Spotlight – Samoyeds

Hi everyone, and thanks for joining me on this spotlight episode of Val Talk’s Pets.  Well, it is that time when we start gearing up for the holiday season, thinking about decorating, snow, and all the things that represent and show the season.  One of the breeds of dogs that seem to be the quintessential Christmas dog is the Samoyed.  These medium-sized dogs are so fluffy and white, like snow, with the cutest faces that always seem to be smiling.  So in the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, let’s take a look at the Samoyed.

When I was 15, I wanted a Samoyed.  Luckily, my Mum was also a fan of the Samoyed.  We started doing research and going to some dog shows to learn about Samoyeds.  Eventually we started looking into breeders and found one about an hour away. We contacted them about a puppy.  The breeder was a CKC-registered breeder and invited us to come and look at the puppies.  I think there were only two left.  Anyway, we met the mother and father of the pups who were wandering around the house and the puppies that were in an exercise pen in the dining room.  We spent a lot of time talking about the breed and learning a few more tips, and eventually made the trip home with a little 12-week-old Samoyed.  

Samoyeds are a member of the Spitz family.  A Spitz breed means that the dog has a wolf-like appearance.  Spitz dogs are thick-coated, have feathery tails, and, like Samoyeds in particular, have almond-shaped eyes.

Samoyeds are actually, as hillspet.com points out, a truly ancient breed.  Coming originally from Siberia, Samoyeds were used by nomadic tribes for herding and sled pulling.  Now, I have not actually heard of this dog, but the Nenets (ne-nets) Herding Laika (Ly-ka) dog is the dog from which Samoyeds descend.  According to Wikipedia, “DNA evidence confirms that Samoyeds are a basal breed.”  A Basal breed, according to positivepetsboise.com, “is a breed that had a huge influence on the development of the species we have today.  They’re the base for all dogs and are considered the closest relatives to wolves today.” Now, this is quite interesting as it is explained that “a genomic study of two dog specimens that are nearly 100 years old and obtained from the Nenets people on the Yamal Peninsula found that these are related to two specimens dated 2,000 years old and 850 years old, which suggests continuity of the lineage in this region.  The two 100-year-old dogs were closely related to the Samoyed breed, which indicates that the ancient arctic lineage lives on in modern Samoyed dogs.”

According to the Canadian Kennel Club, male Samoyeds measure 21–23 inches at the shoulder and females 19–21 inches.  Males can weigh from 45 to 65 pounds, and females can weigh from 35 to 50 pounds. Samoyeds come in white, biscuit, cream, and white and biscuit.  Mine was actually a white biscuit.  The pure white, however, has really become the most sought-after.

The AKC states that Samoyeds in terms of temperament are lively, playful, friendly, alert, sociable, and stubborn.  Hills states that Sammies (their affectionate nickname) are intelligent with “a touch of independence.”  Sammies like to be with their family and are not the best at being left alone for long periods of time.  They can become barkers if this happens.  They, like many Spitz breed dogs, can become diggers as they try to find a cool place to lie.  I can personally attest to that!  Samoyeds, like their other Spitz breed family members, do not actually require large amounts of food.  Fighting obesity can be an issue if they get too many treats and not enough exercise.  

Looking at some of the challenges with Samoyed, a lot comes down to his personality.  Samoyeds, as mentioned, can be a bit stubborn, so although they adapt to training well, they do need a firm but kind hand.  Samoyeds also like to talk.  Howling and barking are ways a Sammie will communicate its likes and dislikes.  As dogtime.com points out, a Samoyed needs to be kept busy and not left on their own for too long.  Samoyeds tend to demonstrate destructive behavior when they are bored, and I can attest to this as well: jumping fences, chewing and destroying things, and digging are some of these behaviors.  As well, “even a well-trained Samoyed can’t be trusted off leash,” according to dogtime.  They do like to chase things.

Another drawback and asset of Samoyeds are their beautiful coats.  I found that a good brushing of my Samoyed was necessary about once or twice a week; probably I could have done it more, and we did send him to the groomer for a good wash and blow out every so often.  If dog hair around the house is a problem, a Samoyed is not for you.  But some people really embrace Samoyed fur because it can be carded, spun, and woven into “wool” and used for knitting.  I have personally seen a woman doing this at a dog show, and she had mittens that she knitted from her Samoyed’s fur.  Plus, it is this stunning coat that really makes the Samoyed so compelling.

In terms of health problems Samoyeds need to be monitored for hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and eye problems.  

So, let’s summarize here a bit.  Samoyeds are a beautiful ancient breed of dog.  They are known as the dogs with Christmas on their faces, always smiling.  They are intelligent, friendly, and love being with their people.  They can be a bit stubborn and demonstrate some rather challenging behaviors.  They require attention and exercise, and they respond well to active challenges and being out and about.  They excel in rural or country living and won’t shy away from learning to pull a sled, take long walks, or even figure out a puzzle.  They do tend to be runners, so a well-fenced property is important, and to be honest, I haven’t really heard how successful Samoyed parents have been with invisible fencing.  Training is important at an early age, and using training techniques that require the dog to think works best with Samoyeds as opposed to repetition exercises. 

Grooming is also very important, as a Samoyed’s double coat can become a nightmare if the dog ends up with a matted coat.   Plus, why wouldn’t you want to have your Sammie look his best?  Regular vet checks are also important to watch for any health issues that may arise.  Of course, good breeding will be the key to avoiding some of the possible health issues. For me, our Samoyed was a challenge.  He dug holes, destroyed anything in his way, and ran away at every opportunity. At the time, there were no such things as dog puzzles or agility classes, so I think we didn’t stimulate him as much as was needed. 

I took him to training classes, but I don’t think he really liked them, so I would take him to the park across the street and go through some training paces, and that helped.  The best thing, though, was that one time while I was training in the park, a neighborhood man came with his new dog, an Afghan hound, and the two dogs hit it off right away.  His dog was not the kind who would run away, so we could let the dogs play in the park, and my dog would stay with the Afghan having a ball.  Whenever I saw this guy heading to the park, I leashed up my Sammie and headed to the park for an unscheduled playdate.  Unfortunately, someone poisoned the Afghan for some unknown and heinous reason, and he passed away.  My Sammie grieved not having his friend and dug holes to China in our garden to make himself feel better. 

I think we made a few mistakes with this dog, and being a teenager when we got him, I did my best, but I just didn’t have enough knowledge.  I thought we had done a ton of research, but the Samoyed breed was just that much more complicated than I realized.  We loved that dog!  He was fun and was up for any adventure.  Eventually he slowed down, and we found a lump on his stomach, which turned out to be liver cancer.  I’ll always remember him wearing his Santa hat at Christmas.  I would say that a Samoyed is a great family dog as long as your family is super active and has plenty of time to spend with him.  Challenging a Samoyed will be key with lots of love.  You will be rewarded with that beautiful Samoyed smile and the glint in those almond shaped eyes.  Some super-duper research about a Samoyed is a must to learn about the dog with Christmas on his face because as I say, knowing is caring.   

All pictures are obtained from Canva

Tagged as: Samoyeds,  Christmas Dog.