Part II-L — Nordic and cold-climate breeds (22)

Alaskan Klee Kai

Origin and purpose

Spitz; companion (UKC). Origin: Alaska, USA; miniature companion spitz bred down from husky-type dogs.

A husky-like companion in three size varieties; not a working sled dog despite its appearance.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Alert, intelligent, reserved with strangers; energetic and strongly bonded to family.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Hypothyroidism (Routine) — underactive thyroid.
• Patellar luxation (Routine) — kneecap slips out of groove.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Hypothyroidism — Thyroid blood panel
• Patellar luxation — Patellar palpation by a vet

Feeding

Small stomachs, fast metabolisms. Feed a diet formulated for small breeds, split across three or four meals a day as a puppy and two as an adult; toy puppies can become dangerously hypoglycaemic if a meal is missed. Portions are tiny, which means treats and table scraps overwhelm the daily allowance startlingly fast — a single biscuit can be a meaningful share of a 4 kg dog's intake. Dental disease is near-universal in small breeds, so ask your vet about diet texture and dental care from the start.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate to high - 45-60 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor to fair suitability - the small size helps but the double coat is heat-sensitive; needs cool indoor conditions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-16 years. This dog is a senior from around 9–10 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Small dogs age slowly and often live into their mid-teens. Dental disease and heart-valve disease are the two things that most often shorten a small dog's life, and both are catchable early. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

American Akita

Origin and purpose

Spitz; FCI Group 5. Origin: Japan, developed in the USA; large spitz-type companion and guardian.

Larger, bearier and multi-coloured compared with the Japanese Akita, from which it split as a separate breed.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Bold, dignified, deeply loyal to family; aloof and often dog-aggressive.

This is an independent-minded breed that was developed to make its own decisions, and it will not work for you simply because you asked. That is not stubbornness or stupidity — it is the trait the breed was selected for. Training must be genuinely rewarding to the dog, and expectations of instant, military obedience are misplaced. Recall, in particular, is often unreliable in these breeds; be honest about that before letting one off-lead near traffic.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat') (EMERGENCY) — stomach twists on itself.
• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.
• Hypothyroidism (Routine) — underactive thyroid.
• Sebaceous adenitis (Routine) — autoimmune destruction of sebaceous glands.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat') — No screening test. Discuss preventive gastropexy with your vet in deep-chested breeds
• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)
• Hypothyroidism — Thyroid blood panel
• Sebaceous adenitis — Skin biopsy

Feeding

Slow, controlled growth is essential — giant-breed puppies grow for eighteen months or more, and pushing that growth with over-feeding or calcium supplementation causes lasting orthopaedic damage. Use a diet formulated for large- or giant-breed growth and keep the puppy visibly lean. As an adult, two measured meals a day, never one large one. Feeding costs are substantial and should be budgeted before acquiring the dog.

This breed is deep-chested and at risk of gastric dilatation and volvulus (bloat), which kills quickly. Feed two or more smaller meals rather than one large one, avoid vigorous exercise for an hour either side of eating, and slow down a gulping eater. Learn the signs — a restless dog with a swelling belly, retching without bringing anything up — and treat them as an immediate emergency. Ask your vet whether a preventive gastropexy is appropriate at neutering.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate - 45-60 min/day.

Moderate daily exercise plus mental stimulation. Adaptable to apartment life provided the daily walk actually happens every day.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor suitability - the dense double coat makes it heat-intolerant; needs a cool climate and, in warm regions, air conditioning..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 10-13 years. This dog is a senior from around 5–6 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Giant breeds age fast and live short lives, and this is the hardest fact about owning one. Senior screening should start early, orthopaedic support matters from middle age, and cardiac and bone cancer risks are real. Go in with your eyes open. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Canadian Eskimo Dog (Qimmiq)

Origin and purpose

Working (UKC). Origin: Canadian Arctic.

An endangered Arctic breed.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Alert, protective, high prey drive; ancient Inuit sled dog.

A guarding breed: it is naturally suspicious of strangers, and that is what it was bred for. Early, broad, positive socialisation — many people, many places, many situations, before sixteen weeks — is not optional for this breed; it is the difference between a discriminating guardian and a dangerous liability. A guarding dog that has not been socialised is a problem you have created, not a temperament you have discovered.

Strong prey drive: this dog may chase cats, poultry, and small animals, and may pursue free-roaming dogs or livestock. That is instinct, not disobedience, and it is largely not trainable out. Manage it with a secure garden, a lead near roads and livestock, and a realistic view of what recall can achieve against a moving target.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

No breed-linked conditions are recorded for this breed. For landraces and village dogs this is often a genuine finding rather than a gap — a broad genetic base leaves them with markedly fewer inherited disorders than the closed-studbook breeds, and it is one of the strongest arguments for them. The routine risks that apply to every dog — parasites, tick-borne disease, heat — still apply here.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Very high.

This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Extremely poorly suited to hot climates; a true cold-climate Arctic breed..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 10–15 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Chinook

Origin and purpose

Sled dog; UKC/AKC. Origin: New Hampshire, USA; rare drafting and sled dog.

The US state dog of New Hampshire; one of the rarest breeds, nearly extinct in the 1980s.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Gentle, calm, friendly; devoted family dog and willing worker, not aggressive.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Idiopathic epilepsy (URGENT) — seizure disorder with no identifiable cause.
• Cryptorchidism (Routine) — undescended testicle.
• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Cryptorchidism — Physical examination of the puppy
• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)
• Idiopathic epilepsy — No screening test. Diagnosis is by exclusion, after blood work and imaging

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: High - 60-90 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Moderate at best - a moderate double coat gives some tolerance, but it remains a cool-climate sled dog that struggles in sustained heat..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-15 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

East Siberian Laika

Origin and purpose

Spitz; hunting/sled laika; FCI Group 5. Origin: Eastern Siberia, Russia; large hunting and sledding spitz.

The largest of the Russian laikas; used for both hunting and light draught work in the taiga.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Balanced, hardy, loyal; independent hunter with good endurance.

This is an independent-minded breed that was developed to make its own decisions, and it will not work for you simply because you asked. That is not stubbornness or stupidity — it is the trait the breed was selected for. Training must be genuinely rewarding to the dog, and expectations of instant, military obedience are misplaced. Recall, in particular, is often unreliable in these breeds; be honest about that before letting one off-lead near traffic.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

No breed-linked conditions are recorded for this breed. For landraces and village dogs this is often a genuine finding rather than a gap — a broad genetic base leaves them with markedly fewer inherited disorders than the closed-studbook breeds, and it is one of the strongest arguments for them. The routine risks that apply to every dog — parasites, tick-borne disease, heat — still apply here.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Very high - 90+ min/day.

This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor for hot climates - a large cold-climate hunting spitz that is clearly heat-intolerant and best kept in cold or cool regions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-15 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Eurasier

Origin and purpose

Spitz; FCI Group 5. Origin: Germany; modern companion spitz (Chow, Wolfspitz, Samoyed cross).

Bred specifically as a family companion; needs close household contact rather than isolation.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Calm, even-tempered, reserved with strangers; strongly family-bonded, quiet.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Elbow dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal elbow joint development.
• Hypothyroidism (Routine) — underactive thyroid.
• Patellar luxation (Routine) — kneecap slips out of groove.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Elbow dysplasia — Radiographic elbow evaluation
• Hypothyroidism — Thyroid blood panel
• Patellar luxation — Patellar palpation by a vet

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate - 45-60 min/day.

Moderate daily exercise plus mental stimulation. Adaptable to apartment life provided the daily walk actually happens every day.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor to fair suitability - the thick double coat is heat-sensitive; needs a cool climate and close household life rather than kennel living..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-14 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Finnish Lapphund

Origin and purpose

Herding (AKC). Origin: Finland (Lapland).

Historically a reindeer-herding dog of the Nordic north.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Friendly, biddable, family-oriented.

This is a biddable breed that wants to work with you, which makes it forgiving of a novice's mistakes — but biddability is not the same as needing no training. Reward-based training, started early and kept short and frequent, is what these dogs thrive on. Punishment-based methods damage exactly the willingness that makes the breed easy.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.
• Hypothyroidism (Routine) — underactive thyroid.
• Progressive retinal atrophy (Routine) — genetic retinal degeneration.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)
• Hypothyroidism — Thyroid blood panel
• Progressive retinal atrophy — Ophthalmologist eye examination, plus DNA test where one exists for the breed

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate.

Moderate daily exercise plus mental stimulation. Adaptable to apartment life provided the daily walk actually happens every day.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poorly suited to hot climates; the heavy coat favours cold conditions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12–15 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

German Spitz (Mittel/Klein)

Origin and purpose

Spitz; FCI Group 5. Origin: Germany; oldest breed type of central Europe, farm watchdog.

Same breed family as the Pomeranian and Keeshond, differing mainly by size and colour.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Lively, devoted, alert; vocal watchdog, attentive to owner.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Patellar luxation (Routine) — kneecap slips out of groove.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Patellar luxation — Patellar palpation by a vet

Feeding

Small stomachs, fast metabolisms. Feed a diet formulated for small breeds, split across three or four meals a day as a puppy and two as an adult; toy puppies can become dangerously hypoglycaemic if a meal is missed. Portions are tiny, which means treats and table scraps overwhelm the daily allowance startlingly fast — a single biscuit can be a meaningful share of a 4 kg dog's intake. Dental disease is near-universal in small breeds, so ask your vet about diet texture and dental care from the start.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate - 30-45 min/day.

Moderate daily exercise plus mental stimulation. Adaptable to apartment life provided the daily walk actually happens every day.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Fair suitability - manageable when small, but the thick double coat needs cool conditions and regular grooming..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 13-15 years. This dog is a senior from around 9–10 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Small dogs age slowly and often live into their mid-teens. Dental disease and heart-valve disease are the two things that most often shorten a small dog's life, and both are catchable early. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Greenland Dog

Origin and purpose

Spitz; sled dog; FCI Group 5. Origin: Greenland/Arctic; ancient Inuit sled dog.

One of the oldest and purest Arctic sled breeds; kept in large teams, it needs cold conditions and space.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Powerful, energetic, independent; a pack-oriented working dog, not a typical pet.

This is an independent-minded breed that was developed to make its own decisions, and it will not work for you simply because you asked. That is not stubbornness or stupidity — it is the trait the breed was selected for. Training must be genuinely rewarding to the dog, and expectations of instant, military obedience are misplaced. Recall, in particular, is often unreliable in these breeds; be honest about that before letting one off-lead near traffic.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

No breed-linked conditions are recorded for this breed. For landraces and village dogs this is often a genuine finding rather than a gap — a broad genetic base leaves them with markedly fewer inherited disorders than the closed-studbook breeds, and it is one of the strongest arguments for them. The routine risks that apply to every dog — parasites, tick-borne disease, heat — still apply here.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Very high - a working sled dog needing hours of activity.

This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor for warm climates - a heavy-coated polar sled dog entirely unsuited to hot or even warm-temperate conditions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-14 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Hokkaido

Origin and purpose

Primitive spitz; FCI Group 5. Origin: Hokkaido, Japan; Ainu bear-hunting dog.

Also called Ainu-ken; noted for cold and snow tolerance; sometimes carries a spotted (blue-black) tongue.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Faithful, brave, hardy; strong homing sense and endurance.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Collie eye anomaly (Routine) — An inherited malformation of the tissue layers at the back of the eye, present from birth and non-progressive in its mild form.
• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Collie eye anomaly — Ophthalmologist examination of puppies, plus DNA test
• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: High - 60-90 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor suitability - the cold-climate coat makes it clearly heat-intolerant in most warm regions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 11-14 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Japanese Spitz

Origin and purpose

Spitz; FCI Group 5. Origin: Japan; small companion spitz.

Pure white with a stand-off coat; resembles a small Samoyed; low odour and does not need trimming.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Cheerful, affectionate, alert; bold little watchdog, loyal to family.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Patellar luxation (Routine) — kneecap slips out of groove.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Patellar luxation — Patellar palpation by a vet

Feeding

Small stomachs, fast metabolisms. Feed a diet formulated for small breeds, split across three or four meals a day as a puppy and two as an adult; toy puppies can become dangerously hypoglycaemic if a meal is missed. Portions are tiny, which means treats and table scraps overwhelm the daily allowance startlingly fast — a single biscuit can be a meaningful share of a 4 kg dog's intake. Dental disease is near-universal in small breeds, so ask your vet about diet texture and dental care from the start.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate - 30-45 min/day.

Moderate daily exercise plus mental stimulation. Adaptable to apartment life provided the daily walk actually happens every day.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Fair suitability - the small size helps, but the pure-white double coat needs cool rooms and grooming in heat..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-16 years. This dog is a senior from around 9–10 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Small dogs age slowly and often live into their mid-teens. Dental disease and heart-valve disease are the two things that most often shorten a small dog's life, and both are catchable early. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Jämthund (Swedish Elkhound)

Origin and purpose

Spitz; big-game hunter; FCI Group 5. Origin: Sweden; large moose and bear hunting spitz.

Sweden's national dog; larger and greyer than the related Norwegian Elkhound.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Calm, brave, independent; steady worker, loyal but strong-willed.

This is an independent-minded breed that was developed to make its own decisions, and it will not work for you simply because you asked. That is not stubbornness or stupidity — it is the trait the breed was selected for. Training must be genuinely rewarding to the dog, and expectations of instant, military obedience are misplaced. Recall, in particular, is often unreliable in these breeds; be honest about that before letting one off-lead near traffic.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: High - 90 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor suitability - a large, dense-coated cold-climate hunter, distinctly heat-intolerant..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-13 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Karelian Bear Dog

Origin and purpose

Working (UKC; not AKC). Origin: Finland (Karelia).

Bred to hunt bear, moose, and wild boar.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Alert, independent, fearless; game-hunting Spitz.

This is an independent-minded breed that was developed to make its own decisions, and it will not work for you simply because you asked. That is not stubbornness or stupidity — it is the trait the breed was selected for. Training must be genuinely rewarding to the dog, and expectations of instant, military obedience are misplaced. Recall, in particular, is often unreliable in these breeds; be honest about that before letting one off-lead near traffic.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.
• Hypothyroidism (Routine) — underactive thyroid.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)
• Hypothyroidism — Thyroid blood panel

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: High.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poorly suited to hot, humid climates; adapted to cold conditions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 11–13 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Lapponian Herder

Origin and purpose

Spitz; reindeer herder; FCI Group 5. Origin: Finnish Lapland; Sami reindeer-herding dog.

A short-to-medium-coated Sami herding breed, distinct from the longer-coated Finnish Lapphund.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Calm, docile, willing; energetic herder, friendly and trainable.

This is a biddable breed that wants to work with you, which makes it forgiving of a novice's mistakes — but biddability is not the same as needing no training. Reward-based training, started early and kept short and frequent, is what these dogs thrive on. Punishment-based methods damage exactly the willingness that makes the breed easy.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)

Feeding

Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: High - 60-90 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Best in cool climates - a weatherproof herding spitz better suited to cold and cool-temperate regions than to heat..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-14 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Nenets Herding Laika

Origin and purpose

Spitz; reindeer herder; FCI Group 5. Origin: Arctic Russia; Nenets/Samoyedic reindeer-herding spitz.

Also called the Reindeer Herding Laika; a close working relative of the ancestral Samoyed-type dogs of the tundra.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Alert, active, biddable; a lively herder devoted to its flock and people.

This is a biddable breed that wants to work with you, which makes it forgiving of a novice's mistakes — but biddability is not the same as needing no training. Reward-based training, started early and kept short and frequent, is what these dogs thrive on. Punishment-based methods damage exactly the willingness that makes the breed easy.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

No breed-linked conditions are recorded for this breed. For landraces and village dogs this is often a genuine finding rather than a gap — a broad genetic base leaves them with markedly fewer inherited disorders than the closed-studbook breeds, and it is one of the strongest arguments for them. The routine risks that apply to every dog — parasites, tick-borne disease, heat — still apply here.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: High - 60-90 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor for warm climates - a long-coated Arctic herding spitz that is strongly heat-intolerant and suited to cold regions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-15 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Norrbottenspets

Origin and purpose

Hound (FCI). Origin: Sweden (Norrbotten).

A small game-hunting Spitz from the Nordic region.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Alert, energetic, biddable Spitz.

This is a biddable breed that wants to work with you, which makes it forgiving of a novice's mistakes — but biddability is not the same as needing no training. Reward-based training, started early and kept short and frequent, is what these dogs thrive on. Punishment-based methods damage exactly the willingness that makes the breed easy.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

No breed-linked conditions are recorded for this breed. For landraces and village dogs this is often a genuine finding rather than a gap — a broad genetic base leaves them with markedly fewer inherited disorders than the closed-studbook breeds, and it is one of the strongest arguments for them. The routine risks that apply to every dog — parasites, tick-borne disease, heat — still apply here.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate to high.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Moderately adaptable, though better suited to cooler conditions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12–14 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Pomsky

Origin and purpose

Spitz-type crossbreed (Pomeranian × Husky). Origin: USA; modern designer companion cross.

A first-generation Pomeranian-Husky cross, not a standardised breed; size and coat vary widely between litters.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Playful, energetic, affectionate; alert and often vocal, strongly bonded to family.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Patellar luxation (Routine) — kneecap slips out of groove.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Patellar luxation — Patellar palpation by a vet

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate to high - 45-60 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Best in cool climates - the dense double coat inherited from both parents is heat-sensitive and calls for cool indoor living..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-15 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Russo-European Laika

Origin and purpose

Spitz; hunting laika; FCI Group 5. Origin: Northern Russia/Finland; black-and-white bear and elk hunting spitz.

Distinctive black-and-white coat; developed from northern Russian and Karelian hunting laikas.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Bold, energetic, tenacious; fearless with big game, devoted to its handler.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

No breed-linked conditions are recorded for this breed. For landraces and village dogs this is often a genuine finding rather than a gap — a broad genetic base leaves them with markedly fewer inherited disorders than the closed-studbook breeds, and it is one of the strongest arguments for them. The routine risks that apply to every dog — parasites, tick-borne disease, heat — still apply here.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Very high - 90+ min/day.

This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor for hot climates - a cold-forest hunting spitz with a dense coat; poorly suited to tropical or subtropical heat..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 10-12 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Swedish Lapphund

Origin and purpose

Spitz; reindeer herder; FCI Group 5. Origin: Sweden; ancient Sami reindeer-herding spitz.

One of Sweden's oldest native breeds, usually solid black; sometimes called the 'black beauty of Norrland'.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Lively, alert, affectionate; vocal, devoted and responsive herder.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Hip dysplasia (Routine) — abnormal hip joint development.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: High - 60 min/day.

A high-energy dog needing substantial, committed daily exercise plus mental work. Do not take this breed on unless the daily commitment is realistic on your worst week, not your best one.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Best in cooler regions - a black-coated northern herding spitz that copes far better with cold than with heat..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-14 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Volpino Italiano

Origin and purpose

Spitz; FCI Group 5. Origin: Italy; ancient small companion and alarm spitz.

A very old Italian spitz once favoured by Renaissance ladies; nearly extinct in the 1960s, still rare.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Lively, affectionate, alert; devoted and an attentive watchdog despite tiny size.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Patellar luxation (Routine) — kneecap slips out of groove.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Patellar luxation — Patellar palpation by a vet

Feeding

Small stomachs, fast metabolisms. Feed a diet formulated for small breeds, split across three or four meals a day as a puppy and two as an adult; toy puppies can become dangerously hypoglycaemic if a meal is missed. Portions are tiny, which means treats and table scraps overwhelm the daily allowance startlingly fast — a single biscuit can be a meaningful share of a 4 kg dog's intake. Dental disease is near-universal in small breeds, so ask your vet about diet texture and dental care from the start.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Moderate - 30 min/day.

Moderate daily exercise plus mental stimulation. Adaptable to apartment life provided the daily walk actually happens every day.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Fair suitability - small and adaptable, but the dense white coat still needs cool rooms and grooming in heat..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 14-16 years. This dog is a senior from around 9–10 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Small dogs age slowly and often live into their mid-teens. Dental disease and heart-valve disease are the two things that most often shorten a small dog's life, and both are catchable early. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

West Siberian Laika

Origin and purpose

Spitz; hunting laika; FCI Group 5. Origin: Ural and western Siberia, Russia; versatile big/small game hunter.

The most widespread of the Russian laikas; a serious hunting dog rather than a pet, needing intense activity.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Energetic, independent, devoted; strong prey drive, excellent hunter.

This is an independent-minded breed that was developed to make its own decisions, and it will not work for you simply because you asked. That is not stubbornness or stupidity — it is the trait the breed was selected for. Training must be genuinely rewarding to the dog, and expectations of instant, military obedience are misplaced. Recall, in particular, is often unreliable in these breeds; be honest about that before letting one off-lead near traffic.

Strong prey drive: this dog may chase cats, poultry, and small animals, and may pursue free-roaming dogs or livestock. That is instinct, not disobedience, and it is largely not trainable out. Manage it with a secure garden, a lead near roads and livestock, and a realistic view of what recall can achieve against a moving target.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

No breed-linked conditions are recorded for this breed. For landraces and village dogs this is often a genuine finding rather than a gap — a broad genetic base leaves them with markedly fewer inherited disorders than the closed-studbook breeds, and it is one of the strongest arguments for them. The routine risks that apply to every dog — parasites, tick-borne disease, heat — still apply here.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Very high - 90+ min/day.

This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor for hot climates - a taiga hunting spitz with a heavy coat and high drive; suited to cold and cool-temperate regions, not lowland heat..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 12-15 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).

Yakutian Laika

Origin and purpose

Spitz; sled/hunting; FCI Group 5. Origin: Yakutia (Sakha), Russia; Arctic sled, hunting and herding dog.

Often blue-eyed and boldly marked; historically an all-purpose survival dog for the Sakha people.

What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the job of the owner is to give it somewhere to go.

Temperament and training

Stated temperament: Friendly, gentle, energetic; affectionate working dog, good with people.

Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.

Health — what this breed is predisposed to

Drawn from this breed's documented health issues and cross-referenced to Part III. A predisposition is not a prophecy — most dogs of any breed never develop these — but it is what you and your vet should be watching for.

• Cryptorchidism (Routine) — undescended testicle.

Health screening — what to test, and when

Derived from the predispositions above. Take this list to your vet; it is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and your vet may reasonably add to it or leave items out for your dog.

Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.

Vaccination is NOT breed-specific, and any source that claims a breed-specific vaccination schedule should be treated with suspicion. The core schedule — the puppy series and its boosters, and rabies above all — is the same for this dog as for every other, and is set out in Parts VI and IX. What IS specific to the dog is its exposure: a dog that swims, roams, or lives where monsoon flooding occurs has a different leptospirosis risk from an apartment dog, and a dog that boards or meets many other dogs has a different kennel-cough risk. Discuss the dog's actual life with your vet, not its breed.

For breeders — test before you mate

The heritable subset of the screening above. These are the tests a responsible breeder of this breed completes BEFORE a mating, and the results a buyer is entitled to ask to see. A breeder who cannot produce them is telling you something. See Part XII.

• Cryptorchidism — Physical examination of the puppy

Feeding

The most forgiving size to feed. A good-quality complete diet appropriate to the life stage, measured with a cup or scales rather than judged by eye, split into two meals a day. Weigh the food; guessing is how dogs get fat. Treats counted within the daily allowance, not added on top.

Exercise and enrichment

Stated requirement: Very high - 90+ min/day.

This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.

Climate and living conditions

Stated suitability: Poor for hot climates - an Arctic multipurpose sled spitz that is strongly heat-intolerant and thrives only in cold conditions..

Ageing and senior care

Life expectancy: 10-12 years. This dog is a senior from around 8–9 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Watch for the gradual onset of arthritis, dental disease, and the endocrine conditions of middle age. See Part X.

Before you take one home

• Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
• Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.

DRAFT — VET REVIEW PENDING. The predispositions, screening schedule, and breeder tests above are derived from this breed's recorded health issues; the feeding, exercise, climate, training, and ageing guidance is derived from its size, skull shape, coat, and temperament. Both are drafts until a veterinarian signs them off (Appendix A.3).