REINDEER HERDING SPITZ. Breed Standard.

Reindeer Herding Spitz is an ancient aboriginal breed of Central Europe distributed northward to northeastern regions.  It was used for development of several cultured Spitz breeds.  Populations of these dogs, which escaped systematic artificial selection, were preserved in isolated regions with a traditional way of life in the tundra and forest-tundra zones of Eurasia, where they are used for herding domesticated reindeer and hunting being dogs of nomads.  Reindeer Herding Spitz is characterized by naturally harmonious and functional conformation, physiological resilience, adaptability, and balanced temperament.  Such traits of these not-big dogs allow using them under conditions of different climates and for performing different kinds of service, where a well balanced and not too aggressive dog is needed, such as customs, criminology, search and rescue, hunting, travels, as a farm dog, a hunting dog, a companion dog, etc.

Appearance

This is a Spitz-like dog, below medium to medium size, with a compact and lean body structure. Differences between sexes are well developed.  Males are more robust, taller in the anterior part of the body, nearly square, and retain a well developed coat through the summer.

Deficiencies or faults, depending on the degree, are coarseness or excessively slender body structure.

Size and body proportions

Height at the shoulder is 44-50 in males and 40-45 cm in females.  Body proportions index is 102-104 in males and 104-108 in females.

Deficiencies: deviations in height more than 2 cm or small deviations from body proportions indicated above.

Coat color

Zonary gray, red, intermediate, or brown of various intensity, white and black; sable patterns, piebald and patchy coat colors are also allowed.  Nose is black; in lighter pigmented dogs it can be brown.  Dogs with a zonary brown coat color of different saturation have yellow eyes, brown nose, lips and eyelids.

Deficiencies include partially pigmented nose.

Faults include dense ticking on body and poorly pigmented nose.  Brindle coat color is disqualified.

Coat quality

Straight, stiff and long guard hair combined with thick soft undercoat form luxurious coat of the dog.  Hair cover is present inside ears covering their bases. Particularly long hairs grow on cheeks (ruff), neck, withers and shoulders, lower side of body, thighs (britches) and lower side of tail and form brushes between toes.  On the muzzle, around eyes, on anterior side of legs, below elbows hair is dense, stiff and short. Length of hairs on the neck are up to 15 cm, on tail it is up to 25 cm and longer during time of maximal development.

Deficiencies:  short, soft, slightly wavy guard hair or poor developed undercoat.
Faults:  absence of typical longer furnishing hair, too wavy or curly guard hair.  Short hair or absence of undercoat are disqualifying traits.

Skin and Muscle

Skin is tough, pliant, without loose underlying tissue and folds.  Muscles are well developed, tough and not visible under profuse hair.  Bone is light, strong and well developed.

Deficiencies and faults, depending on the degree:  loose skin with folds, weak muscles, coarse bone and poor bone.

Head

Head is the shape of a moderately extended wedge, length of skull is equal to its width or slightly longer.  Occipital process is present.  Forehead is moderately convex.   Muzzle is wedge-shaped, gradually narrowing to nose, with strong jaws and lean close lips.  Length of muzzle is about 1-2 cm shorter then length of skull.  Nose is of medium size.

Deficiencies or faults, depending on the degree, include disproportional coarse or too light head, too prominent cheeks or eyebrows, too broad or too narrow muzzle, excessively pointed or blunt muzzle, dish face, Roman nose, and too abrupt or poorly pronounced stop.

Ears

Ears are prick, small, close to equilateral triangle, set high and rather wide apart, very movable; tips of ears are directed straight up and slightly tilted forward.

Deficiencies include too wide apart, too large or too soft ears.

Faults are too big with rounded tips ears, too thick or too soft ears.  Pendulous and partly pendulous ears are disqualifying traits.

Eyes

Eyes are small, moderately oblique, not deep and not bulging, brown or yellow.  Eye expression is lively and intelligent.

Deficiencies:  too big or too small eyes, and round and straight set eyes.

Faults: very big, too round with loose eyelids or different color eyes.

Teeth

Teeth are large enough, strong, white and well fit.  Incisors are on one line at base.  Complete set of teeth and a scissors bite is a must, but at the age older then four years straight bite is allowed.

Worn out teeth disproportional to the dog’s age, yellow, too small or parse teeth, or missing one or two first premolars at birth are deficiencies.

Incorrect bite disproportional to age, absence of incisor, canine, second and further premolars or molars are faults.

Neck

Neck is lean, oval in cross section, set up at 45-50 degrees to the upper line of back .
Too short or too long, low set or too loose neck are deficiencies or faults, depending on the degree.

Withers

Withers are well developed, especially in males.

Back

Back is broad and short; in females it may be slightly longer, straight and muscular. Deficiencies: Soft, narrow or slightly convex back.

Faults: sagging or arched back.

Loins

Loins are straight, slightly convex and muscular.

Deficiencies: weak loins.

Faults: too long, too convex or sagging loins.

Croup

Croup is broad, straight or slightly sloped and muscular.

Deficiencies:  narrow or excessively sloped croup.

Faults:  too long or abruptly sloped croup.

Chest

Chest is deep, lowered to elbows, moderately broad and oval in cross section.

Deficiencies:  too shallow, too narrow or flat chest.

Faults:  the same deviations, but at a greater extent; round chest in cross section.

Abdomen

Abdomen is tuck up, which is hidden by long hair.

Deficiencies: too low abdomen.

Forequarters

Forequarters are strong, well boned and with lean muscles.  Angle at scapula/humerus joint is 100-10 degrees.  Forearms are straight, parallel and sloped.  Pasterns are short, springy, slightly tilted or vertical.  Length of legs measured from elbows is equal or slightly greater then half height at the shoulder.

Deficiencies or faults, depending on the degree:  curving forearms, elbows directed outward, east-west feet, feet directed inward, and weak or too much tilted pasterns.

Hindquarters

In posterior view, hind legs are straight, parallel and positioned wider then front legs.  Angles at joints are slightly straight.  Thighs are strong and muscular.  Tarsi are strong, relatively short and vertical.

Deficiencies or faults, depending on the degree:  too close legs, too straight or too  bent  at joints hindquarters, cowhocks or bowhocks and tilted tarsi.

Feet

Feet are oval, toes are slightly arched and with strong nails.  Dewclaws are removed.
Deficiencies: splayed, too narrow or flat feet and presence of dewclaws.

Tail

Tail is reaching to hocks or slightly shorter.  In a dog in an excited state, its tail is curving over the back forming a ring or semi ring; in a dog in a quiet state, tail is kept down or sickle-shaped.

Deficiencies:  too high or too low set tail, too long or too short tail, tail not carried over the back or tightly curving never unfolding tail.

Faults:  bobtail or abnormally short tail at birth.

Movement

Locomotion is light, quick and springy.  Typical type of movement is galloping or fast trotting.  When the dog is walking or trotting, it is single tracking.

Behavior and Temperament

Temperament is lively and balanced.  This dog  is energetic, emotional and alert; self confident, strongly attached to the master and interacting with him, affectionate, easily trainable to perform different tasks without using forcible methods, and eager to work.
Deficiencies:  shyness, indifference and excessive excitability.

Faults:  aggressiveness to humans and excessive aggressiveness to domesticated animals.

Traits disqualifying dogs

Brindle coat color, short hair, absence of undercoat, lops or semi pendulous ears, straight bite out of proportion to the age and monorchidism.

COMMENTS TO STANDARD OF REINDEER HERDING SPITZ

The Reindeer herding Spitz is the oldest and among most interesting aboriginal breeds of northern dogs, which does not have well deserved recognition of official cynologic organizations. It has been developed by peoples of Central Europe, using primitive intuitive selection and then spread to European north and since 30th of past Century to northeastern Asia, including Chukotka and Kamchatka (Vakhrushev and Volkov, 1945). In West Europe, similar looking derived from this aboriginal dog breeds are bred, such as the German Spitz,Finnish and Swedish Lapphunds, the Elkhound, the Buhund, the Norbotten Spitz, the Island Dog and other breeds. Popular in Europe breed the Samoyed has been developed by selective work with Reindeer Herding Laikas of Nenets people imported from Russia in early XX Century (Peretonny-Vemyan, 1992).

In the Soviet Union, this breed did not interest cynologists. Specialists on hunting Laika breeds usually mentioned and described them only briefly (Pupyshev, 1936; Ryabov, 1939; Vakhrushev and Volkov, 1945; Shereshevsky, 1965 and a few others).A. P. Mazover (1954, 1960) offered a rather detailed description of typical traits of the Reindeer Herding Laika, including working dog breeds. 

Only reindeer breeders never forgot about this dog. Thus, in Chukotka and Kamchatka, from 1962 to late 80th (Nosov and Bogoslovskaya, 1961), Reindeer Herding Laikas were bred mainly in reindeer herding teams.

Contemporary state of the aboriginal population is critical, despite the revival of private reindeer breeding and high value of these dogs as reindeer herding assistants replacing two-three human herders. Organization of pedigree breeding in the north is very problematic. There fore, well based on science breeding program in kennels and clubs is necessary.

Cynological research kennel “Kinos” created for purpose of reestablishing ofnorthern dogs conducts survey of still remaining pockets of typical Reindeer Herding Dogs and organizes their pedigree breeding. Besides considerable funds, this project requires to have an official standard of the breed as a basic tool for the work.

The proposed breed standard was put together by workers of “Kinos” B. I. Shirokyy and O. B. Shiroly.  It is based on compilation from old literature, some unpublished materials, and results of work of “Kinos” related to the breeding and using dogs under modern conditions.

We also used kindly provided to us by the author project of the standard of the Nenets Reindeer Herding Laika written by V. G. Gusev.

Basic statements of the breed standard were discussed with cynologists and biologists as follows: V. A. Belenky, L. S. Bogoslovskaya, V. A. Gusev, E. N. Mychko. N. A. Nosov, G. M. Pasechnikova and N. A. Tarynbekova and reindeer breeders and herders.

Name of the breed. In the literature there are names like  Nenets Reindeer Herding Laika,  Nenets Herder’s Laika,  Olenegonka and Russian Samoyed Laika (see “Minor Atlas of Dog Breeds by Andrew De Prisco and James B. Johns, 1992. Since 1994, the breed is known mainly as Reindeer Herding Spitz.

Distinguishing traits of the Reindeer Herding Spitz are undisputable. On one hand, this is a smallish light built dog undemanding to life conditions, feeding and shipping. On the other hand, it is tough enough, with great physiological potential, adaptable and with well balanced temperament dog. Among cultured breeds of dogs, it has a vacant place for using.

According to a specialist in search and rescue dogs M. I. Usov (1988), such dogs as the Olenegonka are most tireless capable in high mountain areas dogs; they do not have any drawbacks, when used for search and rescue work in any region; in the endurance, agility and the ability to go through avalanched areas they are superior over other dogs.

Because of their peculiar qualities, Reindeer Herding Laikas and their mixes are used in criminology for recognition of individual smells of humans (“Droog”, No. 2, 1991, in Russian).

Certainly, Reindeer Herding Spitzes can become best assistance in custom service, where spaniels are used at present time. Spaniels are not as good because they are less adaptable to conditions of life in the kennel, food requirements and balanced temperament as Reindeer Herding Dogs.

These dogs are very good at hunting, companions for nature lovers, house dogs, etc.

Reindeer Heding Spitz is a primitive breed in positive sense of this word; it means it is closer to primitive ancestor, despite being people oriented and its strong attachment to the master.  The breed has been developed under harsh conditions of the environment and selection for qualities for versatile work. Hundreds years of intuitive selection did not touch the dog’s appearance. This dog does not have excessive traits of the appearance and retains natural harmony and functionality. It is an advantage of our breed as compared with diverse other man-made breeds of dogs.

The breed standard includes rather wide range of traits of the breed.  It does not pursue goals of “improvement” and uniformity of the breed. Quite opposite, the standard should help preservation and restoration of geographic phenotypes (and genotypes) of large population scattered among many small pocket, in some of which these traits are lost or almost disappeared. Truthfulness of the standard is particularly important in the incipient stage of formation of the breed as purebred, because this would not allow narrowing of the genetic diversity and involve many various type dogs from fragmented range of the breed.

Breed expert should not give preference to any of the designated in standard traits of the dog, such as sturdy or lean body structure, greater or smaller size or a particular coat color. In all cases of judging at show and subsequently in breeding program he should not compare dog’s head, eyes or ears regardless of general body complexion, legs, etc. Thus, in sturdy built dogs, one should expect a more massive head with a shorter and not too pointed muzzle, shorter and wider set ears and less oblique set and more round eyes. Legs may be longer and closer to each other in leaner built dogs. They may also have stronger developed angulations of forequarters and hindquarters. Longer guard hairs may be not as coarse as shorter hair in sturdy built dogs, etc.

Knowledge of the breed and common sense of expert and breeder would allow to preserve valuable qualities of the aboriginal Reindeer Herding Spitz