Samoyed
The Samoyed is a working breed from Northwest Russia and Western Siberia, standing males 20–22 in · females 18–20 in at the withers, weighing males 45–65 lb · females 35–50 lb. Recorded lifespan is 12–14 yrs.
- Breed group
- Working
- Origin
- Northwest Russia and Western Siberia
- Height
- males 20–22 in · females 18–20 in
- Weight
- males 45–65 lb · females 35–50 lb
- Lifespan
- 12–14 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Samoyed is taller than 45% of the measured breeds, heavier than 56%, one of 31 in the Working group.
Living with the Samoyed
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Samoyed’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 5 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 5 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 4 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 5 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 5 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 4 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 5 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 2 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 1 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 5 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Samoyed on AKCSamoyed on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Samoyed
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Samoyed.
Japanese Spitz
German Spitz
American Eskimo Dog (Standard)
Yakutian Laika
American Eskimo Dog (Toy)
American Eskimo Dog (Miniature)
Height 0–38 in
- Samoyed20–22 in
- Japanese Spitz12–15 in
- German Spitz12–15 in
- American Eskimo Dog (Standard)15–20 in
- Yakutian Laika21–22 in
- American Eskimo Dog (Toy)9–12 in
- American Eskimo Dog (Miniature)12–15 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Samoyed45–65 lb
- Japanese Spitz11–20 lb
- German Spitz24–26 lb
- American Eskimo Dog (Standard)15–40 lb
- Yakutian Laika50–66 lb
- American Eskimo Dog (Toy)5–10 lb
- American Eskimo Dog (Miniature)10–20 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Samoyed12–14 yrs
- Japanese Spitz12–14 yrs
- German Spitz13–15 yrs
- American Eskimo Dog (Standard)13–15 yrs
- Yakutian Laika10–12 yrs
- American Eskimo Dog (Toy)13–15 yrs
- American Eskimo Dog (Miniature)13–15 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.
Guides that mention the Samoyed
Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.