West Siberian Laika vs Czechoslovakian Wolfdog - Breed Comparison

The West Siberian Laika come from the Khanty and Mansi tribes of West Siberia and Ural. They are a primitive breed used for hunting and come from the spitz and wolf lines. They retain many of their primitive looks and traits to this day. They were pre-historic companions to human hunters and remain so today in the northern regions of the Russia. They were never sled dogs but pure hunters throughout their journey to a domesticated breed. They hunted in the forests of the mountainous regions and were adapted to hunting in the woods. When their prey was hunted almost to extinction, the Laikas were also in danger of disappearing.

From the early days of the 1900’s through the first World War, there were several campaigns to save the WSL from extinction. A breed standard was developed around the 1930’s. Following the war the breeding programs became more uniformed and followed the standard that was in place. World War II disrupted it again, but once again it was resumed after the war.

The breed was once again threatened by industrialization and deforestation in the early 20th century, as they were replaced by newer, more popular breeds. There were thought to be dozens of aboriginal Laikas with various groups attached to different groups of indigenous hunters.

Following the second World War and the ever increasing detail of breed standards, the Laikas were divided into four pure bred groupings: the West Siberian Laika, the East Siberian Laika, the Russ-European Laika and the Karelo-Finnish Laika. All of these breeds are Laikas because they are bark pointing hunters.

They were imported to the U.S. in the early 1990’s by a Russian immigrant. Vladmir Beregovoy is credited with bringing the breed to the States. There are now about 300-400 West Siberian Laika’sin the U.S. They are a very emotional breed, very in touch with his human’s feelings, habits and intentions. He is a barker for sure who hates to be left alone. An intense breed with the need for companionship and a purpose. They will do anything to escape a pen if left alone for long periods of time.

The breed is protective of its people with other animals and some are wary of strangers. He needs an active family to match his active spirit. They will bark at all wild life including all the squirrels in your yard. So if don’t want a “barker”, don’t get a West Siberian Laika.

They are recognized by the United Kennel Club, the American Canine Association the Dog Registry of American and the Federation Cynologique Internationale

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a mix between a German Shepherd and a Carpathian wolf. In fact the Czechoslovakian Vlcak is another name for the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog and Vlcak is the Czech name for a German Shepard dog.

When you translate the name, it means Czechoslovakian German Shepherd. There was a biological experiment that began in 1955 and these experimental breedings went on for a decade, so that in 1965 a plan was created for the breeding of this new breed.

It was in 1982 that the Czechoslovakian Vlcak was recognized as a national breed in the former Czechoslovakian Republic and recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2006.

This attractive, intelligent looking dog won the title of ‘World Champion’ at the World Dog Show in 1990 and in 1999, the breed met all criteria of the World Canine Organization, earning full recognition of the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog breed.

The WSL comes from the Spitz line and also directly descendent from the wolf. They look and act a lot like a wolf in many ways. They have retained much of their primitive traits. With a pointed, long muzzle, an almost square head, and square body, they have wolf colored coats of gray and red. They are mostly medium in size but some can be smaller or larger. Their head is shaped like a wedge, their eyes are typical almond shape and set deep in their head. They are brown or even darker. The muzzle is almost as long as the skull. Their lips are thin and black. The ears are straight up and pricked.

They have bodies longer than they are tall with a lot of musculature. They carry their tail high over their backs. With straight legs and forward feet, with gray, red and white coats, they still look like wild dogs.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog looks like a true German Shepherd/Wolf mix with his erect ears, bushy tail and straight, muscular legs.

The eyes of the dog are slanted and brown. He stands at about 65cm in height and weighs up to 26kg. The thick coat of the dog is greyish in color but other colors come in as well such as white, cream, black, silver and yellow - all wolf colors. In fact the density of the coat as well as the color changes according to the seasons.

The coat is particularly thick in the Winter, thinning out in the Summer. The coat color may be yellow-gray or silver-gray.

Temperament:

Having a pet which has some wild animal mix can be risky and dangerous. Adding wild animal DNA means that you can get some of the behavior of the wild animal added in and this can be asking for trouble.

When the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog turns on a person, he will be blamed and put down, whereas it is the stupidity of the human to breed such dogs and bring them into their homes in the first place. You need to be careful with children in the home, especially if they don’t know how to treat a dog with respect.

Nonetheless the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is able to develop a deep relationship with his owner. He is a dog who, when training and socialized, can gets on well with his human family as well as with other pets in the family.

He has got other excellent characteristics such as being fearless and courageous. He is intelligent and learns easily.

1 Children Friendliness – Yes they are ok with children but not unsupervised.

2.Special talents stamina, agility

3.Adaptability This is not really an apartment dog though he can adapt. He needs outdoor space to run everyday. So if in an apartment find a dog park for everyday use.

4.Learning ability – Highly trainable and very smart. Independent thinker though might cause some issues.

The beautiful Czechoslavakian Wolfdog resembles a wolf and in many of these dogs, their characteristics are wolf-like too. The dog is confident and independent, but it also able to form good relationships with his human family.

Many people thrill at the idea of having a pet which has a wild side to him, but there is a price to pay for having such a pet in your home. Their wild side can suddenly come to the fore, with dangerous consequences.

There are so many dog breeds to choose from that surely it isn’t necessary to start tampering with animals from the wild?

Health wise there are no genetic health issues known today. Since they were so wild, primitive and isolated there was not a lot of inbreeding to any standards. There are however some interesting health facts about the WSL.

• Females only come into estrus once a year, usually in the late winter. They are usually one to two or two and a half years old when this happens. The Russians who know them best frown on breeding them before they are at least two.

• They are subject to many of the same parasites and some diseases like any other canine. But they are not susceptable to any illness specific to their breed.

• Hunting accidents might bet he biggest health threat this breed faces at the moment.

• However with more dogs being bred for the show ring, this could all change and genetic issues could begin to pop up for them.

Your Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a healthy dog who with good health care, can reach the age of 12 to 15 years. However, it is good to be forewarned about some dog sicknesses that your dog might get and which could be detrimental to your dog’s quality of life.

Hip Dysplasia:

This disease comes about when the ball and socket joint at the hip doesn’t form properly. The bones rub and chafe when the dog moves and the condition just gets worse as time goes on. Your dog can actually end up with arthritis, and worse, become lame.

Degenerative Myelopathy:

This is a progressive deterioration of the spinal cord which causes lameness in your pet’s hind legs. It is incurable and can be the end of your pet. The exact cause of this tragic illness is unknown.

performance, working dog food. High in protein and fat is needed to maintain their lean muscle. Don’t over feed them as they will become obese and they will be unhappy if their physical activities are restricted, even if by their own weight. Be sure you break up their day’s food amount into 3-4 smaller meals.

2.Feeding the adult – Almost everything is equally true for the adult. They need a high protein and high fat food – a high performance food. Don’t over feed and give them at least 2 meals per day.

3.Points for Good Health – as previously mentioned this is a hardy and robust breed,

4. Games and Exercises They need a lot of exercise, have a strong prey drive and are very intelligent. A dog with those traits that does not get enough exercise will drive you crazy if he is not stimulated.

Exercise:

Vlcaks have been specifically bred for stamina and if you neglect to exercise him, he’ll become bored and frustrated and possibly destructive and aggressive. He must be trained and he must be constantly provided with lots of exercise and activities.

Training and Socialization:

Because of the wolf side of this dog, Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs have a high prey drive, so he will need to be trained and socialized if you want him to get along with your other pets in the home.