The Karelian-Finnish Laïka was developed to hunt a wide variety of game, from small animals such as squirrels and birds to larger prey including bears and boars. In most countries, it is considered the same breed as the Finnish Spitz.
Karelo-Finnish Laïka Standards
- medium-sized spitz
- triangular, prick ears
- single curl, plummed tail
- double coat, outer is long and harsh
- any shade of golden red
History of the Karelo-Finnish Laïka
The Karelian-Finnish Laïka originated in the region of Karelia, which is located in both Finland and Russia. Conflicts throughout the centuries brought them and other breeds (such as the Karelian Bear Dog) in this area at risk of extinction. After the Russian Revolution, dogs on both the Finnish side and the Russian side began developing into two separate lines.
While the Fédération Cynologique Internationale chose to recognize the Karelian Bear Dog and similar Russo-European Laïka as two separate breeds, the same can not be said for the Karelian-Finnish Laïka. In 2006 an agreement was made between the Finnish Kennel Club and Russian Cynological Federation to merge the Karelian-Finnish Laïka back into the same stock as the Finnish Spitz. Today, there are still some breeders who consider the Karelian-Finnish Laïka as its own breed, however, this is not the case anywhere outside of Russia.