# Nenets Herding Laika

Also known as: Reindeer Herding Laika, Nenets Laika, Nenetskaya Laika, Yamal Herding Dog
- **Group:** Spitz & Primitive (FCI group 5)
- **Size:** Medium
- **Origin:** Russia
- **Height:** 40–50 cm
- **Weight:** 20–30 kg
- **Life expectancy:** 12–15 years
- **Temperament:** Energetic, Hardy, Quick-Learning, Versatile, Friendly

An ancient Arctic spitz from Russia's Yamal region, the Nenets Herding Laika herds reindeer, hunts small game and is thought to be an ancestor of the Samoyed.

## Overview

The Nenets Herding Laika is an aboriginal spitz landrace from the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Russia. Unlike most laikas, it is chiefly a reindeer herder rather than a hunter.

It is believed to be one of the forerunners of the Samoyed, and it is still largely unknown outside Russia and Norway.

## History

This is one of the oldest dog types, thought to have survived almost unchanged since the Paleolithic. By the 1930s it had spread across the Arctic from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka, and explorers such as Fridtjof Nansen used it as a sled dog. White survivors from Nansen's Fram expedition became foundation stock of the Samoyed.

Soviet-era mechanisation and a bias toward registered purebreds nearly wiped it out, but small populations were found afterwards. The RKF approved a first standard in 1994, and some 2,000 purebred dogs are estimated to herd in Yamal.

## Appearance

A small to medium muscular dog with a thick double coat, a moderately wedge-shaped head, small prick ears and a tail curled over the back or carried down. Males measure about 44 to 50 cm and females 40 to 45 cm.

There are two coat lengths: long-haired erre and short-haired yando. Guard hairs are straight and stiff over a soft, dense undercoat.

## Temperament

Energetic, resilient and quick to learn, these dogs are neither shy nor aggressive with people. They are versatile workers, capable of herding, hunting small game, pulling sleds, search and rescue and detection work.

## Care and exercise

It needs a lot of activity and a job, and it does well in cold, hardy conditions with minimal care. Brush regularly, especially during seasonal moults, and provide mental and physical work every day.

## Ratings (1 to 5)

- Energy: 5
- Exercise needs: 4
- Grooming: 3
- Shedding: 4
- Trainability: 4
- Barking: 3
- Good with children: 3
- Good with other dogs: 3

Page: https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/nenets-herding-laika
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nenets_Herding_Laika · https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3438758
Photo: КурилинаЕ (CC0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:461A1456.jpg
Profile written by an AI model from the sources above.