Freedom Point is the name of the residence of Ed and Linda P, local Alaskans who live off the grid. As you will read below, having a reliable way to get around and a good dog who can handle large wild animals in the bush is vitally important!
The decision to buy a pup was kind of sudden and without a lot of consideration to the responsibility, time required, and life adjustments it would inevitably lead too. Linda, my lovely wife and I have lived a somewhat envious life for the past twenty years. After our kids left the nest, being boat people, we traded up for a 42 foot Krogen cruising yacht, put our house up for sale and moved aboard Arctic Star. It was a wonderful time of our lives, living on our home afloat and cruising Southeast Alaska on weekends and every possible holiday that we could. Our only schedule was my job as a Construction and Property Manager.
We cruised and anchored in some of the most remote and beautiful places on earth. We had our home under us, pantry and freezer full of food, washer/dryer, two heads with his and her showers, a relaxing saloon, full galley and a raised wheel house that made me feel like a real skipper. This boat carried enough fresh water and fuel for month long cruises. Linda and I have cruised in our various boats literally hundreds and hundreds of hours (and miles).
Christmas and Thanksgiving on board was always fun. We would often cruise to a safe anchorage and share the season with other boating friends. December, 1997, we rafted together with our best friends who, like us, were boat dwellers. Their boat was Kokomo, a 45 foot Pacific Mariner trawler that Greg had refurbished inside and out. We chose to celebrate the season anchored snug in Long Arm, just off Moser Bay, about 25 miles from the harbor in Ketchikan. Linda and I admired the setting and really enjoyed this location.
We had our Christmas lights glowing, our tree decorated on the back deck and something great smelling in the oven and with the crispness of the season, we began to reminisce about living on shore, or at least having a cabin and this looked like the ideal location to us. When we mentioned it to our friends, Greg and Jean, they looked at each other and stated that “…hey, it just so happens that we are buying a piece of land just on the other side of this peninsula…we’d love to show it to you tomorrow”.
Well, that’s what got us started…we began looking for land to buy in the same area and eventually found three acres for sale with about 300 feet of beach front, a nice knoll to build on and deep water in front for a dock. We made a deal and began clearing in spring of 1998, planted our flag pole to fly Old Glory and dubbed our protected part of Naha Bay as “Freedom Point.” Two years of very hard work, packing, hauling, packing again…materials, lumber and everything it takes to build a home, we moved in just before Thanksgiving with two loads of furniture on our homemade 28 ft barge towed by Arctic Star. We packed up the ramp and up our 32 steps in a driving rain everything we owned. We are still by necessity, very much boat people as everything that comes here, comes by boat. We have owned several over the years and miss a few of them. Our little three acres of rain forest is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest and thousands of acres of almost impenetrable forests. We are surrounded on three sides by water with Naha Bay in front and Long Arm behind us and Moser Bay on the south end of our peninsula.
Eventually we changed boats again due to an injury and we needed to work around it. The Ranger we had bought to cruise around in again was too small for our needs, so we sold it and purchased a 36 ft. twin diesel trawler type cruiser. Yes, another bear in the family…ARCTIC BEAR. At this writing, we are happy with this arrangement….Bearoness is our “go to town and haul stuff” boat, Arctic Bear is our pleasure cruiser with lots of room to move around, and it also has a small inflatable shore boat with a small outboard…BEAR PAW is our 16 ft. skiff and also works as a good shore boat when towed behind the “mother ship.” We’re set…If you’re not dizzy by now, you’ve got us covered.
As I edit this prologue, Riley is four and a half years old, mature and a wonderful companion. He has become so much a part of our family that Linda and I cannot imagine losing him for any reason. He travels with us on our boats, in our pickup, and on our walks. He is ever protective of our home, docks and his “people, mom and dad.” He has become an outside dog, both day and night, sleeping under the front porch in a bed of dry muskeg that he created for comfort and protection from rain. When confined inside the house, we think he feels that he cannot do his job. He feels a need to be out where the danger may be. We do have lots of bears in our area and wolves…he has encountered both, and knows what real danger looks and feels like. There are even a few boats that give off a bad feeling to Riley. He needs to be where the action is….day and night.
The Karelian Bear Dog was bred for hunting small game but it also good against moose, elk, bear, and other large animals.
Having never had the experience of raising and training a pup, I cannot compare to other breeds, but through much reading and research, I have concluded that Karelian Bear Dogs (KBD’s) as a breed, are not similar to any other breed in behavior. I once overheard someone say that “These dogs should come with a warning label.” That pretty much sums it up from my experience. The end result, however, if you prevail, is the most rewarding dog-people relationship I can imagine. I must warn, however that where we live has much to do with the success of this relationship.
Karelians need room to roam without fences and restraints. They naturally set up a perimeter to watch and protect from intrusion and they need tons of exercise…These are very energetic dogs and they are born with a purpose of life. To protect their master! Riley patrols the woods for a couple miles in all directions at least twice a day. Bear Dogs have been known to give their lives, trying to stop a charging bear from getting to their master. They will keep predators at bay for hours at a time until the bad guy finally gives up and leaves the area. Riley’s protective nature is purely by instinct. I have never attempted to train that trait into him. He is always watching our “backside,” even if I’m working on the boats or maintaining the docks. He will fix himself at some point of good observation and watch for hours, letting out a bark only if another boat approaches our docks. He knows familiar boats, and gives a certain high pitch bark to let us know someone’s coming…a strange boat gets a deeper, more serious bark that tells the person approaching to be aware of his protective presence.
Much has changed in our lives since Riley joined our pack, including my own physical mobility, now limited by a back injury, which set back our dog training by probably a year and changed the types of ventures drastically. No more walks in the woods, no more climbing hills, not much beach walking…just lucky to be able to do some chores, take a skiff or run the boat and drive the pickup. Riley had to adjust to our lives as we found each other’s real roles in life at Freedom Point.
Sounds like a great life! So glad that you are enjoying Riley. Karelians are amazing dogs and we are proud to be able to provide them to people like you!