West Siberian Laika Breed description: Character & Co

About

He looks like a small wolf, his cat-like elegance in movement fascinates the observer. But the West Siberian Laika is not a beginner's dog.

West Siberian Laika - All about the breed

There are several Laiki. Recognized by the FCI are the West Siberian Laika, the East Siberian Laika and the Russian-European Laika. They are all listed by the FCI in the group 5 of the top and dogs of the original type. They are assigned to section 2, the Nordic hunting dogs.

The history: hunters and workers from West Siberia

The West Siberian Laika is at home in West Siberia, in the Ob region and the forest zone of the Urals.

There he has been the indispensable helper and companion of hunters for centuries. However, it is probably even older.

In the middle of the 1920s a purposeful breeding of the different Laika races began.

In 1947 Russia established standards for different Laika breeds.

Since 1980 the West Siberian Laika is recognized by the FCI.

Banner: shutterstock.com / Proshkin Aleksandr

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Alternate Name	Zapadno-Sibirskaïa Laïka
Origin	Russia
Life expectancy	10 - 12 years
Care requirements	low-maintenance

Activity level	high
FCI group	Nordic Hunting Dogs
AKC group	not recognised
KC group	not recognised

Characteristics

The nature: close attachment to the main reference person.

Like many hunting dogs, the Laika is extremely independent. At the same time, however, it is remarkably close to its main caregiver and strongly seeks its closeness.

The West Siberian Laika is extremely willing to work. If you do not use it for hunting, it should receive another kind of training, the pure existence as a family dog does not fill it.

Education

The West Siberian Laika should get his place in his pack already as a puppy. With calm, consistent training he will love its boss and accept the other pack members in a friendly way. It can also be very patient with children.

Since it is very independent, its upbringing can be a challenge. Attending a dog training school is definitely advisable. In addition, the Laika must have enough occupation in any case.

Attitude: close contact necessary

You should not leave your West Siberian Laika alone much, because it seeks and needs the closeness of its caregiver.

In addition, it has a strong urge to move, a city apartment is absolutely nothing for it.

Use

Due to its strength, intelligence and devotion, Laika can be used in many ways:

It can be used very versatile as a hunting dog, because it has not only an outstanding sense of smell, but also an equally good sense of sight and hearing.
Due to his close bond with 'its' human, it can also be used as a guard dog, rescue dog, draft dog or watch dog - together with its human.
The West Siberian Laika is also suitable for dog sports such as agility or others where it can let off steam physically and from the head.

What else you should know about the West Siberian Laika. Laika should know

Due to its close relationship to the main person, the West Siberian Laika does not tolerate changes of ownership very well. You should therefore consider very carefully beforehand whether you feel up to this demanding dog.

Character

Usage

Breeding

Health: robust

No breed-specific hereditary diseases are known in this robust dog. Even HD, which is otherwise common in dogs of this size, rarely occurs.

Care: little work

The robust coat requires a certain amount of care, it must be brushed thoroughly several times a week, more often during the coat change. Otherwise, the West Siberian Laika is undemanding. As with every dog it is necessary to control claws, paws. Eyes and ears regularly to control as well as the dental care in the eye to keep. The latter can be done by suitable chewing snacks or by brushing teeth with a dog toothbrush.

Breeding: strict rules

The breeding of the West Siberian Laika is subject to strict rules. It is strongly focused on the utility characteristics, so the appearance is not very uniform, the performance is all the greater. For breeding admission, the dogs must pass a working test.

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The exterior: wolf with ring tail

Visually, the West Siberian Laika is somewhat reminiscent of a wolf. The shoulder height is 55 to 62 cm for the male, 51 to 59 cm for the female.

It appears muscular and strong. The coat is hard and long, extremely water-repellent with an abundant dense undercoat, making it ideally suited to life in its native Siberia. At the shoulder it often forms a kind of collar, in males a mane.

The head is narrow and wedge-shaped, the eyes are somewhat slanted. The ears are set high and pointed, the bite is strong.

The tail is carried as a curled tail over or beside the back.

The following colours are permitted