What Are Samoyeds Bred For? (Explained and Quick Facts)

Samoyeds have a full background and history that would put their personality, size, and skills into proper perspective. They are a breed of spitz dogs, or snow dogs, that have become a popular breed in many countries.

Samoyeds used to be bred for simply hunting and digging excavations in snow; now, they are bred for hunting, herding field animals and companionship.

These traits are what make Samoyeds a breed of dog to be bred repeatedly, but there is more to the story; let’s keep reading to find out which is which.

What Were Samoyed Originally Bred For?

Originally, Samoyeds were bred for three main reasons: herding field animals, hunting animals, and hauling sledges.

Herding field animals are one thing. There are Samoyeds that live in areas where field animals, such as cattle or even reindeer are rounded up by the skillful tactics. Being able to hunt animals very well is another reason to keep this breed modern too.

Samoyeds have a keen sense of smell and hearing, which makes it easy to pick up the sounds and scents that other animals leave behind; and the fact that they are good diggers does not hurt either.

And would you like to know why hauling sledges was important, transportation.

Deliveries and travel via sledge are dependent on the skills, might, strength and speed of a pack of fully mature Samoyed dogs. They can run at a collective speed of about 40 miles per hour and have the strength, speed, and stamina to haul the weight of a fully loaded sledge.

Ancient History of the Samoyed

Fun fact: Samoyed is the name of the group of people that found, and found use, for this dog. They are a nomadic group that migrated from central Asia to Siberia centuries ago.

The Samoyed people lived in Arctic areas and depended on reindeer as their primary, and sometimes only, source of food. This is where the dogs came into play: they would use the dogs to keep the reindeer in groups so that they would always have food to eat.

In addition, because of their size and strength, they protected the group of people for other types of Arctic animals that may want to attack the reindeer, or people.

And for that reason, and the fact that this breed of dog is naturally friendly and intelligent, they became part of the family, and became known as the Samoyed dog.

From then, they would travel alongside the nomadic group of people, reaching in Canada, and continuing from there.

Modern History of the Samoyed

The Samoyed breed dog has been across the globe; most notably landing in England from the start of the 17th century. There they became high-standard commodities, and desired by noblemen. 

And in 1906, Nicholas the Grand Duke of Russia gifted Samoyed dogs to the United States of America, which is how they started their journey in the States.

Ever since their true worth was realized, Samoyeds have been put to the test, both physically and enjoyably, and have passed it each time.

They were considered such valuable dogs, that they became members of many different dog clubs, as well as developed into more organized areas of society such as competition, working with humans, professional hunting excavations, and family homes. 

Samoyed were able to be kept in homes by the mid-1900s because of their proper and friendly demeanor, which makes it easy to see why they were accepted by the Samoyed people so easily.

What Are Samoyeds Being Bred for Today?

Throughout the regions, you will see that most Samoyeds are still being bred for working, hauling sleds, and hunting animals within nature.

Their valuable skills when it comes to these manual labors is both traditional and necessary to the overall lifestyle of many groups of people, as well as the mindset of the Samoyed dogs.

In addition to being bred for functional purposes, Samoyeds are also being bred nowadays for companion purposes. Many people love the sight of the big and strong Samoyed and tend to want one for themselves.

With this being the case, there are several breeders who are solely in business to make sure that Samoyed pups and matures find safe homes to live in and be cared for.

In many cases, companionship and work can go together because with the high energy level of your Samoyed, they would love to accompany you on your next trip or excursion.

Samoyeds’ Breeding Ancestry

It may be surprising, but England was not the first to have Samoyeds, although they are beloved there.

It has been documented that the Samoyed breed of dog can trace its origins back to the Eastern part of the world, near Siberia, and the mountains that stretch across northern Europe and northern Asia, right above Russia. 

This is the time that they were beginning to be held with groups of people and families for both companionship and hunting. Although Russia has a spot on the ancestry of the Samoyed breed, it is not its origin.

Based on ancestral tracking, Samoyeds can be traced back to Central Asia, in the mountainous rural areas where the land is vast, and the air is cold. Central Asia, including parts of China, have seen this dog in their area and lands for centuries, and is a common spitz dog in those regions.

Natural Instincts and Impulses

Samoyeds are lovely dogs; but keep in mind that they are used to working and hauling around heavy stuff, so it’s safe to say that they have plenty of energy, and it flows out of them in various natural ways.

For starters, you can expect a lot of digging. As previously mentioned, Samoyeds were and still are bred for recovery of wild animals in the wild; and because of the snow, they are prone to digging in order to get the animal that they were ordered to retrieve.

This mentality still lives in your Samoyed, so be sure to keep it engaged, or be willing to fill in lots of holes in your yard!

Samoyeds are also prone to chasing, and this is because of their natural and trained instinct to hunt.

When they are hunting, they can freely chase their target; thus, the same thing can happen to the neighbor’s cat or a tree squirrel if your Samoyed does not resist the impulse to chase them.

Why People Love to Have a Samoyed?

For those that have one, they would probably agree that Samoyed are loved by us humans because of their intelligence, gentle spirit, and mighty muscles and mentality.

Samoyeds are very smart dogs that catch on quickly to commands and orders, and are usually willing to please, which makes them easy to train. Their spirit is lively and usually full of so much energy that going outside is required for a Samoyed.

Their spirit relays that they are here to help and be of assistance, and if they are cared for, it will be reciprocated. And let us not forget about their strength! They are strong individually and stronger as a pack.

A Samoyed would be willing to assist you in moving, lifting, and pulling heavy items across the room, simply because they are strong enough to do it! They are great dogs to befriend and work beside.

Why Samoyeds Are Not Bred as Service Animals?

Although there are some special cases where a Samoyed may be used as an emotional support animal, in modern times, they still are not being bred specifically for becoming a service animal, and there are a few reasons as to why.

They have considerable size coats; and these coats need to be maintained and brushed once per day, or every other day at the very least, which could cause strain for the person that they are servicing.

In addition, they are medium sized dogs, and although they can haul hundreds of pounds as a pack, one Samoyed can only do so much, and won’t serve well in a space to pull a wheelchair or do mobile work of most adults with a disability.

Why Samoyeds Are Not Bred as Guard Dogs?

Breeding a Samoyed to be a guard dog would not be the best investment simply because of their friendly nature.

You see, when a Samoyed meets someone new, they are vulnerable and strong enough to allow the person to approach while they inspect them.

If all is good, then they can have the characteristic trait of a young child and become your best friend, which is the opposite of what you want in a guard dog.

The gentle spirit of the Samoyed does wonders as a companion, and their tendency to bark when something is approaching, but stop when they arrive, is also functional.

However, if it ever comes down to stopping an intruder, your Samoyed may not be as defensive as you would like them to be.

You Might Also Like:

• Are Samoyeds Hypoallergenic?
• Do Samoyeds Get Along With Cats?
• Can Samoyeds Swim?
• Best Age to Spay/Neuter a Samoyed
• Samoyed Temperament: What It’s Like to Own A Samoyed?