Samoyed Dogs

The Samoyed dog takes its name from an obsolete term for the Nenets people 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.

Appearance
Males typically reach sizes of up to 65 pounds, while females typically remain less than 55 pounds.
 

Eyes
Samoyed eyes should be black or brown, and are almond in shape. Blue or other color eyes are not allowed in the show ring.
 

Ears
Samoyed ears are thick and well-furred, triangular in shape, and erect.

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, especially with children, 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 hearty 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. 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 become 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.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Samoyed".