Samoyed

Samoyeds are perky, dependable playmates, often wearing "smiles" on their faces. They are full of fun, and love nothing more than an afternoon of frisky activity in the snow. They are active and alert, indoors and out.

The Samoyed was beloved by the Samoyed people, a tribe that roamed the icy tundra near the Arctic Ocean. He is considered the oldest of the Arctic breeds, and has a tough makeup as a result. He was a necessary part of the Samoyed life: guarding the tribe's reindeer, pulling heavy sleds, and accompanying his people everywhere. Being so close to people for thousands of years, Samoyeds are loving companions.

The Samoyed has a strikingly beautiful coat, shiny and white as the Arctic plains. It can also be white and biscuit, cream, or all biscuit. It is a double coat, a harsh outer coat with a soft woolly undercoat. The undercoat keeps the dog warm in winter and protects him from too much heat in summer. The coat sheds twice a year.

Excerpts from the Standard

General Appearance: Presenting a picture of beauty, alertness, strength, dignity, and grace, with a heavy and weather-resistant coat.

Size, Proportion, and Substance: Height--males, 21 to 231/2 inches at the withers; females, 19 to 21 inches. Never so heavy as to seem clumsy, nor so light as to seem racy.

Fun Facts

In 1911, Roald Amundsen of Norway was the first man to reach the South Pole. He got there by dog sled, pulled by a team of Samoyeds. Only one other dog sled team has been to Antarctica. That was in 1990. Now dogs are banned from the South Pole because scientists decided that the area was endangered and dogs could bring diseases such as distemper to seals and other wildlife historically unexposed to dogs.

Excerpted from The Complete Dog Book For Kids © 1996, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.