1) What is the name of the breed?
Samoyed? Samoyed Husky? Sami Laika? Samoyed dog?
The official name of the breed is Samoyed (SAMOIEDSKAÏA SABAKA), even though all other names also have the right to exist.

2) What colors are Samoyeds?
According to FCI standard: “Pure white, cream or white with biscuit. (The basic colour to be white with a few biscuit markings.) Should never give the impression of being pale brown.” Source: https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/212g05-en.pdf

3) What is the average life expectancy of Samoyeds?
The life span of a Samoyed is 12-14 years. The Samoyed remains cheerful and charming, playful and cunning until the end of his life.

4) What is the height of an adult Samoyed?
Male Samoyeds are traditionally larger than females; at the withers, an adult male Samoyed is 21-23 1/2 inches and an adult female Samoyed is 19-21 inches. Source: https://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/Samoyed.pdf

5) Do Samoyeds like children?
Yes, they do! Due to its gentle nature, the Samoyed is the perfect dog for children. A Samoyed will never intentionally bite or otherwise harm a child.

6) Can a Samoyed be a guard dog?
No, they cannot. Samoyeds are naturally very friendly to people. According to FCI standard: “Behaviour and temperament: friendly, open, alert, and lively. The hunting instinct is very slight. Never shy nor aggressive. Very social and cannot be used as guard dog”. Source: https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/212g05-en.pdf

7) Can Samoyeds live in hot climates?
Yes, they can. They become less active and may seek out cooler spots. The “double” coat insulates the Samoyed from heat as well as cold. There is no pigment in the cells of white hair, they are filled with air, which is a poor conductor of heat. Therefore, the white color helps to keep warm in the body, which is of great importance in the harsh conditions of the tundra, and in hot weather, it protects from solar radiation.

9) Can Samoyeds live only in the outdoors?
The answer is yes they can, but they should not. The Samoyed is dogs are always happy with their owner, who gives them a full life. They would suffer, living separately from people in enclosures. Samoyeds are pack-oriented breeds, that is, they feel better when they are “adopted” into a family (a pack, from their point of view) rather than they left on their own. Samoyeds live well in apartments or houses, these dogs are very fond of home comfort and attention to them! Wherever Samoyeds live, they should always be able to move a lot.

10) What do Samoyeds eat?
The digestive system of Samoyeds is very sensitive and they are not suitable for poor-quality dry food containing a large amount of starch. Ready-made premium dry food or
naturally balanced food will satisfy them. It should be noted that Samoyeds are often
very fond of fish, which surprises many people. Fish can be used as a food supplement
or treat. This product is very rich in vitamins and phosphorus, which are so necessary
for a growing body. The dog should receive nutritional supplements (vitamins) regularly, especially during the growth and molting period.

11) Can the Samoyed be let off the leash?
It’s always a big risk, especially if you live in a city. The Samoyeds are very curious with high chasing instinct, so they can run away if they see squirrels or rabbits. They also like to greet other dogs. It is safe to let off the leash only in a fenced designated space or dog park.

12) Are Samoyeds a noisy breed?
This is a truly “talkative” breed of dog. Samoyeds can bark or talk” with a soft “aruuu” or “uuuu” sound. Some Samoyed bark more than others especially if they are excited.

13) Can Samoyeds be left alone at home?
All pack animals do not tolerate loneliness very well, and Samoyed dogs are no exception. Out of boredom and longing, alone, they can howl or dig. Adult Samoyed can be left alone at home, he will sleep until you arrive, however, it is not desirable to be left alone for the whole day.

14) Do Samoyeds like to ride in cars?
You can always take your Samoyed with you on trips. Usually, they do not rage in the
car and sleep peacefully when the car is moving. If you have a car, you can easily teach your puppy to ride with you. During stops, your adult Samoyed may look out the window.

15) How do Samoyeds react to cats?
Like any other dog – they can only be friends if they grow up together. A neighbor’s cat can become an object of hunting for your Samoyed in the country. This must be remembered.

16) Is it necessary to train a Samoyed?
Yes. This helps the Samoyed develop muscle groups and look beautiful. Productive loads are very necessary for them. Your Samoyed may not be an athlete (unless you
choose to be), but he should at least be an athlete because this is the essence of the breed. You can train a Samoyed in the summer with a bike, and in the winter with skis
or sleds. The load in the form of running traction helps to distract the Samoyed from bad thoughts and destruction of the house, as these are interconnected. These dogs will
suffer if they sit all day in an aviary apartment and only go out for a 15-minute walk 2-3 times a day. If you can only provide a Samoyed with such a mode, you should think – do
you really need a Samoyed?

17) Is it difficult to care for Samoyed’s hair?
No, it is not particularly difficult. One of the advantages of the Samoyed is that the Samoyed, like other northern breeds, does not have a specific smell of dog at all, which is an important advantage when kept in apartments and another positive addition to the general portrait of Samoyeds. In addition, Samoyeds are very clean dogs that clean themselves like cats, and their coat has a unique self-cleaning ability. To the casual observer, keeping a perfect white dog clean is a big burden, but breed connoisseurs are aware of the Samoyed’s coat’s unique ability to repel dirt. Therefore, even with minimal grooming, your Samoyed will be snow-white. It is enough to comb once a week and your pet’s coat will always be beautiful.

18) Are Samoyeds easy to train?
Is it true that Samoyeds are difficult to train? Samoyeds are obedient and easy to train. However, having a somewhat independent nature, they will behave more like “partners” rather than “subordinates”. These are very sensitive, loyal, affectionate, and playful creatures, friendly to people, and adoring children. Samoyeds are very smart, so they do not like monotonous activities and games, they quickly get bored with them. For a Samoyed, there is nothing worse than a routine, dozens of repeated exercises will not give the effect that five minutes of an interesting game will give. It is also important to know that the intelligence and strong independent nature of the Samoyed make it difficult to train. For example, if a Golden Retriever can work “for” the owner, then the Samoyed either works “with” the owner or does not work at all. Samoyeds learn quickly, but the basic principle of training is to train the Samoyed without annoying him. This characteristic is why Samoyeds (and other northern breeds) are referred to as “dogs with unconventional obedience”. However, Samoyeds successfully take part in obedience competitions and easily pass the OKD course. Have you ever had something like: “Do you have a Samoyed? Well, good luck with it! Don’t you know that northern dog breeds are not trainable?” Don’t be fooled! Never let them tell you that Samoyeds are not smart! The problem is that they are overly smart and highly intelligent dogs. Samoyed training is very interesting, but since they are too smart, they will look for 100 and 1 ways to avoid making (in their opinion) an unnecessary command, testing your strength, so always follow it. The most important thing: never stay in an on-site dog school if your instructor has a negative attitude towards your dog precisely because he is a Samoyed! What is good for a guard breed may not always be suitable for a smart and gentle Samoyed. The Samoyed is a highly intelligent dog breed, with a very sensitive psyche and they can make their own decisions. In training, if they are bored they can become a little stubborn – which is understandable.

19) What diseases are Samoyeds susceptible to?
The Samoyeds have good and healthy genes, but the dog is still considered “primitive”, in the development of which human intervention was very insignificant, so it is impossible to talk about any serious health problems. There are several typical problems common to all northern sled dogs – hip dysplasia and low immunity to infectious diseases. Before you get any dog, you should think it over carefully and try to study the breed you are interested in as deeply as possible, collecting the available information. You need to know that there is no ideal in appearance and there are no two identical dogs in character. Dogs of the same breed may have different characters, but of course, retaining the main features inherent in this particular breed. Never listen to the advice of people who have a very remote idea of the breed, at the level of “heard something somewhere.” When collecting information, communicate as much as possible with breeders-kennels of this particular breed, who have more than one year of work with the breed behind them, as well as with people who have Samoyeds in their homes Samoyeds are athletic and sociable dogs. They are human-oriented, but they are also very fond of the company of other dogs. Samoyeds are very playful, emotional, sociable, and really too smart, they really do not like to be left all alone. They will love all members of your family, most likely without making any priorities, they are not “one owner” dogs.