http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-Nyt4Bmi8

Yeah, I saw a series of still images years ago that I had to see from a different source before I was confident it wasn't just photoshopped.

From what I understand, there is a town in canada that sits on the edge of a body of water.  The bears show up at the town early and wait for the ice to freeze over so they can go across and hunt or whatever.  They send out patrols and warn people when there are big bears nearby or outside their house, etc.  The interactions with these dogs, though, is awe inspiring.  

I really don't know too much about Polar bears. I've spent lots of time with Black Bears, and only a little time in Grizzly country, but I've only flown into the Arctic once for 2 weeks to a village called Noorvik...

...and I'm not even sure the bears come down that low.

From what I understand though, the Polar Bear is the 'World's Most Dangerous Game' because it is the only animal that tracks man to eat him if he is hungry.  In other words, to hunt them, you just have to go into a bear's area, and once they catch your scent, they will come to find you, even over great expanses.  

Hard to imagine after watching that video though:)  Tell me, if you could afford to buy that thing a cow or something every week to eat, wouldn't you want an all white 10' teddy bear too?  (Not inside, but just out back.) At 145lbs, I am convinced I could ride one and maybe paddle board surf him when he was swimming:)

Quotetown in canada that sits on the edge of a body of water

That would be Churchill, Manitoba, on the shore of Hudson Bay.

Wow.  It's kind of odd that the bears act like a "big dog" with the dogs.  They are essentially speaking "dog" to the dogs (bears "holding down" the dogs with their paws which means "I'm bigger and I'm dominant, you're not").  And the dogs act much like submissive puppies to the bears.  (the licking of the muzzle, similar to puppies greeting adult dogs.)

Fascinating, really.

They share a common ancestor.

Funny - I just (within the last ten minutes) chased a mother and cub out of the yard. They keep trying to break into my garbage locker, most recently at 1:15am. Docile little black bears though.... not going to go chasing any polar bears

Ergo:  did they pass that "no hound" law in CA where you cannot hunt bears with hounds?