The taiga and mountains of central and eastern Siberia are its home; large game is its passion. At 57 to 64 cm at the withers in males, the East Siberian Laika (Vostotchno-Sibirskaïa Laïka) is the largest of the three Russian hunting Laikas in the FCI directory, according to the standard. Yet towards people, it should be friendly, gentle and trusting.
| FCI | Group 5 (Spitz and primitive types), Section 2 Nordic Hunting Dogs, Standard No. 305, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Russia |
| Size (height at the withers) | Males 57 to 64 cm, females 53 to 60 cm |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | mean 11,1 years among 204 dogs in the Finnish Kennel Club database (Kraus et al. 2023) |
| Coat | harsh, straight guard hair over abundant soft, woolly undercoat; mane around neck and shoulders, whiskers on cheeks |
| Colours in the standard | most typical are black and tan, black, black and white, white, and white with patches (piebald); light ticking on legs allowed |
Tungus, Yakuts and Amur
According to the standard, the breed developed from Laikas of the Tungus and Yakuts, from Baikal and the Amur region. The first description of Amur Laikas, later the basis of the standard, dates to the early 20th century. The East Siberian Laika gained breed status in 1947, a provisional standard in 1949 and its definitive standard in 1981; the FCI has listed it since 1980. A large population now lives in European Russia too. The Yakutian Laika is a separate FCI breed.
Independent on the hunt
Calm and balanced, powerful, with a keen nose and pronounced passion for large game: that is the standard’s description, adding that it hunts very independently. Even slight aversion towards people is a serious fault. Indoors it is usually calm and friendly; outdoors it follows its nose.
A trotter for long distances
The standard describes a ground-covering trot alternating with gallop as typical. Without hunting, it needs several hours of daily exercise, plus tracking, mantrailing or dog-powered sports in cool weather. Off-lead exercise works only on securely fenced land.
Mane and undercoat
The harsh guard hair is easy to maintain; thorough weekly brushing suffices. Twice yearly, it loses large quantities of undercoat, when daily combing helps. Clipping damages the weatherproof double coat.
What Finnish and Swedish data show
In Sweden’s X-ray programme from 2007 to 2016, only 2,8 per cent of 436 young East Siberian Laikas had hip dysplasia grades C to E, none grade D or E, placing it among the three breeds with the lowest figures (Engdahl et al. 2026). In the Finnish Kennel Club database, 204 dogs born from 1988 to 2002 lived a mean 11,1 years; cancer was the reported cause of death in 8 per cent (Kraus et al. 2023). In a large genetic screening study, 5 of 33 dogs carried a variant causing glaucoma in Beagles; its significance in the Laika remains unclear (Donner et al. 2018).
A match for you if
you hunt or spend plenty of time outdoors, have space and high fencing, and appreciate a large, calm dog with a mind of its own.
Better avoided if
heat, a cramped flat and short walks shape your daily life, or you seek a dog for obedience-focused dog sports.
The Russian-European Laika is smaller and usually black and white; the West Siberian Laika ranges from red to grey. The breed quiz helps you decide whether a big-game hunter fits your daily life; explore further with “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For the time after arrival, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. Mane and cheek whiskers look lovely on a poster in a wooden frame or a magazine cover on canvas.
Further reading
- Siberian Husky: why so many end up in shelters at two years old
- Calculating dog food portions: how much your dog really needs
- An older dog, new rules: giving your senior their best years
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 305 Vostotchno-Sibirskaïa Laïka (Ostsibirischer Laïka) (fci.be, German version dated 13.07.2011, valid standard published 13.10.2010) and FCI breed page No. 305; Engdahl K et al., Prevalence of hip and elbow dysplasia in young adult dogs in Sweden, Veterinary Record 2026; Kraus C et al., How size and genetic diversity shape lifespan across breeds of purebred dogs, GeroScience 2023; Donner J et al., Frequency and distribution of 152 genetic disease variants in over 100,000 mixed breed and purebred dogs, PLOS Genetics 2018; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed not included).
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