The Samoyed people, a dark-skinned semi-nomadic tribe, living along the shores of the Arctic Ocean into an immense stretch of tundras from the White Sea to the Yenisei River are a remnant of one of the earliest tribes of Central Asia. There is evidence that they migrated to the Arctic with their dogs at least one thousand years before the Christian era. They have been known to explorers for many centuries as mild, kindly people, manifesting extraordinary love for their beautiful dogs, which they treat as members of the family, sharing their table and bed which has given the Samoyed dog an unusual background of human association. No Samoyed tribesman ever strikes a dog; he trains by voice alone. These people developed a love and understanding of humankind and an unfailing sense of trust and loyalty in their dogs which remains a part of their character today. They lived by hunting and fishing. Existence depended upon their dogs who herded reindeer, fought off wolves, hunted the bear, guarded their belongings, shared their beds, and kept their children warm. The dogs were excellent fishermen and were used at times for towing boats and sledges when it was impossible to use the reindeer, generally the draught animal.
The qualities of intelligence and endurance led to the use of Samoyed dogs as transport by most of the important European expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. Samoyed teams have made glorious history with Borchgrevink, Amundsen, and Shackleton in the Antarctic and with Nansen and Abruzzi in the Arctic. The American explorers Fiala and Baldwin also used Samoyed teams. Nansen's story of his Farthest North with Samoyeds on the first Fram expedition is an epic of dog valor that rings through the whole history of man's adventures at the ends of the earth.
One has only to read of the hardships these valiant dogs endured, worn and exhausted they were killed one by one to feed the others, they would not touch the meat and later in desperation it fed their masters. Feet torn and bleeding, they never flinched and worked until all their strength was gone. Only the hardiest and fittest could withstand the cruelty of the bleak frozen lands; only a few returned. Most of the Samoyed strains in England and the United States are related to veteran sledge dogs of these expeditions.
Hardy, vibrant and even-tempered, the Samoyed was originally used to hunt, herd reindeer, and haul sledges for the Samoyede people they served in northwestern Siberia. The Samoyede tribesmen were peaceful nomads, who manifested extraordinary love for their beautiful dogs, treating them as members of the family. Thus their dogs developed a love and understanding of humankind and an unfailing sense of trust and loyalty which is retained in the breed to this day. They remain the delightful playmates and faithful protectors of children.
Samoyeds were brought out of Siberia at the end of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century to pull sledges on Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. These valiant dogs endured terrible hardships serving man in his quest for the poles. Only a few returned. Clearly, no toy or miniature version of the Samoyed breed could have performed those tasks. Only one breed is the powerful, gentle, magnificent Samoyed- a true working dog.
REFERENCES - Samoyed Books
*The Complete Samoyed* by Bob and Dolly Ward, Howell Book House
*The Samoyed (New Zealand)* by Valerie Auckram and Pearl M. Wilson, Cliff Press Ltd.
*The Samoyed* by Keyte-Perry, Percy Brothers, Ltd., London
*The Samoyed* by The Samoyed Association of Great Britain, Battley Bros. Ltd. *How to Raise and Train a Samoyed* by Vera Kroman, T.F.H. Publications
*The Complete Dog Book* by The American Kennel Club
*Visualizations of the Dog Standards* by Popular Dogs Publishing Co., 2009 Ranstead St., Philadelphia, PA
*Rules on Dog Shows and Obedience Trials* by the American Kennel Club
*The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior* by Pfaffenberger, Howell Book House
*Dog Obedience Training* by Pearsal and Leedham, Charles Scribner's Sons
*Training You To Train Your Dog* by Saunders, Doubleday and Company
*Animal Genetics* by Hutt, Ronald Press Co.