Laika was found as a stray wandering the streets of Moscow. Soviet scientists chose to use Moscow strays since they assumed that such animals had already learned to endure conditions of extreme cold and hunger. This specimen was a mongrel female, approximately three years old. Another account reported that she weighed about . Soviet personnel gave her several names and nicknames, among them Kudryavka (Russian for "Little Curly"), Zhuchka ("Little Bug"), and Limonchik ("Little Lemon"). Laika, the Russian name for several breeds of dogs similar to the husky, was the name popularised around the world. Its literal translation would be "Barker", from the Russian verb "layat" ("лаять"), "to bark". According to some accounts, the technicians actually renamed her from Kudryavka to Laika due to her loud barking. The American press dubbed her Muttnik ("mutt" + suffix "-nik") as a pun on Sputnik, or referred to her as "Curly". Her true pedigree is unknown, although it is generally accepted that she was part husky or other Nordic breed, and possibly part terrier. NASA refers to Laika as a "part-Samoyed terrier." A Russian magazine described her temperament as phlegmatic, saying that she did not quarrel with other dogs.