails sickle. These dogs did not include any that corresponded to the breed standard. Of the dogs in southern Olonets, the completely black dog Miskha owned by Berg was used for breeding for various reasons, including its colour. Miskha’s meaning is increased by, in addition to its breeding use, its offspring that were imported to Finland as adults.
It should be noted that the first double champion of the breed, Kyttä (11710/X, owner Rikhard Sotamaa), descends from the population in southern Olonets. Kyttä was one of the three bear dogs to compete at the first elkhound trials in Kitee in 1945. All three dogs were awarded at those trials, the two others being Kivikko’s Selki and Saida. Dogs from northern Olonets were mainly black-and-white with grey margins, or black or white with grey markings. Heads were large, wide, and obtuse in a triangle shape in accordance with the breed standard; coats were thick and dogs medium-sized and sturdy. Model dogs from this area that were widely used for breeding include Tuusik, Selki, and Seida.
The population in White Karelia was very much alike typical spitz; small and thick-coated, completely black dogs. General E. Raappana, who was a member of the breed standard committee and who judged the breed at a dog show in Jyväskylä on 17th July 1945, wrote in his prize judge’s report: “The breed traits intended for bear dogs have been recorded based on dogs in Olonets. Having a dog from White Karelia compete against a dog from Olonets is out of the question if we wish to create a standardized Karelian Bear Dog breed.”
The text is a passage from historical texts written by Eila Lautanen, published in the 80th Anniversary History of the Finnish Spitz Association, Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö – Finska Spetsklubben ry. It was published in 2018.
Photographs are from the collections of the Finnish Kennel Foundation and the Hunting Museum of Finland. The online exhibition of the Karelian Bear Dog is curated by Marianna Järvinen.
Gitta Ringwall’s career included hundreds of litters bred under her renowned kennel Black Spot, a qualification for Ringwall to judge all breeds among the first people in Finland, introducing several breeds to Finland and acting as a founding member of several breed clubs. The Finnish Canine Museum’s exhibition introduces the life and career of the grande dame of the Finnish dog world, Gitta Ringwall.
Unique Gitta Ringwall
Birgit “Gitta” Ringwall (officially Ringvall) was born to a military family on June 8th, 1924. The family – father Erkki Ferdinand, mother Ruth Löfgren and later a younger sister, Margaretha “Metha” – lived by Lake Bodom in Espoo. Even before Gitta was born, the animal loving family had two German shepherds, a Doberman and a smooth fox terrier, so Gitta had experience with dogs from a very early age. In addition to dogs, the family owned cats, cows and hundreds of chickens. These early childhood experiences with animals instilled into Ringwall a lifelong love for dogs and a deep respect for all animals and nature.
At home the family spoke mainly German and Swedish. Gitta learned Finnish at school, and later she learned to speak several other languages, including English, Polish and Czech. She often utilized her diverse knowledge of languages in many different areas of her personal and professional life.
Growing up in the shadow of a war
Due to changed circumstances, Ruth Löfgren moved with her daughters to a smaller house in the beginning of 1930’s. During this time the family dogs had to be rehomed. In 1932 Löfgren bought a new car and got four wire fox terrier puppies and their mother as a part of the car deal. Thus, dogs re-entered the Ringwall household, and this litter was the starting point of the Black Spot kennel, which Gitta initially ran together with her mother.
During the Continuation War in 1943–1944 Gitta worked as a member of Lotta Svärd, in part due to her sufficiency in German. She operated in Emäsalo, Porvoo, where she would send messages with hand signals to a mother ship that was waiting by the coast. She lived in Kauniainen with her sister and mother at this time, near a house where a voluntary fire brigade operated before the war. During the war this house was used as a base for homefront men who would bring the Ringwall family a bucket of leftover food every day to feed to their five dogs. This food was consisted of mainly porridge, meat and vegetables, and Ringwall used this recipe to feed her dogs for as long as her kennel was operational.
Athletic from a young age, Gitta dabbled in many sports, including tennis, baseball and track and field. She played handball on a national level, her team winning indoor championships in 1950, 1952 and 1953. Outdoor championship followed in 1954. Another dear hobby of hers was ballet. Gitta often danced in the Finnish National Opera and Ballet as a part of the ensemble. Eventually her artistic interests began to shift to dog breeding, where she wanted to create something beautiful out of living beings. She was an avid sports fan for the rest of her life, often working as an interpreter for sports events due to her vast knowledge of different languages and different sports.
Passion becomes a career
In the 1950’s, Ringwall began working at Stockmann department store in Helsinki. Her knowledge of German proved once again useful: she was hired as a secretary for the acting store director, Richard Kankkonen, who needed someone sufficient in multiple languages and especially German. After she finished her job as a secretary, Ringwall moved onto become a buyer for the sports and household department.
At the beginning of 1960’s Gitta, who was known at the workplace for her love of dogs, was asked if she would be interested in developing a pet department for the store. The supply of dog products in Finland was rather limited at the time: proper equipment was sold mostly to working dogs, and imported kibbles cost more money to import than they generated. Ringwall agreed, and confidently told the acting director at the time, Holger Kankkonen, that a pet department would be a good investment for the store, and that her connections in the dog world would help the department grow quickly.
Originally the idea was to copy the model for the department from other countries where live puppies were also sold in such departments. Ringwall, however, refused this. She viewed getting a puppy as a great responsibility that could not be sufficiently handled on one run to a store. Instead, customers were welcomed to bring their own dogs to the department when they came to shop there, and Ringwall often had her own dogs with her at work. During the 60’s and 70’s, the pet department grew fast and became a central meeting place for dog enthusiasts. The department became the most well-known and respected place of business for all things canine, and orders were delivered across the country. Ringwall also conducted trimming shows which garnered large crowds of curious spectators, and many who worked at the department have since gone on to become some of the most well-known figures of the Finnish dog scene.
Ringwall managed the pet department at Stockmann for 33 years. Her sister Metha also worked at the department.
A patient mentor and a reliable friend
When speaking to those who knew Gitta Ringwall personally, all describe her with one adjective above all others: kind. They all describe Gitta as always being kind to friends and strangers alike, sometimes even at the cost of her own well-being. She had an amicable personality and was easy to get along with. She was always interested in how her friends and their families were doing and would always bring gifts from her several trips abroad. She would also do charity work, especially on her several trips to Poland:
“In the 1970’s and 80’s I spent every summer in Poland. I drove there with my car full of goods. There were so many poor people. I brought them food and supplies. I still remember the older women saying ‘O Bòge, O Bòge’. That means ‘Oh my God’.” – excerpt from Kaija Unhola’s book: Koiraelämää – Harrastamisen historiaa (2009)
Ringwall was also a teacher and mentor to many breeders at the start of their careers, and many of them bought their first dogs from Ringwall’s kennel or those that she had imported. Many of these beginners have since had successful careers as breeders, judges and handlers. Ringwall would also guide her proteges with trimming and handling different types of dogs.
“We’ve spent many times together, silently contemplating our own things. One New Year’s Eve went by like this in Kari’s (Järvinen) small one room apartment in Kallio, Helsinki. We – Rainer (Vuorinen), Kari and me – will never forget that night. Only with friends can one be silent with ease, with others one might have to.” – excerpt from Pekka Hannula’s book: Kansainvälinen koiratuomari Kari Järvinen (2009)
Last litter under the name Black Spot was born in 2012, and Ringwall cut back on her judging duties even before this. Gitta Ringwall passed away in Espoo on October 4th, 2015, at the age of 91. Black Spot dogs have provided a starting point for many Finnish breeders, but as such the kennel no longer exists.