Nenets like: breed description and cultivation

Dogs are considered to be the first person's friends since primitive times. There are petroglyphs of these animals next to people made in the time of the Mesolithic. Many ancient rocks eventually ceased to exist, acquiring new features in the process of evolution. But in the expanses of the Far North lives next to a man representative of one of the most ancient breeds of dogs. This is a Nenets laika or deer-legged spitz. A loyal friend, a reliable guard, a responsible shepherd and a good hunter - so many virtues of the four-way helper of a man living among the endless snows.

The history of the Nenets husky begins in the days of the Upper Paleolithic. The ancestor of the breed is an ancient peat dog, from which all kinds of European Spitz came. Due to the fact that the northern peoples lived for a long time in isolation, the Nenets Laika was able to preserve the purity of blood, and the breed has not undergone significant changes since ancient times. There are two versions of the appearance of the breed. According to one of them, the reindeer spitz is the indigenous representative of the animal world, which served even the primitive inhabitants of the Arctic lands. There is no particular evidence for this theory.

According to another, the descendants of a peat dog on the Yamal Peninsula from Europe were led by the Scandinavians, who had moved there for permanent residence. Already from them the deer husky got to the Sami. At the beginning of the 19th century, shovels came to the Kola Peninsula, where they met with the Nenets, herding their flocks there without four-legged helpers. Then from the Nenets shovels and received the first representatives of the breed Nenets Laika.

Before meeting with the Nenets, the reindeer spitz was used as a hunting dog. But thanks to a long life near people in harsh conditions, representatives of the oldest indigenous breed acquired the following important features:

• strong and adaptive psyche;
• light constitution;
• good hunting skills.

Such skills allowed the dog to become an excellent shepherd for large reindeer herds, without which the life of the native inhabitants of the northern lands is inconceivable. Interesting facts revealed research conducted by the Institute for Problems of Northern Development of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. From the moment the Nenets acquired the reindeer husky, dogs became an integral part of the farm for any reindeer breeder. “Without dogs, a person is not a person, a shepherd is not a shepherd,” say the indigenous Nenets, emphasizing their dependence on a faithful helper. Noting the good owner, mention not only the number of deer in the herds, but also how many good working dogs he has. Until recently, a perfectly trained shepherd dog was priced at a deer.

The Nenets call their bogies "Veniku", adding definitions for age and sex:

• hani-vyniku - puppy up to one year old;
• chorus-vyniku - an adult male;
• echa-vyniku - female individual.

In some areas of the north, the inhabitants emit more short hair huskies, calling them “yando”. This term designates a mixture of Nenets and Russian European huskies. The common name of the shepherd's huskies in the Nenets is “Neney-Vanik” (Nenets dog), all other breeds in the indigenous people of the northern territories are called “Lusa-Vanik” (Russian dog).

Today, the reindeer-breeding dogs of the Jurak are known to the whole world thanks to the artificially developed ornamental breed of Samoyeds. The breed was based on white representatives of Nenets dogs, distinguished by a dense build, a fox head shape, thick fluffy hair and developed intellect. Unlike the Samoyeds, the Nenets Laika has no restrictions on coloring, except for tiger, which is outside the breed and is not recommended for breeding. According to the established standards, a description containing the following features is characteristic of a purebred individual.

• The wedge-shaped, face widening from the nose smoothly passes into a distinct forehead, which flows into a distinct occiput. Strong jaws hide white large teeth behind dry tightly closed lips. The color of the nose is mostly black, but in light individuals it may be brown.
• Widely spaced standing small ears are high and have great mobility. The tips of the ears are directed slightly forward and upward.
• Small eyes with a clever, expressive look are almond-shaped and slightly beveled towards the nose. Depending on the suit, the iris is yellow in brown dogs of various shades and brown in the rest. Sunken or bulging eyes refer to the deficiencies of the breed.
• The muscular, dry, set at an angle of 45-50 ° neck of medium length passes into a pronounced withers, especially noticeable in males.
• A strong short back, smoothly turning into a straight and slightly convex loin, flows into a wide straight or slightly lowered croup.
• The deep, moderately broad chest of an oval shape passes into a lean belly, hidden by long hair.
• A relatively long tail in a calm state is twisted upwards in a ring, but in the state of excitement takes the form of a lowered log or sickle.
• Legs straight parallel, hind legs apart slightly wider than the front. The legs are equal in length or slightly longer than half the height of the dog at the withers. Paws are oval with slightly bent toes and strong claws. Profitable fingers, characteristic of the Nenets husky, need to be removed, but the original breed owners consider this defect to be a hallmark of a fast and good dog.
• Straight long coarse wool is rich in soft thick undercoat. The adult dog has a thick collar, rich pants and a long coat on the underside of the tail, where it can reach a length of 250 mm.
• Anatomical differences between male and female individuals are pronounced. Growth in males varies from 44 to 52 cm, while bitches grow from 40 to 45 cm. Males are more square and more massive than females. Their wool cover is considerably rich even in summer.
• The movements of the dogs are easy. The characteristic gait for the reindeer spitz is a gallop and an accelerated trot.

One of the most ancient aboriginal breeds that survived to our times is distinguished by its balanced character. Because of the way of life next to a person, malicious, disobedient individuals were destroyed, leaving no offspring. Therefore, the modern dog has good adaptability and good nature in relation to the owner and his family, considering them to be his pack, which must be protected.

All owners of the reindeer husky note the dog's mind and his ability to make independent decisions even in unusual situations. The dog clearly understands the permitted limits of its capabilities, often acting at an intuitive level and focusing on previous actions of the owner. Laika is very patient with small children, allowing them to pull at their wool and not show aggression even when the kid hurts her. But unfamiliar adults are wary and may show a negative reaction if he tries to stroke her.

From the reindeer spitz has turned out a good guard who will reliably protect the property of the property from any violators, whether it is a person or another animal. The famous Soviet zoologist and naturalist Spangenberg describes such a case from the life of her husky, when she not only drove the domestic cat away from the bowl with open oil, but also tried to wrap this piece in the paper on which he lay, which is quite a difficult task for the dog. But she did it, although no one taught her such tricks.

Best of all, the husky is suitable for free keeping in a private house, where it has the opportunity to move a lot, but for apartments of a dog of this breed few are suitable. In the natural environment, the dog independently copes with personal hygiene, since the Nenets have never cared for the appearance of dogs. But when keeping a dog in an apartment, she needs regular combing, especially during the molting period. It is possible to bathe a fisherman once a year or to do without this procedure. If necessary, the dog can trim the claws, clean the ears and wipe the eyes.

Like in food is not picky. In the Nenets she plays the role of a medic, eating everything that remains after cutting up the carcass of a deer, as well as scraps from the master's table. In urban conditions, the dog can be fed meat, fish, offal. Also on the menu include cereals, vegetables and vitamin supplements. Like any dog, spitz should not be given sweets, spicy spices and fried or smoked products.

To raise a deerlegon spitz is very easy. A clever and quick-witted dog quickly realizes that the owner demands from it and happily fulfills all requirements. For training a puppy, it is not recommended to use harsh methods, as the intelligent dog grasps everything that is called on the fly.

Education profession begin when the puppy reaches the age of about a year. In the process of learning they use “gingerbread”, but sometimes they have to punish the dog. After punishment, the dog is tied, as he can be offended and run away. But the dog does not make a repeated mistake. Laika is trained according to the profession where it will be used. In Nenets, shepherd dog duties are divided into the following roles:

• you-malambada - those who gather deer in the herd;
• you-tavana control the movement of the herd, making independent decisions about the speed and time of movement;
• Mylta-Myta return strayed deer at the direction of a shepherd or by focusing on their scent;
• marcho-myta organize a circular movement of deer herds, preventing them from disperse.

Mostly shepherd dogs are valued, but hunting dogs are not favored by the Nenets, as is the use of herring dogs as sled dogs. The husky proved to be a good companion dog. The indigenous people of the north know that a deer legged dog will help find a way home into a snowstorm, lead them away to a bear or bring a killed bird.

Although reindeer herders do not believe that Nenets likes hunting instincts, in other regions smart and balanced dogs are often used as helpers for hunting. The quick-witted dogs quickly understand what kind of animal interests the owner, and help them find and track down even in trees or in wetlands. In this case, the dog does not bark in vain and is not distracted by the environment. Forensic likes are used by forensic scientists to search for prohibited substances. The Nenets dog also found its use in the Emergency Service, where it is trained to find people in distress.

For more information about the breed of dogs Nenets Like, see the next video.