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Your Pet, Our Passion.

Samoyed

An intelligent, loyal, and gentle dog, the Samoyed makes a brilliant family dog for families with kids. They love human companionship and are generally affectionate with all family members. 

The Samoyed would suit someone who wants a friendly and happy dog, who are at home most of the time, who prefer a non-heated house, and don’t mind being covered in white hair! 

Lifespan
12–13 years
Weight
23–30kg
Height
Adult males are 51–56cm and adult females 46–51cm
Colours
Pure white, white and biscuit, or cream
Size
Medium
Kennel Club group
Working
The need-to-know
  • Dogs suitable for experienced owners
  • Extra training required
  • Generally healthy breed
  • Enjoys active walks
  • Enjoys more than two hours of walking a day
  • Medium dog
  • Some drool
  • Requires grooming daily
  • Chatty and vocal dog
  • Welcomes everyone happily
  • Generally friendly with other dogs
  • May need additional training to live with other pets
  • Great family dog
  • Needs a large garden
  • Can live in semi-rural areas
  • Cannot be left alone
Generally healthy breed

The Samoyed breed can suffer from:
- Hip dysplasia 
- Diabetes mellitus¹ which is a condition where dogs develop very high sugar levels because they do not produce a normal amount of insulin. 
- Pulmonic stenosis² which is where one of the heart valves  is malformed and obstructs blood flow leading into the heart. 
- Samoyed hereditary glomerulopathy which causes the kidneys to malfunction.

Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing: 
- Hip dysplasia scheme.

¹B. Catchpol et al, 'Canine diabetes mellitus: from phenotype to genotype', 2008, Journal of Small Animal Practice 
²C. Bussadori, 'Balloon Valvuloplasty in 30 Dogs with Pulmonic Stenosis: Effect of Valve Morphology and Annular Size on Initial and 1-Year Outcome', 2001, Journal of Internal Veterinary Medicine

Samoyed Appearance

The Samoyed is a stunning medium/large Spitz breed, showing the typical characteristics of erect, pricked ears, and a tail curling over their backs. They have a thick, profuse weather-resistant coat. Their feet are flat and have an abundance of hair, making them like snowshoes, and preventing snow from forming 'snowballs' between the toes. Also, the Samoyed colours are pure white, white and biscuit, or cream white, which makes them look very clean and tidy. 

Samoyed Personality

The Samoyed is generally a friendly, outgoing, and devoted dog. Samoyeds are protective of their homes. No intruder will ever go unheard, although they rarely do much more than announce their presence. They love to be included in all family activities, and can become destructive and vocal if left for too long or bored. They enjoy digging and are great escape artists, so garden security is essential. Plus, they have to be socialised from an early age, especially with cats and any other household pets. 

Samoyed Fun Facts 

  • The Samoyed dog breed takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. These nomadic reindeer herders bred the fluffy, white, smiling dogs to help with the herding, to pull sleds, and to keep their owners warm at night by sleeping on top of them. 
  • As Samoyeds were the easiest of the Arctic dogs to buy at the end of the 19th century, early polar explorers such as Shakleton and Scott used them as sledge dogs on their historic expeditions. Once such dog, called Antarctic Buck ended up in Sydney Zoo being exhibited between two tigers before being discovered and shipped back to England to join the breed’s foundation stock there. 
  • Recent DNA analysis of the breed has discovered that they are one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. 
  • Samoyeds have the ability to sing. It’s not the singing we are used to, but more of a howl similar to a wolf’s howl. Some owners have even witnessed their Samoyeds singing along to music. 

FAQs 

Is a Samoyed a Husky? 

Despite many similarities, the Samoyed and the Husky are two different dog breeds.  

Are Samoyeds rare? 

The Samoyed is considered to be a relatively rare dog breed and it’s usually hard to find a reputable breeder. More so, if you’re looking for a specifically coloured Samoyed, such as biscuit, which is an incredibly rare one. 

Are Samoyeds lazy dogs? 

No, Samoyeds are high-energy dogs that enjoy exercise on a daily basis, and will happily join their human for either walks or runs. 

Is a Samoyed part wolf? 

No, the Samoyed dog breed is the best example of what wild dogs used to look like, as they have no fox or wolf lineage, unlike most other breeds.