Interested in the Yakutian Laika?

Black and white dog with handler

Interested in the Yakutian Laika? Akashima is considering breeding Tania in the near future; when and if depends on the amount of interest as far as wanting a Yakutian as part of your family. At this point in time we are creating a waiting list of those interested; if there is enough interest than we would require the persons on the waiting list to indicate their commitment by placing a deposit.

For some of you, the Yakutian Laika is a new breed, but it’s older than you may know.  This ancient working breed that originated in the Arctic seashore of the Sakha Republic was first documented by the Dutch scientist, Nicolas Cornelissen Witsen, in 1692. A close relative of the Siberian Husky, the dogs were used to pull sleds, herd and hunt by the native Yakut people in Russia, some say the first known people on earth to use sleds pulled by dogs.

The dogs were also mentioned by pioneering Cossacks in the 17th century as living along the “dog rivers,” but it wasn’t until Witsen published that book in 1692 that anyone saw a picture of the dogs because he had included engravings of Yakutians using Laika dogs as draught transport.

In 1856, a survey of the Yakutian Laikas found that as many as 15,157 dogs lived in the Yakutia region, but the Yakutian Laikas eventually lost their importance, and only three or four thousand dogs remained by the beginning of 1990s. Thankfully, a number of dog enthusiasts tried to revitalize the Yakutian Laika at the end of the decade. They found the best dogs they could, and established a breeding effort that ultimately became successful. In August, 2017, the Yakutian Laika was recorded in the AKC’s FSS, and officially recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 2019. The CKC has listed the breed; the first step to full recognition.

Yakutians are a multi purpose breed; Hunters, sled dogs, herders and companions. They particularly like to interact with people and approach other dogs in a friendly but cautious manner. If dogs react badly Yalutians react swiftly and strongly. Their strength is not to be underestimated, a 50 to 60 pound Yakutian can pull an adult over if the person is not prepared.

Reach out to us to discuss this amazing breed in more detail.

dog sitting with paw out
dog with toy

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