Videos Samoyed Breed Information
Alternative names -
Samoiedskaya Sobaka, Nenetskaya Laika
Country of origin -
Northwest Russia and Western Siberia
Common nicknames -
Smiley, Smiling, Sammy, Sammy, Sam
Classification and breed standards
FCI:|Group
5 Section 1 #212|Stds
AKC:|Working|Stds
ANKC:|Group 6
(Utility)|Stds
CKC:|Group
3 - Working Dogs|Stds
KC
(UK):|Pastoral|Stds
NZKC:|Utility|Stds
UKC:|Northern
Breeds|Stds
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.
1. Appearance
Males typically weigh 20-32.5 kg (44-65 lb), while females
typically weigh 17-25 kg (37-55 lb).
1. 1. 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.
New Zealand Standard: Eyes: Almond shaped, medium to dark brown
in colour, set well apart with alert and intelligent expression.
Eyerims should be black and unbroken.
1. 2. Ears
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.
1. 3. Tail
The Samoyed tail is one of the breed's more distinguishing
features. Like their Alaskan Malamute, their tail is carried curled
over their backs; however, unlike the Malamute, the Samoyed tail is
held actually touching the back it should not be a tight curl or
held "flag" like, it should be carried laying over the
back and to one side. In cold weather, Samoyeds may sleep with
their tails over their noses to provide additional warmth. 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.
NZKC Standard: Tail: Long and profuse, carried over the back
when alert; sometimes dropped when at rest.
UKKC Standard : Tail : Long and Profusely coated, carried over
the back and to side when alart, sometimes dropped when at
rest.
1. 4. Coat
Samoyeds have a dense, double layer
coat. The topcoat 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
undercoat is typically shed heavily once or
twice a year, and this seasonal process is sometimes referred to as
"blowing coat". This does not mean the Samoyed will only
shed during that time however; fine hairs (versus the dense clumps
shed during seasonal shedding) will be shed all year round, and
have a tendency to stick to cloth and float in the air. 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 outdoor environments. Upkeep in terms of brushing is
more extensive, as the dense coat, and particularly the silkier
regions such as behind the ears, will tend to mat if not combed out
(ideally) weekly. Samoyeds may occasionally need the fur between
the pads of their paws trimmed, but otherwise their coat does not
need to be clipped. Except for medical reasons or in the case of
severe matting it is not recommended to shave a Samoyed's fur,
as the coat acts as an insulator against both cold and moderate
heat, and protects the dog's light colored skin from burning in
the sun.
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 lack of
dander also makes them hypoallergenic. The dense coat can make summer
temperatures uncomfortable for them in very warm climates, and they
prefer to be indoors where the air is cooled. The coat also acts as
a natural repellent to fleas and ticks.
2. Temperament
Samoyeds' friendly disposition makes them poor guard dogs;
an aggressive Samoyed is rare. With their tendency to bark however,
they can be diligent watch dogs; barking whenever something
approaches their territory. Samoyeds are 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
and smily dog."
3. Health
The Samoyed can get very sick without its tail. This dog uses
its tail to keep warm in cold weather.
3. 1. General
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, and escape artist behavior.
Samoyeds are typically a hardy dog, but do have their share of
health concerns.
3. 2. Samoyed Herediatry Glomerulopathy
Samoyeds can be affected by a genetic disease known as
"Samoyed Hereditary Glomerulopathy", a renal disease. The disease is known to be caused by
an X-linked recessive faulty allele and therefore the disease is more severe in
male Samoyeds. Carrier females do develop mild symptoms after 2-3
months of age, but do not go on to develop renal failure. The
disease is caused by a defect in the structure of the type-IV collagen fibrils of the glomerular basement
membrane. As a consequence, the collagen fibrils of the
glomerular basement membrane are unable to form cross-links, so the
structural integrity is weakened and the membrane is more
susceptible to "wear-and-tear" damage. As the structure
of the basement membrane begins to degenerate, plasma proteins are lost in the urine and
symptoms begin to appear. Affected males appear healthy for the
first 3 months of life, but then symptoms start to appear and
worsen as the disease progresses: the dog becomes lethargic and
muscle wastage occurs, as a result of proteinuria. From 3 months of age onwards, a
reduced glomerular
filtration rate is detected, indicative of progressive renal failure. Death from renal failure
usually occurs by 15 months of age.
As yet there is no genetic screening test available for Samoyed
Hereditary Glomerulopathy. Therefore, female Samoyeds known or
suspected of being carriers of the disease should not be bred from.
If a carrier female is mated with a healthy stud dog, the female
offspring have a 50% chance of being carriers for the disease, and
any male offspring have a 50% chance of being affected by the
disease. The litter-mates of any affected Samoyeds should not be
bred from in order to prevent the disease being passed on to future
generations.
3. 3. Other Health Concerns
Hip dysplasia is also a concern
for Samoyeds as are eye problems such as 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.
4. Care
When a Samoyed "blows" their coat, the majority of the
undercoat sheds and is renewed; the old coat can come out in large
clumps, leading to bald spots in some extreme cases. 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. Frequent combing during a blow will be a great help in
preventing matting. Giving a Samoyed a bath is a somewhat time
consuming process as the coat is semi-weatherproof and will take
some time to get completely wet, then completely rinsed. The
Samoyed coat should be dried with cool, forced air (which can be
done with a cannister dryer, shop vaccum on blow or kennel dryer)
as water can be trapped in the very thick undercoat, has difficulty
evaporating and may remain in the fur for some time, possibly
leading to a "hot spot." Drying the Samoyed coat will
also reduce matting caused by dampness in the undercoat. It is
important to rinse well, as any shampoo or soap left in the coat
after bathing can lead to a "hot spot" or a fungal
infection, which is difficult to cure without shaving the affected
location. To keep the Samoyed's coat gleaming, dedicated
grooming and a healthy diet cannot be overlooked.
5. 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.The first Samoyed was brought to United
States by fur traders in 1906. The Samoyeds have been bred and
trained for at least 3,000 years.
6. 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.
* Shed Samoyed fur is sometimes used as an alternative to wool in
knitting, with hypoallergenic properties
and a texture similar to angora. The fur
is sometimes also used for the creation of flys for fly fishing.
* Samoyeds are rarely used for highly competitive
dogsled racing because of the
emergence of breeds bred specifically for the sport such as the
Alaskan Husky, however they are
still fully capable of racing competitively or pulling sleds
recreationally if desired.
* Samoyeds are very rarely used for everyday herding work on
farms, as breeds with higher herding drives such as Border Collies or Australian Shepherds are more
practical to use for this job. Many Samoyeds however, do retain the
herding instinct and occasionally have been used to herd sheep,
goats, and ducks competitively and recreationally.
7. 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.
* Soichiro is the name of a Samoyed that belonged to one of the
main characters in the popular Japanese anime, Maison
Ikkoku. He was featured prominently throughout most of the
series, and became a major character in his own right, often
serving as comic relief.
* Kenny the Samoyed Comic Strips funnies in The Dogs of C Kennel
* A Samoyed cross, Laika, was the first
dog sent into space to see how an animal, eventually a human, would
react under such conditions, like no gravity. Whilst she survived
her time in space, Laika died on re-entry to the earth's
atmosphere.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
Taken or modified, in whole or part, from Wikipedia.org
