Yakut husky

History of the Yakut Husky breed

Initially, the breed had more than twenty names, since every researcher who encountered Yakut huskies gave them a new name. Accordingly, having met in the literature mention of such varieties as the Yukaghir, Arctic, Evenk, Tunguska and Okhotsk husky, keep in mind that we are talking about the same dog. The homeland of these intelligent and active creatures is the North–East of Russia, or rather, the environs of Omolon, Anadyr, Kolyma, Yana, Indigirka and Bolshoy Anyu. Historically, animals lived near the so–called dog rivers - large waterways rich in fish.

The reason for the limited breeding range of the breed is explained by practicality. The indigenous peoples of Siberia fed their pets exclusively with dried gifts of reservoirs, which is why they acquired huskies where it was really possible to feed them. Archaeological excavations show that hunting with dogs on the territory of the Sakha Republic began more than 8000 years ago, which is an additional confirmation of the aboriginal status of the breed.

Among the Yakut hunters of the XVI century, the husky was considered an incredible value, and her puppy was an expensive gift, binding to many things. Adults were not given or exchanged, since the dog was the main breadwinner and vehicle of the family. In addition, the Northerners sincerely believed that huskies have supernatural abilities and are able to see spirits.

The first descriptions of the breed were made by famous pioneers – Semyon Dezhnev, Ivan Rebrov and Ilya Perfiliev. As for reliable images, they were provided by Dutch cartographer Nicolaas Witsen. He also wrote a book about his journey through Russia, in which he told that in Siberian villages huskies are used not just as miners and watchmen, but also as a cheap draft force. It is also known that during the expedition of Vitus Bering, Yakut huskies carried his equipment and food supplies for the researcher, and in the XIX century dogs were involved in delivering mail to remote areas of the North.

The first preliminary standard of the breed is considered to be the description compiled by Maria Dmitrieva-Sulimova in 1910. At the same time, Yakut huskies did not appear at exhibitions until the beginning of the XXI century. Only after the approval of the official RKF standard in 2005, "Yakuts" began to be exhibited in the rings. However, even today the number of animals remains small, which is the fault of the planned extermination of dogs in the 50s of the XX century. Then the Soviet leadership recognized the breeding of the breed as impractical, therefore, during mass shootings, the main part of the breeding stock of huskies was eliminated.

Video: Yakut husky

Yakut Laika breed standard

The constitution of animals was formed by the extreme climatic conditions of the North, the effect of which was enhanced by the working status of the breed, so it is definitely not worth waiting for refinement of forms from Yakut huskies. The correct "Yakut" today is a compact, sturdy man with very thick skin and incredibly developed fur, who lacks any hint of looseness and dampness of addition. But the severity of the sexual type of the breed, on the contrary, is inherent, so males are always wider in the chest and larger than bitches.

The "girls" have their own distinctive feature – a stretched body, which is due to the ability to bear and give birth to offspring. The height of an adult male Yakut husky is 55-59 cm, female – 53-57 cm. Deviations from the set growth parameters are undesirable because of the historical purpose of the animals. Too small dogs were always exhausted faster during the ride and could not overcome large snow drifts, while too large individuals broke through the crust with their weight and drowned in the snow.

Head

The head is large, slightly pointed, wedge-shaped. The skull of "Yakuts" is more rounded than that of other varieties of huskies, but less massive than that of Samoyeds . The distinctive characteristics of the head are a high forehead, a well–filled, but moderately short muzzle, as well as not too prominent cheekbones.

Nose

A rather large lobe has wide, well-opened nostrils. The classic nose skin color is black. Brown color is allowed only in individuals of white-brown and brown-white color. Partial depigmentation of the nose, often found in white-headed dogs, is undesirable, but it is not considered a defect. An important nuance: in some Yakut huskies, the complete staining of the lobe and eyelid is completed only by the age of 1.5.

Jaws, teeth, lips

The jaws are very wide. The teeth are massive, in full quantity (42 units). The bite can be straight or "scissors", and the huskies who are three years old, it is permissible to have a dense snack. In breeding, preference is always given to dogs with a scissor-shaped jaw bow. Lips of a dry type, clearly pigmented, tightly bordering the mouth of the animal.

Eyes

Eyes set wide and straight. The shape of the incision of the eyelids is almond-oval. The colors of the iris are dark brown, transparent blue, and brown with blue specks. Heterochromia (mismatch) is considered an appropriate feature.

Ears

Symmetrically arranged ears are distinguished by a triangular shape and a high fit. The ear cloth is moderately thick, semi-erect or standing type (the second option is more desirable). In a moving dog, the ears have a feature of laying back.

Neck

Muscular, has an average length and the same delivery. The neck should smoothly connect with the withers, any fractures at the junction are unacceptable.

Housing

The body is compact, developed, without a bias in the squariness of the type. The top is straight, with a slightly pronounced slope line extending from the withers to the beginning of the tail. The back of the Yakut husky is distinguished by solidity and width, a short, strong loin in motion plays the role of a flexible spring. Prerequisite: the length of the lower back must be at least ½ the length of the back. The croup part is without excessive sloping, almost horizontal, massive and long. The chest is rounded with a good bend of the ribs.

Limbs

Mandatory conditions for the front legs of the Yakut husky are parallelism, moderately wide delivery, smooth contours. The shoulder blades and humerus have the same length. The elbows are well pressed to the sides, the pasterns are strong and shortened.

For the hind legs, a strengthened backbone, a parallel arrangement and a normal (not wide and not narrow) delivery are important. The hips should have a bulky muscle mass, the angles of the knee joints should not exceed 115-120 °. The lower legs are at an angle of 45-50 °, the metatarsals are vertical and strong. The paws of Yakut huskies are oval, with bent fingers in a lump, stiff pads and thick hair between the fingers. The breed moves at an energetic trot or gallop.

Tail

Fluffy, high-rise, rolled into a semi-circular structure and thrown on top of the back. The tail descends and hangs down only during a long run or at a resting dog.

Wool

The awn is smooth, stiff, with shine and a very voluminous warm undercoat. On the back of the legs are formed oches, on the underside of the tail – an elongated awn, around the neck – a plentiful collar, most pronounced in males. The desired length of the coat of the Yakut husky: on the body – up to 5 cm, on the suspension of the tail and mane – up to 15 cm. The complete formation of the wool structure is completed only by the age of two.

Color

Representatives of the breed are born completely white or spotted (any two- and three-color variations). Like the structure of the awn, the colors of the Yakut huskies are stabilized for two years.

Disqualifying vices

• All solid suits except white.
• Addition disproportions.
• Overbite with a large distance between the incisors, underbite, distorted jaw.
• Depigmented skin of nose, lips, eyelids.
• Smooth coat.
• Malicious or cowardly behavior in the ring.
• Males resembling the graceful addition of bitches, and vice versa.

The character of the Yakut husky

Yakut laika is a smart smart girl, focused on constant interaction with the owner and his family members. The level of aggression in the breed is minimal, so feel free to bring the "yakut" to a house where there are small children – this four-legged fidget will certainly make friends with them. By the way, the sociability of Yakut huskies extends not only to people: in a team of their own kind, nimble "northerners" also do not put out and quickly find contact with all the members of the group.

In working circumstances (hunting, riding), the breed is quite independent and capable of making its own decisions. Do not confuse this character trait with stubbornness: it is not typical for animals to act contrary to a human order, so the dog's personal initiative manifests itself only where the owner's prohibitions cease to apply. The Yakut Husky is not a breed for a passive owner. To truly experience the taste of life, the dog must work. And it's not so important whether it's moose hunting, skidjoring or walking in a harness. Not having laid out physically, "Yakut" is bored, falling into apathy, or vice versa – demonstrating destructive behavior.

In most sources describing the characteristics of the breed, emphasis is placed on the complaisance of the nature of its representatives. In this regard, potential owners have an incorrect impression of Yakut huskies as obedient and naturally intelligent pets. In fact, the "northerners" are capable of destructive cunning tricks, and if they are not stopped in this, they can go far in their sabotage. At the same time, the breed remains extremely intelligent and quickly draws conclusions from any situation, which greatly facilitates the educational process.

Education and training

It cannot be said that Yakut huskies are so dominant in character, although they need a leader in the person of the owner. Remember, a dog listens only to someone he respects and whose authority he is ready to recognize. Yakut huskies have excellent eyesight, flair and hearing – invaluable innate qualities if you are going to grow a hunter from a puppy, but you should not expect superpowers from a pet. In Siberia, "Yakuts" were bred as "dogs for everything", so hunting was more an additional qualification of the breed than a life's work. Today, Yakut huskies go mainly to elk and bear, but they are considered not the most suitable assistants for fur trade.

Raising a husky puppy begins with socialization. In the first days after moving to a new place of residence, the baby gets used to the changed conditions, smells and people in his environment. During this period, the animal needs to be helped to get used to it – to reduce the range of its movement as much as possible (preferably to one room) and not to create stressful situations during contact. The habituation of the Yakut husky to the toilet should begin as early as possible. Usually the puppy is planted on the tray immediately after sleep and rest. If you initially plan to relieve yourself on the street, take your pet out into the yard more often.

Owners who decided from the first days of life to keep a puppy in yard conditions should not neglect hygienic discipline either. Usually yard dogs themselves find a favorite place on the territory, which is used as a toilet. If the ward has got into the habit of leaving "piles" wherever there is a need, try to adjust his habits. For example, spray the places you would like to keep clean with a strong-smelling deodorant or a menthol fragrance that dogs hate. Another option is to spread out piles of earth marked with other "tails" in the places of the proposed toilet. Huskies are great sniffers, so when they find such a "hello" from their tribesmen, they will definitely want to leave their smelly mark on it.

In 2-3 months you need to start training. By this time, the Yakut husky puppy should know his name and respond to the nickname. The first commands are worked out: "To me!", "Sit!", "Place!" and "Not allowed!". It is better to conduct classes twice a day so that the animal does not get bored with them. If you are raising a future star of exhibitions, then after the command "Sit!" teach your pet to obey the requirement "Show your teeth!" – breeding commissions strictly approach the bite assessment.

With half–year-old individuals, it is recommended to work out the orders "Nearby!" and "Search!" - without them it will not be possible to control the behavior of a pet on the hunt. It is also advisable to learn the commands "Lie down!", "Wait!", "Aport!", "Give". Moreover, you can give orders not only by voice, but also by gestures – in hunting conditions, when the animal is very close, the dog's ability to read the owner's gestures will serve a good service. You can get more detailed information about the methods of hunting training and methods of training in the books "Laika and her nataska" by V. Belousov, as well as the article by A. Maksimov "Education of huskies". And of course, do not forget about the golden rules of the trainer: do not repeat the command more than three times and always encourage the puppy for the slightest achievements.

Owners who have remembered the riding purpose of the breed and harnessing a husky to a sleigh should also follow a number of rules. Namely: do not put a dog in a harness that is under a year old. Remember that at least 8 dogs carry sleds in the North, so even an ordinary sled with a child sitting in it is an unbearable load for one animal. The distribution of places in the team is also carried out in strict order: the strongest dogs are placed closer to the sled, individuals with leadership inclinations are in front.

Recently, dog sledding sports races have been gaining popularity in Russia, so it makes sense to hang out on social networks and find a professional kayur who gives lessons to beginners – such are found not only in Siberia, but also in the Middle Lane. It is also useful to visit "Volga Quest" – an international race on riding huskies, held in Russia, where professional kayaks and just lovers of riding with the breeze compete. Just remember: the dogs that will pull your sled must be friends. Antagonists in the same team are more likely to overreact than agree to work together.

Maintenance and care

The Yakut husky is little adapted to urban realities, and even more so to life in an apartment. The natural environment for a dog is a country estate with an extensive walking area or an ordinary rural farmstead. Having a thick coat, animals tolerate cold more easily than tropical heat, so it is undesirable to take them out for a walk and hunting on especially hot days. Optimal housing conditions for "Yakuts" are considered to be a yard and an aviary. Keeping huskies in the house is also possible, but it involves a number of inconveniences for both the pet and the owner.

Hygiene

It is clear that Siberian hunters had no time to deal with the image of working dogs, so today's Yakut huskies are undemanding to care for, and they do not have to be driven through grooming salons at all. The breed sheds seasonally, and the wool of the huskies does not exude a strong dog smell. Bathing "northerners" is in principle undesirable, since their "fur coats" are capable of self-cleaning, but it is necessary to arrange a bath day for a pet a couple of times a year. With the exhibition individuals will have to tinker more, besides, the costs of professional cosmetics in this case cannot be avoided. Special attention will have to be paid to white huskies – they need shampoos and balms designed specifically for "blonde" dogs.

A washed Yakut husky is allowed to dry with a hairdryer or a compressor – the structure of the hair does not suffer from this. During the molting period, the dog will have to be combed daily to prevent the lagging undercoat from falling off. The rest of the time, you can comb your pet sporadically – once a week or less.

Even a child can master the eye care of the Yakut husky. It is enough to moisten a clean cloth in a hygienic ophthalmic lotion or a strong tea infusion and wipe the edges of the eyelids, removing dust and mucous lumps from them. Ear cleaning is carried out once a week on the same principle: we buy a lotion for the hygiene of the ear funnel and use a clean cloth to remove excess sulfur. Clipping of claws is mandatory for huskies who walk a little and unproductively – it is necessary to shorten the claws with a claw cutter for medium breeds about once a month.

Feeding

The ancestors of the Yakut huskies were not pampered with pickles – in winter the dog was fed dried fish so that she had the strength to pull the sled, and in summer, during a period of relative inactivity, they were treated to slops and scraps. Today it makes no sense to follow the northern traditions, so most breeders feed their pupils either with high-quality "drying" or with natural products. At the same time, the "seasonality" of the diet should be observed if the animal lives in a yard or aviary: in winter it is denser to feed (80% of the diet is meat protein), in summer it is less caloric.

Nutrition of modern Yakut huskies is raw or slightly boiled lean meat (rabbit, chicken, lamb, horse meat, turkey), tripe, any offal, sea fish with previously removed bones, cereal porridge cooked in bone or meat broth. Fermented milk products are not digested by the organisms of all dogs, so it can only be given to those individuals in whom this food does not provoke a digestive disorder. Vegetables and fruits, except potatoes and legumes, are only good for huskies. Moreover, they should be given dried or raw – cut into thin slices, as well as planed on a grater. Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables are best offered boiled.

Egg yolk, unrefined vegetable oil, fish oil, kelp, tendons and spongy flat bones are fortified supplements to the basic diet, without which the development of the puppy slows down. It is also not worth refusing to buy pharmacy dietary supplements with chondroitin and glucosamine, but only if the dog has a natural menu. Some hunters advise slightly salting dog food, but you need to approach this matter very carefully. It is also useful to arrange fasting days 3-4 times a month, when the husky drinks only water and eats a small amount of rye breadcrumbs. The rest of the time, an adult dog is fed twice a day, puppies under the age of one year – 4-5 times.

Health and diseases of Yakut huskies

The aboriginal status of the breed has rewarded its representatives with excellent health and a predisposition to a limited number of diseases. The main ailments that Yakut huskies are susceptible to are joint dysplasia, eye diseases (cataracts, glaucoma, retinal dystrophy, congenital complete or partial blindness), oncological problems in elderly dogs, dermatitis and eczema. Please note that the last two diseases are manifested mainly in individuals living in hot climates. A thick undercoat that warms in northern latitudes, in southern regions causes a lot of problems, since it prevents air circulation between the layers of wool and slows down heat exchange processes.

How to choose a puppy

• Evaluate the puppy's appearance in accordance with the breed standard, but do not forget that the structure of the coat and the suit of young individuals are not formed. As a result: it will be possible to find out how intense the color and high-quality awn the pet will have only by the age of two.
• Pay attention to the mobility and activity of the puppies. Healthy kids of the Yakut husky are small "electric brooms" who play and play pranks endlessly.
• For hunting purposes, you need to choose a puppy from working parents. Usually hunters recommend paying attention to babies who were born first and have a fine nose. You can check the latter quality in the first month of life – the puppy who first finds the mother's nipple has the most outstanding sense of smell.
• Print out the Campbell test and check on the puppies in the kennel. With its help, kids can identify a number of behavioral defects that are difficult to notice in everyday life.
• If you need a Yakut husky with leadership inclinations, choose the most curious and courageous puppy. One of the indicators is that the baby encroaches on his own mother's bowl and even tries to eat from it.

The price of Yakut huskies

Nurseries of Yakut huskies can be found in Moscow, Tyumen, Novosibirsk, Perm, Sochi and a number of other cities. The price tag for puppies, as a rule, is due to the image of the kennel itself, the pedigree of the litter, as well as the external data of the offspring. For example, animals with a promising exterior from a pair of champions are sold at $280 – $350. Less spectacular in appearance, but healthy babies with metrics and vaccinations by age can be purchased for $150 – $200.