Nenets Herding Laika vs Great Pyrenees - Breed Comparison

The Great Pyrenees could be from Spain or France because the dog hails from the Pyrenees Mountains, which spans both France and Spain.

The dog was used to defend flocks from predators but its lineage goes a long way back, thousands of years in fact. It is thought that they only arrived in Europe about 5,000 years ago. The dog was adopted into the court of Louis the XIV as a royal dog.

During the mid 1600s, the dog's numbers dwindled but the French developed kennel clubs where the dog could be bred and its numbers restored. It was in 1933 that the Great Pyrenees received American Kennel Club recognition.

There is a large variety of Laika dogs as the word is almost a generic term for a type of Russian hunting dog. They are found in Northern Russia and Siberia and there are several recognized by the Federation Cynologique International including the East Siberian Laika, the Russian European Laika, and the West Siberian Laika. These Siberia Laika are crosses between the aboriginal dogs of Siberia and northern Russia. The word Laika means a barking dog and comes from the word meaning to bark. These laikas are working dogs, hunting pointers that were bred specifically for their barks.

All the dogs in this category are loyal and affectionate. They are hard workers and hunters/herders and sled dogs. Of the official Laika groups including the Nenets Herding Laika, there is the Karelo-Finnish Laika, the Northeasterly Siberian Laika, the West Siberian Laika, The Russian European Laika, Eastern Siberian Laika. The Laika are wary of strangers, noisy and rowdy.

Nenets Herding Laika

The Laika breed known as the Nenets Herding Laika is also called the Reindeer Herding Laika. The breed is pretty ancient, developed by the Nentry tribe at about the same time that the nomads were developing the Samoyed. Like the Samoyed breed, the Nenets Herding Laika herded Reindeer. The artic breed originates from Russia and can be used for transportation and hauling as well.

While their temperament and history are very much the same as the Samoyed, they are recognized as separate breeds. However there are many aficionados of both breeds believe that the Samoyed and the Nenets Herding Laika are the same breed. For many the Samoyed are simply a white version of the Nenets Herding Laika.

The Nenets Herding Laika is also know as the Samoyed Laika, so you can see how close if not the same, these two breeds are. The Nenets Herding Laika was bred by the Nenet peoples. The Samoyed is all white while the Nenets is any variation of black, gray, piebald, red, white, sable and brown.

The dogs herd and guard reindeer, keeping the herd together and moving them from one pasture to another. They will also stay with a stray reindeer until they are found. They will do this whether they have food or water. They will bark to try to bring the people’s attention to the lost reindeer. They are also an excellent hunting and retrieving, swimming dog.

The Nenets are also known as Yurak Samoyeds and they are the largest group of Samoyedic peoples today. They live on both sides of Russian Ural Mountains in northern Russia and the Yamal Peninsula. They move large herds of reindeer to the winter lands south of the Artic Circle from the north – about 600-900 miles. It is believed that the Herding Laika originated with this group of people but spread beyond them. They were shipped to far northeast Siberia to be bred and shared with reindeer herding tribes there.

There is a longhaired or rough coated variety and a shorthaired variety. The Nenets consider the work routine of both varieties the same, but they believed that the shorthaired version was a more ancient than the longhaired version.

This is a beautiful dog, noticeable by the essentially white coat and his overall size, standing at 70 to 82cm and weighing between 40 to 54 kg.

The double coat is medium to long, coarse and straight or wavy and and it can be solid white, cream or white with patches of light tan or grey.

The nose is black, the eyes brown, the ears of medium length and floppy and the tail long and plumed.

Temperament:

The Great Pyrenees is an intelligent, strong willed dog with a mind of his own so he will be able to be trained and socialized successfully.

His huge size will require that he be trained because when he is indoors he can knock things over and he must be able to respond to you telling him to lie down.

As a large dog, he isn’t suited for tiny homes, as he requires lots of space even though he doesn’t require a lot of exercise. Not only that, he takes his watchdog duties seriously and he is inclined to bark a lot, and in a small place, you’ll be getting constant complaints from the neighbors.

When trained and socialized, your big dog is social, active and loving. He gets on well with children, the elderly and with pets in the home. He isn’t that overly active and will happily make himself at home on your couch and bed.

This is a medium sized dog , muscular and strong. Slightly smaller than the Samoyed, the Nenets Laika weighs about 40-55 pounds and is 18 inches tall. The ears are typical Spitz ears and the tail is carried up over the back. The Nenets Herding Laika can have gray, piebald, black or tan coats and some can be solid white and look just like a Samoyed. The coat is a thick, double coat with the undercoat very wooly.

The Great Pyrenees is such a calm, independent, serious, well-mannered dog who loves to be around his human family and to please them. He is gentle and knows how to behave well around children, the elderly as well as with any pets in the home.

He makes a wonderful companion and although he loves indoor life as much as outdoor life, he is much happier settling into life in the country or the suburbs as opposed to life in the city and a tiny property.

Give your big white coated pet all the love he thrives on, and you'll enjoy a wonderful relationship with this large, amicable dog.

Children friendliness

yes

Special talents

mushing

Adaptability

Adaptability not good in apartments or smaller spaces. Needs a fenced in yard.

Learning ability

High but stubborn and independent

Your Great Pyrenees is a big dog with an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years. His large size means you will need to look out for typical 'big dog' ailments such as hip dysplasia.

This problem can cause your pet to be in pain and he can also become lame, battling to walk and play and battling to get up after lying down.

Also, look out for bone cancer with your pet and as mentioned previously, bloat, which is a life threatening disease where the stomach of the dog swells up.

For the most part the Nenets Herding Laika is a healthy breed and very hardy. They do however have some propensities for some illnesses and conditions.

Diabetes Mellitus – can be treated with medication and is usual seen in middle age -after 7 years of age.

PRA – Progressive Retinal Atrophy – Slow loss of vision and this is a genetic disease – leads to blindness.

• Hip Dysplasia – can lead to lameness or arthritis.
• Skin diseases are possible – autoimmune disease the is idiopathic.

Exercise:

Your Great Pyrenees isn't going to be a dog leaping around you demanding a game or walk like what you get from some energetic dogs. He certainly doesn't require strenuous exercise but will require a nice, brisk walk every day. Give him some ball or rope games too. He's territorial and likes large grounds to walk around and guard and this constant guarding is a good form of exercise too.

Grooming:

With two layers, the coat of the Great Pyrenees will need to be brushed twice a week to prevent burrs attaching to the fur and to prevent it from matting, It also gets rid of loose hair during shedding.

He tends to drool so it's handy keeping a damp cloth close by just to give his face area a wipe down. Your dog's ears will need to be cleaned with special ear-cleaning lotion and his nails will also need to be trimmed.

Socialization and Training:

Socialize your Great Pyrenees with other dogs and people from a young age. Without proper socialization, this breed can become territorial and possessive of his family, which could lead to aggression. He bonds with his family but tends to be wary of strangers.

Diet:

It is far better to feed your Great Pyrenees smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to 2 large meals a day. A large dog like him can develop bloat from gulping down a large amount of food too quickly.

If you feed your Great Pyrenees commercially manufactured food, make sure it is high in omega 3 and 6 to keep his thick white coat luxurious.

Your dog will need a dog food targeted at a large breed. Remember to include some raw meat as well as cooked chicken, vegetables and brown rice into his kibble and always ensure fresh, cool water is available.

Feeding the puppy

Be careful that your pup doesn’t grow too fast. They are open to injuries if they grow too fast. Low calorie with protein and not a lot of fat. half a cup of high quality medium breed dog food 3X a day.

Feeding the adult

1 1/2 cups high quality medium breed dog food.

Points for Good Health

athletic and agile

Games and Exercises

At leaset a walk or two every day. Don’t get overheated as they are used to cold weather. Would be good at agility and herding exercise.