Samoyed
Overview
The Samoyed dog takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. An alternate name for the breed, usually heard 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.
Recent DNA analysis has led to the Samoyed being included in the top 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.
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, weight gain, irritability, and escape artist behavior.
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 nicknames "Sammy smile" and "smiley dog."
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 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.
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.
Bathing
Bathing a Samoyed is somewhat time consuming, 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 vacuum, 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 an infection. 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 also lead to a fungal infection.
Odor
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.
Source: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
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