A hunting dog bred or used for hunting bears; a large, strong dog suited for tracking or fighting bears.
From bear combined with hound (Old English 'hund'). Large dog breeds like mastiffs and Caucasian shepherds were historically trained to hunt or defend against bears.
Medieval kings trained enormous bearhounds that could tackle bears—these dogs became so expensive and prestigious that owning one was a status symbol comparable to owning a sports car today!
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