Bear Dogs: Canines with a Mission (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-In the northern Rocky Mountains, biologist Carrie Hunt works with Karelian bear dogs to shepherd bears away from human contact and offer an alternative to relocation or destroying the animals. This attractive photo-essay shows the dogs of Hunt's Partners in Life organization frightening a mother bear and cubs from a busy roadside in Glacier National Park and from a town where animals are breaking into people's homes for food. When not working, the dogs are in schools teaching children about proper bear safety. The final page includes tips on "How to Keep a Good Bear Good." Readers can imagine the excitement and noise involved in this humane approach to ursine preservation. Sharp, large-format color pictures of the handsome, intelligent, and loving canines with a paragraph of text per picture will be irresistible to dog and bear lovers alike.
Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. This entry into the Canines with a Mission series introduces Karelian bear dogs. The dogs, originally from Finland, were once bear hunters. Now, Carrie Hunt uses them to keep grizzly and black bears out of trouble. Many bears today are comfortable with humans, in settings as diverse as backyards and national parks, but they have become a danger to people and to themselves; bears that destroy property are often put down. Hunt, a bear biologist, has trained her team to frighten bears by barking at them and chasing them. Since 1995, her dogs have tackled "bear emergencies" throughout the western U.S. The text of this photo-essay is sometimes wordy, but the color photographs are intriguing; troublesome bears and clever, appealing dogs are a winning combination. The book concludes with tips for keeping a "good bear good." There's also advice about setting up campsites and what to do if confronted by a bear. A fresh subject for report writers or browsers. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802787584
• ISBN-13: 978-0802787583
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #161,780 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bark at the bear!, May 12, 2004

By	Karen Woodworth Roman "www.librarians.info" (DeKalb, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In an effort to protect bears and people, biologist Carrie Hunt uses black and white husky-like Karelia bear dogs from Finland to try to scare bears away from people and people food. Carrie and her partners give the dogs orders such as "bark at the bear." Follows the biologists and dogs on several bear incidents outing. Offers a list of advice to campers and hikers to keep a good bear a good bear. Interesting look at a little known topic. Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children's Science Book Review