Day 8, July 22
Puppies are all growing before our eyes. Their personalities are starting to emerge- the BEST part of having puppies! Flurry is playing and eating again with her "pack" as we would have hoped.

  
Day 4-7, July 17-21 Flurry and puppies are doing so well! They've gained 100% of their at-birth body weight! They are all snuggling, talking and adventuring all around the puppy box.
 


Day 3, Wednesday, July 16 Puppies have gained 3.5-4 oz already!













Day 1, Monday, July 14: Puppies were all between 15 oz and 1lb 1 oz at birth!  Flurry is a wonderful Mom and is very comfortable with us handling her babies.



















Purchasing Your First Samoyed Puppy
So you've never had a Samoyed before...and you have seen them in person, and read about the breed. Now you are looking for your first Sammy puppy. We believe that when you are looking for a puppy, the breeder you choose is as important as the puppy. The breeder's actions, philosophy and experience with the breed will not only result in healthier puppies, but offers you a resource as you and your puppy grow together. As you can read on our Thank You! page, the breeders we have chosen have been invaluable, generous resources of information, support and encouragement - in wonderful times, and in tough times and we believe we have a responsibility to do the same for Samoyed-lovers. 

A healthy well-adjusted adult Samoyed must be your goal - not just finding the cutest puppy you can. And a well-adjusted adult Samoyed is a testament to the tremendous effort and resources their owners have contributed daily, and over years of time. 

As you search for your first puppy, you may find that some of the Sammy breeders you talk to are asking you lots of questions, have lots of requirements, and may not have any puppies or won't be having puppies for some time. Some may actually seem as if they are trying to talk you out of owning a Sammy puppy.  Those are all generally signs that you are talking to a careful, ethical breeder. We aren't being hypocritical or snobbish. We are just absolutely devoted to doing what we know is best for our Samoyeds. We know what they need to become happy, healthy "kids" and live long, healthy lives, and it's a long list. It's our job to find them a home that can, and will, provide them will everything that relationship requires for the next 12 - 18 years.  

The Samoyede people know well how much effort it takes to raise a puppy that ultimately meets their high expectations as an adult dog. They would sell puppies to Arctic explorers, but rarely did they ever sell a mature dog. Too much had been invested in raising them, and they were simply too valuable to put a price on them.  There is much to be gained by understanding that.  

What a Samoyed needs- Are you ready for this?
Some of the obvious things that a Samoyed requires are grooming, exercise and socialization. Skimping on them results in a Sammy that comes apart at the seams.
These three things themselves require significant contributions of time and other resources.

Exercise
It's easy enough to take your Sammy puppy on a stroll around the neighborhood on a cool fall evening. But what they really need is at least 30 minutes of real cardiovascular exercise every single day - when it's raining, snowing and sweltering, and the Samoyed owner must figure out ways to make that happen for 12-18 years. Samoyeds don't "fetch" - so you can't throw a ball and expect that your Samoyed will get his/her exercise while you stand still. You must be ready to exercise with them the entire time- running, hiking, scootering, biking, sledding- those all work. So if you are creative, and dedicated to keeping yourself fit, you probably have what it takes. But if you expect that young children can play with them for a few minutes, or that following you around the house or yard while you do your chores is sufficient, you will likely end up with a mentally and physically unfit Samoyed. If you cannot provide this kind of exercise,  there are professional dog walkers, but they can cost between $20 and $30 dollars per day. 

Grooming
The Samoyed's coat is one of its most wonderful assets, and presents one of its greatest challenges. Grooming is a daily task for a Samoyed owner. Some days 15 minutes is all it takes, but those days are few.
A Samoyed has a double coat. Twice each year, the undercoat lifts off of the skin slightly. This is called "blowing coat." When that happens, the undercoat must be carefully combed out...immediately. Blowing coat is a process - certain parts of the coat will "blow" before others. The entire process may take weeks. And so must the comittment to combing. If you do not, the result will be a Samoyed with fur that is matted to the skin. Removing mats is painful, tedious and costly and will likely require a professional groomer. More importantly, it is likely to result in your Sammy resisting all grooming in the future.  If the Samoyed's coat is left  unaddressed, you may he need to shave all that precious fur, which will take years to grow back.

Your Samoyed should get a good, head-to-tail-to-the-skin bath once per month. For several reasons, it is best if you learn how to bathe and groom your Samoyed yourself. This takes training, hours, and some special equipment, but those investments are part of the commitment. Grooming is an ideal way to bond with your Samoyed. That said, you'll need someone to teach you how to do it correctly. For example, if you do not dry the fur completely and to the skin (which can take well over an hour), you will end up with a Sammy with a coat that is matted and skin problems. Combing the Samoyed's fur must be done in a specific way and takes hours to do the entire body- a quick brushing doesn't work for a Samoyed unless you have already spent the hours to do the combing correctly. If you can't groom your Samoyed yourself, professional grooming of a Samoyed is generally more than $75. Because Samoyeds are notoriously time consuming, not all groomers will take Samoyeds. 

Socialization
If you are committed to exercise and grooming, the socialization part becomes easier and more enjoyable, but it must be done. Samoyeds are people dogs. They are pack dogs. They are intelligent, optimistic, adventurous, curious dogs who need a job to feel complete.  Owning a Samoyed means you must want to have your dog right with you as you work, eat, sleep, play and socialize with other people. This makes it essential for owners of Samoyeds to provide them with a whole life of new, wonderful, exciting and experiences where the Samoyed has a real role to play. They aren't dogs who can be left at home while the family goes out to play, or who can be put in a kennel outside while their owners are inside sleeping. A Samoyed who does not live closely with their "pack people;" who does not understand it's place in the pack; and who does not get introduced to new people and situations, and see familiar people and have structured activities, will likely develop emotional and behavioral problems. If a Samoyed only knows it's owners, it will become fearful of new situations, people and animals. If a Samoyed has a bad socializing experience, it can affect it's emotional balance for years. 

In addition to these essential commitments, there are many others: Top quality food, regular veterinary visits (and pet insurance) are just a few. 

You are probably getting the picture.....

As Amelia Price, President of the Samoyed Health and Research Foundation was quoted as saying in the March 2008 AKC Gazette, "They're almost like a precocious child. They'll take all your energy, sap your strength and drive you to distraction because of the interaction they demand of you. And because of this, you'll never love any dog more." 

For more information about the Samoyed Breed,
try any and all of the following links:
Samoyed Breed History
Samoyed Health and Care
Samoyed Club of America
Organization for the Working Samoyed
SCA Education and Research Foundation
Samoyed Rescue
Samoyed Rescue Alliance

Dog Owner's Guide - Samoyed

And we have additional tips and resources listed on the "We Love This Stuff!" and More Resources pages.