Samoyed Dog
The Samoyed dog is a meant to be a companion. It is characterized by strength, endurance, dignity and elegance in addition to its beautiful appearance. In the past these dogs lived in mostly cold climates, hence their coat is dense and weatherproof. The characteristics of the coat are more important to the abundance of hair. In addition to the fluffy top coat, the Samoyed also has a very dense undercoat. The color of the coat is white with wide array of shades. Although coat with a slight yellowish tinge is also allowed, the color of the samoyed dog’s coat is often called silver-white, as the tip of the white coat is silver. Hair care does not require too much time, as it is self-cleaning. However, it is necessary to regularly comb the hair so that there are no knotted hair and skin problems. Samoyed dogs are often referred to as “smiling dog”. This is due to the fact that the dark pigmented mouth corners of these dogs are curved upwards which makes it seem as if the dog is smiling. A white fluffy coat, dark eyes and a smiling face give the Samoyed a friendly and fun look.
History
The Samoyed dog is native to Siberia and was named after the Samoyed tribes that raised these dogs. He is considered one of the oldest breeds of dogs. The word “Samoyed” can be translated in general terms as self-sufficiency. This is what characterized both these dogs and tribal peoples. The tribesmen themselves called these dogs “Bjelkiers,” or “a white dog that gets white offspring.” The correct pronunciation of the word “samoyed” is actually “sammijed”, not “samOJeed”. There is no “OJ” combination in the language of tribal peoples. The Samoyed dog is a good working dog and was used as a reindeer herder, a sled dog, a guard dog and a companion. To the general public, this breed is known first and foremost as a good sled dog. These dogs were used in polar expeditions in Antarctica and the Arctic. Dr. Fritjov Nansen, a researcher of Norwegian origin, received his first Samoyed dogs from a Siberian resident who communicated with tribal peoples. He used these dogs on several of his polar expeditions and recommended Samoyed dogs as very hardworking dogs, to many other researchers. Eventually he took the dogs that went on expeditions with him to Norway. The modern Samoyed dogs were born in England where they started to breed them first. It started at the end of the 19th century, when the English explorer Ernest Kilburn Scott brought two dogs from Siberia from a research trip. Only white dogs were selected. Among the dogs kept in Siberia there were also completely black and black-and-white variegated dogs. Fifteen more dogs were brought in later. Today, samoyed people live in Siberia almost in the same way as in the old days. From time to time, footage of reindeer herding and sled dogs resembling Samoyed dogs can be seen through the media, only some of them are black and white in color. The first Samoyed dog was registered in Estonia in 1997. The first litter (7 puppies) was born on November 19, 2003 in the kennel Pilgrimage (then there was no kennel name yet). The breeder on this litter was Ello Stick.
Health and hair care
Like many other breeds, they can have hereditary eye diseases and hip dysplasia (a condition that can cause movement problems). Before breeding, it is important to inspect the eyes of dogs and assess the hip joints. Eye popsicles have a history of retinal dysplasia (RD), galucoma and cataracts (HC) of the eye. Samoyed dogs, like many other breeds, have a self-cleaning coat. Which simply means that when the dog has become muddy, when it dries, the dirt falls off and the coat is (almost) as clean as before. Light brushing of a dried coat is a great help in the purification process. The average life expectancy of Samoyed dogs is 12-15 years.
Training
Since the Samoyed puppy looks very cute and safe, you may feel that there may be no need for certain boundaries. However, this is an animal that needs boundaries and discipline just like all other dogs/animals. Training should be started as early as possible. Certain rules must be established from the first day when the puppy is brought home. Many things that are cute and cool about a puppy may not be so cool when it comes to an adult 25-pound dog. Teaching a Samoyed dog is not difficult, as they are accustomed to working with a person for thousands of years. This is a dog with a strong herd instinct (he is a dog that works in a herd/harness), so it is necessary to find out to him early who is the leader of the herd. Once the leadership status has been achieved, training will also become significantly easier. It is useful to go to puppy school as soon as the dog is brought home and received the first vaccines. In puppy school, the owner will be able to get to know the puppy better and get tips on how to establish himself as a leader of the herd from a very early age. Just as with several other breeds, training requires consistency. Many owners complain that their dogs behave well on the training ground, but at home do not listen to the word at all. A Samoyed dog is intelligent enough to understand when different rules apply to the same thing in different situations. The owner must always behave in the same way and demand the correct behavior from the dog. All this is easier to do when it comes to a puppy rather than a stubborn adult dog that has been able to apply unpleasant behavior for a long time. In addition to consistency and certain rules, you have to work hard to find the right motivation. The Samoyed dog is curious by nature, but quickly gets bored, and this must definitely be taken into account when motivating the dog.
Motivation items and rewards must be new and interesting for the dog at all times. A well-bred and motivated Samoyed dog is capable of doing almost anything, while being fun and with a “smiling face”.
Samoyed is a very open, friendly, sociable, elegant and fast learner. He copes perfectly with both humans and other animals, which is why he is also suitable for the first dog. He enjoys company immensely and prefers to spend a lot of time with his family. However, it is certainly not suitable to be a watchdog , since you should not expect him to bark at strangers. They also like to dig and are masters at escape, so the garden must be made escape-proof.
But all in all, he is still an insanely cheerful dog, and his character does not leave anyone cold-perfect family dog, with whom you can also carry a harness and do other sports if necessary.