San Francisco Samoyed Rescue

Rescuing and Re-Homing Dogs Since 1975

Adopt a Samoyed

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Is a Samoyed the Right Dog for You?
Purebreed Rescue: A Source for Older Pets.

Samoyed Snippet

The first Sammie was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1906. The Samoyed Club of America was accepted for A.K.C. membership in 1923. The Sammie is a member of the Working Group. Today the Samoyed not only is seen in the Conformation ring, it is also proudly shown in Obedience, Tracking and Field Trials, Herding, Agility, and is being used on many occasions as a Service Dog. Sammys enjoy sled racing, excursion sledding and skijoring. They have competed in weight pulling and can do packing for those outdoor people who enjoy hiking.

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About the Breed: Samoyed

Jasper The Samoyed is a good-natured, kind, somewhat mischievous, family dog who has a fondness for people, especially children. They have developed over the years in close proximity with people, and therefore love to be around them. The beauty of a Samoyed is in its smile, which extends from ear to ear and will attract attention when they are out.

An owner of a Samoyed should be somebody who is willing to give of their time in both grooming and activity. Samoyeds do not shed, instead you will find their woolly undercoat coming out like white balls of fluff floating through the air. Their coat is also odorless, which is why it has been used in the past for spinning wool.

The Samoyed, or Smiling Sammy, used to come in colors of white, black, or white and black. Today however, the white has become so popular that black hardly ever shows up anymore. A truly white Sammy is said to have a silver glow on the coat. They are medium sized dogs that can have a range of eye colors, in which blue is included. Samoyeds are extremely friendly, welcoming and lively. The Samoyed has become a popular pet in America today for these very reasons.

Temperament: Samoyeds are intelligent, alert, affectionate and friendly. They are very people oriented. Samoyeds are gentle, lively, and can be mischievous. They are not completely obedient, and can be independent. They love to be around their owners and family, however. They get along with children and other pets well. Samoyeds are game to tackle any task thrown their way, and enjoy doing a job.

Samoyeds are named after a nomadic tribe which lived in the tundra of northern Russia, in Siberia. Another breed very similar to the Samoyed was named the Nenets Laika, named after the Nentsy tribe. They were used as a herd and guard dog responsible for keeping masses of reindeer together. They were chosen specifically for their non-hunting abilities and urges, so that they would not accidentally attack the reindeer, but keep them safe.

The breed is especially friendly, and has been bred down this way due to their close proximity with humans over the years. They were said to even share the chooms, or portable tents, with the tribes they traveled with. Back then, the breed could be either black, white or black and white. The white color became predominant due to popularity. In the 1890s, Fridtjof Nansen and Ernest Shackleton attempted the first polar expedition with this breed, using white and black and whites.

In Siberia, fur traders took hold of the breed and brought some species to England. Other English travelers came upon the breed, such as Ernest Kilburn-Scott in 1889, and brought it back to England with them. Kilburn-Scott was so impressed with the breed that he brought several of the breed back with him and began breeding the Samoyed. On the first trip to the South Pole in 1911, a Samoyed named "Etah" traveled with Roald Amundsen on his quest. It is thought that only 12 dogs of the Samoyed type were the breed base for all the Samoyeds that exist today. When the breed reached America it became very popular, and the white coloration became nearly universal. They are still is used today as a reindeer guard dog in reindeer breeding programs in Eastern Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula.