Breed Characteristics:
Apartment Friendly
?How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?
Good For First-Time Owners
?Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?
Overall Sensitivity
?Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?
Tolerates Being Alone
?Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?
Affectionate With Family
?How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?
Kid-Friendly
?Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?
Friendly Toward Other Dogs
?Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?
Friendly Toward Strangers
?Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?
Drooling Level
?If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?
Easy To Groom
?Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?
Overall Health
?What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.
Prone To Obesity
?Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?
Trainability Level
?Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.
Intelligence Level
?Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?
Prey Drive
?Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?
Barking Level
?How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?
Energy Level
?Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?
Exercise Needs
?Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?
Playfulness Level
?Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?
Samoyed is a friendly and gentle white dog who is known for its graceful stand. This is a popular all-white dog with a powerful posture and a perpetual smile.
This smile has a practical function: the upturned corners of the mouth keep Sammies from drooling, preventing icicles from forming on the face.
This smiling sled dog was bred for hard work in cold areas, just like Siberian Huskies, which is why this white-coated dog is often described as husky looking dog.
This dog is so custom to freezing temperatures that minus-60 degrees is nothing. Samoyeds’ coat is thick enough to keep him safe and warm against harsh weather conditions.
This smart dog can easily become mischievous when bored, or when in demand of love and attention. They need an experienced dog owner with a loving hand.
Quick Facts
Real name: Samoyed dog
Other names: Bjelkier, Samoiedskaya, Sobaka
Common Nickname: Smiley, Sammy, Shoobie, Shoob
Origin: Northwest Russia and Western Siberia
Breed type: Working Dogs
Weight: 45-65 pounds (male), 35-50 pounds (female)
Height: 21-23.5 inches (male), 19-21 inches (female)
Lifespan: 12 – 14 years
Litter Size: 4 – 6 puppies
Color: All-white
Coat: Dense, double layer coat with longer straight hair.
Samoyed Introduction
The smiling sled dog was bred to work in extremely cold areas, and this is the main reason why their coat is so thick – the coat keeps them warm.
In the Siberian town of Oymyakon, the temperature can go minus-60 degrees, which is quite low, and definitely not a living area for everyone.
If Samoyed is kept in the back yard constantly, he will become miserable and destructive, and thats something that you dont want to experience.
This is a social and mischievous dog who thrives on love and attention.
Samoyed History
Samoyed belongs to the spitz or northern dog group, especially a Eurasian dog type used for a variety of purposes.
This all-white dog was used for hunting, guarding, herding, and sledding the majority of the time.
This breed is descended from the Nenets herding Laika, a dog that could be white, but also have a variety of other colors.
Primarily, this breed was used for hunting, hauling sleds, and herding reindeer for the Samoyede people in Siberia.
Since they were born in cold areas, they lived with Samoyede people in tents – this was a great way to keep everyone safe and warm. This also adds to a stronger connection between people and dogs, which is why they are obsessed with people even today. This practice is also another reason why they don’t like sleeping outside.
Samoyeds came to Europe in the late 18th century, when Arctic explorers introduced the breed to British dog lovers.
Queen Alexandra fell in love with this breed and Samoyeds gained popularity immediately. The very first Samoyed recognized by AKC was Samoyed named Moustan of Argenteau in 1906.
Samoyed Physical Appearance
Samoyed is a working dog and is built as such. This dog stands for endurance, strength, beauty, and agility.
Since he is used to working in cold climates, Samoyed’s coat is always heavy and weather-resistant, well-groomed, and of all a dog with very good quality.
Males are larger in appearance than females, which are more of feminine postures. Bitches may be slightly longer opposite to males. Ears are strong and thick, upright and triangular.
Both males and females have erect fox-like ears, and profuse coat that adds to their overall appearance.
Ears are always erect when alert, while the mouth is slightly curved up at the corners, making the famous ‘Samoyed smile.’ The neck is strong and muscled.
The chest reaches the point of elbows, while the legs are parallel and straight. Shoulders are long and sloping.
The coat is double, and the entire body is covered with an undercoat of short, short, and thick wool with long, straight, and harsh hair growing as the outer coat.
A droopy coat in Samoyed is highly undesirable. Interestingly, females usually have shorter coats opposite to males. Females also have softer hair. Upper thighs should be well developed.
Samoyed Physical Personality
Samoyed is a friendly and very personable dog. This is an intelligent breed with a few independent traits.
Since they were bred to live inside the tent, it’s expected for them to share your bed with you and keep you warm and safe at night.
They thrive on human company and don’t know how to live otherwise. This breed will keep you safe without a doubt. Samoyed will always alarm you of intruders by barking and if left on for a longer period.
If your neighbor tells you that Samoyed is pretty loud during the day, you better believe them, because he will bark frequently to express his feelings.
Some dogs may even develop separation anxiety, so make sure that you can really invest enough time in having a dog.
Getting a dog is easy, but keeping him happy, loved, and healthy is a different level.
After all, by getting a dog you can committing to at least a 10-years-long commitment.
Digging may be a slight issue with this breed because they love to dig to reach a resting place.
They do get along with other dogs and even with other animals if raised together. Since they are herding dogs, they may show some tendency to chase or nip.
Samoyeds get along with children, although they can be a little mischievous for small toddlers.
It’s best never to leave them with children alone, unless you have older children, because accidents may occur during playtime.
Educate your children on how to behave around dogs, because it’s the best way to keep them safe around dogs.
Children with autism can benefit tremendously from these white-coated dogs. In fact, Samoyed is often used as emotional support for children with autism and they love being around children of all ages.
Samoyeds are great with children and as long as there are rules dogs and children should interact perfectly.
Living With Samoyed
Samoyeds are an easy-to-keep-and-handle breed if you already have experience as a dog owner. They are easy to train because they are eager to please their humans. However, be careful when it comes to treats.
Treats are a great addition to any training, but too many can lead to obesity – a raising problem in pets across the States.
It’s possible for dogs to lose weight, but it’s overall a long and exhausting process. Therefore, it’s better to learn how much you should feed your dog and stick to the vet’s feeding recommendations.
If you have any doubts about your dog’s weight, make sure that you talk to your veterinarian.
Also, learn how to recognize if your dog is overweight – there is a simple test to do that.
This is a great breed if you want to participate in a dog’s agility, obedience, or weight pulls. They can be a bit independent, but that can be handled with proper socialization and training.
Samoyed Training
Training, next to early socialization, is the most important part of having a well-behaved dog of any breed.
Even the largest dogs, such as Great Dane, can be a true softie if trained right.
On the other hand, if you miss training your dog right, you risk having a destructive dog who will try to get his way in every area.
Plus, there is always a risk of experiencing a small dog syndrome – which is something that you want to avoid at any cost.
Samoyeds live with Samoyede people in tents, which means that even today in their genes run a strong dog-and-master closeness, an unbreakable bond.
If left outside or alone for long period, this dog will suffer and do his best to show you just how miserable he is. Create fun, short, and regular training – he will love discipline and fun.
Switch training style from time to time, and never use any harsh training methods. Dogs should be training only by using positive reinforcement training techniques.
Samoyed Grooming
Samoyed is often described as a beautiful dog among dog fanciers. He has a double coat, with a longer outer coat of harsh hair and a wooly undercoat. They do shed, so make sure that you have a vacuum cleaner on hand.
It cannot harm to do your research and have the best grooming tools as a part of your dog’s kit – the best brushing tool will make your life easier, and add to your bond with calm Samoyed.
The right kind of grooming tool will always help you deal with bear like coat in dogs.
Daily brushing is recommended to keep the debris and dead hair away.
Tangles and mats are possible, which is why groomers recommend using a slicker brush or metal comb.
The rest is regular maintenance:
- Clean ears regularly
- Trim or grind nails monthly
- Check gums weekly
- Provide regular exercise
- Serve high-quality food
Samoyed Health
Samoyeds are healthy dogs, and responsible breeders will always provide only healthy dogs.
If you are adopting a dog from a local shelter, they will inform you of the dog’s health.
If you are ecotopian from the street, take your dog to the veterinarian for a full check-up. In fact, this should be a practice always. The only veterinarian can tell you healthy the dog is.
Responsible breeders will always present you with papers on the dog, otherwise, you are dealing with puppy mills.
Proper vaccination, regular veterinarian check-ups, and parasite control will enable you to have a healthy and strong dog.
Recommended Health Tests For The Breed:
- Ophthalmologist Evaluation
- Hip Evaluation
- PRA Optigen DNA Test
- Cardiac Exam
- RD/OSD DNA Test
The Bottom Line
Samoyeds tend to be loyal and long-lived dogs, commonly reaching between 12 to 14 years of age. They are active dogs who need a lot of exercise.
They are often attached to their humans, and love spending time with human family doing somehting fun, or just chilling in the park.
If you want a dog who is spitz-like, robust and spirited, and responsive Samoyed may be right for you.
Don’t forget that with this breed you have to deal with the occasional barking and digging – and if that’s, not something that you cannot deal with, Samoyed may not be the right dog for you.
Popular Samoyed Comparisons
