Yakutian Laika

Yakutian Laika is a dog of medium size, strong, compact, well-muscled, with moderately long legs and thick skin with no signs of looseness.

The coat is well developed and should be sufficient for living and working in severe Arctic conditions. Sexual dimorphism is clearly pronounced: males are stronger and more powerful than females.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:

• The length of body from the point of shoulder to the point of buttocks exceeds the height at withers by 10–15%.
• The length of the head is a bit less than 40% of the height at withers.
• The length of the muzzle is 38–40% of the length of the head.
• The length of the foreleg to the elbow is 52–54% of the height at withers.

Eyes are set straight and wide, but not deep; almond-shaped. Eyes colour is dark brown, or blue as well as odd eyes (one brown, one blue) or blue segments on brown iris. Dry, tight fitting eye rims matching the colour of nose. Depigmentated eye rim against white background permissible.

Ears are of a triangular shape, set high, wide at the base, thick, erect or half-pricked. Ears covered with thick, short hair. Ears laid back while moving.

Tail is set high, covered with a thick furry coat, curled up as semi- circle on the dog’s back, sickle curve tail allowed.

The coat is thick and glossy, with straight, coarse hair of medium length, with a very well developed thick and dense undercoat. On the neck it forms a mane, especially and clearly pronounced in males; thick feathers on the back sides of the front and hind legs; the tail feathered with a small fringe. Coat is shorter on the head and front sides of the legs. Colouring is white and any patching (bicolour or tricolour).

Sizes: Height at the withers: Males: 55–59 cm. Females: 53–57 cm.

The Yakutian Laika is an ancient, native dog breed, which was naturally bred by aboriginal people of the North East of Russia as a sled dog and a hunting dog. Certain archaeological discoveries confirm that the local people used dogs for sledding and hunting as far back as 8000 years ago. The very first references about dogs in this region date back to 1633.

The first published account of the Yakutian dogs was entitled “How Yakutians travel in winter” which was included in the book “Northern and Eastern Tartary” by Nicholas Witsen (Amsterdam, 1692). The first description of the Yakutian Laika appeared in the book “Geography of the Russian Empire” (Derpt, 1843), which announced it to be a “dog of a special breed”. The first mention of the Yakutian Laika’s total number found in the book “Statistical tables of the Russian Empire” (St. Petersburg, 1856): “There are 15157 dogs in the Yakut region used for sled work”. The first Breed Standard for the North-East Sled Dog was adopted in 1958 and it formed the basis for the Yakutian Laika Breed Standard published in 2005 by the Russian Kynological Federation. For many centuries, the Yakutian Laika accompanied the northern man in everyday life, helping him to hunt, vigilantly watch his home, herd reindeers and transport goods in the severe conditions of the Far North.

Yakutian Laika is a bold, lively, friendly, sociable and energetic dog, that is close to man.

The Yakutian Laika experiences seasonal shedding that can get out of control if he is not brushed regularly. They should be brushed weekly to prevent matting and tangles. When shedding heavily, it is a good idea to brush every day to keep the hair from getting onto everything. Use a pin brush and metal comb when grooming. A deshedder or detangler may also make your job a little easier. Since the Yakutian Laika is a working dog, excessive trimming of his coat is not necessary. Trim between his foot pads to keep snow, ice and other debris from accumulating and causing him irritation.