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Laika (dog breed)
Encyclopedia
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....
of hunting dog
Hunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
of Northern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Russian Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, and is a generic name for several breeds
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
.
The Laika breeds in international terminology
Fédération Cynologique InternationaleFédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...
uses the word Laika in the names of
three standard breeds: Russian European Laika (FCI standard No. 304), West Siberian Laika
West Siberian Laika
The West Siberian Laika, also Zapadno-Sibirskaïa Laïka or WSL, is a breed of hunting dog developed by the indigenous people of Northern Ural and West Siberia...
(FCI 306),
and East Siberian Laika
East Siberian Laika
The East Siberian Laika is a Russian breed of dog of spitz type, a hunting dog originating in parts of Siberia east of the Yenisei River.- Appearance :Males are , while females are on the smaller side at ....
(FCI 305), which had been bred from the aboriginal dogs of northern Russia and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
The Karelo-Finnish Laika, not listed in the FCI nomenclature, is also a Russian breed, with the first standard published in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
in 1936. It is a close relative of Finnish Spitz
Finnish Spitz
A Finnish Spitz is a breed of dog originating in Finland. The breed was originally bred to hunt all types of game from squirrels and other rodents to bears. It is a "bark pointer", indicating the position of game by barking to attract the hunter's attention...
, as both breeds were bred from similar native dog populations.
The use of the word in Russia
The Russian word laika is a noun derived from the verb layat , andliterally means barker. As the name of a dog variety, it is used in Russian cynological
Cynology
Cynology is the study of matters related to canines or domestic dogs.In English it may be a term sometimes used to denote serious zoological approach to the study of dogs as well as by writers on canine subjects, dog breeders and trainers and enthusiasts who informally study the dog,...
literature (not only in Russian, but sometimes in English as well) to refer to all
varieties of hunting dogs traditionally kept by the peoples of the northern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and adjacent areas. This includes not only the three or four breeds known as Laikas in English, but also other
standard breeds that FCI classifies together with them as the "Nordic Hunting Dogs" (Group 5, Section 2 of the FCI classification).
Thus the Norwegian Elkhound
Norwegian Elkhound
The Norwegian Elkhound is one of the ancient Northern Spitz-type breed of dog and is the National Dog of Norway. The Elkhound has served as a hunter, guardian, herder, and defender. In a land of subzero temperatures, deep snow, thick forests, and rugged mountains, only the hardiest of the breeds...
(FCI 242 and 268) is known in Russian literature as
Norwegian Elk Laika (норвежская лосиная лайка), and Finnish Spitz
Finnish Spitz
A Finnish Spitz is a breed of dog originating in Finland. The breed was originally bred to hunt all types of game from squirrels and other rodents to bears. It is a "bark pointer", indicating the position of game by barking to attract the hunter's attention...
(FCI 49) as Finnish Bird Laika (финская птичья лайка).
In Russia the word Laika is sometimes used less strictly, to refer not only to hunting dog
Hunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
s but also to
the related sled dog
Sled dog
Sled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...
breeds of the tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
belt, which FCI classifies as "Nordic Sledge Dogs". For example,
Siberian Husky
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in north-eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
may be occasionally referred to as Yakut
Yakuts
Yakuts , are a Turkic people associated with the Sakha Republic.The Yakut or Sakha language belongs to the Northern branch of the Turkic family of languages....
Laika (якутская лайка), and Samoyed
Samoyed (dog)
The Samoyed dog takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. An alternate name for the breed, especially in Europe, is Bjelkier...
as Samoyed Laika (Самоедская лайка).
Laika is also not an uncommon personal name for a Russian dog. The most famous bearer of this name was
Laika, the first dog in space
Laika
Laika was a Soviet space dog that became the first animal to orbit the Earth – as well as the first animal to die in orbit.As little was known about the impact of spaceflight on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and the technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, there...
; she also supposedly had some Laika blood.
Similar Breeds
As the Spitz are a very ancient dog type, many smaller types of Spitz resemble each other. Medium to small sized breeds similar in appearance from various places in the world include the Wolfsspitz (Keeshond), Großspitz, Mittelspitz, Kleinspitz, Zwergspitz (Pomeranian), Samoyed (dog), Schipperke, Norwegian Elkhound, Volpino Italiano (Italian Spitz), Laika (Russian Spitz), Finnish Spitz, Indian Spitz and Japanese Spitz.Types of German Spitz
- American Eskimo DogAmerican Eskimo DogThe American Eskimo Dog is a breed of companion dog originating in Germany. The American Eskimo is a member of the Spitz family. Despite its name and appearance, the American Eskimo dog is not from Alaska; the dog's heritage is traced back to Northern Europe...
- KeeshondKeeshondThe Keeshond is a medium-sized dog with a plush two-layer coat of silver and black fur with a 'ruff' and a curled tail. It originated in Germany, and its closest relatives are the other German spitzes such as the Pomeranian...
- Pomeranian (dog)Pomeranian (dog)The Pomeranian is a breed of dog of the Spitz type, named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe . Classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from the larger Spitz type dogs, specifically the German Spitz...
Related breeds
- Finnish SpitzFinnish SpitzA Finnish Spitz is a breed of dog originating in Finland. The breed was originally bred to hunt all types of game from squirrels and other rodents to bears. It is a "bark pointer", indicating the position of game by barking to attract the hunter's attention...
- Indian SpitzIndian SpitzThe Indian Spitz is a spitz-type dog breed belonging to the Utility Dog group. It is very similar to the German Spitz in appearance but is roughly 1.5-2.5 inches shorter at the withers and weighs around 10-15 Lbs less....
- Japanese SpitzJapanese SpitzThe is a small to medium breed of dog of the Spitz type. The Japanese Spitz is a companion dog and pet. There are varying standards around the world as to the ideal size of the breed, but they are always larger than their smaller cousins, the Pomeranian. They were developed in Japan in the 1920s...
- Laika (Russian Spitz)
- Norwegian ElkhoundNorwegian ElkhoundThe Norwegian Elkhound is one of the ancient Northern Spitz-type breed of dog and is the National Dog of Norway. The Elkhound has served as a hunter, guardian, herder, and defender. In a land of subzero temperatures, deep snow, thick forests, and rugged mountains, only the hardiest of the breeds...
- Samoyed (dog)Samoyed (dog)The Samoyed dog takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. An alternate name for the breed, especially in Europe, is Bjelkier...
- SchipperkeSchipperkeA Schipperke is a small Belgian breed of dog that originated in the early 16th century. There has been a long informal debate over whether this type of dog is a spitz or miniature sheepdog.- Description :...
- Volpino ItalianoVolpino ItalianoA Volpino Italiano is a spitz-type breed of dog originally from Italy.-History:Spitz-type dogs were found throughout the ancient world. Specimens from this group have been found preserved in European peat bogs which anthropologists trace to 4000 BC...
(Italian Spitz)
These dogs are very similar to each other.