Breed History
Long associated with cold, unforgiving climates, the Samoyed was introduced to Siberia from Mongolia long ago....
The Samoyed people, for whom the dog is named, were nomadic and relied heavily on their herds of reindeer for food, clothing and tools. The Samoyed people used their dogs to guide the movement of the reindeer as they went from place to place in search of food. The dogs were used to guard the reindeer flocks and Samoyed camps, and were also put to work as draft animals. The Samoyed was introduced to England at the end of the 19th century, and was a favorite of Queen Alexandria. In 1906 Russias Grand Duke Nicholas presented one of the dogs as a gift to the United States; the Samoyed was recognized by the American Kennel Club the very same year. During this time, the dogs popularity as a polar draft animal exploded, and teams of Samoyeds were successfully used in several Antarctic expeditions. Today the Samoyed is still used as sled dog and herder, though it is more commonly seen as a loving pet.