![]() The polar dog is not big, 50-60 cm at the shoulder… In the appearance, with his prick ears, oblique set eyes, thick coat and broad massive head, pointed muzzle, low carried tail (when the dog is tired, eats or in a bad mood), the dog is very similar to wolf. Except southwestern part of the territory, one can find 5-6 dogs in every yurta, which are used for hauling firewood and other works needed by the household. ![]() Sled dog is a burden animal not only of nomads living in not forested country, but also of settled near the river Russians and russified minorities and the dog of majority of cattle keeping Yakuts. Russian ethnographer Vladimir Jochelson in his 1898 publication “Hunting Industry in Kolyma Territory of Yakutian Province” described the laika used for sledding and hunting dogs, saying, “There are two breeds of dogs, one is so-called Tungus Laika, a pointed-eared dog of nomadic reindeer herders and polar sled dog. He wrote: “even most poor Yakut having no other animals, has at least one dog”. In 1896, Vlatslav Seroshevsky published the book “Yakuts.” Seroshevsky divides them into two groups, 1) guarding and hunting dogs and 2) maritime sled dogs. He wrote in his monograph about Laikas: “Researchers of the north, of course, could not overlook northern dog they could not disagree with hard fact that presence of this dog makes life of northern people possible. Naturally, local type dogs could be preserved only under conditions of complete isolation from dogs of other breeds.įirst scientific descriptions of dogs of Yakutia were published in late 18th century, when geographic studies of the north were conducted by Prince Shirinsky-Shikhmatov. Because of the difficulty accessing Yakutia and extreme natural conditions, Yakutian Laikas continued to live as primitive aboriginal breeds they were rarely confined and mated freely. Furs and mammoth tusks trade became local nations’ main income. With the increased demand for white polar foxes in the 17th century, Arctic exploration received its spike. Rivers where there is no fish or it is not enough to feed the dogs, reindeer are used for transportation, and such rivers were called "deer rivers." In these documents, the rivers Olenyok, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma were called “dog rivers”, as they were rich in fish for the dogs to eat. In these historical records, people are described living along Siberian rivers, whose primary means of transport was either reindeer or dogs. The earliest known written mention of the Yakutian Laika is the Kungur Chronicle and the Remezov Chronicle, created at the end of the 16th century and 1703 respectively. Remnants of dog sleds and harnesses has been found with dog remains in the Sakha republic radiocarbon dated to 7800–800 years ago. Evidence of this breed can be found in archaeological remains dating 12,500 years ago. In the Sakha language, this breed is known as "Sakha yta" meaning "Yakut dog". The dogs were indispensable assistants and companions. Yakutian Laikas are a breed with ancient origins developed by native Yakuts for hunting mammals and birds, herding livestock and hauling game back to camp.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |