Question about bearhounds

[TofuSui]

Are they actual dog breed?

[Adams Angel]

Nope! But of course they are dogs. not actual an actual dog breed though. According to the databook Meteor Gin, bearhounds aren't a dog breed but are dogs that are trained for bear hunting.

[TheGreatRiki]

We have a Karelian bear hound. Usually just called a bear hound. It is a Finnish bear hound breed.

[YamaDora]

We have a Karelian bear hound. Usually just called a bear hound. It is a Finnish bear hound breed.

The correct English name of the breed is the Karelian Bear Dog, but that's just me being nitpicky.

Much like there are dog breeds raised for different uses - police dogs, service dogs, tracking dogs - bear hounds are simply just another type of hunting dog people have raised for centuries. Akita (the breed that Riki, Gin and their many descendants are) is just another dog breed people (in this case, the Matagi hunters) have used for hunting bears. That is why Riki, Gin and their family is often referred to as bear hounds, because that is the original purpose of their breed.