Home / Breeds / East Siberian Laika
East Siberian Laika
Bright, vocal, independent and cheerful. From Russia.
Non-Sportingmedium breedRussiaStandards checked
Standards checked: this profile's facts are checked against the breed standards of the AKC, The Kennel Club and the FCI, as described on our methodology page.
Gallery
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Photos show different individual dogs from licensed libraries, not one dog growing up. Stage labels are approximate, the way a careful editor would judge them.
About the East Siberian Laika
The East Siberian Laika is a medium sized spitz breed from Russia, developed to work as an all purpose northern farm, hunting and companion dog in a hard climate. The northern spitz package is fur, voice and brains in equal thirds. Owners who embrace all three adore this type.
History
Spitz types spread with the peoples of the far north and stayed remarkably unchanged: prick ears, curled tail and a coat built for winter. The FCI recognizes the breed, and its standard is the reference used across most of the world.
Personality
Bright, vocal, independent and cheerful is the record's East Siberian Laika, the largest of Russia's laika hunting breeds: a powerful taiga spitz bred to hunt everything from squirrel and sable to moose, lynx and bear, using nose, eye and ear together, then treeing or baying game for the hunter. East Siberians are bold, intelligent and resourceful, with a spitz's independence and a hunter's passion. Puppies are bright, keen charmers; adults are impressive, devoted partners. Owners describe the ultimate northern all rounder: a dog built by Siberia itself, hardy, clever and endlessly game.
Temperament and traits
Energy (4/5)
Trainability (3/5)
Grooming needs (3/5)
Shedding (3/5)
Barking (4/5)
Good with children: Good with children
With other dogs: With early socialization
With strangers: Reserved with strangers
Apartment life: With enough exercise
Coat and care
Coat: Harsh, straight double coat of medium length with a full ruff and britches, over a dense, soft undercoat built for Siberian cold. It sheds heavily in season.
Colors: The standard accepts a range of colors and patterns, and individual markings vary a lot.
Measure meals rather than free feeding; this breed does best on a routine of consistent meals, training in short sessions and daily exercise matched to its type. Brush weekly and check ears, teeth and nails as part of the routine. Never shave a double coat; it insulates in both directions. Brush through the seasonal coat blows or the undercoat felts.
Exercise and grooming
Exercise
Forty five to ninety minutes a day of vigorous outdoor work: the East Siberian Laika is the largest of the Russian laikas, the all purpose hunting dog of the Siberian taiga, worked on everything from squirrels and sable to moose and bear. Forest hikes, tracking, pulling and free running in secure areas fill the programme. The northern spitz package is fur, voice and brains in equal thirds, per the overview, and the exercise must honour all three. Puppies build up gradually. A worked East Siberian is a cheerful, devoted house dog; an idle one is a very bright, vocal athlete redecorating the taiga of your home.
Grooming
Brush weekly and check ears, teeth and nails as part of the routine, per the care notes. Never shave a double coat; it insulates in both directions, in the notes' exact words. Brush through the seasonal coat blows or the undercoat felts: twice a year the Siberian undercoat leaves in drifts and daily brushing carries the household through. Ears take regular checks, nails need trims and teeth benefit from brushing. Puppies need coat care habituation from the start. Owners who budget for the blows find the weekly baseline easy.
Training and daily life
Training
Train the East Siberian with respect for an independent hunter's mind. Laikas are intelligent and learn quickly what pays; they do not perform repetitive obedience for applause. Short, purposeful, reward based sessions, real world manners and tracking or hunting outlets build the partnership. Priorities are recall proofed as far as a laika allows, lead manners, a settle, socialisation that schools the dog selectivity, and cooperative care. Harsh methods produce a dog that hunts elsewhere. Owners describe negotiating with a superbly competent Siberian colleague.
Living with an East Siberian Laika
The East Siberian Laika suits experienced, very active rural households that want an authentic taiga hunting dog: bright, vocal, independent and cheerful in the record's words, good with its own children, needing early socialisation with other dogs and reserved with strangers. It rates flats as possible only with the full forest programme delivered daily. Expect a partner that works the woods like a professional and charms the house like a comedian. Owners describe the complete Siberian hunting dog: a dog that can find, tree or bay anything the taiga holds, and come home delighted with itself.
What an East Siberian Laika costs
Food cost
About $31 per month for a typical 46 lb adult eating roughly 2.9 cups a day of a standard quality food ($1.60 per lb). Full breakdown in our food expense calculator.
Activity and exercise
Plan 45 to 90 minutes a day of walks, play and training. Under exercised dogs of most breeds invent their own projects, and they rarely pick good ones.
Insurance cost
Typical US range $34 to $60 per month for accident and illness cover. Estimate only, based on market ranges for this breed's risk profile; see the insurance estimator and the insurance guide.
On the monthly figures above, a typical adult year runs to about $369 for food and $408 to $720 for insurance, before routine vet care, grooming and gear. Year one costs more: vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, a crate, bedding and training all land at once.
Growth: puppy to senior
How weight typically builds with age for a medium breed, and when full size arrives.
| Stage | Age | Typical weight |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy | 8 weeks | about 6 to 7 lb |
| Puppy | 4 months | about 13 to 16 lb |
| Young | 6 months | about 21 to 27 lb |
| Young | 9 months | about 30 to 38 lb |
| Adult | 12 months | about 35 to 45 lb |
| Adult | 18 months | about 40 to 51 lb |
| Adult | Full grown | 40 to 51 lb (standard range) |
| Senior | From about 8 years | Healthy weight stays in the adult range; watch for slow gain or loss |
Growth pattern follows the size class growth curves published by the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, applied to the adult weight range in the breed standard. Individual puppies vary; steady growth matters more than hitting any single number, and your vet's growth checks come first.
Life stages
Puppies need socialisation, coat care habituation, gradual exercise building and training foundations while the hunting instincts are still manageable. Adolescents are at maximum independence and drive, and structured hunts, hikes and sports carry the household through. Adults enjoy a hard, vigorous prime: ten to twelve years. Keep weight lean, teeth checked and the work real. Senior status arrives around eight to nine: twice yearly checks, joint friendly exercise and continued gentle forest work. Old East Siberians stay bright, vocal and devoted.
Health
Hip screening and eye checks are the core tests in northern breeds. These are fundamentally hardy dogs shaped by hard climates, and most health management is weight, teeth and coat.
Conditions to know about
- Hip dysplasia: Hip screening is a core test in northern breeds, per the record. Ask for scores in writing, and keep this powerful hunting dog lean and hard.
- Eye conditions: Eye checks complete the core pair named in the record. Ask for current certificates for both parents.
- General hardiness and weight: These are fundamentally hardy dogs shaped by hard climates, and most health management is weight, teeth and coat, in the record's honest summary. The routine is the health plan.
Facts follow the East Siberian Laika breed standard (AKC, The Kennel Club and FCI standards agree on the essentials for this breed). Health notes summarize the conditions breed clubs and veterinary bodies most often flag for this breed. They are general information for choosing and caring, not a diagnosis or a substitute for your vet.
Gear for East Siberian Laika owners
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East Siberian Laika questions
How long do East Siberian Laikas live?
A typical lifespan is 10 to 12 years. Weight control, dental care and screening for the breed's known conditions give a dog the best chance of reaching the top of that range.
How much does it cost to keep an East Siberian Laika?
Food for a typical adult runs about $31 a month at a standard quality tier, and accident and illness insurance usually falls between $34 and $60 a month in the US. Try the full cost calculator for a complete year one and yearly picture.
Are East Siberian Laikas good with children?
Good with children. As with every breed, supervise dogs and children together and teach children to respect the dog's space.
How much exercise does an East Siberian Laika need?
Plan on 45 to 90 minutes a day, split between walks, play and training games. Puppies and seniors need gentler, shorter sessions.
How do the three Russian laikas differ?
The East Siberian is the largest and most powerful, the taiga dog of the far east. The West Siberian is the most numerous generalist. The Russo European is the smallest and sharpest. All are versatile hunters by nose, eye and ear.
East Siberian Laika or husky, what is the difference?
Different jobs: the Laika is a hunting dog, treeing and baying game for the gun. Huskies are transport sled dogs. Laikas hunt independently, bark at game and are far less pack oriented than sled teams.
Are East Siberian Laikas good pets?
For experienced outdoors households, devoted ones: bright and cheerful when worked. They are serious Siberian hunting dogs with big exercise, voice and hunting instincts.