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.
History: The Samoyed is named after the nomadic people who came from central Asia to northwestern Siberia. For centuries, they have used a beautiful, robust white dog to pull their sleds. This dog has become known by their name. In 1889, the explorer Robert Scott brought several of these dogs to England, where the breed was developed and spread throughout the world.
Appearance: The Samoyed, being essentially a working dog, should present a picture of beauty, alertness and strength, with agility, dignity and grace. Their lips are tight with small flews that appear to make them smile when their mouth is open. Their triangular ears are usually standing erect on the head, their almond shaped eyes are dark in color as is their nose. The Samoyed has a long and thick double coat and requires a lot of grooming. The outercoat should be harsher than the undercoat, but still fairly soft. Undercoat should be short, thick, and should have wool like texture. The thick, silver-tipped coat comes in white, biscuit, yellow and cream, but pure white is preferred.
Size: Height: dogs - 21-23Ѕ inches (53-60 cm); bitches - 19-21 inches (48-53 cm)
Weight: dogs - 45-65 pounds (20Ѕ-30 kg); bitches - 35-50 pounds (16-20Ѕ kg)
Temperament: 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. Samoyeds are 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. 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 is very vocal so if quiet is what you are looking for, this is not the dog for you.
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.
Life expectancy: About 12-15 years.
Grooming: The Samoyed sheds twice yearly and requires daily brushing during this time. Otherwise, it only needs brushed two to three times each week. It should be bathed only when necessary.
Puppy price: $400.00 - $1.500.00