Choosing
a laika puppy
- Which breed to choose? In order to choose a particular breed of laika the future
owner should answer the following questions:
What kind of hunting do you enjoy or have a chance
to indulge in?
All hunting laikas are
universal and can be trained for any kind of hunting. Nevertheless, every
breed (see “laika breeds”)
has its own peculiarities which must be taken into account when choosing a
dog, i.e.:
·
Karelo-Finnish laika (see
picture) is perfect for small game hunting (squirrels, raccoon, marten,
cock of the wood, black cock). If you wish, you can teach it to hunt both
elk and bear. It’s easier to carry the “Karelian” in public transport, it
will take less space both at home and in the car.
·
Russo-European laika (see photo) is suitable to
hunt the game of any size. REL is of bright black and white colour, which
makes it different from a wild animal; it can be clearly seen when the
visibility is poor, that’s why there are fewer chances it will suffer from
a clutz.
·
West Siberian laika (see photo)
is suitable to hunt the game of any size.
·
East Siberian laika
is suitable to hunt the game of any size. These laikas are the tallest
among all the hunting laikas, that is why it’s easier for them to move in
deep snow.
While choosing a laika breed it’s
important to take into account the fact that “red animal” hunting season
doesn’t last long and not every hunter can get a license to hunt an elk,
for example or take part in a battue with a hunting group, and with a dog
at that; and it's clearly not worth it keeping a large dog for “mushrooming trips”.
The appearance of what breed do you like most?
In those times when hunting was the means
of existence the hunters were hardly interested in the exterior of their
helpers. The dogs were strictly chosen according to their work qualities, which
were necessary for a particular type of hunting, and low maintenance, i.e.
they should eat very little, “drink” snow and shouldn’t get cold and so on.
The modern day hunter is mainly an
amateur, for whom hunting is not a way to feed his family but a kind of
hobby which deals with excellent physical exercise, emotional experience,
communication with nature and friends. In
this respect, everything that surrounds a hunter in the forest or
field should give a hunter aesthetic pleasure among other things. That’s
why we think that it’s important for the owner to like the appearance of
his dog.
Why do you need a dog?
For example, the indigenous peoples of the
North bred and kept laikas for some fairly specific purposes:
·
To hunt (hunting laikas)
·
To pasture deer (deer-pasturing
laikas)
·
To have a ride (sled laikas)
·
To get dressed (laikas not
suitable for all of the above)
·
And … to have a meal (also
laikas)
Hunting laikas are meant for hunting and for
nothing but hunting. A hunting laika
does not shepherd a herd of elks or wild boars, it rides an animal off the
heard and holds it until the hunter is at a distance of a shot. It’s not
worth wasting the hunting laika in a dog sled. A hunting laika will make
the master know about the approaching man or animal, but it is not quite
suitable to be a “guard-Doberman”.
2. Male
or female? (see photo “Aksai, the champion, and Bagira, his
sister»)
It’s impossible to give a straightforward
answer to this question. My personal point of view is:
Males are more powerful (see photo “Dad and son”), have more stamina, they are more independent
(here and later we’ll speak in general terms, because there are
exceptions). They feel more confident when they face a big animal, especially when they are
alone. The males are usually better at seeking and running after. Although
if there are more than one male at hunting (and not only while hunting),
it’s hardly possible to avoid a fight; and the consequences can spoil both
the hunting and your mood for quite a while. The males are stubborn and
capricious. It’s more difficult to make a male get in close contact with
the master while hunting; they are hunting on their own in a way and can
even go away with other hunters (who are complete strangers). Males are of
a more specialized type: for example,
if trained to hunt big game,
they would pay almost no attention to a squirrel or a bird or a marten.
Males tend to wander, and all year round there is every likelihood that a
male would run off to have a mate, and no “come!” or “out!” would stop it.
Females (see photo Rina, the champion) are more obedient, quiet and neat. A tufter will
search the hunting field thoroughly (the hunters say that such females work
as if they are combing the field). Females are more deeply attached to the
master and the family, they have a well-developed guarding instinct.
Females are suspicious of the strangers. Females will rarely steal and eat
the beaten game (squirrel, marten, bird), while the males will. If you have
a female, you’ll have to carry a stick twice a year during a week or two
(in the season), the rest of the time you won’t have any “sex problems”.
Females are more neat, at the age of one month or a month and a half they
can be easily taught to use a piece
of cloth as a toilet. You have to walk a female out for about 15 minutes
twice a day, while a male has to be walked out for about half an hour
thrice a day.
3. When
should one examine the puppies?
It’s better to examine the litter thrice if you
are serious about choosing a puppy:
Immediately
after the birth of a puppy,
on the 1st – 4th
day of their life (see photo). At that time you can find out the following:
- the condition of the female . If
she is in good condition, you can be sure she’ll be able to rear the
puppies. An exhausted female will need special food and special care of the
puppies, including hand rearing. Artificial feeding is also necessary if a female
had a cesarean operation. Don’t be afraid to take such puppies, if they
were fed using modern methods (though there’ll be much fuss).
- the number of puppies. A large number of puppies will require more food
for the female and earlier artificial feeding of the litter. If you want to
get a good dog, don’t hesitate to offer your help to the owner.
- whether the puppies are full-term. Full-term puppies have a usual puppy look, they
are blind, they crawl and peep, they suck and sleep. Premature and weak
puppies suck with difficulty, they whine and are far behind their “normal”
brothers.
- the puppies have the fifth finger. Don’t worry about it. In ancient times it was
considered to be a good omen; such dogs were selected for hunting and
breeding, though it’s worth reminding the owner of the female that these
fingers should be operated on the 4th day of their life. It’s
better to go to the vet to have this simple operation because the 5th
finger should be cut off the right
way, with one stitch, and what’s more, without infecting the wound. If the
operation is done properly, the puppies will forget they were “hurt” in a
couple of minutes.
- the color of the puppies. Having examined the color of the puppies, you can
choose those who you have fallen for.
- the size of the puppies. Judging by
the size, an experienced dog-breeder can easily see what the puppies will
be like when they grow. The biggest puppies will remain taller and vice
versa.
--
on the 14th – 15th
day of their life. It’s recommended to
see the puppies at this age as it is quite good to examine the litter
(height, weight, fur, whether the eyes are open and so on), check whether
the owner of the female had done the worming (all puppies are infected with
ascarids, that’s why they are treated with, for example, piperazine on the
14th day. It’s recommended to start additional feeding of a
puppy. This decision is made taking into account the condition of a female,
the amount of milk it has, the number and size of the puppies. Some owners
wean the puppies off on the 14 - 20th day completely. The aim is not to
exhaust the female (especially when it’s necessary to
use it for hunting) and prepare the puppies for being handed over to the
new owner. It should be done gradually; first the puppies are given a small
amount of additional feeding, then they are isolated from the female. The
female is brought to the puppies 6 – 8 times a day to feed them (meanwhile
the puppies are artificially fed), the female feeds the puppies less often,
while the number of artificial feedings increases. This way the puppies are
totally separated from the female. It’s worth knowing that the longer the
puppies are fed by the female the better, because they become immunized
against different diseases only while getting the mother’s milk. The normal
amount of milk a puppy needs is not difficult to find out, as well-fed
puppies sleep a lot, while hungry ones would crawl and whine.
On the 30th
day of their life the puppies are
described (see photos 1,2,3,4,5).For
this purpose the owner of the female either brings the puppies to the club or the dog
breeder comes to their place (whether to lay the table or not is a matter
of taste).Since that time on the puppies begin their official life, as they
are given the register number and the first passport – the certificate of
their origin. The owner of the female should prepare all the necessary
papers beforehand, as it takes much time. The following papers are
required:
-
The act of mating (standard
form of RKF - Russian Kynological Federation, RHDF - Russian Hunting Dog
Federation, FCI). The main thing in this act is that it certifies that this
particular female mated this particular male and the conditions of mating
are stated (what the owner of the male is entitled to – money, a puppy,
etc.).
-
The certificate of mating (main
data on male and female are given).
-
The act of examination of
litter (how many puppies, how many males and females, their condition,
nicknames, and information about new owners).
-
The map of litter color (the
color scheme of every puppy is
drawn).
-
The application for
registration of puppies (standard form of RKF, RHDF, FCI)
-
The litter registration card
(standard form of RKF, RHDF, FCI)
-
Puppies’ card (standard form of
RKF, RHDF, FCI)
-
The certificate of the puppy’s
origin (this document is most important for the new owner and the puppy)
Besides, copies of
pedigrees, diplomas and certificates of puppies’ parents should be
prepared.
1. Which
puppy should you choose?
When you look closer
at the puppies you will make conclusions about their conduct (the type will
generally be the same throughout the lifetime of the dog). Choose the type
of conduct of your puppy according to your preferences. If you need a
vicious dog (to hunt bear, lynx, badger or to be used as a guard), choose a
choleric type, sanguine is more suitable for “quiet” hunting (elk, boar,
furbearers, birds), the phlegmatic type is “good for the soul”. As a rule,
all puppies in the litter are different. Some are the typical cholerics,
they are active, aggressive, they will childishly attack their brothers,
sisters and even mum; they snarl, bark, shouldering their way to the bowl.
Others are the sanguine type, they know what they are worth; they are calm,
well-balanced, they don’t hurry to get to the bowl (it’s no bear, it won’t
go nowhere); they will never start a fight, but will fight back if they are
attacked. The phlegmatic type is very timid, they stick to the female and
their brothers and sisters; if attacked, they withdraw. Other behavioral
peculiarities are important: for example, the puppies who are confident
keeping to themselves will be independent while hunting; curious puppies
will carefully search the grounds, sociable puppies will feel comfortable at group hunts and in big
dogs packs. We treat the “special” marks as superstitions (the number of
palatal waves, alternating nail colours and so forth).
2. When
should you pick up your puppy?
Now it’s common to pick up a puppy when it
is 30 – 35 days old. If a female is still feeding a puppy (which is a rare
thing), you can ask the owner to
keep the puppy for the time being. It can last for 2 or 3 months and can be
quite reasonable under certain conditions (if you have no facilities
keeping up a small puppy, the puppies are too weak, etc.). It’s only
natural that this service will cost extra money.
3. What
should be done during the first “sleepless” nights and “wet” days?
If the owner of the female started artificial feeding of the
puppies, you won’t have any big problems. A month old puppy has a very
simple timetable: it sleeps (for two hours), wakes up, pees, poops, eats,
plays (for two hours more) and falls asleep. A stuffed puppy sleeps a lot.
If you want to have a sleep, give a puppy some finely cut meat, it will be
digesting for a long time and a puppy will sleep longer. The puppy will
miss his mum, brothers and sisters for a few days. If a puppy is restless
and whines and can’t go to sleep, put a big mirror on the floor in front of
it, it will immediately calm down.. Get a duster ready in order to clean
after the puppy instead of its mum.. Put this duster (after you have washed
it) somewhere not to bother anybody; when you notice that the puppy starts
fidgeting, take it to the duster for it to relieve itself. After several
days of training the puppy will rush to the duster itself (don’t forget to
keep the duster clean, but don’t use any detergents or chlorine).
