How much exercise does a West Siberian Laika need?
Daily exercise minutes, the activities a West Siberian Laika enjoys and signs of too much or too little.
Plan on at least two hours of exercise a day, with a mix of off-lead running where safe, long hikes, and mental work. Hunters give laikas their natural outlet, but non-hunters can use canicross, bikejoring, skijoring or long trail runs. Scent games and tracking help tire the mind as well as the body.
Without enough exercise, laikas become destructive, vocal and escape-prone, digging under fences or climbing over them. Fences should be at least 1.8 m (6 ft) high with dig guards. Heat is a real concern: the dense coat makes summer exercise uncomfortable, so work early or late and watch for heavy panting, drooping, or seeking shade.
West Siberian Laika exercise in numbers
Activity ranges are editorial planning estimates. The five-minutes-per-month puppy rule lacks scientific evidence. Adapt activity to the individual and seek advice for pain or exercise difficulty. PDSA puppy exercise guidance.
Editorial activity estimate
120 to 150 min
Puppy activity
Individual plan
adapt to age, health and development
Senior activity
Individual plan
adapt to comfort and ability
Size
medium
16 to 23 kg
Energy level
Playfulness
Handles heat
Handles cold