Helicobacter species have been identified in or isolated from domestic carnivores, but their prevalence in different population of animals and their clinical significance are still unknown. This study was peformed to evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter in clinically healthy dogs by urease test, culture, morphological examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Tissue samples from 70 dogs in Kangwon and Kyunggi areas from August 1998 to April, 1999, were examined. The detection rates of Helicobacter by urease activity of tissue-samples were 84.6%, 61.3% and 4.8 % in the fundus, the antrum and the duodenum, respectively. One strain of Helicobacter was isolated from the duodenum. It was identified as H canis by biochemical and morphorogical examination. The detection rates of Helicobacter by histological examination were 92.3%, 79.0% and 4.8% in the fundus, antrum and the duodenum, respectively. Helicobacter organisms were colonized more in the gastric pits than in the surface of epithelium, the gastric gland or the parietal cell. Although most of dogs were colonized with Helicobacter in tissue, gross lesions and specific histopathological lesions caused by Helicobacter in these tissues were not observed. The detection rate of Helicobacter by PCR was 78.6%. The histological examination was more sensitive than urease test, culture or PCR technique for the detection of Helicobacter.