Looking for a dog
book? We have hundreds of dog books listed, Titles
include works on individual breeds, activities,
health and nutrition. You can find the best in dog
training, behavior, natural health, agility,
clicker training, problems, and other dog related
topics.
The Samoyed dog takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. An alternate name for the breed, especially in Europe, is Bjelkier. These nomadic reindeer herders bred the fluffy, white, smiling dogs to help with the herding, to pull sleds when they moved, and to keep their owners warm at night by sleeping on top of them.
Samoyeds are gentle dogs. Peaceable and dignified. Very devoted, they tend to favor one person, but love everyone. They are easy-going, friendly and quite playful. It will gladly be friendly to all, including intruders.
They are too friendly to be of much use as a watchdog, although its bark will alert you to the presence of strangers. It willingly adapts to family life and gets along well with children. They are highly intelligent, but often willfully resistant to formal obedience training. It eventually responds to firm, patient training, which should be started at an early age. Since it is accustomed to working in teams, its outstanding qualities often do not have the opportunity to be expressed.
However when it becomes attached to a single master, it proves itself an outstanding, good-natured, lively, and sociable dog. It never seeks trouble but can handle an adversary if necessary. They have a reputation of being chewers and may become very destructive if left alone for many hours at a stretch. Samoyeds should not be trusted with small non-canine pets, however there are plenty of them that live and get along with family cats. This breed tends to bark a lot.
Appearance: Males typically weigh 20-32.5 kg (44-65
lb), while females typically weigh 17-25 kg (37-55 lb). Samoyeds have a lot of vitality, and well cared for Samoyeds are known to retain their youthful, energetic spirit well into their senior years. The average lifespan for a Samoyed is 12 to 16 years, although some will live a little longer. Being a working breed, they have excellent stamina, and without daily exercise they will become bored and/or depressed, which can lead to excessive barking, destruction, weight gain, irritability, and escape artist behavior. Samoyeds are typically a hardy dog, but do have their share of health concerns.
Eyes: Samoyed eyes are usually black or brown, and
are almond in shape. Blue or other color eyes can occur but
are not allowed in the show ring. Blue or other color eyes can occur but are not allowed in the show ring. New Zealand Kennel Club Standard: Eyes: Almond shaped, medium to dark brown in colour, set well apart with alert and intelligent expression. Eyerims should be black and unbroken.
Ears: Samoyed ears are thick and well-furred,
triangular in shape, and erect. Samoyed ears are thick and covered with fur, triangular in shape, and erect. They are almost always white but can occasionally have a light brown tint.
NZKC Standard: Ears: Thick, not too long and slightly rounded at the tips, set well apart and well covered inside with hair. The ears should be fully erect in the grown Samoyed.
Tail: The Samoyed tail is one of the breed's more
distinguishing features. Like their Siberian Husky cousins,
their tail is carried curled over their backs; however, unlike
the Husky, the Samoyed tail is held actually touching the back
in a tight curl. In cold weather, Samoyeds may sleep with
their tails over their noses to provide additional warmth.
Some Samoyeds have tails that fall straight down the
backside, like many other breeds, but this prevents them from
being show quality. However, almost all Samoyeds will allow
their tails to fall when they are relaxed and at ease, as when
being stroked, but will return their tails to a curl when more
alert.
Coat: Much like Siberian Huskies, Samoyeds have a
dense, double layer coat that is typically shed twice a year,
although some shed only once a year. The top layer contains
long, coarse, and straight guard hairs, which appear white but
have a hint of silver coloring. This top layer keeps the
undercoat relatively clean and free of debris. The under layer
(or undercoat) consists of a dense, soft, and short fur that
keeps the dog warm. The standard Samoyed may come in a mixture
of biscuit and white coloring, although pure white and all
biscuit dogs aren't uncommon. Males typically have larger
ruffs than females.
Samoyeds are typically very good about grooming themselves,
and upkeep as far as bathing is minimal. Dirt typically falls
from the outer layer of fur with little work, making the dog
deceptively easy to keep very clean looking. Puppy fur is more
porous and will tend to take on the color of grass or mud if
the dog spends a lot of time in appropriate environments.
An interesting characteristic of the breed is that these
dogs have virtually no smell or "doggy odor" about
them, making them especially well-suited to living indoors.
The dense coat can make summer temperatures uncomfortable for
them in warmer climates, and they prefer to be indoors where
the air is cooled.
Temperament: Samoyeds' friendly disposition makes
them poor guard dogs, but excellent companions, especially for
small children or even other dogs, and they remain playful
into old age. Samoyeds are also known to be stubborn at times
and difficult to train, due to unwillingness rather than lack
of intelligence; they must be persuaded to obey commands.
With their sled dog heritage, a Samoyed is not averse to
pulling things, and an untrained Samoyed has no problem
pulling its owner on a leash rather than walking alongside.
They will instinctively act as herd dogs, and when playing
with children, especially, will often attempt to turn and move
them in a different direction. The breed is characterized by
an alert and happy expression which has earned the nickname
"Sammy smile."
Health: Samoyeds are typically a hardy dog, but do
have their share of health concerns. Hip dysplasia is a
concern as are eye problems like cataracts and glaucoma and
other retinal problems. Like other purebred dogs, samoyeds are
prone to diabetes and other diseases if their owners are not
careful. Samoyeds will typically live 10 to 15 years.
Care: In spring and autumn when moulting, the
undercoat is renewed; then the old coat comes out in tufts.
One can comb it deeply, with a metal comb, which will speed up
the shedding process and allow the Samoyed to regain its usual
appearance more quickly (without this he may walk about for
several days with a hard bald back). Giving a bath itself has
several disadvantages, soap or shampoo destroy the skin suint
(an oily secretion which makes the coat shine) and remove the
dog's own natural protection. Furthermore, water, trapped in
the very thick undercoat, has difficulty evaporating and may
remain in the fur. They have to be groomed at least twice a
week, more in the spring and autumn when they moult. To keep
the Samoyed's coat gleaming, their diet must be looked after
carefully and contain a good amount of meat and fish.
History: The Samoyed name quickly became obsolete
for the Nenets people after the Russian Revolution (perceived
as derogatory; see Nenets article). However, by then, Arctic
explorers (for example, Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen)
had brought enough of the dogs back to Europe to keep the name
and to establish the breed both there and in the US.
Fridtjof Nansen believed that the use of sled dogs was the
only effective way to explore the north and used Samoyeds on
his polar expeditions. Unfortunately, his plan was disastrous
to the animals, as he planned to feed the weaker dogs to the
stronger ones as they died during the expedition. In the end,
he lost almost all of his dogs due to his plan.
Roald Amundsen used a team of sled dogs led by a Samoyed
named Etah on the first expedition to reach the South Pole.
Recent DNA analysis of the breed has led to the Samoyed being
included amongst the fourteen most ancient dog breeds, along
with Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, the Chow Chow, and
10 others of a diverse geographic background.
Miscellaneous:
The breed is sometimes nicknamed "The Smiley
Dog" because they usually have a permanent smiling
look that makes them appear pleased to see everyone.
The dogs are still used to pull sleds, but are seldom
used for herding anymore. Due to the emergence of hybrid
sled breeds like the Alaskan Husky, Samoyeds are generally
not used as sled dogs anymore either as they cannot
generally compete with breeds that have been created
specifically for sled pulling.
Samoyed fur is sometimes used as an alternative to wool
in knitting.
Famous Samoyeds:
Kaifas and Suggen, the lead dogs for Fridtjof Nansen's
North Pole expedition.
Etah, the lead dog for Roald Amundsen's expedition to
the South Pole, the first to reach the pole.
HeyDogs is an easy to use site that keeps both dog professionals and dog enthusiasts up to date on the latest information on dogs. You can find the best in dog training, behavior, natural health, agility, clicker training, and other dog related topics
Looking for the perfect
Dog name? Dogs names for your new Puppy.
Browse thousands of Dog names, names for both male
and female dogs, Start looking by clicking on a
letter!
Hi Cats is a website you can find extensive information on all Cat Breeds, Articles, Health, Books, Photos, Desktop Wallpapers, Posters, Training, Cats names, Links and more.
HeyDogs.com Dog Breeds Information
Guide menu 
