History The Samoyed name quickly became obsolete for the Nenets people after the Russian Revolution (perceived as derogatory; see Nenets article). However, by then, Arctic explorers (for example, Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen) had brought enough of the dogs back to Europe to keep the name and to establish the breed both there and in the US. Fridtjof Nansen believed that the use of sled dogs was the only effective way to explore the north and used Samoyeds on his polar expeditions. Unfortunately, his plan was disastrous to the animals, as he planned to feed the weaker dogs to the stronger ones as they died during the expedition. In the end, he lost almost all of his dogs due to his plan. Roald Amundsen used a team of sled dogs led by a Samoyed named Etah on the first expedition to reach the South Pole. Recent DNA analysis of the breed has led to the Samoyed being included amongst the fourteen most ancient dog breeds, along with Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, the Chow Chow, and 10 others of a diverse geographic background.The first Samoyed was brought to United States by fur traders in 1906. The Samoyeds have been bred and trained for at least 3,000 years.   Appearance Samoyeds have a lot of vitality, and well cared for Samoyeds are known to retain their youthful, energetic spirit well into their senior years. The average lifespan for a Samoyed is 12 to 16 years, although some will live a little longer. Being a working breed, they have excellent stamina, and without daily exercise they will become bored and/or depressed, which can lead to excessive barking, destruction, weight gain, irritability, and escape artist behavior. Temperament Samoyeds' friendly disposition makes them poor guard dogs; an aggressive Samoyed is rare. With their tendency to bark however, they can be diligent watch dogs; barking whenever something approaches their territory. Samoyeds are excellent companions, especially for small children or even other dogs, and they remain playful into old age. Samoyeds are also known to be stubborn at times and difficult to train, due to unwillingness rather than lack of intelligence; they must be persuaded to obey commands. With their sled dog heritage, a Samoyed is not averse to pulling things, and an untrained Samoyed has no problem pulling its owner on a leash rather than walking alongside. They will instinctively act as herd dogs, and when playing with children, especially, will often attempt to turn and move them in a different direction. The breed is characterized by an alert and happy expression which has earned the nicknames "Sammy smile" and "smily dog."   Health Samoyed Hereditary Glomerulopathy - Samoyeds can be affected by a genetic disease known as "Samoyed Hereditary Glomerulopathy", a renal disease. The disease is known to be caused by an X-linked recessive faulty allele and therefore the disease is more severe in male Samoyeds. Carrier females do develop mild symptoms after 2-3 months of age, but do not go on to develop renal failure. The disease is caused by a defect in the structure of the type-IV collagen fibrils of the glomerular basement membrane. As a consequence, the collagen fibrils of the glomerular basement membrane are unable to form cross-links, so the structural integrity is weakened and the membrane is more susceptible to "wear-and-tear" damage. As the structure of the basement membrane begins to degenerate, plasma proteins are lost in the urine and symptoms begin to appear. Affected males appear healthy for the first 3 months of life, but then symptoms start to appear and worsen as the disease progresses: the dog becomes lethargic and muscle wastage occurs, as a result of proteinuria. From 3 months of age onwards, a reduced glomerular filtration rate is detected, indicative of progressive renal failure. Death from renal failure usually occurs by 15 months of age. As yet there is no genetic screening test available for Samoyed Hereditary Glomerulopathy. Therefore, female Samoyeds known or suspected of being carriers of the disease should not be bred from. If a carrier female is mated with a healthy stud dog, the female offspring have a 50% chance of being carriers for the disease, and any male offspring have a 50% chance of being affected by the disease. The litter-mates of any affected Samoyeds should not be bred from in order to prevent the disease being passed on to future generations. Other Health Concerns - Hip dysplasia is also a concern for Samoyeds as are eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma and other retinal problems. Like other purebred dogs, Samoyeds are prone to diabetes and other diseases if their owners are not careful. Care When a Samoyed "blows" their coat, the majority of the undercoat sheds and is renewed; the old coat can come out in large clumps, leading to bald spots in some extreme cases. One can comb it deeply, with a metal comb, which will speed up the shedding process and allow the Samoyed to regain its usual appearance more quickly. Frequent combing during a blow will be a great help in preventing matting. Giving a Samoyed a bath is a somewhat time consuming process as the coat is semi-weatherproof and will take some time to get completely wet, then completely rinsed. The Samoyed coat should be dried with cool, forced air (which can be done with a cannister dryer, shop vacuum or blow or kennel dryer) as water can be trapped in the very thick undercoat, has difficulty evaporating and may remain in the fur for some time, possibly leading to a "hot spot." Drying the Samoyed coat will also reduce matting caused by dampness in the undercoat. It is important to rinse well, as any shampoo or soap left in the coat after bathing can lead to a "hot spot" or a fungal infection, which is difficult to cure without shaving the affected location. To keep the Samoyed's coat gleaming, dedicated grooming and a healthy diet cannot be overlooked. Breeders: None For more detailed info regarding the Breed Standards for the above F.C.I purebred sled dogs, follow the links below: