How to Identify a Samoyed

The Samoyed is an intelligent breed that while gentle and loyal, is also alert and eager to serve. It should not be shy or aggressive. This is a working breed, used to working in cold climates, so its coat is heavy and weather-resistant. Its expression should be of animation and is a result of the eyes, ears and mouth. They eyes sparkle when alert and the ears come up.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Look at the general appearance of the Samoyed. The bone structure is quite heavy for a dog this size, but is balanced out with the frame of the dog. It should not be too heavy, making the dog clumsy. Males are 21 to 23 ½ inches and females are 19 to 21 inches at the withers. Weight should be proportional to the height. The length of the Samoyed is about 5 percent longer than the height of the dog, giving it a slight rectangular look. Females are a bit longer than males.

2. Make sure the head is in proportion with the rest of the body. The wedge-shaped skull is broad and forms an equilateral triangle. The medium-length muzzle should not be coarse, and should taper toward the black nose. The black lips curve up at the corners of the mouth. The dark eyes are far apart on the skull and are almond-shaped. They are set rather deep into the skull and have dark rims. The eyes do not protrude and are not round. The thick ears stand straight up and are triangular shaped, but rounded at the tips.

3. Check that the strong neck has enough muscle and is carried erect, giving the Samoyed a proud look. The neck arches into the shoulders and chest area. The chest is deep, but not barrel-shaped. The legs are rather long, balancing out the deep chest. The shoulders are quite angulated, having a layback of about 45 degrees. The rear upper thighs are well muscled. The rear is angulated to balance the front angulation. The long feet are hare-like with arched toes and thick, tough pads. The tail is rather long, with the last vertebrae at the hock. It is heavily coated with long hair and held forward--either over the back or to either side of the back.

4. Pet the double coat. The undercoat is soft and wooly and the harsh outer coat stands out from the body and is straight. It forms a ruff around the neck and shoulders--males have a thicker ruff than females. The weather-resistant coat should have a silver sheen. The females have a softer outer coat than males. The Samoyed is pure white, but may be cream colored or white and biscuit or all biscuit colored.