UKC Northern Breed · FCI standard 305

East Siberian Laika.

FCI utilization: hunting dog for all-round purposes (305; with working trial); one of the principal hunting dogs of the taiga and mountain areas of Central and East Siberia. FCI temperament: a vigorous dog with a very well developed sense of scent and detection of game and a pronounced passion for hunting, especially larger prey; very independent when hunting. UKC: a natural hunting dog with a strong instinct to hunt both large and small game; the largest of the Russian Laika breeds used for hunting, also an all-purpose draft, sledge and drover dog. Beregovoy (Hunting Laika Breeds of Russia): developed by hunters and for hunters, among the best hunting dogs for big and small game in Russia; also a good sled dog; the most quiet and well-tempered Laika of Russia. Project Upland (Morozov): many indigenous people east of Baikal used them as double-duty sleigh and hunting dogs. TopDog (Russian): a hunting and sled-harness dog historically, also a good watchdog..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.

40–51LBWeight, all linesbreed 39.7 to 50.7 lb.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 21.5 to 26 in · bitches 20 to 24 in

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2010

Low and high span every cited figure (FCI and Project Upland converted from cm). No ideal is printed.

Weight

39.7 to 50.7 lb

EditorialTopDog (ru.top-dog.pro)

Single editorial source; no registry weight.

Coat

FCI: harsh straight outer coat over a well developed soft, rich, woolly undercoat; collar on neck and shoulders, longer on the withers in males; trousers without feathering; brush-like hair between the toes; typical colours black and tan, black, black and white, white, white with patches (piebald); slight specks on the legs permitted; genetic brown, genetic blue, brindle and albino disqualify. UKC: medium-length double coat, coarse dense straight outer coat over a soft dense undercoat, a collar on neck and shoulders and a mane over the withers in males; colour pepper and salt, white, grey, black, red and brown in all shades, patches, ticked. Beregovoy: medium-long double coat; colours black and white, solid black, grey, red and brown in any shade; the standard prefers sable-black with a symmetric pale pattern.

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2010

FCI lists red and brown only as shades UKC and Beregovoy accept and disqualifies genetic brown; the lists differ and both stand.

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · Medium-length double coat, coarse dense outer coat over a soft dense undercoat (UKC); undercoat rich and woolly (FCI); a taiga and mountain breed of Central and East Siberia

DerivedUnited Kennel Club

Derived from the coat description (medium double = 3). No measured data.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

Beregovoy: does not fit city life unless taken often for a free run in a safe place; exercised free and regularly it is in good shape, content and obedient even if housed inside, penned or chained.

EditorialVladimir Beregovoy, 2012

Single editorial source; no registry or Royal Kennel Club band.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2010

Editorial views are shown beside the standard, labelled; where they disagree both stand (Chad, Oct 8 2026).

Primary game

Beregovoy: in Russia used on a diverse game, from squirrel, marten and sable to moose, wild boar and bear. Wikipedia: squirrels, marten, sable and grouse up to moose, bear, wild boar and mountain lions. TopDog (Russian): bear, moose, reindeer, marten and sable. UKC: large and small game. FCI names no species (larger prey stressed). Project Upland (Laikas in general, not this breed alone): squirrel and grouse are typical, marten and sable the pinnacle of Laika work.

Breed clubVladimir Beregovoy, 2012

FCI prints no species list. Editorial views are shown beside the standard, labelled; where they disagree both stand (Chad, Oct 8 2026).

Also used on

UKC: all-purpose draft, sledge and drover dog. Beregovoy: a good sled dog; on a hike or at the farm it will detect and bark aggressively at dangerous predators such as mountain lions or bears and harass an intruding predator with threatening dashes, forcing it to defend itself, tree or flee. Wikipedia: also used as sled dogs; in places of primordial breeding often used as a guard. TopDog (Russian): historically hunted and worked in harness; a good watchdog.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

Editorial views are shown beside the standard, labelled; where they disagree both stand (Chad, Oct 8 2026).

Range

No source classes the breed close, medium or big. FCI gait: a free mover with a far-reaching trot, alternating with gallop or walking pace. Beregovoy: strength and endurance let it work fast in deep snow, tall grass and swamps and on rocky terrain. Project Upland (Laikas): unleashed, the dog simply vanishes in the woods and knows exactly where the hunter is.

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2010

Descriptive only; no range classification published.

Search pattern

Beregovoy (Hunting With Laika, all Laikas): unlike hounds and Curs, a Laika does not bark during search and chase, it barks only when the game is found and treed, moderately but loud and persistently enough that the hunter can come up for a sure shot; it does not jump on the trunk, it takes a position away from the tree and follows the game from tree to tree. Moose: picks up fresh tracks and chases silent, approaches in a curve watching the moose, barks when the moose holds; usually one dog is enough, or a team of two raised together. Bear: fast silent chase, then attacks barking loud, biting flanks and from behind while circling to avoid being caught; a pair raised and hunted together makes a good bear team. Wild boar: two or three Laikas raised together; a pair of adult East or West Siberian Laikas catches up to a 200 lb boar, holding it by ears or hind legs. Beregovoy (this breed): typical gait while searching is a trot alternating with gallop. FCI: very independent when hunting. Project Upland (Laikas): silent while searching, gives voice only when the quarry is secured; bears are pursued with two or three dogs taking turns charging and dodging; moose work is a delicate balancing act; on marten and sable the dog must also prevent escape. UKC: territorial, prone to aggression toward any dog of the same sex that enters its property.

Breed clubVladimir Beregovoy, 2012

Beregovoy and Project Upland describe the Laika breeds as a group; the Beregovoy page for this breed adds the trot-gallop search gait and that it is the best-tempered Laika. Editorial views are shown beside the standard, labelled; where they disagree both stand (Chad, Oct 8 2026).

Field trial standard

FCI: classified with working trial. Beregovoy: in Russia hunting dogs are allowed at the dog show only after passing field-trial tests. Project Upland (Laikas): Russian breeding runs on a points-based bonitation system (form, field ability and offspring); real field trials can only be run in natural conditions with squirrels; retrieve and blood-tracking trials also exist; fenced boar and bear trials are no longer permitted, so big-game ability has no trial.

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2010

The trial rules themselves (Russian Kynological Federation) were not read.

Water work

Beregovoy: strength and endurance allow it to work in swamps and to swim at near-freezing water temperature. Beregovoy (Hunting With Laika): Moscow-area hunters have long used Laikas as duck retrievers, the West Siberian Laika named specifically.

Breed clubVladimir Beregovoy, 2012

The duck-retrieving line names the West Siberian Laika; the near-freezing swim line is on the East-Siberian page.

Cold water

4 of 5 · Double coat with a woolly undercoat and a brush of hair between the toes (FCI); works in deep snow and swamps and swims at near-freezing water temperature (Beregovoy)

DerivedVladimir Beregovoy, 2012

Derived from coat plus the stated cold-water work. No measured data.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 5 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called: Vostotchno-Sibirskaia Laika, Vostochno-Sibirskaya Laika, East-Siberian Laika

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