- October 12, 2018
- Dogs and hunting with them
- Oleg Petrov
How to choose a husky puppy to go hunting with is of interest to everyone who is going to look for prey in the forest. The Laika is a versatile dog breed that is best suited for hunting birds and large game. Many people prefer it, thanks to the flair and special innate qualities of this animal. However, you need to remember that, in addition to proper upbringing, it is important to decide at the very beginning which puppy from the litter is best for you. To do this, you need to know proven techniques, which we will discuss in this article.
Bitches or males?
When deciding how to choose a husky puppy, it is important to initially correctly determine its gender. Males are always much larger in size, moreover, they are aggressive, and their character requires a well-thought-out training system. Most often they are used to hunt big game, that is, bear, wild boar or elk. They also have a certain drawback: right during the hunt, dogs can start fighting among themselves, losing their tracks, and besides, it can be difficult to repurpose them for a hare or a bird.
Therefore, in order to know how to choose a husky puppy, you must clearly understand who you will hunt most often. Bitches are smaller in size from childhood, much weaker than males, but at the same time more resilient. They are easier to train, and they also have a loyal and flexible character. Their main advantage is versatility. If you wish, you can train a bitch to use huskies for both large and small animals, and birds. But they also have a significant drawback, which is periodic sexual activity - they have to be regularly distracted by bearing puppies and caring for them.
Badger Hunt
Laikas are unsurpassed assistants in hunting some burrowing animals, which include the badger. The time frame for hunting this animal, which prefers a nocturnal lifestyle and hibernates in winter, is quite limited. The dog is required to find the badger trail leading to the hole. As soon as it gets dark, the badger goes outside to feed. The task of the dog that found him, barking, was to detain him until the hunter arrived.
An indispensable condition for successful badger hunting with a husky is proper training and baiting. It is best to use badger burrows previously found in the forest for this purpose. A special training method will also work (here you will need a badger caught in advance as bait).
Special qualities
The key qualities of this dog can be identified early on and will help you understand how to choose a Husky puppy for hunting. These include sense of smell, which depends on the complex development of dogs’ sense of smell, vision and hearing. It is possible to determine at an early stage whether a particular puppy has these qualities only by indirect signs. If they exist, special attention should be paid to their development.
Another quality that you need to know about when figuring out how to choose a Laika puppy is its ability to quickly search for prey. This is especially important when hunting birds. In this case, the optimal running style for a dog should be a gallop, occasionally turning into a trot. Interestingly, these qualities often depend on temperament. For example, Karelian-Finnish breeds are characterized by a faster pace, while West Siberian breeds are characterized by a more restrained pace.
Finally, it is important how trainable the dog is. As a rule, huskies easily learn and assimilate commands. The main thing is to regularly remind them of the dominant role in the pair between the hunter and the dog.
An important rule to follow when you are wondering how to choose the right Husky puppy: contact only trusted breeders. It is advisable that someone recommend them to you. Be sure to find out the pedigree and possible health problems.
Hunting qualities of huskies
It is important to initially choose the right gender of the dog. Cables are larger, more aggressive, and their nature requires a well-thought-out training system. They are used for hunting large game: wild boar, bear, elk. Disadvantage: dogs often fight among themselves during hunting; it is difficult to repurpose them for birds or hare.
Bitches are smaller in size, weaker, but more resilient. They are easier to train and have an easy-going character. The advantage is their versatility - they can be trained to hunt birds, small and large game. The disadvantage is periodic sexual activity, bearing puppies and caring for them.
The main hunting qualities of the husky, which can be determined at an early stage:
- Flair. It depends on the dog’s comprehensive development of vision, smell, and hearing. These qualities can be determined at an early stage only by indirect signs. It is important to develop them as you grow.
- Search speed. Determines the quality and time for which the dog explores the hunting grounds. Important when catching birds. The optimal running style is a gallop, rarely turning into a trot. Depends on temperament - Karelian-Finnish breeds are characterized by a fast pace, while West Siberian breeds are more restrained.
- Training. Laikas easily master commands and learn quickly. Males have capricious traits - it is necessary to constantly remind them of the dominant role in the “hunter-dog” pair.
Laika puppies should be taken from trusted breeders, preferably on the recommendation of friends. It is imperative to find out the pedigree of the litter and possible diseases.
Visual inspection
It is important to know what to look for when examining an animal in order to understand how to choose the right husky puppy for hunting. You should definitely check his bite.
A normal bite is considered if the upper jaw slightly covers the lower jaw. In this case, the puppy should have six incisors on each of the jaws. There should be no obvious signs of disease or chips on the teeth. In addition, the puppy must give a voice.
Additional signs
There are some additional signs that can help determine whether a dog is in normal health. This is a good activity - the puppy should make confident runs and, if necessary, quickly take a sitting position. It is desirable that his eyes are dark brown, not sunken or bulging. Check that the puppy does not have an umbilical hernia, the tummy should be pink and clean, the same applies to the ears and eyes. In addition, his dewclaws must be removed. This is done to increase the area of the sole, which directly affects stability, and indirectly affects endurance.
Remember that your future hunting companion must have certain character traits, the foundations for which are laid in puppyhood.
Behavioral factors
Already as a puppy, you can determine what behavior he will have when he grows up. A hunting dog should not be overly aggressive, because it must unquestioningly carry out all orders, and, if necessary, independently transfer the prey to the owner. At an early stage of development, puppies develop qualities such as independence and calmness. At the same time, they must be able to stand up for themselves.
Also an important behavioral factor for a husky should be the ability to not lose contact when looking into the eyes. This trait will indicate that the dog will be focused and brave in the future. It is important to watch how she behaves during feeding. It is good if the puppy makes its way to the rear nipples, which contain the most milk, while pushing away the sisters and brothers.
Plus, if the pet is constantly searching for food, this will become the basis for a complex interaction between all senses.
Karelo-Finnish Laika
There are also specific tips for choosing a puppy, depending on what breed you are considering. The explanation of the question of how to choose a Karelian-Finnish husky puppy is not much different from the general advice that has already been given in this article.
The main thing is that it is best to buy dogs from a certified kennel, where they are seriously involved in breeding them. It is worth paying special attention to the parents of your future pet. It is desirable that his ancestors were certified. This is especially important for a puppy, from whom they want to turn into a real, well-trained hunting dog.
Pay attention to the fact that the puppy has white and even teeth, shiny and smooth hair, characteristic of dogs of this particular color, erect ears, transparent, clear and clean eyes without any discharge. The tail should be in the form of a ring and not damaged.
Choosing a hunting husky puppy
Photo by author
Dear hunters, Laika owners and people who are just planning to get these wonderful hunting dogs! The topic of choosing a hunting dog puppy has been repeatedly touched upon by many publications, we also want to share our experience and observations on choosing a young husky. Although we immediately note that this is only our personal opinion and everyone has the right to have their own.
So, you have decided to get a hunting husky puppy... First of all, you must decide which species of hunting are closer to you. Hunting for ungulates, fur, waterfowl or upland game? Next, you should decide on the breed of husky. This is also a matter of taste for each person. All breeds of huskies have extraordinary working qualities. But the future owner must choose a breed “for himself”, in accordance with temperament, external characteristics, capabilities and conditions of detention.
Karelo-Finnish huskies are the smallest of all breeds of huskies. Compared to other breeds of huskies, for the most part, Karelian-Finnish huskies have the most excitable temperament. Russian-European Laikas are dogs of medium height. The character of Russian-European huskies is mostly active, but not as excitable as that of the Karelian-Finnish ones. West Siberian huskies are generally larger than Russian-European ones. The temperament of these huskies is relatively calm and balanced.
East Siberian huskies are the largest compared to other breeds. Temperament is lively and balanced.
Therefore, think carefully about what kind of husky, with what temperament you like, compare its physical characteristics with the hunting that you mainly want to do. Once you have decided on the breed of husky, you should think about what gender you want to buy a puppy.
The bitch, as a rule, is more flexible, more attached to the house and owner. Bitches are better at fur farming because they are more balanced, painstaking and persistent in collecting, for example, night martens. It happened that we observed how male dogs, having picked up the marten scent, began to excitedly work on this trail, but, having lost it, since the animal went on horseback, or lay down for the day, poking around for a while and not finding the animal, they went further in search as if nothing had happened. Did not happen. In these cases, bitches can spend hours pruning, checking every “suspicious” tree and in the end, in the vast majority of cases, they get the animal. Let’s not generalize, there are many males known that do excellent fur farming, but for this type we give preference to females.
Bitches have one significant drawback that causes certain inconvenience to the hunter - they go into heat once or twice a year. For three weeks the dog “falls out of the picture.” Fortunately, this period does not always fall during the hunting season, and this is a short period.
Males do not go into heat, but they can breed all year round. The smell of a bitch in heat gets into the dog’s nose, and, in most cases, goodbye to hunting. For this reason, male dogs are more prone to wandering. Having been to a “dog wedding” once or twice, male dogs are constantly on the lookout. Nature, there's no escape...
The bitch has a stronger sense of self-preservation. This is inherent in nature, because it is she who gives life to the next generation.
A big advantage of choosing a bitch is the ability, if desired or necessary, to breed her and, observing the litter, choose what you need, and not what is offered. It is not for nothing that before and now people who are seriously involved in hunting led and lead their dogs along the bitches. The bitch transmits herself to a greater extent than the male, in percentage terms of 70% or more. There are exceptions, it’s hard to argue with this, but the owner of a bitch has many times more choice than the owner of a dog, because the owner of the bitch chooses the dog, and not vice versa.
Choosing a male dog has its advantages. They are physically much stronger than bitches, more vicious and courageous. For boar and badger work, choosing a male puppy is a better option than choosing a female puppy.
To work on elk, you don’t need a high degree of anger; you need a good search, viscosity and a clear voice.
The final disadvantage of males compared to females is that they are more pugnacious by nature. Taking walks in the city with a male dog is more problematic. You have decided on the breed and gender of your future helper, all that remains is to choose a puppy.
The main factor deciding the issue of choosing a hunting husky puppy for a hunter is the opportunity to purchase it from proven hunting producers, the stability of whose working qualities has been confirmed by several generations of ancestors.
It is not necessary to take a puppy from a field champion; what is much more important is the stability of the work of the sires and the transfer of their qualities to the offspring. It is very important that both producers have pronounced hunting abilities.
If possible, it is important to see for yourself how the puppies’ parents work in the forest, what qualities they demonstrate.
Each hunter has his own preferences and vision of hunting. But for every like, qualities such as flair, search, voice, viscosity, return and intelligence are required. A dog with good hereditary inclinations has a greater chance of becoming a good hunting assistant, and even a novice hunter will be able to train it. By purchasing a puppy without a pedigree, you are buying a “pig in a poke.”
We recommend buying a puppy with a pedigree, regardless of whether you want to attend various cynological events or take the dog only for hunting.
In order for puppies to receive pedigrees, their parents must submit the necessary documents to the canine organization. Consent for mating is given by the cynological organization, which will subsequently issue documents for the puppies. For working breed dogs, a show grade and field diplomas in the main species are required. When a dog, for any reason, does not have an assessment at an exhibition and diplomas at tests, it should not receive permission for planned mating.
There may be different reasons for the lack of necessary documents. The lack of an exhibition rating for a husky may be due to an injury received during a hunt, or perhaps it has a disqualifying defect that puts it out of breeding.
Sometimes an entire litter is deprived of its pedigree because mixed-breed puppies were found in the litter.
By having a pedigree, you insure yourself that you are buying a purebred puppy.
We do not consider the realities of our lives, when documents for dogs are purchased, matings are formalized almost a year after the birth of puppies. To eliminate the risk of purchasing a non-purebred puppy, consult with Laika owners and contact reputable breeders.
Finally, you have made your decision and come to choose a puppy. It is better to choose a puppy from the entire litter, and not from what is left. So try to make sure that you are one of the first. There are many popular signs by which a puppy is chosen. For example, the color of the pads on the paws, the number of whiskers on the head, the color of the sky, which way the tail is curled, and so on. All these signs have their place, but they work only when a person has been keeping the same line of dogs for many years and has the opportunity to observe the same exterior features, repeated in more capable dogs, inherited precisely along this line.
Therefore, we will choose according to the signs that we can discern at the moment.
Inspect all litter. Puppies should be approximately the same size. This suggests that the puppies do not lag behind each other in development. See if your eyes are watery and your ears are clean. It is very important to determine the absence of defects and shortcomings - the puppy should not have dewclaws, hernias, defects in skeletal development, and must have a correct bite. Pay attention to the puppy's head, the head is the breed. Even in puppies, future defects can be determined by the shape of their heads.
If you are purchasing a dog for the first time, it is better to invite a more experienced person with you, or better yet, a specialist in this field - a dog handler, an expert.
It is very important to try to determine the puppy's psyche. To do this, you need to observe the behavior of the puppies for at least a couple of hours. Do not give in to emotions, do not choose a puppy based on the principle of “beautiful color”, “the largest”, “the most vicious towards other puppies”, “I just liked it” or “he chose me himself”. You choose, and you need to use every opportunity to determine both the puppy’s strengths and weaknesses.
In any litter you will see a puppy trying to dominate his siblings. Take your time with your choice. In the future, this dog will grow up and will try to dominate everywhere: at home, while walking, and most importantly, while hunting. This means that you will have to forget about hunting in a campaign for hunters with dogs, since it will not be hunting, but dog “showdowns” and, accordingly, injuries that no one needs during a hunt.
At one month of age, it is already possible to determine which of the puppies has more acute hearing. This is easy to check while they are sleeping. You just need to snap your fingers a short distance from them. Some will not react and will continue to sleep, while others will raise their heads, trying to understand what that sound is. Puppies that respond to the click have more acute hearing.
Also, during sleep, you can determine which puppy has a more acute sense of smell by carefully placing a plate of food next to it and observing. Whoever reacts first to an appetizing smell has a more subtle sense.
It is important to check the puppies' psyche. While the puppies are awake and everyone is minding their own business, you need to suddenly and loudly clap your hands, stamp your feet and watch the puppies’ reaction. One puppy got scared and hid in a corner, the second didn’t react at all, and the third went to figure out what the sound was and what happened. Give preference to the third. The lack of reaction in the second puppy showed that he also has a strong psyche, but the reaction of the first one is clear signs of cowardice.
Ask the breeder, watch the puppies. The most active and inquisitive puppy, the one who is the first to leave the nest, goes farthest, is interested in everything and cares about everything, deserves your attention.
There are many methods for selecting a puppy, but the methods listed above really work. Good luck with your choice, hunters!
A.Yu. Alekseev, Shch.V. Polishchuk March 11, 2021 at 00:00
Yakut Laika
The Yakut Laika is one of the classic representatives of the aboriginal lines of northern hunting dogs. It is noteworthy that in their appearance they are somewhat different from their relatives. These are muscular, tightly built dogs with high legs.
It is important to understand how to choose a Yakut Laika puppy. It must comply with the standards existing for this breed. The dog's head should be large enough, as wide as possible in the frontal part, and harmoniously set. It is characterized by a spacious and high forehead, as well as a rounded skull, a pronounced, but not too sharp transition to the front part. Such a dog has flat and well-developed muscles. The eye sockets are heavy and the area under the eyes is filled.
Already young dogs should have a correct bite, healthy and snow-white teeth in full. An acceptable change of bite from correct to straight can be formed in these dogs by the age of three. The brown or black nose should be large and wide. Expressive almond-shaped eyes with an attentive gaze. The ears are hard and large, triangular in shape with characteristically rounded tips. At rest they are raised, and during work or running they are pressed to the head.
The tail is thick, of medium length, and is carried over the back or pressed to the thigh.
Pedigree as a guarantee of purebred puppy
First of all, before buying a puppy, you need to find out whether it is a club breeding, that is, whether the dog will have a pedigree over time. This document, issued in accordance with the rules established by the Russian Canine Federation, can serve as a guarantee of the purebred dog. If clubs do not have the necessary license to issue pedigrees of the RKF sample, dog owners may face some difficulties in the future. For example, even if the puppy fully complies with the breed standard, and its working qualities can be confirmed by passing the appropriate tests, the dog will not be able to qualify for prizes at canine exhibitions and participation in breeding. However, this condition does not apply to huskies of a number of aboriginal breeds, in particular, the Yakut, which was recognized by the RKF in 2005, but has not yet taken its place in the FCI system.
Sometimes huskies without documents are also allowed for breeding. This is possible in some breeds of dogs due to a number of factors, in particular due to exceptionally good conformation or excellent working qualities. Most often this happens with the aforementioned Yakut Laikas or their Karelian-Finnish counterparts - among the population of these dogs, whose owners, as a rule, are experienced hunters, so-called “unscheduled” matings are still cultivated, when the puppies are not given any documents.
West Siberian Laika
This breed is considered one of the most respected among hunters. Initially, her story was to help a person during a hunt. Outwardly, she strongly resembles a wolf, not only in appearance, but also in habits. This is one of the few breeds that were bred under conditions of strict natural selection.
Now we will tell you in detail how to choose a West Siberian husky puppy. In terms of its parameters, it must exactly correspond to the basic standards of the breed. These are dogs of medium height with developed muscles and a strong constitution. They move at a wide trot and are very mobile.
If the puppies do not have documents.
If before purchasing a dog it turns out that the puppies do not have documents, there are several ways to check the offspring for the purity of the breed. For example, try to see both the father and mother of the puppies in order to assess how well they correspond to the standard of a particular type of husky. Inexperienced dog breeders can be advised to seek help from professionals by inviting a dog handler or any breeder with them to select a puppy. It should be noted that the owner of a dog who has given birth to puppies, who is interested in choosing good future owners for the offspring, will not hide the female.
Experienced breeders (in the case of huskies, these are usually hunters and real enthusiasts of the breed) will not only talk in detail about how to care for a puppy, but can also tell a lot of interesting things about their own dog, in particular, about its working qualities - after all Representatives of these breeds, in addition to meeting the standard, are also judged by the level of their “professionalism.”
In addition to meeting the breed standard, if your future plans include visiting exhibitions and participating in breeding, it is very important to check the husky puppy (as well as all other breeds) for the presence of so-called disqualifying defects. If a small husky suffers, for example, from cryptorchidism, albinism or rickets (fraught with the absence of some teeth in adulthood and improper development of joints), or its color does not at all correspond to the official parameters, the puppy is unlikely to be able to make a show career or become a famous producer. Moreover, such dogs, even if they were born as a result of mating of high-breed and titled champions, should be sold at a reduced price, and a breeder who respects his name will definitely tell about all the nuances. Such dogs, in particular, are ideal for those who simply want to make a good friend or hunting assistant, without wanting to attend canine shows with him.
Difficulty of choice
When choosing a West Siberian husky puppy, the main thing is to understand for what purpose you are purchasing it. If you need a dog for hunting, then it is better to go to avid hunters who breed them. Real breeders breed only representatives of one breed that have proven themselves well in the hunting process. In these cases, it is possible to minimize the likelihood of acquiring a bad puppy.
But to rule it out completely, pay attention not only to the pedigree, but also to the health and appearance of the baby. Even hardy and strong representatives of this breed sometimes give birth to weak puppies that will be useless during a long hunt.
As a rule, West Siberian Laikas have hunting in their blood, so the choice is quite wide. Interestingly, the cost of puppies does not always directly depend on their pedigree. Sometimes individual individuals who had no outstanding relatives are famous for such record-breaking achievements that puppies from them are sold at a higher price than from unknown parents with good documents and biography.
On average, the cost of such a dog will be about ten thousand rubles. If you take it from your hands, then it is quite possible to find an individual no more expensive than 2-3 thousand rubles. Here's how to choose a Siberian Husky puppy.
Hunting for lynx, wolverine
By barking at a lynx discovered on the trail and driven up a tree, the husky seems to let its owner know: hurry up, the animal has been found! Hunting for an insidious predator is of particular interest to her, and the dog will not refuse to participate in this gambling “event.” A confrontation between a wild, agile animal and a well-trained dog can be unsafe for it: a wounded predator is capable of attacking the enemy, but an experienced dog will dodge. The likelihood of killing an animal on the spot is especially high when shooting at a sitting lynx.
Similarly, the dog hunts lynx. A hunter is unlikely to dare to go after animals known for their cunning without the help of a husky.
Going hunting with a husky is a real pleasure, even if you don’t have enough experience. There are hunting grounds where you can receive the necessary instructions and relax comfortably after the hunt. Our website will help with this - contact us!
