samoyed puppys should i get one?

Question

i am thinking about getting a boy Samoyed puppy but i was wondering if any of you have one of these dogs and could tell me any useful information about them as i want to find out as much about them as possible before i buy one. For example do they bark a lot? are they friendly with children and people? What kind of grooming do they need? Also around how much are the pups to buy? thanks

Answer 1

I have owned Samoyeds for 36 years. I've shown them for 25 years and have been a breeder for 19 years.

Samoyeds bark, dig, shed and run away (they need TRAINING to be good dogs). They are smart, wily, conniving dogs who have an agenda in life and its not always compatible with their human's agenda. They need a strong leader who has clear ideas of right and wrong & has taken the time to learn how to train an independent thinking dog.

They are outstanding with kids and other humans, make great therapy dogs but most of them are not terribly loyal and would follow a stranger home on the promise of a cookie.

They are not known to be very good watch dogs (not good guard dogs at all) and would merrily point out the cookie cupboard to an intruder. That being said, like all dogs, they will defend their pack.

A pet quality pup from a responsible breeder will cost between $800-$1200 and will come with a health guarantee (usual is 3 years all though some are now giving a lifetime guarantee). Rescued dogs are great and if you don't want to deal with a typical 3 year puppyhood a rescued Sam is your answer. Typical lifespan of a Samoyed is 12-15 years so getting a temperament screened Sam from a rescue is a great way to go (When I get old and can't deal with pups I will adopt Silver Sams- rescues 8 and older). Backyard bred Samoyeds are NOT a good way to go... the small amount of money you save will be eaten up quickly in vet bills.

A well bred Samoyed takes a LOT less grooming than one who is poorly bred. (I've had a lot of rescued Sams go through my door and have also shown other people's dogs) A good Sam will have a weather resistant and dirt resistant coat. I rake my Sams out once a month (a good breeder will show you how to line comb) and I only really bathe them if I'm going to be showing that dog. The second dog in my avatar had not had a bath in 8 months.

My favorite Samoyed website: http://www.hawkwindsamoyeds.com/

A great page with links: http://www.samoyed.org/

Please feel free to email me at [e-mail] for more information.

Answer 2

I have an 11 year old male samoyed. He is the best dog I've ever had. Extremely intelligent, was housebroken at 8 weeks. He didn't have any formal obedience training, I was able to train him myself at home. He responds to hand signal commands and is extremely obedient. They love children and all people in general. Cosmo is not a good watch dog because of his friendly dimeanor. He'd lick strangers to death!. Samoyeds rarely if ever bark, but they will "talk" to you. Mine will come up to me and nudge my hand and "talk" A woo woo woo sort of thing. Sure enough, I will find that his water bowl is empty, or the cat is stuck on the roof or some other thing. The only bad thing about this breed, if you can call it bad, is that they do require a lot of grooming. They have a natural oil in their skin, which helps their fur to repel dirt, so staying nice and white is not a problem, however they do require a lot of brushing. I have mine groomed every 2-3 months and keep up with the grooming in between.

Samoyeds live to about 12-14 years old and do not show their age until later in life. My Cosmo, at 11 is just beginning to slow down a bit, but still very spry. People are usually shocked when they learn that he is 11.

They are truly beautiful animals and will bring you many years of loyalty and enjoyment.

Here is a website with more information: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/samoyed.htm

I think that if you can get past the grooming aspect of the breed, you will find nothing negative about this breed. Good luck with your search. Should you decide on a samoyed for your pet, you might consider one of the many samoyed rescue society's out there, otherwise, expect to pay about 800.00 from a good breeder.

Answer 3

Samoyeds are a great breed of dog, but they are not for everyone. The typical age for a Samoyed to end up in rescue is 18 mos and its usually because they owners have not figured out how to train a Samoyed.

Samoyeds are NOT a good breed for a first time dog-owner.

Samoyeds are fun-loving dogs who wear a smile on their face year around. They are ACTIVE and need both their brains and their body worked. They get bored easily. .

Samoyeds need a LOT of attention as they are a true pack dog. Until well into adulthood (age 6 or 7) they usually are not safe left loose in a house unattended, so crate training is a must. They are LOUSY outdoor dogs and have a tendency to destroy a yard, yard furniture and will spend hours barking and trying to figure out how to escape and go find some fun. Samoyeds are non-conformists and it often takes several different styles of training in order to find what works best... its as if they've read all the books and want to put you through your paces. Many professional trainers have the notion they are untrainable, which is just what the Sam wants the trainer to believe (lots more fun that way)... however, if you have the patience and determination to figure out what makes a Samoyed tick, they are immensely trainable. Often, the way to a Sam's heart (and training) is through his stomach... its an advantage to use this to your benefit and not free feed.

Because of a Sam's arctic outlook on life, they believe the next meal may not be just around the corner and will behave as if they are starving, its hard not to fall prey to that and let the dog become overweight. This "I'm starving" nature means all edibles or semi-edibles (trash, bathroom garbage) are fair game.. and you need to understand it is nearly impossible to train a Sam to stay off the counter.

Rescues want what is best for the dogs they have fostered, rehabilitated and care deeply for. Often, people comment that it is harder to adopt a dog from a rescue than it is to adopt a child. While you think you're doing the rescue a favor by adopting a dog... you need to realize while the original owner may no longer want the dog.. the dog is in no way unwanted or in jeopardy and the rescue's job is to place the dog in the dog's best interests. I have, personally, accepted someone's application.. and had to wait through many months and many dogs before finding the RIGHT ONE for their family. Sometimes it is easier (and better for your family) to start with an older, calmer dog (calmer being a relative term). This allows you a chance to ease into life with a Samoyed while helping an older, less-adoptable dog a home. Samoyeds live until they are 12 to 15 years, and do not show their age until very late in life. A 7 year old Samoyed is just in his prime.

Buy your Samoyed from a responsible breeder who belongs to the Samoyed Club of America and has signed their Code of Ethics (health screening of parents)... or get one from a rescue, it'll already have all its shots, be temprement tested and spay/neutered.

Answer 4

We had a samoyed for a long time. I wasn't alive when we first got him but I saw videos of him when he was a puppy and let me tell you...they are absolutely adorable. When I was born he loved me and he was a very big, yet gentle and furry creature. Every once and awhile he would bark, but he wouldn't go on and on. He was always good with kids and people. The only thing is that samoyed shed quite a bit so we tried to brush him once a day or around there anyway. But don't let that stop you from buying this wonderful puppy. Our samoyed lived to be 12 and if you give your pup lots of love I am sure he will too.

Answer 5

I had a Samoyed for many years before he had to be put down for inoperable cancer and he was a great dog. They do love a lot of attention, are good with kids and other people, but do require a lot of grooming. Mine was not a big barker either, then again he was always with us in the house so there was no real chance to need to bark a lot. Do some research on the breed and good luck if you decide to get him.

Answer 6

How about contacting a Samoyed rescue group and asking them? You can search for breed specific rescue groups via the web or simply go to petfinder and search for Samoyeds. If you see one that tugs at your heart, contact the rescue group that listed the dog. Many rescue groups have foster homes and the foster mom (or dad) can provide you with very detailed information about the personality of the dog that caught your eye.

While there are many reputable breeders, a dog in rescue may be a good choice for you because often they are owner surrenders or strays and may already be house trained and vetted.

Answer 7

I am not an owner of a Sammy but I have been a professional groomer for 25 years and so have seen my share of them. I just wanted to add to the two great anwers at the bottom from the breeder and then the answer after that; If this is your first dog, you should be prepared to do a LOT of maintenance or be an affluent owner because if you can not, or will not, do loads of coat work with this breed, you will need to have him groomed fairly frequently and they are not a cheap breed to have groomed because they are such a handful to get all that thick coat worked out and fully cleaned and dry!

You can almost think of it like having a living bear skin rug professionally cleaned. They can take hours to complete. I have had some bad pet owners that would wait for MONTHS to get any attention at all to thrie dog and then expect a miracle.

The last Samoyed I ever took was from a well off professionel man. He called to say that his beloved older female dog had almost died at the last groomer so he was going to try a mobile service because he had spent days by the dog's side while she slowly recovered from complications due to a fall from a grooming table. He warned me that she had not been done in 11 months or so!

I scheduled a very light day so I could devote 1/2 a day to this dog's grooming. She took a little over 4 hours grooming her straight through! She really lost patience towards the end and got pretty snappish with me. She was not solid mats but that 'gray' area that is not yet technically matted but her under coat was a tangled up mess. I had to work slow enough for her old skin and fast eneough so I wasn't there for the rest of my life.

I told the owner that I thought she should be done again in 6 to 8 weeks because she was having 'old dog' areas that were more difficult than others. What that means is that when any dog gets into old age, the coat is not nearly as resilient as it was when they were young and in their prime, and add to that fact that they lay or sit in one spot a lot so the rump, flanks and belly become more packed up with thick coat than the rest of the dog. The man waited about 3 months to call for another appointment. The dog took just under 4 hours that time but she lost patience with me much earlier than the last time so it was unpleasant for both of us. I again told the man that I thought he should either call in a shorter amount of time or consider having her clipped down if he could not maintain her so that at least she could be comfortable. He insisted he could NEVER do that to his beloved dog!

Next time he waited 4 months to call. I was not happy with that fact, knowing how bad it had gotten the time before. I asked him again if he wanted to try a clip down, again he told me he couldn't bear to do that to his beloved dog, yet it was fine and dandy to put her through a gruelling marathon groom session! I had made an appointment for him but as the days got closer, I finally realized that *I* couldn't do "That" to her either. I called and let him know that I could no longer put her through that aggravation and that he would need to find a new groomer and I have never accepted another Samoyed since that day.

The reason I wanted to tell you about this is so that you will fully understand that a beautiful dog like that requires WORK and I believe even with excellent breeding and top quality food, you will still never be able to skip out of a diligent home maintenance program.

And to get used to the idea of living with many white hairs in many of your home areas.

If this is your first dog, you may do better to start small and work your way up the size ladder. Possibly starting with a nice little Pomeranian, then think about an American Eskimo and after you have mastered the coat care of these little guys, maybe you will get the picture of how much more work a dog the size of a Samoyed will be.

Answer 8

I know this isn't an actual answer to your question, but I just want to say that those are the CUTEST puppies EVER!! There was two in the puppy bowl on animal planet last year that were ADORABLE =] and I can imagine them growing up being a great happy white fluffy companion to you =]

Just saying!!

Answer 9

my suggestion is that you should go to a dog show and talk to breeders--as well as meet the breed.

www.dogbreedinfo.com is also a great source for information on that breed.

Petfinder.com also has dogs for adoption for $100 (and saving an animal feels so good)

Before you buy any animal, it is a good thing to have met some and once you get your animal, it is important to spay and neuter!

Answer 10

i dont know much about samoyeds but if you go to www.dogster.com there about 1000 people who do