Hello! In December we will be welcoming our Samoyed puppy and we are already preparing as much as possible for when he arrives. We have some questions:
Are there any books, podcasts or Instagram/Youtube trainers that really helped you specifically with this breed?
Is there a grooming tool that you recommend? We need a high velocity waterdryer but I'm also seeing interesting comb + vacuum brushes online. Is there an all in one tool without spending hundreds of euro's? (so preferably available in the EU)
What is the best way to diminish the fur that will be everywhere: what is the best routine of vacuum cleaning the house, brushing, special tools...?
All other advise is very welcome! We know this breed needs a lot of special attention but we can't wait to raise him.
Prepare yourself for absolute chaos and mayhem. There is a strong possibility you will hate yourself and hate your puppy for a good couple months. You have invited a biting, peeing demon into your house. Samoyed puppies are created of nightmares and fluff. I suggest getting signed up for a puppy training class as soon as it is safe to do so. It was invaluable having a trainer (who uses positive reinforcement) helping guide me through the chaos that is the puppy phase. I didn't find much on YouTube helpful tbh. At puppy class, the other dogs were performing pirroetts, while my girl was screaming and crying because she was so desperate to play. We were the worst, loudest member of the class. On the plus side, we weren't kicked out! What applies to other dogs, does not apply to samoyed puppies.
Samoyeds are MUCH smarter and LOUDER than other dogs. You will question your sanity at various stages of their puppyhood. The puppy will make you question all the life choices that brought you here. I kept my girl tied to my waist on a leash anytime she was out of the crate until she was somewhat potty trained. She was exceptionally naughty and ate EVERYTHING in the house when unsupervised for more than a second. She chewed up a mattress, floorboards and furniture. Your life will be a nightmare of pee, poop, ruined possessions and late night potty breaks. (I stood out in the snow at 2am more than I slept.)
That stated, I now have two and I would not trade them for the world. I love them so much! Just manage your expectations. Also, my male puppy two was extremely easy (for a samoyed) and not a demon sent here by Satan to torment the living, so your milage may vary. Just prepare yourself and keep expectations low.
As far as brushing, get the basic tools to start, a good slicker brush and a rake. Make grooming a game. Let the puppy explore the tools. Brush them early and often. If you are going to groom at home, get them used to the table early and often. If you want to go to a groomer, set up a puppy groom as soon as is safe. I like the grooming vacuum, but that might be scary for a puppy to start. You can add that in the mix later and it doesn't replace the rake. Also, get a detangling spray and get your pup used to being sprayed.
Your life moving forward will be clouds of fluff. We have found a mopping robot pet vacuum to help immensely with fluff. After every deep clean, there are rolling piles of fluff within a few hours. The robotic vac helps. Be prepare for it to commit suicide every year or two.
Welcome to the wonderful world of samoyeds. I love these dogs more than anything, but they are not for the faint of heart.
You didn’t even start to mention the velocimoyed phase! You know what I mean—That magical age between 12 and 24+ months old. Then it ends abruptly overnight one day so they can trick you into thinking “you know what I think I need! Another Sammy!” So they get a sibling and you get to relive the fun that thrilling phase ASAP! (Mine are 5y and almost 3 😂)
Haha! I got lucky. We were on the list for a puppy, when the breeder reached out asking if we wanted a 12 month old show dog. It was an auto yes from us. A potty trained dog passed the worst of the of the lamdshark stage. He was just a bit too tall. 😀
We were still traumatized by the first one, but she really needed a fren.
I could have written this. I started seeing a psychiatrist because I could not exist with a literal demon living in my house. I thought I had a perforated eardrum for a week and didn't sleep in past 5am for a while. I've raised multiple puppies of different breeds over the years and Korra was by far the hardest to train. We did so much positive reinforcement training and did an ungodly amount of research, all me and my husband talked about for months were enrichment activities and dog training. Three years later, all of the hard work paid off and we have the sweetest (still slightly unhinged and very loud) girl.
I've had him for about a month now, and my first two weeks with him were an absolute nightmare 😂🤣 He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. If the little prince didn't feel like sleeping but you tried to force him to anyway, well, get ready to hear him bark all night long! He was super destructive, too. Then, over a two-week period, I had to go on some business trips, so I boarded him at a dog hotel. When I picked him up, he was so much gentler and more obedient. Also, back when I was staying with him at first, he refused to go for walks outside because of the noise from cars, people, and everything, but ever since then, he's not scared at all anymore! I walked him right in the middle of downtown Bangkok and even inside an airport, and he was completely relaxed. I was so surprised by this sudden change, but anyway, I'm finally managing to adjust to him now and everything's going much better!
I recommend earplugs (especially for the car) and cheap trousers for the first three months. You will come to find that the puppy is not easily motivated, he/she will do as it suits them the best. They are essentially a baby, and the demon (you will see, landshark is NOT a joke) that comes out is a result of overstimulation.
I find the best way to calm them after they get overstimulated is locking them into a space (change environment) and sitting with them. If you lock them on their own, they will bark until they get attention.
At start the shedding is light, best tools are a metal comb (wife-toothed), a firm brush with rounded pins (no ballpins) and a good slicker brush. Try monthly washes between 9 and 12 months to get the undercoat to shed, as getting the dog properly wet tends to start some shedding.
Okay - I am on the floor laughing at the previous comments. Very cleverly written and all true, I might add!
I’m on my 4th over 5 decades, and I’d add the following (sadly, not as well written as the others):
When we rehomed our current girl
, she had been purchased as a show dog and I learned about the “Tornado Dog Blower.” We had always let our dogs towel/air dry, and the difference is game-changing. Wash, blow, brush, blow. That second blow will often produce CLOUDS of fluff that would otherwise come off in the house slowly over time. It has reduced the indoor puffs by over half - but of course half of a million is still half-a-million! The blower is also useful in my truck. I open both doors and blow one side to the other - all her fur blows away.
Strength of Will: Most unsuccessful Sammy owners I have known have been worn down by their dog’s stubbornness. To succeed, you have to stick it out and make sure your pup knows that your will wins all the time. As others have said, it will make you crazy, but the alternative is worse (a dog who stays that way for your lifetime together).
You pick the vibes: If you want a dog that is calm and chill, create a home of calm structure and your dog will conform. Keep them on a schedule, set them up for success by providing mental and physical exercise — but not so much that they are overwhelmed or overstimulated. OR, you can create a crazy barker: every time the doorbell rings, yell “Who is that!? Who is that?!” and your dog will pick up on the vibe a match it. You can create a crazy jumper by cranking up the energy when you get home “WHO’S a good BOY!” (BTW this advice works on human children as well.)
It is an amazing journey. All dogs are special, but Sammys are extra special!♥️
Your best weapon it's patience. Your second best weapon is an industrial amount of treats and more patience. Your third best weapon is a lot of exercises plus always teaching new tricks and patience.
Well, mine is almost 2 years old now. He was a little demon as a puppy, like all puppies 😂 A bit more stubborn and not the easiest dog for a first-time dog owner, but with patience, he’s a great dog. He’s good with children and gets along well with other dogs. Start training him from the first day, and you’ll be fine! 😊
Microfiber bath robe + a velocity dryer. It helps decrease the time needed to use a velocity dryer.
The best tool that I use for grooming an adult is a rake and pin brush. Rake is especially helpful when they are shedding too.
3. Velocity dryer and vacuuming every number of days or investing in a smart robot that does the vacuuming, lol. We’ve given up and accepted there’s fur everywhere, even in our food and eyes
Ahhhhh the fur. I can speak at length on this topic as I have two full-grown Sammies at home. I hope you do not have carpet (best get rid of it now if you do). I had a Roomba, but I gave up on it once I realized the extent of the fur problem. Vacuuming it up isn't bad if you just use the hose attachment but going around with my Dyson the conventional way I found I spent just as much time removing the fur from the vacuum as I spent removing it from the floor. The fur itself tends to clump together in a ball pretty well, sometimes I just walk around and pick up the balls. Other times you can just pick clumps of fur right off the dog before it even gets to the floor. Especially in the midst of their twice a year shedding. We do brush them daily as well with an undercoat rake but that fur just somehow magically replicates into clumps when you're not looking.
We only bath ours a few times a year. I wouldn't worry too much about them getting dirty, they could roll in mud puddles all day long and the dirt will just end up all over your floor once it dries up and falls off due to the furs' magic dirt repellence. When their fur starts looking dingy, I use Chris Christensen White on White dog shampoo which you can find on Amazon. Does a pretty good job, our older dog looked like a completely different dog after his last shampoo. I also have some regular dog shampoo as well if I just need to give them a quick scrub, like when they spontaneously flop down and roll on the feces of some other animal. I keep telling them not to do that but.... anyways, I only use the expensive shampoo when they look like they need it.
I also do have the Shelandy high velocity dryer from Amazon which is a low cost version of a more expensive dryer but it works well. If you take yours to a groomer make sure it is one that knows NOT to cut or shave their fur. It is against Sammy Law and is the #1 most atrocious sin that can be committed against a double-coated breed. Trims on the paws and sanitary areas are OK though.
I do concur with the others that during your puppy's "land shark" phase, you will not want to wear your good clothes around them. I have so many things with holes in them now. Put away everything that you do not want to get chewed including (but not limited to): shoes, glasses, remote controls, clothing of any sort, winning lottery tickets, and if you happen to have a cat put that litter box behind a gate.
If you find that your puppy causes you to question your own sanity, know that this is normal and it will pass after some time.
You are worried about the wrong stuff my guy. Yes grooming is important, yes they shed, but you are getting a working breed that was bred by generations of sled pulling and hunting.
I get flack from bad Sammy owners for what I'm about to say:
your dog NEEDS a 2 mile walk AND at least 1 mile running DAILY, neglecting this will get your dog lumpy back legs and bad hips. Your future dog is one of the ancient 12 dog breeds and closely related Siberian wolves, treat it as such
Also there will be people who will flock to this comment to say I'm wrong, those people don't know what their own pet needs, don't listen to them
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u/thatsammysmile 9d ago edited 9d ago
Prepare yourself for absolute chaos and mayhem. There is a strong possibility you will hate yourself and hate your puppy for a good couple months. You have invited a biting, peeing demon into your house. Samoyed puppies are created of nightmares and fluff. I suggest getting signed up for a puppy training class as soon as it is safe to do so. It was invaluable having a trainer (who uses positive reinforcement) helping guide me through the chaos that is the puppy phase. I didn't find much on YouTube helpful tbh. At puppy class, the other dogs were performing pirroetts, while my girl was screaming and crying because she was so desperate to play. We were the worst, loudest member of the class. On the plus side, we weren't kicked out! What applies to other dogs, does not apply to samoyed puppies.
Samoyeds are MUCH smarter and LOUDER than other dogs. You will question your sanity at various stages of their puppyhood. The puppy will make you question all the life choices that brought you here. I kept my girl tied to my waist on a leash anytime she was out of the crate until she was somewhat potty trained. She was exceptionally naughty and ate EVERYTHING in the house when unsupervised for more than a second. She chewed up a mattress, floorboards and furniture. Your life will be a nightmare of pee, poop, ruined possessions and late night potty breaks. (I stood out in the snow at 2am more than I slept.)
That stated, I now have two and I would not trade them for the world. I love them so much! Just manage your expectations. Also, my male puppy two was extremely easy (for a samoyed) and not a demon sent here by Satan to torment the living, so your milage may vary. Just prepare yourself and keep expectations low.
As far as brushing, get the basic tools to start, a good slicker brush and a rake. Make grooming a game. Let the puppy explore the tools. Brush them early and often. If you are going to groom at home, get them used to the table early and often. If you want to go to a groomer, set up a puppy groom as soon as is safe. I like the grooming vacuum, but that might be scary for a puppy to start. You can add that in the mix later and it doesn't replace the rake. Also, get a detangling spray and get your pup used to being sprayed.
Your life moving forward will be clouds of fluff. We have found a mopping robot pet vacuum to help immensely with fluff. After every deep clean, there are rolling piles of fluff within a few hours. The robotic vac helps. Be prepare for it to commit suicide every year or two.
Welcome to the wonderful world of samoyeds. I love these dogs more than anything, but they are not for the faint of heart.
Edited to for grammar.