Yakutian Laika puppies

About the Yakutian Laika

The Yakutian Laika is an ancient sled and hunting dog from the Sakha region of north eastern Siberia, where indigenous people used them to pull sledges, hunt and work with reindeer. This is a medium spitz with a thick double coat, a plumed tail and often striking eyes, sometimes one of each colour. The character is friendly and openly affectionate with their own people, rated top of the scale with children, energetic to the point of restlessness, and wary rather than aggressive around strangers and unfamiliar dogs.

This is a working sled dog, so exercise means running: bikejoring, rig or sled work, long hikes, or fetch in a secure garden. The coat blows out seasonally and needs daily brushing with a pin brush and comb at those times, and a weekly brush the rest of the year, but it repels dirt and needs bathing only two or three times a year. Prey drive is well defined, so a fence and a lead matter. Be ready for a lot of shedding, and for how badly this dog copes with being left alone.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Yakutian Laika puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire them out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Bloat and gastric torsion, a surgical emergency that needs immediate veterinary care
• Eye anomalies, picked up by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Ear infections, found on the weekly ear clean that should be part of grooming

Your Yakutian Laika puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Yakutian Laika.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 24.9 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 24.9 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Yakutian Laika

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Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Yakutian Laika breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/yakutian-laika/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Yalaika, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.