Appearance

The tail is curled tight and carried over the back. Laikas have a double coat as most artic breeds do, that can come in colors of; grey. salt and pepper, red, black, white, and multi. During the shedding period they will lose large amounts of hair, so when grooming it will be best to use a comb with double rows to remove the loose hairs. They have erect ears and a narrow muzzle and a strong neck and a very athletic appearance.

Behavior

This is a very uncomplicated and eager breed to train. They learn commands quickly and they like to work. Correctly train, Laikas form strong bonds with it's handler and will not loose contact with them when hunting. They are also very good family dogs that are very patient with children. They will not make an excellent guard dog, they may warn you if a stranger approaches the property, but they will not attack. On the other hand when they are out hunting they will protect their handler with it's life. They are territorial and can be aggressive with other dogs. This breed will be very good at agility courses or obedience trianing.

History

In the nineteenth century fur was a very valuable commodity. A silver and black sable pelt could support a family of four for a whole year, so hunters wanted a dog that could specialize in hunting one game with the most valuable fur. Laikas that hunted every kind of game were kept out of breeding, and only the one's that had specialized in hunting sable, or pine martin were selected for breeding to preserve this gene of learning to hunt one game and learning how to hunt it to prefection. Many hunters from around the world uses this breed today for their keen hunting instincts. American hunters have discovered how good this breed is at hunting and have began to import them to the U.S. so that the breed can start to prosper. West Siberian Laikas are not only used for hunting big game such as bear, elk, moose, and wild boar, they are also very good sled dogs, but hunting is it's nature and they enjoy it.