Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix- Physical Look, Lifespan and Temperament

Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix

When you mix a graceful and athletic dog like the Shiba Inu with the utterly beautiful Samoyed breed you can expect a designer dog unlike any other. The new dog gets the best genes of both parents and a personality to match.

The designer breed Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is taking the world of dog lovers by storm. It’s a sweet-natured dog with the outgoing personality that distinguishes the Samoyed breed along with the athleticism and pride of the Shiba Inu. The fluffy and adorable dog is the talk of the town already.

But this is not just all looks and no substance dog. You’re looking at a loyal companion that is fine in any setting and enjoys the outdoors and indoors in equal measure. That said, these dogs come with their own set of issues. Read on to find out how to care for the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix.

Table Of Contents
  1. Physical Characteristics (Size and Physical Look)
  2. Lifespan
  3. Grooming Needs
  4. Temperament
  5. Exercise Needs
  6. Health Risks
  7. Feeding
  8. Are Shiba Inu Samoyed Mixes Protective?
  9. How Much Does A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix Cost?
  10. Is A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix Right For Me?
  11. Best Climate For A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix
  12. The Attention A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix Needs
  13. Compatibility With Kids
  14. Compatibility With Other Animals

Physical Characteristics (Size and Physical Look)

The first thing you need to know about this wonderful dog is that it has plenty of fur. We’re talking double coating and long flowing hair that flies in the slightest breeze. It’s important you know that in advance because grooming all this fur requires hours of work and an abundance of patience on your side.

Size

The Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is a fairly medium-to-large dog. The adult hybrid weights anything between 30 and 40 pounds on a good day. Length-wise, he will grow to reach 19 inches from nozzle to fluffy tail. Naturally, you’d need to have plenty of space for such a large dog.

Color

Another admirable feature that makes this breed stand out is the different hues it reflects. Most colors are light shades of the parents’ fur. White and off-white are the most common colors.

Coat

The most striking feature of this designer dog is its double coating. Both the Shiba Inu and Samoyed breeds have a double coating, so the offspring definitely has a double coating that needs a lot of grooming.

Face

The Shiba Inu has a fox-like face. The Samoyed breed also has similar features, but the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is more wolf-like in terms of face size. Another distinct feature is the perpetual smile. This is a happy dog that finds joy in the simple act of living.

All in all, this is a graceful dog that combines looks and functionality in good proportions. Far from being a decorative dog, the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is a delight to have at home as well as out camping or on a long-distance trip.

Lifespan

The Shiba Inu Samoyed mix has a decent lifespan and can be expected to reach 14 years of age. It gets this long life from its parents who both have a life expectancy between 12 and 15 years. Keep in mind that the dog has to be in perfect health to make it this far.

Health issues and other difficulties related to keeping this handful of a breed means that not many dogs, unfortunately, live to this ripe old age. So you need to know what you’re getting into before you embark on this journey with the Shiba Inu Samoyed.

Grooming Needs

One of the biggest hurdles about owning a Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is the problem of grooming all that hair and dealing with the frequent shedding. With an impressive fur and double-coating, this hybrid tends to shed twice a year.

You can’t miss the clumps of hair everywhere as soon as you open your eyes in the morning. Once it starts to shed, you’ll need to follow it around with a broom and dustpan in hand. You can’t possibly use a vacuum cleaner because it will freak him out.

Another part of the grooming detail and also related to the fur is brushing the dog’s hide on a daily basis. This prevents hair matting which is a common issue this breed has. Believe me, you don’t want to see a Shiba Inu Samoyed mix with matted hair. It’s worse than animal cruelty.

Oral hygiene is important. Brush the dog’s teeth and gums a few times a week. Also, watch out for those nails. They get long quickly and with its size, they leave scars easily. Trim them once every couple of weeks.

Temperament

The Shiba Inus are independent dogs with a tendency to have a mind of their own sometimes. The Samoyed breed is exceptionally sweet and joyful. To some extent, all these features melt in the pot and create a unique hybrid that is a lot of fun to be around but can have a stubborn streak at times.

This explains why you need to keep this breed on a leash all the time they’re outside. Once you let them roam free, they’ll just wander off and follow anything that catches their eye.

And while we’re talking about its temperament, you need to be careful when training the dog. Negative comments or scolding have the opposite effect on the dog so always use positive reinforcements.

Exercise Needs

As an intelligent and highly active dog, the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix needs plenty of exercise and stimulation both physical and mental. It’s the kind of dog that gets bored easily and this can lead to restlessness.

Daily walks help keep the dog in good physical shape and buoyant mood. Be prepared to take part in their exercise regimen as well. This is not a dog to be happy fetching a stick for hours on end. It needs a variety of games and activities to keep it happy.

You can play with the dog in your fenced yard or take it for a long walk on a leash. Either way, don’t trust the dog to be on its own because it loves to explore and adventure is in its blood.

Health Risks

While Shiba Inus are a healthy breed with a big and diverse gene pool, the Samoyed breed is anything but. Lack of diversity can lead to recurring health conditions that keep popping up in new generations and getting reinforced every time they’re replicated.

What this means is that the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is prone to some health problems that vary in seriousness depending on which gene group dominates. If the Samoyed gene is strong in the new designer dog then you can expect the following

  • Eye problems especially glaucoma and cataract.
  • Hip Dysplasia which is common in most big dogs.
  • Diabetes which has more to do with diet than genes.
  • Retinal atrophy that can lead to blindness.
  • Luxating Patella.

In addition to all these health issues, Shiba Inu Samoyed breeds have a tendency to develop renal failure which is purely genetic. You’ll need to have the dog screened early on to make sure this disease doesn’t give it problems later in life.

Feeding

When you choose the right food for your Shiba Inu Samoyed mix, you need to be careful. This is a fairly large dog with exceptional nutritional demands. It won’t just accept any low-quality canned dog food.

It needs protein-packed, high nutritional food of the highest quality. You can either purchase a good brand or make your own. It’s recommended you go with the first option since making a well-balanced diet from scratch isn’t as easy as it sounds.

The dog needs 3 full meals each day. Puppies might need to eat more frequently although they’ll eat less each meal. Half a cup for a puppy would be enough. But an adult who’s ready to take on the world needs at least a cup of food in every meal. You’ll need to watch the dog’s weight because obesity is a common issue with them.

Are Shiba Inu Samoyed Mixes Protective?

If you find your Shiba Inu Samoyed mix acting differently with strangers or other pets in the house, that’s the Shiba Inu side of the family. Samoyed breeds are too docile and get along with just about everybody.

So while your designer dog is loyal and fun-loving with a unique personality, it might still have a quirkiness about it that you can trace back to its Shiba Inu parent. To know which side your hybrid will lean to, you need to know its family history and what the temperament of its parents was like.

That said, most hybrids grow up to be more accepting of people and animals around them. As long as you get the dog as a puppy and let it get used to its environment. Training the dog isn’t that hard as long as you keep encouraging it and giving it treats as incentives.

How Much Does A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix Cost?

A Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is not a cheap animal to get or raise. They cost anything from $1,000 to $1,500 to purchase one from a reliable and certified breeder. And that’s just the upfront price you have to fork out.

You then have to invest in things like food, toys, accessories, and the occasional visit to the vet. Since they eat a lot and their food has to be of good quality, their weekly grocery might hit the $70 mark. Overall, you get what you pay for. This is an exceptionally beautiful dog and it is worth every penny you pay for it.

Is A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix Right For Me?

To get a good answer to this question you need to find out how a designer dog compares to a purebred. Both the Shiba Inu and the Samoyed breeds are excellent dogs on their own. They’re relatively healthy and have more advantages than disadvantages.

Having a designer dog that is the offspring of both of those breeds sounds look a good idea but only if:

  1. The breeder is a licensed and certified one.
  2. The parents are purebreds that have passed a good health check.
  3. The history of the parents is well known and well documented.
  4. You can provide a good home for the notoriously high-maintenance breed.
  5. This is not your first designer dog.

If you checked all of the 5 points above, then the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is definitely the right dog for you. Moreover, you’ll both enjoy each other’s company and have years of fun and companionship together.

Best Climate For A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix

Any time you think of bringing a dog that doesn’t originate from your part of the world to your home, you need to check if the climate in your region will suit that specific species or not. Case in point is the Shiba Inu. It originated in Japan and is used to the cold climates of the Japanese mountainous areas.

If you live in hot and humid Florida or Sunny California for example, then the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix with its double coating will feel miserable in that hot weather. Even if you can provide the perfect home with regulated temperatures, you still need to think of the outdoors.

This is a breed that loves to spend more time outdoors than inside the house. So it thrives in colder climates than sunny and hot ones.

The Attention A Shiba Inu Samoyed Mix Needs

Shiba Inus are aloof, independent, and well-balanced dogs. They love attention but not that much of it. Samoyed dogs are a different story. They breathe attention and crave love. To the point that they can become clingy and needy.

So about the offspring of these unmatched personalities? Well, it’s a coin toss actually. The designer dog can turn out to be well-balanced emotionally. It loves to cuddle and be pampered but it doesn’t seek it or even demand it.

On the other hand, you might have a dog that needs a lot of attention. This adds up to the grooming and exercise needs to make the dog quite a handful. That’s one of the problems of designer dogs. You never quite know what you’re getting.

Compatibility With Kids

Despite the independent streak and stubbornness of Shiba Inus, they still make great companions for children of all ages. Even the large size of the dog doesn’t come in the way. They are gentle dogs and care a lot about the humans in the house.

Sammies are kindness impersonated. So the hybrid of those two breeds is very much compatible even with small children that can’t tell the difference between caring for an animal and accidentally hurting one.

A Shiba Inu Samoyed mix is a patient animal and can handle any precocious child that happens to be around it. Still, you might need to keep an eye on your child especially toddlers since they might offend the dog unintentionally.

Compatibility With Other Animals

In general, your Shiba Inu Samoyed mix will get along well with other animals in the house as long as these animals don’t try to get on its nerves. Remember what we said about the sensitive nature of this hybrid and how negative remarks or behavior can make it shut down.

If you happen to have an exceptionally anti-social cat that goes out of its way to annoy other pets and get under their skin, you can be fairly certain that you’ll have a lot of fights. Even though the Shiba Inu Samoyed mix has an affable nature and sweet disposition, it also is a proud animal.

It doesn’t allow other animals (or humans for that matter) to take advantage of it or treat it poorly. And the last thing you’d want is to turn the house into a battlefield where your pets take sides and lay in ambush for each other. So make sure you bring in the pets at a young age to get familiar with the place and its inhabitants.

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