We breed samoyeds

and our "Natasha" had her first litter in the fall of 1997 and

another in the spring of 1997. On Monday, December 10, 2001, Natasha gave birth to 6 newborn in the kennel with her new mate, Euri, and again on December 25, 2002.  Euri was used as a stud for another Samoyed owner and a new group of 7 puppies were born on December 15, 2004.

Euri was also used as a "stud" for another samoyed owner who desired puppies in 2005.  This is one of his siblings

named "Sammie" who lives south of our town with his owner PIERRE and his lovely family.  Apparently, "Sammie"

has taken a protective role than his parents will ever take when it comes to watching over the young ones.

Now who do you think would take these puppies away from her mother??? Well.....Rucus came up from St. Louis and took "Annie",

a gentlemen and his daughter from the western part of Illinois drove for three hours to take her brother away, one flew to Atlanta on "his" first airplane trip to join brother Larry and his wife Chris,

Niko shown here at near one year old looking like his mother Natasha without the long stot!

and a local resident in our town could not resist the temptation of "whiteness".

Since we promised many of you that we would display our puppy pictures, here we go:

"Hey roger, I think Tom has something in his pocket.

It may be some bubblegum but knowing Vicki, it is probably a candy bar."

CHARACTERISTICS AND TEMPERAMENT

Coat and Grooming

The Samoyed is a double coated breed. This coat consists of a woolly undercoat and longer guard hairs. Twice a year, Samoyeds "blow" their undercoats, that is, they shed their undercoats completely. It is a very intense shedding period that can last up to three weeks from start to finish. The good news is that this only happens twice a year. The remainder of the time, Samoyeds are relatively shed free (unlike smooth coated breeds). The bad news is that the shedding period can be rather messy. The hair comes out in large and small clumps. Lots of vacuuming and brushing are in order. The undercoat can be carded and spun into yarn; it is best when blended with about 40% other fiber, such as wool or alpaca. Due to the Samoyed's subpolar origin, the fur is very warm despite its lightness.

The Samoyed is a very clean and relatively odor free dog. It tends to clean itself like a cat. Even when a Samoyed becomes covered in mud, it will clean itself. Casual observers might think that keeping a pure white dog clean would be a major chore, but fanciers of the breed understand its uncannyability to shed dirt and most stains. Even grass stains disappear from the coat in just a few days. Bathing needs are minimal; thorough brushing sand/or "dry baths" using a mixture of cornstarch and baby powder often suffices. A full bath may not be necessary more than once per year; in fact, too frequent bathing may remove some of the gloss and stain-resistance of the coat. Special "white-enhancing" shampoos with bluing are available to make your Samoyed sparkly white.

Other than during coat-blowing season, the Samoyed needs relatively little grooming. Daily brushing is ideal, but two or three times a week is sufficient; the brushing should be thorough to penetrate the outer coat and remove any loose undercoat. A long pin brush, a slicker brush and possibly a rake are essential grooming tools. Trimming needs are minimal, and if done should be done so that it looks natural and uncut. The body coat should never be clipped or trimmed except for medical reasons. Their nails should be checked and clipped periodically.

NEVER clip a Samoyed for the summer. After the undercoat has been "blown out", the outer coat provides insulation from the heat and protection from the sun. It is actually reflective. Exposed skin will be very sensitive to the sun, and will sunburn very easily; this can lead to skin cancer. Regular grooming and constant access to cool water are particularly important in the summer, especially in warmer climates.

Temperament

Samoyeds are friendly by nature to both people and other dogs. Their demand for affection is moderate; they like being with their pack, but are usually not "lap dogs" by any measure. This pack-oriented nature means that they do better when included in the family (pack, from their point of view) than when left outside by themselves. As befits their Northern ancestry, they may enjoy spending periods outside - particularly during cold weather - but their "place" should be inside with the rest of the pack.

Samoyeds are quite intelligent, and can be very stubborn and get bored easily; all these are characteristics they share with Malmutes and Siberian Huskies. Their strength and quickness can be quite surprising to someone who has met a fluffy white Samoyed during a quiet period, for their appearance is quite gentle and, as Daniel Pinkwater said of Malamutes, they can "sleep like cinderblocks." Their intelligence, and strong independent nature make them a challenge to train; where a Golden Retriever, for instance, may work*for* his master, a Samoyed works *with* his master or not at all. Holding the dog's respect is a prerequisite to training. They learn quickly; the trick is teaching the dog to behave reliably without hitting his boredom threshold. It is these characteristics that have earned Samoyeds (and with the other Northern breeds) the appelation "non-traditional obedience dogs."Samoyeds do compete successfully in obedience trials, though, so it is not a hopeless cause. Samoyeds are often not the best choice for the first-time dog owner.

By nature, Samoyeds are friendly dogs. They were used as watchdogs by their native owners in Siberia, though, and display relatively more watchdog behavior than their Northern cousins the Malamute and Siberian. They are completely unsuited to guarding duty, though.

Barking, Talking, and Howling

Samoyeds both bark and talk, though they generally do not howl. They tend to be rather quiet, with big deep barks that can be quite startling. Some Samoyeds are more frequent barkers, and these tend to have more high-pitched piercing barks. The Samoyed may also "talk" with a soft "aroo" or "woo-woo"sound similar to the Malamute.