General Info about the Samoyed

The Samoyed is a substantial but graceful dog standing anywhere from 19 to a bit over 23 inches at the shoulder. Powerful, tireless, with a thick all-white coat impervious to cold, Sammies are perfectly beautiful but highly functional. Even their most delightful feature, a perpetual smile, has a practical function: The upturned corners of the mouth keep Sammies from drooling, preventing icicles from forming on the face.   A Sammy sentenced to solitary confinement in the yard is a miserable and destructive creature. These are smart, social, mischievous dogs who demand love and attention. Sammies need a very firm but loving hand in training. As pack animals, they must learn early who the alpha dog is and the alpha dog must be you.

Samoyeds, the smiling sled dogs, were bred for hard work in the world’s coldest locales. In the Siberian town of Oymyakon, for instance, temperatures of minus-60 degrees are common. The Sammy’s famous white coat is thick enough to protect against such brutal conditions. Powerful, agile, tireless, impervious to cold, Sammies are drop-dead gorgeous but highly functional. Even their most delightful feature, a perpetual smile, has a practical function: The mouth’s upturned corners keep Sammies from drooling, preventing icicles from forming on the face.

Credit: AKC

FAQ – About the Samoyed

Yes! Samoyeds are a double coated breed, which means that they shed or “blow” their undercoat – that soft, dense, “fluffy” hair closer to the skin.

Absolutely! As a general rule, Samoyeds are even tempered and good natured, steady dogs who are happy as long as they are with their pack. Most are content to eagerly participate in whatever the family’s mood and activity is for the day, whether that be lounging around watching movies or going for a five mile run. However, please keep in mind that there are ranges within each dog and kennel line – some are going to have more “drive” and therefore be higher energy, while others are going to be more laid back and just as happy as a therapy dog “reading” with kids at the library. Please do your research and talk to multiple breeders and learn about the traits inherit to their kennel before you invest in a puppy!

…”Easy” is probably not the right word. If you are looking for an eager to please, “will work purely for vocal praise” dog, then a Samoyed is not going to be for you. While it is in their nature to want to please, they are also a WORKING/Herding breed. Which means that a) they are naturally independent thinkers (and problem solvers), b) they are a dog that needs a job, and c)they definitely have an active sense of humor, so you better have one too! This is not a breed that is content with you throwing a ball and them retrieving it twenty times in a row. They are MUCH more likely to retrieve said ball the first two times, and then the third time they will look at you, look at the ball, look at you again and flip you the furry finger, then turn the retrieval game into a game of “TAG – you’re it!”

Training games – starting from a young age – and consistency from all the humans of age in the household is the way to go with this wickedly intelligent breed.

Surprisingly, NO. (Speaking specifically of Service Dogs for people with physical/mental disabilities that require assistance with mobility, physical tasks, and medical alerting).

The first thing to understand that while the BREED’s general disposition – sweet, friendly, good natured, intelligent – may read on paper as having fantastic potential to be a Service Dog, the reality is usually quite different. Samoyeds are social, friendly, and are usually of the mindset that everyone in their presence is there specifically to see/pet/love on them…which is usually the exact OPPOSITE of the mindset required for most Service Dogs. Add on to that their wicked intelligence, sense of humor, and tendency to get bored REALLY easily… A Samoyed as a Service Dog is a beautiful thing to see in action, but their handler is often the breeder (who raised and trained the dog personally), or someone who has had years of experience with Samoyeds and knows how to work with/around their unique training challenges.

On the other hand, Samoyeds make fantastic Therapy Dogs, where their main job is giving comfort to patients in need, or reading with (to) kids at the local library, or doing a task that requires nothing more than for them to be their furry, lovable, happy selves (with some manners trained in).

FAQ – SCWS and finding a breeder

Our parent club, the Samoyed Club of America is a fantastic resource to start with on your journey to find the next addition to your family. Check out their info page on finding a breeder here.

Another great place to meet fellow Sam fanciers and breeders is at a dog show or breed club event. If you are local in Western Washington, please check out our Events page for our calendar of upcoming meetings and club activities.

Please check out our Events page for our calendar of upcoming meetings and club activities.