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Samoyed Dog Breed Introduction
Samoyed is a medium-sized herding dog from Siberia. It is known for its often white double coat, fluffy tail, and the ‘Sammy Smile’. A Samoyed has earned the nickname Sammy Smile due to its happy and alert expression. This smile also has a practical function of keeping Samoyeds from drooling and preventing icicles from forming on the face. This is also a vocal breed that tends to bark whenever something approaches its territory making an excellent watchdog. However, it has a friendly disposition which makes it a poor guard dog. Samoyeds are great companions especially for small children and other dogs. They remain playful into their senior years.
Samoyed Origin | History
Samoyeds were developed in Oymyakon, Siberia by the Samoyedic people( now known as Nenets people ). This dog got its name from the Samoyedic tribe. It is believed that the ancestor of this breed is the Nenets Herding Laika. These dogs were used for sledging heavy loads, hunting reindeers, and working as watchdogs. However, with time, the culture of Nenet people changed. They shifted their culture from hunting reindeers to herding them. Therefore, the Samoyeds found their new role as moving and stocking dogs protecting the herds.
This breed was introduced by the Arctic Explorers returning to England to British dog lovers in the late 18th century. Samoyeds were promoted as show and companion dogs by Queen Alexandra. In the United States, Moustan of Argenteau, a sparkling white dog made history in 1906 as first of the Samoyed breed to be registered by AKC.
Samoyed Lifespan
According to the American Kennel Club, Samoyeds have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
Samoyed Grooming
For a successful grooming experience, get your Samoyed puppy accustomed to touch on the paws, ears, feet, and body. A Samoyed has a thick double-layered coat that sheds at moderate levels all-year round and heavily when experiencing seasonal change. Brush the coat twice or thrice a week to remove dirt and loose hair that would otherwise spread around the house using a metal comb or a slicker brush. Daily brushing is a must-do during the heavy shedding season. Remember to brush the legs and fur around the head to prevent matting and tangling. Before brushing the coat, spritz it with a detangling spray or a water conditioner solution to prevent hair breakage.
Samoyed need occasional baths every 6 to 8 weeks since the coat is naturally a dirt repellent. Make a habit of brushing the coat before bathing your dog to remove dirt, mats, and loose hair. Use a hypoallergenic canine shampoo and conditioner. After a bath, thoroughly rinse off the grooming products from the skin to prevent skin irritation using lukewarm water. Wipe the face using friendly canine wipes or a clean dampened washcloth to avoid irritating the eyes with soapy water. Remember to dry off the coat with a dry towel before brushing it with a slicker brush.
Trim the nails every 3 to 5 weeks. Overly grown nails are painful for your dog while walking and running. Use nail grinders or clippers. Remember to brush the teeth of a Samoyed every day or at least twice a week using a tasty canine toothpaste and finger toothbrush. Regular teeth brushing prevents bad breathe, gum inflammation, and tooth loss. Weekly ear cleaning is required using cotton balls dampened in an ear cleanser solution to remove excess dirt, wax, or debris. While cleaning the ears, check out for a dark discharge, redness, and odor since they are signs of dog’s ear infection.
Samoyed Grooming Tools
To fully groom a Samoyed, you will need the following grooming tools: metal comb or slicker toothbrush, grooming table, nail grinders or clippers, tasty canine toothpaste and toothbrush, hypoallergenic dog shampoo and conditioner, detangling spray, canine wipes or a damp washcloth, dry towel, ear cleanser solution, and cotton balls.
Samoyed Haircuts | Grooming Styles
Samoyeds have a thick double-layered coat that protects this breed against extreme heat and cold. Shaving the coat is dangerous since it disrupts the ability of the coat to regulate body temperature. The coat may fail to grow back correctly once it is shaved. Therefore pet parents can maintain the classical Samoyed look by trimming the fur between the paws and the rear end for sanitary purposes. Owners may also trim the fur on the rear legs, tail underside, and the tops & bottoms of the feet to make it look life a cotton puffballs.
Samoyed Shedding | Shedding Level | Shedding Season
A Samoyed sheds at moderate levels throughout the year and heavily while experiencing seasonal change in Spring and Fall.
Samoyed Coat | Hair
A Samoyed has a thick double coat made up of a top coat and undercoat. The Top coat is long and coarse with straight guard hairs while the undercoat is short, soft, and dense which keeps the pooch warm.
Samoyed Hypoallergenic
Although Samoyeds shed all-year round at moderate levels and heavily twice a year, they are considered a nearly hypoallergenic breed. Shedding allows the spread of fur and dander which aggravates allergies. According to the American Kennel Club, there is no 100% hypoallergenic breed or crossbreed. However, dogs that are considered nearly hypoallergenic have a non to low shedding coat. People who suffer from dog allergies should spend lots of time with Samoyeds to determine whether the dogs aggravate their allergies before adopting.
Samoyed Training | Training Tips
A Samoyed was bred as a pack dog. During the brutal arctic nights, the Samoyede people cuddled for warmth with their Samoyeds dogs. This forged a tight bond between humankind and this breed. Therefore, Samoyeds excel where a pecking order has been created. Therefore, the owners assume pack leadership. In order to create a pecking order, Samoyed parents should also walk through the door first and eat before their dogs do. The habit of eating first makes the dog to understand that the parent is the owner of all the valuable resources such as food, toys, and treats.
Samoyeds are also intelligent and often eager to learn. Although, they may be independent and stubborn at times which makes training a bit difficult. Patience, consistence, and using a gentle but firm hand while training is recommended. Like other dogs, a Samoyed thrives on positive reinforcements methods such as use of treats, petting, playtime, verbal praise, and petting. However, they don’t respond well to harsh correction methods such as yelling, punching, shoving, kicking, and use of choke or prong collars. Keep the training sessions short for a period of 10 minutes to avoid boredom and distraction.
This is also a working breed that requires extensive training. The Samoyeds exhibit basic herding instincts and may be trained to compete in herding trials. To raise a well-mannered, friendly, and well-adjusted Samoyed, start socialization training from the age of 8 weeks immediately the pup comes home until the age of 16 weeks. However, this training starts from the age of 3 weeks while the pup is with the breeder. Although, socialization training may be a life-long process to ensure the dog develops a well-rounded personality and temperament.
To socialize a Samoyed, expose it to a wide variety of people, animals, experiences, smell, places, sight, surfaces, and sounds such as lawn mowers, sirens, washing machine, whistles, vacuum cleaners, baby crying sounds, and door bells. Enrolling Samoyeds in puppy classes also serve as a form of socialization. These classes offer an controlled environment where canines interact. Puppy classes also teach owners how to establish a working relationship with their dogs. A Puppy class also enables the pet parent not only identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance. Owners may start enrolling the puppies in this classes from the age of 8 weeks.
Samoyed parents should start teaching their puppies basic command words such as sit, come, lie down, stay, wait, heel, leave it, etc. one at a time until the dog understands before proceeding to the next command word. Owners are cautioned against issuing a command while too frustrated or excited since the command words would sound the same for your pooch. For effective housebreaking, potty training, crate training, and creating a feeding schedule is key.
How To Potty Train A Samoyed Puppy
Potty training starts immediately the puppy comes home from the age of 8 weeks. Before bringing a Samoyed puppy home, ensure you choose a designated place that is far from the BBQ or patio deck where the dog will be doing its business. It is important to understand that the bowel and bladder muscles strengthens as the puppy matures. A pup aged 8 weeks will be able to hold for a period of 2 hours before eliminating while a 12-week-old pup will be able to hold for 3 hours.
Before a dog is fully housebroken, it should not roam freely around the house to prevent accidents. A crate is an indispensable tool that enables the Samoyed owners to monitor the puppies for signs that they want to eliminate such as circling, whining, squatting, sniffing, restlessness, and trying to lift a leg against the crate wall. The crate should be able to fit an adult Samoyed. If the pet parent has no crate, he or she may use the umbilical cord method. This is where the end of the leash is attached to the owners belt or pocket. Therefore, the Samoyed will not be 6 feet away from you.
For effective potty training, take a Samoyed puppy to the designated toilet area immediately it wakes up, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, every 2 to 3 hours, after naptime, following an exciting activity such as playtime and car ride, and before bedtime. From the age of 8 months, the potty breaks will increase to a span of 6 to 8 hours. When you take the pet to delegated elimination spot, remain there for a period of 15 minutes to allow the dog to sniff, find the desirable spot, and relax the bowel and bladder muscles for a pee or poo. At the toilet area, issue the command word ‘toilet’ or ‘potty’ to give the dog the cue to eliminate. Avoid interchangeably using the two command words to avoid confusing your dog.
If the Samoyed pup fails to eliminate, take it back to the house and return it after a period of 20 minutes. Before a Samoyed is fully housebroken, it may experience accidents in the house. If this happens, avoid yelling at the dog, instead carry it to the designated area. If it eliminates there, give it a treat so that it may associate going outside with elimination. Avoid yelling at the dog or even putting the nose of the Samoyed against the mess. Instead clean it using an enzymatic detergent or an iodine solution to completely get rid of the odor. If the odor is retained, the dog will sniff and eliminate in the previous accident spot. Before the age of 16 weeks, the Samoyed parents are urged to set an alarm to take their pets to the toilet area at least once during the night.
Samoyed Temperament | Traits
- Friendly.
- Vocal.
- Alert.
- Playful.
- Intelligent.
- Sociable.
- Mischievous.
- Adaptable.
- Active.
- Gentle.
- Loyal.
- Independent.
- Stubborn.
- Affectionate.
Samoyed Exercise Needs
A Samoyed is an active dog breed that require daily exercise in a secured yard or on a leash. This because they have a strong urge to run away and roam freely which is risky for the dog. Samoyeds enjoy play sessions with their owners or even long walks. When bored, this dog may become destructive or even start digging.
Samoyed Barking
A Samoyed has a tendency to bark whenever something is approaching its territory. Although they are excellent watchdogs, they will not keep barking continually while your guests are around. Samoyeds bark when company arrives. However, after they see who it is and receive recognition that they were heard, they will typically cease. A Samoyed may bark excessively if it is bored, ignored, teased, or tied. This is a vocal breed that should be taught the ‘settle’ or ‘Quiet ‘ command.
Samoyed Height
A female Samoyed has a height of 19 to 21 inches ( approx. 48 to 53 cm ) while its male counterpart has a height of 21 to 23.5 inches ( approx. 53 to 60 cm).
Samoyed Weight
Male Samoyeds have a weight of 45 to 65 pounds ( approx. 20 to 29 kg ) while their female counterparts have a weight of 35 to 50 pounds ( approx. 16 to 23 kg).
Samoyed Size
Samoyeds are medium-sized dogs. However, male Samoyeds are slightly bigger as compared to their female counterparts in terms of height and weight. Male Samoyeds have a weight of 45 to 65 pounds ( approx. 20 to 29 kg ) and a height of 21 to 23.5 inches ( approx. 53 to 60 cm) while female Samoyeds have a weight of 35 to 50 pounds ( approx. 16 to 23 kg) and a height of 19 to 21 inches ( approx. 48 to 53 cm ).
Samoyed Aggressive
A Samoyed is a friendly, sociable, affectionate, and loving dog. However, the temperament of the dog can be affected ending up shy, dull, or aggressive if it is mistreated or neglected during his first year of life.
Samoyed Bite Force
Reportedly, Samoyeds have a bite force of above 200 PSI.
Samoyed Hair Loss
A Samoyed experiences normal hair loss every year at moderate levels and heavily when experiencing seasonal change once or twice a year in a process known as shedding. However, hair loss in patches may be a result of allergies, hormonal changes, mange, hypothyroidism, stress, and alopecia.
Samoyed Eye Problems
Some of the eye problems that affect Samoyeds include:
Cataracts – This is an eye condition that results in a cloudy and whitish eye lens that eventually lead to vision loss.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy – This is a group of degenerative eye problems that affect the photoreceptors of Samoyeds.
Glaucoma – This eye condition results to insufficient drainage of the fluid from the eye hence putting pressure on the optic nerve of the Samoyed.
Distichiasis – This is an eye disorder that makes the eyelashes to grow from the ducts within the eyelid that normally doesn’t produce hairs.
Samoyed Health Issues
A Samoyed is a generally healthy breed that has experienced minimal genetic manipulation by mankind. Some of the health issues that Samoyeds suffer from include Samoyed hereditary glomerulopathy, Hip dysplasia , sebaceous adenitis, Pulmonic stenosis, Diabetes mellitus, patellar luxation, hypothyroidism, and eye disorders like cataracts, glaucoma, distichiasis, and progressive retinal atrophy.
Samoyed Names
Samoyed parents may decide to find a name for the pet before it leaves the shelter or a few days after joining their family to understand the personality of the particular dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the Tibetan origin, the distinctive Samoyed smile, coat color, personality, celebrity Samoyeds, books, music, nature, and historical figures.
Regardless of the name that you settle with, ensure it freely rolls off your tongue and won’t make you embarrassed when uttered out loud in the public places. Samoyeds and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels. If the owner settles with a long tedious name, he or she should find a cute nick name for the dog. A name that rhymes with the command words will be confusing for your dog. If a Samoyed shares a name with a family member or guest who frequent your household it will result to confusion.
Female Samoyed Names
- Crystal.
- Stella.
- Bella.
- Selena.
- Sasha.
- Tatiana.
- Alba.
- Calina.
- Mila.
- Luna.
- Snowy.
- Frost, etc.
Samoyed Neck Size
An adult Samoyed has a neck size of 16 to 20 inches ( approx. 41 to 51 cm ).
Male Samoyed Names
- Bear.
- Winter.
- Alaska.
- Luka.
- Nanook.
- Beau.
- Jack.
- Grigory.
- Vale.
- Yukon.
- Max.
- Gus.
- Leo, etc.
Samoyed Litter Size | Litter
After conception, a Samoyed dam has a gestation period of 58 to 63 days before whelping a litter size of 4 to 6 puppies.
Samoyed Harness | Collar
Leash training is recommended for Samoyed puppies when they are still young. This dog was bred for herding and also sledging loads. Therefore, it is crucial to teach them proper leash manners so that they avoid pulling if their have a leash attached to a harness. A collar is suitable for dogs that have proper leash manners and less likely to pull. Dogs that pull while on a collar exert pressure on the neck, throat, and trachea. A harness enables the pet parent to have a better control over the dog.
Samoyed Food
The amount of food that a Samoyed feeds on depends on its age, metabolism, size, and activity level. Puppies tend to have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults and senior dogs. Therefore, puppies should feed 3 or 4 times a day from when they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Samoyed puppies feed twice a day. This breed are picky eater as compared to other dog breeds of similar size. Therefore, mix bacon grease or meat juices in the food to entice the dog.
Adult Samoyeds should not be overfed, reduce the fats. Samoyeds that have ideal weight tend to live longer and healthier. Always feed your dog a balanced diet, no table scraps except for the chicken or beef scraped from the bones. Depending on the budget and time preparation needed, Samoyed parents may feed their dogs with dry, wet, raw diet, or home-made food. If feeding your dog with commercial food ensure that the first three listed ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial dog food should be free of additives, chemicals, fillers, preservatives, and meat by-products. Dry or wet food should be formulated medium-sized puppies, adults, and seniors. Check the physique of a Samoyed to know whether it is overweight or underweight. If you can see the ribs, chances are the dog is underweight. Although, if the ribs are not visible but you can feel them without pressing hard, the pooch has an ideal weight.
If you cannot feel the ribs, the Samoyed is overweight and need regular exercise. After getting a puppy from a breeder, the owner is likely to switch to another quality food. They should gradually do this over a period of one month by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the Samoyed is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Apart from Samoyeds, other breeds of dogs include:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Samoyed Colors
A Samoyed may either have a solid white color, cream, white and biscuit, all biscuit, or cream.
Samoyed Types
There is only one type of Pure bred Samoyed that may either have a cream, white and biscuit, all biscuit, or all white coat.
Samoyed Allergies
A Samoyed may suffer from various forms of allergies as discussed below:
Skin allergies – Samoyeds may suffer from sebaceous adenitis, a rare uncommon idiopathic auto immune skin disease that makes the coat susceptible to skin allergies. Food, environmental, and contact allergies also makes Samoyeds prone to skin allergies.
Food allergies – Rarely, a Samoyed may suffer from a true food allergy that results to an immune response that is accompanied with a wide range of symptoms ranging from skin issues to gastrointestinal stress. Skin issues symptoms include hives, lesions, sores, dermatitis, and pruritus while gastrointestinal stress includes vomiting, diarrhea, weigh loss, and bloating.
Contact allergies – This allergy causes inflammation once the skin comes in contact with the allergen. Some of the contact allergens that affect Samoyeds include plastics, bed linens, carpet cleaning detergents, lawn chemicals, grooming products, latex, and medication.
Environmental allergies – Some of the allergens that affect Samoyeds include fleas, mites, dust and dust mites, house molds, pollen, grass, ragweed, and trees. Flea’s saliva cause flea allergy dermatitis that affects the back legs and underneath the tail. It causes excessive scratching, biting, and licking until the skin around the bite area is raw. Environmental allergies cause nasal discharge, congestion, sneezing, and itchiness on various body parts such as eyes, ears, feet, paws, muzzle, groin, and around the eyes.
Samoyed Eyes
Samoyeds have dark, deep-set, and almond-shaped eyes.
Samoyed Ears
A Samoyed has erect triangular ears that are slightly rounded at the tips.
Samoyed Tail
A Samoyed has profuse moderately long tail that is carried over the back or side when the dog is alert. At rest, the tail is sometimes dropped.
Samoyed Teeth
During birth, Samoyed puppies are born with no teeth. However, the deciduous teeth starts growing in from the age of 2 to 3 weeks until the dog has a total of 28 milk teeth at the age of 6 to 8 weeks. From the age of 12 weeks, the milk teeth starts falling out as permanent teeth sprouts beneath them. Between the age of 6 to 8 months Samoyeds should have a total of 42 adult teeth.
Samoyed Nose
The preferred nose color is black. However, some Samoyeds may have a liver, brown, or dudley nose color. The color of the nose may sometimes change with weather and age.
Are Samoyeds Hypoallergenic
A Samoyed is considered hypoallergenic even though it sheds all-year round at moderate levels and heavily twice a year while blowing off its coat. Shedding allows spread of dander and hair around the house that aggravates allergies. According to AKC, dog breeds that are considered nearly hypoallergenic breeds have a low to non-shedding coat. Also, there is no 100 % hypoallergenic dog breed. Therefore, owners who want to adopt Samoyeds should spend lots of time with them to determine whether the pet triggers their allergies.
Are Samoyeds Smart
Yes. Samoyeds are intelligent dogs that are eager to learn. However, they may be somewhat independent and stubborn which makes training a bit difficult.
Are Samoyeds Friendly
Yes. Samoyeds are friendly and loyal dogs that have an affable disposition which makes them poor guard dogs.
Are Samoyeds Easy To Train
Although Samoyeds are clever dogs that are eager to learn, they may be a bit difficult to train due to their independent and stubborn nature.
Are Samoyeds Affectionate
Yes. A Samoyed is an affectionate, loving, gentle, loyal, and sociable dog.
Samoyeds Quick Facts
- They are popular for their Sammy Smile earned from making a happy and alert expression.
- Samoyeds are ancient dogs dating back to 802 BC.
- They originated from Siberia where they were developed by Samoyedic people.
