Samoyed

Originating from the Arctic regions of North Eastern Siberia, the Samoyed was a breed developed to help his owners – nomadic tribes of the Samoyede and the Nentsy. They had to be versatile, herding and guarding reindeer, pulling loads and even hunting. Sometimes the dogs were slaughtered and their pelts used for clothing. The early dogs were sometimes parti-coloured, black and white or brown and white. Parti-coloured dogs were used on the first Polar Expedition but now the white, sometimes with cream or biscuit shadings, is the recognised colour of the breed. His double coat provided insulation against the climate and his flat feet, sometimes likened to snow shoes, with thick hair between the pads, prevented the build-up of snowballs on the feet. 

One of the dogs used to establish the breed in the UK, Antarctic Buck, was a survivor of Carsten Borchgrevink's expedition and had been discovered in Sydney Zoo and brought to the UK by Mr Kilburn-Scott.

Characteristics

Temperament