Russian-European Laika

The Russian-European Laika has a relatively small head compared to the rest of their body. It has a strong muzzle with a distinct white patch around the nose. These dogs have small, oval-shaped eyes that are slightly slanted. Their ears are pricked, pointed, and fully covered with fur.

They are also deep-chested and have a strong, muscular body. The characteristics of the Russian-European Laika are quite similar to those of the Karelian Bear Dog, so some people that are not that familiar with the breed can easily mix them up.

Coat and care

The Russian-European Laika’s coat is thick, and it is a breed that is double-coated. They needed to develop a double coat as they were mostly used for hunting in the snow and very low temperatures.

This also means that they are strong shedders, and you will need to brush their coats at least once a week to get rid of dead hair and keep the coat healthy and shiny. They will blow their entire undercoat twice a year, and brushing should be done daily during that period.

Check their ears regularly, trim their nails if they don’t wear them out naturally, and brush their teeth at least three times a week.

Russian-European Laika temperament

The Russian-European Laika is a rather intelligent dog breed that was specifically bred for hunting so it had to be able to make its own decisions. These dogs form strong bonds with their owners and generally get along with everybody.

The Russian-European Laika likes children and usually gets along great with them. However, you need to be careful as they can become overly excited and enthusiastic while playing, and that is a perfect formula for accidents with kids.

This breed needs early training and socialization as it has a natural tendency to become protective and territorial. It is suspicious of strangers, so they make great watchdogs.

Training and socialization

The Russian-European Laika belongs to primitive hunting breeds, and as such, it needs to be properly trained and socialized from an early age. Best training methods involve loads of treats and food. The best results are achieved by using positive training methods, and fear, punishment, and threats should be avoided.

Socialization is also important and should start as soon as your Russian-European Laika puppy comes to your home. Expose the puppy to different sounds, sights, people, situations, and dogs so your puppy knows how to handle different situations later in life.

These dogs are usually enthusiastic barkers, so it is a good idea to teach them to stop barking on command.

Health

Russian-European Laikas are dogs with a life expectancy of 12-14 years. Like any other dog breed, they are prone to some health problems that every (future) owner should be aware of. To be sure that you'll get the healthiest possible dog, never buy a dog from a puppy mill breeder or a pet store.

Russian-European Laika can suffer from

• Cryptorchidism
• Umbilical Hernia

Russian-European Laika breeders

If you decide that this is the right dog for you, now it's time to find a good and responsible Russian-European Laika breeder. Buying a dog from such a breeder will provide you with a healthy puppy who will not have health and temperament problems.

These dogs became very popular, and many unethical and bad breeders started to breed these dogs to earn money without worrying about puppy health, temperament, and well-being.

Buying a dog from a responsible breeder will cost you more money, but you can be sure that you will get a healthy puppy.

World Dog Finder team

The Russian-European Laika is a fairly young breed that came to life at the beginning of the 20th century in the northeast regions of Finland and the northwest regions of Russia. The early Russian-European Laikas were not well adapted to the agricultural lifestyle and weren’t properly controlled.

Over time, only a few pureblooded RE Laikas remained because they were mating uncontrollably with the local dogs.

Around the year 1944, a systematic breeding program was introduced to this breed and their numbers went up once again. Only the dogs with specific character traits were selected for breeding and the result of that program is the Russian-European Laika as we know it today.