East Siberian Laika

This superb dog with beautiful qualities has remained within the borders of his country. Unlike his counterpart, the West Siberian Laika, which has made a name for himself throughout Europe and has even crossed into American territory, the East Siberian Laika has not managed to stand out and get out of Russia. Appreciated in his country, he remains rather unknown elsewhere on the planet.

Height 53 to 63 cm
Weight 20 to 30 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 13 years

Quick Overview of the East Siberian Laika

Temperament

  • Balanced and calm
  • Affectionate
  • Very independent nature
  • Attached to his family

Appearance

  • Robust build
  • Very solid frame
  • Developed musculature
  • Straight, thick and dense coat

Health

  • Robust and very solid dog
  • No particular genetic defect
  • Rarely ill

Temperament of the East Siberian Laika

This magnificent working dog has superb abilities to perform a variety of functions. Used to hunt bears, forest birds and elk, he can also pull sleighs for leisure or competition.

He's an excellent working dog. Very devoted, he's quite attached to his family. He makes a very good life companion, but needs a firm hand because, despite his calm and balanced temperament, he is rather independent in nature and has no issue taking the place of the leader of the pack.

He can live with all kinds of owners, but his tolerance with children is sometimes limited. It is essential to regularly provide him with a large space where he can spend his overflowing energy, in order to maintain his balance and calm.

Breed Appearance

East Siberian laity

His constitution is robust and his bones very solid, he has a physique very well adapted for work.

His silhouette has a well developed musculature and is reminiscent of the Spitz-type Nordic dog.

Height

Between 55 and 63 cm (21.65 to 24.80 inches) for the male
Between 53 and 61 cm (20.87 to 24.02 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 20 and 30 kg (44.09 to 66.14 pounds) for the male
Between 20 and 30 kg (44.09 to 66.14 pounds) for the female

Color

The color of his coat can vary between white, pepper and salt, black, grey, red or brown in all their shades.

It can also be marbled or spotted on the limbs in all shades of the same tint as the background color.

Hair

The long hair of his coat is straight, thick and dense. There is a collar around the neck and shoulders.

In males, a mane on the withers is also present. The coat has a soft and very dense undercoat. His coat is a genuine protection against bad weather and cold.

Morphology

His skull is wedge-shaped and the stop slightly marked. His dark eyes are set at an angle and oval.

His ears are erect and triangular. His nose is all black. His tail is curled or sickle-shaped, and reaches almost down to the hock.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 5, section 2 and is #305

Tips About this breed

The master must be assiduous and firm in educating his dog.

He must be able to provide consistency and educational firmness, and impose himself as leader of the pack.

The family hierarchy must be instilled in the dog very early in his upbringing, so that he understands his place at home, and not take over the position of head of family.

Sociable, but suspicious of strangers, he makes a perfect alarm dog.

His tendency to bark at the slightest intrusion makes him an excellent protector. However, he is rarely aggressive.

His socialization should be undertaken early and not exacerbate his natural distrust of strangers.

Early socialization is all the more important, especially if he has to live with other dogs.

Wide open spaces are part of his nature, which makes him more of a country than a city dog. The fact that he barks very easily is not much appreciated by the neighbours.

Health of the East Siberian Laika

This robust and very solid dog does not suffer from any genetic defect or congenital disease.

The breed is not directly affected by any particular pathology. This hardy dog is rarely ill and has a good life expectancy.

GROOMING

His dress is very easy to care for. An occasional brushing is enough to keep it clean and healthy. No other special care is necessary.

History of this breed

Originating from Russia, like the other Laika categories, the East Siberian Laika is a cross between different Laikas, including Amur, Ewenkien, Lamutsien and some other local dogs existing in the Far East and East Siberian regions.

The East Siberian Laika is a member of the Laika family like the West Siberian, Russo-European and Karelo-Finnish Laika. Out of the 4 typical breeds of Laika, only 3 are recognized by the FCI, the Karelo-Finnish Laika not being officially recognized by this federation.

His specific characteristics make him a versatile hunting, working and sleigh dog.

His great peculiarity is that he barks when flushing out the game, and continues to do so until the hunter arrives. This particularity is the reason why he is called "Laika", which means "barker" in Russian. Laïka dogs are bred for their great ability to bark continuously for long periods of time.

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