Samoyed

General Appearance
The Samoyed, being essentially a working dog, should present a picture of beauty, alertness and strength, with agility, dignity and grace. As his work lies in cold climates, his coat should be heavy and weather-resistant, well groomed, and of good quality rather then quantity. The male carries more of a "ruff" than the female. He should not be long in the back as a weak back would make him practically useless for his legitimate work, but at the same time, a close-coupled body would also place him at a great disadvantage as a draft dog. Breeders should aim for the happy medium, a body not long but muscular, allowing liberty, with a deep chest and well-sprung ribs, strong neck, straight front and especially strong loins. Males should be masculine in appearance and deportment without unwarranted aggressiveness; females feminine without weakness of structure or apparent softness of temperament. Females may be slightly longer in back than males. They should both give the appearance of being capable of great endurance but be free from coarseness. Because of the depth of chest required, the legs should be moderately long. A very short-legged dog is to be deprecated. Hindquarters should be particularly well developed, stifles well bent and any suggestion of unsound stifles or cowhocks severely penalized. General appearance should include movement and general conformation, indicating balance and good substance.

Owning
When you own a Samoyed you have a friend for life. The affectionate Samoyed thrives on companionship. The alert Samoyed will easily adapt to any environment and is equally happy living in a house or an apartment given plenty of exercise. Samoyeds have a fluffy white coat which sheds a great deal.

Temperament
Intelligent, gentle, loyal, adaptable, alert, full of action, eager to serve, friendly but conservative, not distrustful or shy, not overly aggressive.

Did You Know
Of all modern breeds, the Samoyed is most nearly akin to the primitive dog - no admixture of wolf or fox runs in the Samoyed strain. Although its ancestry is vague, it's clear the Samoyed takes its name from the Samoyed people (now known as the Nenetsky people) of the Siberian tundra. Samoyeds were kept for ages by this nomadic tribe, who, by necessity, were strongly attached to their dogs. Pulling sleds, herding reindeer and alerting their masters to approaching danger were just a few of the Samoyed's functions that made the dogs crucial to the tribe's survival. In the United States, the Samoyed has had its brush with royalty. Mercy d'Argenteau, the Princess of Montyglyon, owned the first Samoyed entered in the AKC Stud Book in December 1906, Russian Ch. Moustan of Argenteau. The princess also owned one of the lead sled dogs from Roald Amundsen's successful expedition to the South Pole in 1911.