Are Bears and Dogs Related?

They share a common ancestor, this connection is one from millions of years ago.

Photo by author, of author’s dog

People may think dogs and bears are related because of some loose resemblance in appearance. I have an aunt who’s remarked off-handedly about Labrador Retrievers (a breed which my dog has in his ancestry) being related to bears, and I’ve wondered why she thinks this, if there’s any truth to it, and if it’s a common misconception. So, I thought I’d review my findings.

I’ve learned that while both bears and dogs do share some characteristics and even heritage, they do not share a close genetic connection today. Both bears and dogs belong to the order Carnivora, which includes a wide range of carnivorous mammals. Ok, no surprise there.

Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

Despite their differences in appearance and behavior, bears and dogs share some common characteristics. These similar traits include having similar dental structures, omnivorous diets (despite belonging to the order Carnivora), and plantigrade posture (walking on the soles of their feet). Notably, however, bears and dogs belong to two different families within the order Carnivora. Bears are part of the Ursidae family…