Training and education of West Siberian Laikas

• October 6, 2018
• Dogs and hunting with them
• Elena Gnilitskaya

Laika is a versatile hunting dog breed that is quite popular among hunters. She is famous for her flair, hunting passion and easy training. This is a hardy and agile dog that is effective in hunting both small animals and wild boars and bears. Let's figure out how to train a husky.

General information about the breed

The name “Lika” unites several subspecies of dogs that have similar external qualities and behavioral characteristics. The most popular subspecies for hunting are:

• East Siberian;
• West Siberian;
• Karelian-Finnish;
• Russian-European;
• Yakut Laika.

Laikas are stocky, strong dogs. The color depends on the subspecies. They have erect ears and a bushy and rounded tail that lies close to the rump or hip.

Laikas are truly hunting dogs, so they are not suitable for protection, and as companions they can bring a lot of trouble to their owner. Before purchasing a dog, it is important to learn how to raise a husky. These are very active animals that need active daily walks. Due to the call of the hunting instinct, they are prone to escape. Let's look at how to train a husky at home.

Characteristics of huskies

This breed of dog is a hunter who is independent, loves freedom and is devoted to his owner. Laikas are curious and can run away from a hunter during a walk to learn the territory, get distracted and get lost with other dogs. Such cases occur quite often among this breed. In terms of external characteristics, the husky differs from other breeds in its beauty and grace, fluffy tail, and bright color. The tail is usually curled into a curl. The weight of an adult dog can reach 30 kg, and its height up to 60 cm. It all depends on the gender and subspecies of the breed.

An adult husky can be distinguished from other dogs by the following characteristics:

1. Ears are always standing.
2. The tail is curled.
3. The fur on the neck looks like a collar.
4. The head of a husky is in the form of an oval.
5. Strong body build.
6. Graceful figure.

Features of training

It is necessary to purchase a puppy from experienced and reputable breeders. Parents must have a stable psyche and working qualities. There are not so many universal huskies; there are also individuals who are completely untalented in hunting. Therefore, the selection of a pet must be approached with maximum attention.

To train a husky, you need to use the following equipment:

1. An elongated, reliable leash that is used to teach the dog the “here” command.
2. Whistle for calling a dog from a long distance.
3. Small toys that are needed for training to feed prey.
4. Small fanny pack with treats.

The hunting qualities of a dog appear with age. You can start training a husky puppy at five months of age. In this case, it is necessary to pay special attention to obedience, because hunting dogs can work at a great distance from the owner, and therefore are required to obey all commands. Let's look at how to train a husky.

"Sit!"

To teach this command, you need to put a collar and leash on your dog. The trainer should have a treat in advance. You need to take the treat in your hand, bring it closer to the dog’s muzzle and lift it up so that the dog has to lift its head and sit down. At the same time, you need to say: “Sit!”

If the dog only raises its head but does not sit down, you need to use the second method of teaching the command. To do this, you need to grab the leash at a distance of about 10 cm from the collar. Say: “Sit!” In this case, you need to pull the leash back a little with one hand, forcing the dog to raise its head, and with the other press on the sacrum. As soon as the dog sits, you need to reward it with a treat. When the command is learned, you need to teach the dog to sit in one place for a long time, and not jump up immediately after the command is executed. To do this, as soon as the dog tries to stand up, you need to press on its sacrum again and order it: “sit.”

How to raise a West Siberian Laika puppy

If you train your pet correctly, then over time you will get an obedient dog that will follow all commands and delight you every day. Experts believe that the susceptibility of West Siberian huskies to following various commands may be influenced by several factors:

• pet's temperament - the speed of the pet's reaction to stimuli, both positive and negative;
• character - how exactly the dog resists various unpleasant influences;
• obedience - the dog’s ability to accept human leadership;
• vigilance - the speed with which the dog notices potential danger, both in relation to itself and in relation to the owner;
• aggressiveness - the pet’s ability to react hostilely to potential danger;
• curiosity - interest that is developed when a dog feels, hears and sees something;
• sociability - the ability to interact with people;
• possessiveness is the interest shown by animals in certain objects, for example toys.

How quickly your dog will learn commands depends on what specific traits predominate in the character of a West Siberian Laika puppy. By paying attention to the character traits of your animal, you can find an approach to it and adjust its behavior in certain situations.

• Eagerness will get you nowhere . You should not try to teach a West Siberian Laika puppy all the commands at the same time; you need to learn the commands one by one. You need to have patience and act methodically. You should not scold your pet at the moment when he makes mistakes, and when he succeeds in something, then the pet should be encouraged.
• Don't hit . It is prohibited to use physical punishment against a pet. You should limit yourself to variable intonation, but avoid shouting. After a West Siberian Laika puppy turns three months old, it is allowed to use a light spank as punishment while saying the phrase “Ugh.” It is necessary to punish immediately when the animal commits an offense, and not after it, since the animal simply will not understand what exactly it was punished for.
• Subsequence . The main goal is to ensure that the pet follows the command the first time. Commands should be pronounced clearly and in an even voice so that the dog understands and obeys you. All family members should be involved in raising the dog, but they must act together. It is forbidden to allow situations in which you scold the puppy, and another family member praises him or simply does not pay attention.
• Pamper . Don't forget to reward your West Siberian Laika puppy with various treats and praise when he has done what was asked of him.

"Near!"

It is necessary to accustom your dog to walking nearby both on a leash and without it, starting from the age of six months. For training, it is advisable to choose a place far from the roadway, where there are few distractions. The dog needs to be put on a short lead. Say: “nearby.” In this case, the dog must be pulled up to the left leg using a leash. The dog's right shoulder blade should be at the owner's leg. You need to start moving forward, loosen the leash a little. As soon as the dog tries to rush forward, you need to lightly pull the leash and say the command again. When the dog returns to the correct position, he can be rewarded with a treat.

At first, you need to walk next to the dog in a straight line, then you should complicate the route by making turns. Once the dog has learned the command, you can use a long leash and let the animal go long distances. When the dog runs away, you must say the command “near”. If she doesn't listen, then pull the leash. Over time, the leash can be released. When the command is well understood, the leash can be removed.

Raising a dog

Education is the process of shaping the behavior of West Siberian Laikas acceptable to the owner, when this behavior is not regulated by commands. During upbringing, a dog develops relationships with its owner, family members, passers-by, behavior in the house, on the street, and relationships with other dogs. The training process begins immediately when the dog first appears in the house and continues throughout the dog’s life. Regardless of the dog's breed, it must be trained. Just as people do not like ill-mannered people, dogs should also know what is allowed and what is not allowed. Raising a dog is a rather complex process, which is not limited to learning just a few commands. The main goal of education is that the dog should become pleasant to talk to. In addition, it must be manageable at some points, otherwise it will be very difficult for the dog owner. In the broadest sense of the word, dog training is about teaching the dog commands such as “Bad” and “No”. But besides this, the dog must know what is good and what is bad, even in those moments when the owner is not around. Some believe that West Siberian Laikas only understand commands, but cannot generalize. Only those who, as a rule, never had dogs, and studied them only in laboratory conditions, in which dogs were not able to show their full potential, are convinced of this, as well as those who, due to their personal qualities, were unable to establish a relationship with pet. In real life, West Siberian huskies are a pack animal and therefore, like any other pack animal, they need to communicate with members of their family. In this situation, the dog’s family members are people. It is quite stupid to think that if a dog caresses you, this means that his skin is itching. In order for a dog’s nervous system to function normally, it needs affection, love, communication, and praise. In addition, so-called “inhibiting factors” are required, because if the dog is allowed everything, then this will not lead to anything good. When raising a West Siberian Laika puppy, you should pay attention to the genetic characteristics of the breed. A family is a pack in which there must be a leader, in this case the leader is a person. The leader punishes, plays, feeds, caresses, praises and scolds. All other members of the owner's family are ranked by rank. At that moment, while the puppy is small, all other family members are senior to him. However, in the process of growing up, around the age of one year, the dog begins to look for its place in the hierarchical pyramid. Naturally, she will try to take the step that is as high as possible. She can do this with the help of force, in the case of large dogs, or with the help of cunning, as small dogs do. The more ill-mannered the dog is, the more difficult this process will be. If the owner from the first days shows his pet that the one who has the power is right, then he will turn out to be a frail neurotic or an evil beast with whom you will hardly communicate with joy. A West Siberian Laika puppy must understand that he must obey people, since they love him, feed him, and raise him. Understand that prohibitions are not the whim of the owner, but a way to protect everyone from trouble. The main influence on the dog should be the voice. From the first days of being in your home, the puppy must realize that you love him, and if you raise your voice, then this means that he is doing something wrong. One of the best incentives for a pet is considered to be a treat, which should be given out for good behavior and listening to commands.

"Give it to me!"

To accustom a puppy to serving game while hunting, you should first teach him to bring food to his owner. A diarrhea is a thing that a hunting dog carries in its teeth. At the beginning of training, you can use a regular ball or a soft cloth toy. After fastening, it is worth moving on to a piece of wood, which can first be wrapped in fabric. Later on the hunt, you can use the shot game for training.

How to train a husky? First, you need to play with the dog for some time. Then attract the dog's attention by dragging him and throw him forward. As soon as the animal takes the toy into its mouth, you need to use the “near” command. The diarrhea should be removed from the dog’s mouth with the command “give.” For following a command, your pet should be rewarded with a treat. Further, the playing time before training must be reduced. The diarrhea should be thrown over a greater distance. The dog must be taught to sit down when it brings diarrhea and wait until the owner takes the prey. To do this, when the dog returns with diarrhea, you need to give the command “sit”. After a few seconds, you should take the toy away and reward the dog. You should gradually increase the period of time after which the diarrhea is removed from the animal.

Getting used to swimming

You can teach a dog to swim from six months of age. To do this, you should choose a shallow pond. Training should be carried out in hot weather, when the water is warm enough. When training a dog, you should not shout at it or hit it, otherwise it may begin to associate swimming with negativity and pain.

How to train a husky? Your pet should be trained to swim after he has learned to retrieve prey. The diarrhea should be thrown into the water a short distance. The depth should be such that the dog can easily approach the prey. She must stop being afraid of the water and enter it without hesitation when going for diarrhea. After the diarrhea, you can throw it in a deeper place, just not far away. When the dog goes deep and has to swim, it will first swim to a nearby floating diarrhea, and then go ashore to its owner. You should not send your pet into the water for diarrhea more than three times per session, otherwise the animal may lose interest.

Squirrel training

You can start training a husky on a squirrel when the dog is a puppy. It is important that she already knows the basic commands. It is advisable that an already trained dog be present at the training, who will set an example for the puppy. If there are a lot of squirrels in the area, you can train the puppy alone. Training is best done in late summer and early fall, when squirrels often come to the ground in search of supplies. The dog must learn to find a squirrel, chase it, and indicate its location to the hunter using its voice. To start training, you can use a squirrel corpse, which the owner himself can hide in the branches of trees, and let the husky sniff the animal’s paw. When the dog finds prey, it needs to be rewarded.

Moose and wild boar training

For hunting big game, it is important to train the dog not to try to bite an elk or wild boar, but only to detain it and let the hunter know about its location, or to drive the animal to the right place by voice. To do this, you need to use a fearless, but at the same time cautious dog. It is important that larger animals do not injure the pet. You should take a first aid kit with you to training.

It is worth training a dog from the age of two. This is usually done in special farms where the wild boar is kept in an enclosure. The dog should approach him no closer than 3-5 meters.

Thus, the Laika is one of the most popular hunting dog breeds. She can be kept as a companion, but should not be adopted as her first dog, otherwise problems may arise. We looked at how to train this breed. It should be remembered that when training a hunting dog, you should not use punishment or beat the husky, as it may forever lose its excitement and become useless for hunting.

Nataska

This dog breed has an innate hunter instinct. They happily chase wild animals or birds. Of course, at first the hunter will have to work hard to train the husky and make it a good assistant. Let's learn how to properly train a husky and what is best to use for training.

To the squirrel

The beginning of training should take place on a squirrel, since during a hunt the dog needs to demonstrate its properties: voice, tracking, viscosity. If a husky learns to work with a squirrel, then it will be easier to teach it to chase other animals. Several squirrels caught by the dog must be shot so that he can clearly see the result of the hunt.

On the bear

From the age of two years, the dog must be taught to hunt large animals. We need to check what her reaction is to the smell and traces of the bear. Ideally, training a dog should begin with familiarization with a recently killed animal. If the dog gets scared and runs away from the prey, there is no need to continue training, such a dog will not be useful in the hunt.

On the moose

If the dog did a good job hunting a bear, then it will be easier to train a husky to hunt an elk. Here you need a quick reaction and the ability to get away from the elk in time. Training a dog for elk is carried out in the spring or autumn, when it is not hot, but the snow has not yet fallen. It is better to do this in mountainous areas, where it is easier for a dog to run on frozen ground, but elk and other ungulates will not be able to run quickly on such ground.

For training, you need to choose a weaker animal. If you kill the first hunted animal, then training a husky on this animal in the future will give a good result. You must remember to praise Laika for a good job and give him a hearty meal.