Laika
Temperament:
Many people are familiar with Laika, the famous space dog. Laika did not belong to the dog breed of the same name. Rather, three Russian dog breeds are listed under the term Laika. What they are exactly and how you can distinguish them, we tell you here.
Characteristics
The East Siberian Laika has a height at the withers of 53 to 64 centimeters, which is sex-dependent. The West Siberian Laika is slightly smaller. In this breed, males have a height at the withers of 55 to 62 centimeters. The females of the West Siberian Laika have a height at the withers of 51 to 58 centimeters. The third dog breed, which bears the name Laika, is the Russian-European Laika. He has a height at the withers between 48 and 58 centimeters.
Each of the three breeds has hard and straight fur with abundant undercoat underneath. The East Siberian Laika has a strong body. The head of the East Siberian Laika is wedge-shaped and very large. The size of the head clearly stands out from that of other Laika breeds. The back of the East Siberian Laiki is strong and the chest is very broad. The East Siberian Laika appears in the colors black, white and brown. It can have spots on one side or be solid on the other.
The West Siberian Laika has an elongated build. Its chest is deep and its back is broad. The West Siberian Laika can assume the colors white, dun, red, gray and reddish-brown. Its coat may also be combined with shades of the above colors. The Russian-European Laika has a broad skull. It also has a dry physique. In most cases, this Laika breed looks black and white. However, some Laikis are also solid colored.
Coat care:
Shedding:
Energy level:
Trainability:
Children suitable:
The right food
The Laika is problem-free in nutrition. It is of high importance that the nutritional requirements of the Laiki are calculated individually. This results from the fact that only in this way the own Laika can be granted optimal nutrition. The nutrient requirement depends on nine factors. These factors are the weight, the size and the age as well as the health condition of the Laiki. In addition, it plays a major role whether the Laika is active or hardly moves throughout the day. Subsequently, the calculation of the nutrient requirement must also take into account whether the Laika suffers from allergies and whether it has been neutered or not.
Laika care
Dog breed Laika is very easy to care for. However, every now and then it is necessary to perform grooming. The coat care must be done with different frequency and intensity. The whole thing depends on whether the Laika is undergoing a coat change or not.
Some Laiki enjoy having their fur brushed. Other Laiki, however, hate having their fur brushed. It is important to consider the preferences of your own Laiki. Depending on your Laiki's preferences, you should decide whether you want to groom him quickly or whether you want to spend a lot of time with him. Some Laiki love a bath with dog shampoo every now and then. It is not absolutely necessary to allow Laika to do this, but it is a nice change for the dog.
Suitable accessories
You need to make sure that you buy the right size accessories for your Laika. The equipment should be of very high quality. This is because it is very important for the safety of the Laika. You will also need a fur brush for your Laika. With the fur brush you can brush his fur and clean it from dirt after long walks.
It is best to give your Laika chew toys. So his teeth can be cared for. The chew toy should not be too big in any case. If this is the case, your Laika might bite off some parts or even swallow them. You can teach your Laika common commands or fancy tricks. A reward with treats may not be missing afterwards of course. A cuddly dog blanket makes the accessories of your Laika complete.
Origin & History
Originally, the Laika comes from the far north. The three breeds of the Laika are widespread throughout Europe and Asia. The Laika was originally bred as a hunting dog. In the meantime, however, he is not only used for hunting. Especially in Siberia, he is often used as a guard or watch dog. Often he is even used as a sled dog. Especially in the west of Germany, however, the Laika is still very unknown.
Laiki are very smart and robust dogs, which have a huge gene pool. The Laika is already a very old dog breed. There are descriptions from the 19th century. At that time the dogs were already shown at dog shows in Moscow. This dog breed had a very high cultural and economic importance for thousands of years. This is mainly because some parts of Siberia could be visited only with the help of these dogs. From the Middle Ages to modern times, the Laika was very popular because of the fur trade.
In addition, the Laika was the best hunter of sable. In modern times, the Laika focuses on hunting mainly wild boars. The name Laika comes from the Russian word "lajat". This translates to "bark." The name results from the procedure during the hunt. The Laika pursues the game quietly and starts barking only when the game is placed.
Until the times of the Second World War, the Laiki were bred according to the old tradition. From then on, the Laiki were divided into three breeds for modern breeding. The Laika breeds can often be distinguished only in detail. The Russian-European Laika became very famous in the GDR. Many people brought a Laika home from work. The Hunting Dog Association of the GDR was renamed the Laika Club in 1990. The German Club for Nordic Dogs e.V. still takes care of the Laika dog breed today. Only about 40 puppies are registered annually in the VDH.
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