West Siberian Laika
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Breed Attributes
General
Breed group: Sporting Type: Pure Breed Talent: Hunting
Physical
Size: Large Weight: unknown Fur length: Long Ears: Pointy Fur type: Straight Fur Color: 3 Colors, Brown & White, Merle / Spotted / Brindle / Speckled, White / Cream
ATTRIBUTES
Life Expectancy: 12-14 years Rarity: Uncommon Availability: Hard to find Climate: Good for every climate.
Breed Details
General
The West Siberian Laika is also known as Zapadno-Sibirskaia Laika or WSL. It is a large size dog which was developed by indigenous Siberian people as a hunter of small and large game. The original Laikas came to almost extinction during Soviet Communism. In 1920s, efforts to save the breed were started and two types of dogs: the Mansi Laikas, which had light bones and a narrow elongated head; and the so called Hanti Laikas with a powerfully built body and a shorter head, lay the foundations for the new breed.
This large size dog, that stands between 21-24 inches, comes with triangular shaped head, high set, pricked ears and broad, strong body with pronounced withers and well developed chest. The tail is curled over the back. Its thick double coat comes with a coarse outer coat and dense undercoat. Accepted colours are white, black salt-and-pepper, red and gray shades.
This breed is NOT recognized by AKC however it is recognized by FCI.
Color
Accepted colours for this breed are grizzle, white, red and grey in all shades. Black is permitted, also particolours and patches of the same colour.
Coat
Topcoat is hard, coarse and straight. Well developed undercoat is dense and makes the topcoat stand off and appear profuse. The coat is shorter on head, ears and front side of the limbs. It is longer on withers, neck and rear side of the limbs and forms a beard on the cheek bones, a collar on the neck and slight feathering on the rear side of the limbs;
Personality
The West Siberian Laika is balanced, self-confident and self-conscious. He is affectionate and loyal to the family and the herd. He is also social and friendly towards strangers and shows no aggression towards humans. Usually, he will not start a fight with other dogs, but he can defend himself well and effectively, if needed, but he will never fight without a reason. The West Siberian Laika is intelligent, anxious to learn and can easily be trained. He has to be raised in a soft and friendly way, a hard treatment should be avoided.
Care
The coat of this breed needs little grooming and it will be in top condition with once or twice a week brushing.
Training
Proper training and socialization is important from young age for this breed. It is responsive to positive training methods.
Activity
Being a hunting dog, the West Siberian Laika is highly energetic and needs proper exercise and activities to release its pent up energy. He needs a lot of exercise, and needs to run off-leash. If this is not the case, he will try and find another - mostly not a positive - way to loose his energy.
