Russo-European Laika

The Russo-European Laïka is mostly found in the middle and central regions of his country, where many specimens are available. Even if the majority of breeding is in Russia, there are a few farms outside of the country.

Height 50 to 58 cm
Weight 20 to 30 kg
Life expectancy 11 to 13 years

Quick Overview of the Russo-European Laika

Temperament

  • Lively and reactive
  • Independent
  • Can run away
  • Well tempered character

Appearance

  • Dry and robust physique
  • Strong-boned silhouette
  • Developed musculature
  • Straight, hard hair

Health

  • Hardy and very robust
  • Rarely ill
  • No particular pathology

Temperament of the Russo-European Laika

The Russo-European Laika is an excellent independent working dog that is not always compatible with family life.

More suited to the outdoors than indoor life, he has a tendency to escape at the slightest opportunity. He is a natural runaway. He loves freedom.

Fairly sociable with humans in his immediate environment, but very reserved towards strangers, his socialization must be undertaken early in his education, and must aim not to exacerbate this natural distrust.

This reserve towards strangers makes him an excellent guard dog and a perfect protector. Rarely aggressive, he warns at the slightest intrusion. He generally lives very well with his fellow dogs.

His lively, reactive, independent and runaway nature must be controlled at a very early stage. The teacher must be constant, firm and provide him with an adequate education, at the level of his well tempered character.

Professional help is not to be refused in his case, for an inexperienced educator might find it difficulty to overcome his strong character.

The dog must learn quickly where is his place in the family hierarchy in order to avoid becoming the leader of the pack. The master must therefore impose himself in this position without concession. Since he is very intelligent, early training greatly facilitates his learning.

laïka russo-européen personnalité

Breed Appearance

Russian-European laity

The Russo-European Laika is a medium-size dog with a dry and robust physique.

His bones are strong and his muscles well developed. His physical condition is a sign of his ability to work and his extraordinary stamina for the task.

Height

Between 52 and 58 cm (20.47 to 22.83 inches) for the male
Between 50 and 56 cm (19.69 to 22.05 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, grey, black, pepper and salt, white with dark patches or dark with white patches.

Hair

His coat is harsh and straight, with a very well developed undercoat. It is longer on the shoulders and withers and shorter on the ears and head.

However, it is flat and smooth on the rear side, where it is longer but without any fringe.

Morphology

His eyes are dark and oval. His ears are carried erect and their pointed tips are extremely mobile.

His nose is black. His tail is curled over the spine or the back of the thighs, or carried sickle-shaped.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 5, section 2 and is #304

Tips About this breed

This superb multi-talented specimen possesses beautiful characteristics that make him well suited to fulfilling the functions of a hunting dog for many types of game. He can also perform as a sleigh dog with an excellent sense of direction in the unique manner of most Nordic dogs.

This Nordic dog does not really appreciate the constraints of the city, and prefers by far the wide open spaces where he can run around freely and spend his boundless energy.

A childless home is preferable for the Russo-European Laïka, because even if he is very attached to his family, he is not always tolerant with children.

However, early education can sometimes facilitate his adaptation if he has to cohabit with toddlers.

Health of the Russo-European Laika

This hardy dog is very sturdy and solid. He is rarely ill and generally enjoys excellent health.

As the breed is not affected by any particular pathology or disease, he generally enjoys a good life expectancy.

GROOMING

Even if it is dense and full, his coat is rather easy to maintain.

A vigorous brushing from time to time is more than enough to keep it clean and beautiful. No other special maintenance is required.

History of this breed

Originally from European Russia, like his counterparts belonging to the Laïka category, he comes from the Northern regions of the country, and is descended from the various Laïki hunting dogs.

The breed is recognized by the FCI as the West Siberian Laika and East Siberian Laika belonging to the same family. A fourth breed is part of the same category, the Karelo-Finnish Laika, but the latter is not officially recognized by the FCI.

Like all Laikas, he has wonderful aptitudes as a very versatile hunting dog. He can also be used as a sleigh dog for competition, or for leisure.

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