TANSLATION: Mrs. C. Seidler
ORIGIN: Russia
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 03.06.80
UTILIZATION: Multipurpose hunting dog, sledge- and draught dog
CLASSIFICATION FCI: Group 5 Spitz and primitive Types Section 2 Nordic Huntings Dogs With working trial
SHORT HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The Russian-european Laika has been bred from hunting Laiki of the northern zone of the European part of Russia. Apart from its main area of distribution the breed is widely spread in the middle and central zones of Russia. Since many years it is bred in large breeding kennels.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Medium size. Constitution clean and strong. Skeleton strong. Muscles well developed.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Index of format (length of the body X 100/height at withers) in dogs 100-103, in bitches 100-105.
BEHAVIOR/CHARACTER: Lively.
HEAD: Not large.
GRANIAL REGION:
SKULL: In shape approaching an equilateral triangle.
FACIAL REGION:
MUZZLE: Dry and pointed, with tight fitting lips.
TEETH: Strong, white; scissor bite.
EYES: Not large, oval, slanting, dark.
EARS: Mobile prick-ears, pointed at the end.
BODY:
BACK: Strong, muscular.
LOINS: Short, slightly arched.
CROUP: Broad, not long, slightly sloping.
CHEST: Deep, well developed.
BELLY: Markedly tucked up.
TAIL: Either sickle or ring tail, carried over back or buttocks.
LIMBS:
FOREQUARTERS: Legs straight, Well-formed sloping shoulders. Pastern not long, slightly inclined.
HINDQUARTERS: Strong with good angulation of hocks. Lower thigh sufficiently long (a line, dropped vertically from the ischiadic tuberosity should run along the part of the almost vertical metatarsus). Dewclaws should be removed.
FEET: Oval with strong, tight toes.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Typical gait: Gallop, alternating with short trot.
SKIN: Thick, without any folds.
COAT:
HAIR: Harsh and straight with well developed undercoat. Short and close fitting on head and ears. Longer on neck, withers and shoulders. Forms beard on cheekbones and a stand-off collar on neck. On the front side of limbs are covered with smooth close fitting hair, on the rear side it is somewhat longer, but does not from any feathering.
COLOUR: Black, gray, white, pepper and salt, dark with white patches, white with dark patches. Strong ticking on limbs and red color are undesirable.
HEIGHT: Height at withers for males 52-58 cm, for bitches 50-56 cm.
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.