Laikas (/ˈlaɪkə/ LY-kə; Russian: Ла́йка, IPA: [ˈlajkə]) are aboriginal spitz from Northern Russia, especially Siberia but also sometimes expanded to include Nordic hunting breeds.

[1][2] The Russian word laika (лайка) is a noun derived from the verb layat' (лаять, to bark), and literally means barker.

[6] An avid bear hunter, Prince Shirinsky-Shikhmatov is described as "Being much interested in the natural sagacity and hunting capacity of the laïkas he procured some hundreds of specimens of different varieties and applied himself seriously to their study and breeding.

[6] Regardless of the exact count of laika breeds, all contemporary writers speak of the reverence that local ethnic groups held these dogs.

[4] However, this proved problematic as the primitive nature of laikas resulted in less specialization than seen in other breeds and the sheer scale of these regions made it difficult to produce a uniform dog within the zones.

[4] Meanwhile sled dogs were divided into two types, the smaller western Samoyed and the larger Northeastern Hauling Laika, of which the first was permanently recognized.