# West Siberian Laika: The Ultimate Small Game Hunter

> A technical overview of the West Siberian Laika as a primitive landrace breed, contrasting their 'molding' training style with Western gun dogs and correcting the misconception that they are primarily large game hunters.

### Breed Origins & Functional History
The West Siberian Laika originates from Western Siberia, Russia, and is historically a small game hunting dog [00:18]. They function primarily as treeing dogs, often used to flush small game (squirrel, marten) out of logs or undergrowth for trappers [00:28].

While their focus is small game, they are predator-aggressive, which allows them to be used effectively on large game [00:52]. They are successful bear dogs and can tree mountain lion, lynx, and bobcat, as well as bark at moose for hunting purposes [01:06]. However, first and foremost, they are a small game breed [01:14].

### The "Non-Western" Hunting Philosophy
I was drawn to the breed through my connection with PADS (Primitive and Aboriginal Dog Society) because they are one of the last true landrace hunting breeds [01:35].

A critical distinction is that the West Siberian Laika is a "non-Western" hunting dog [02:03]. Unlike Western-style hunting dogs where you give regimented commands to focus on specific game, you must **mold** a Laika [02:22]. They learn what to hunt based on what you shoot. If I shoot squirrels more than marten, the dog learns, "He shoots squirrel, so I'm going to tree squirrel" [02:30]. This relies on intelligence and reinforcement from the hunter rather than command-based obedience.

### Large Game Capabilities vs. Traditional Reality
There is a current trend in the West to use these dogs exclusively for large game, but I feel this does a disservice to the breed's history [06:03].

I originally entered the breed because I needed a bear dog; living in Taos, New Mexico, we have particularly aggressive black bears [03:16]. My first import, **Ike** (from Ukraine), was a phenomenal bear dog [03:33]. In his first encounter with a sow, he treed her in seconds—and then immediately ran back to the car, essentially telling me, "I did my job, I'm out" [04:15].

Despite their capability, I eventually placed Ike with another hunter because I wanted to stop promoting them solely as a large game hunter when they are traditionally a small game dog [06:12].

### Specific Dog Profiles & Import History
* **Ike:** Imported from Ukraine. My first Laika, acquired specifically for bear defense [03:06].
* **Anja:** Acquired from a squirrel hunter in Kentucky [04:49]. She is a beautiful example of the breed but suffered a cracked pelvis injury [05:35]. I had to spay her to prevent long-term stress on her pelvis from breeding or hard hunting.
* **Kilby:** Imported from Ukraine, related to Ike [05:01].
* **Breeding:** I produced one litter between Ike and Kilby, placing puppies across the country, including Alaska [05:08].

### Temperament, Management & Handler Sensitivity
* **Handler Softness:** These are primitive breeds and are "handler soft" [06:58]. Heavy-handed training will destroy your relationship with them; you cannot train them with the same pressure you might use on a pointer or hound.
* **Barking:** They have a very loud, shrill bark [06:40]. They are not nuisance barkers—they bark for a reason—but if they tree a squirrel in your yard, they will let you know at high volume.
* **Family Life:** They bond very strongly with their family and are generally good with children and other dogs [06:22].
* **Mouthiness:** They can be "mouthy" dogs, which can be off-putting to some owners [06:52].

## Details

- **Category:** Interviews and media
- **Tags:** west-siberian-laika, hunting, preservation, landrace, pads, breeding, import, behavior, management, bear-hunting, small-game, primitive-dog, russia, ukraine
- **Date:** 2017-05-13
- **Originally published at:** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65W6PMMXlnQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65W6PMMXlnQ)

**Also read:** [All writing](https://bradanderson.org/writing?format=md) · [About Brad](https://bradanderson.org/about?format=md)

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