You guessed it, this page is still in its infancy, more to come...
 

I am no expert on the breed, I have only had one Samoyed, but I do care very much for the breed and cannot imagine ever having any other type of dog. I humbly offer my limited advice, gained through my experiences with my dog and through meeting other people with Sams. You would do well to contact one of the breed clubs mentioned in the section "Sources of Information" or purchase the book published by the Samoyed Association for advice from people with much more experience.
 
 

House Training:

This did not take long with my Samoyed, to start with we bought a large roll of plastic sheeting from a DIY store and covered the hallway...
We initially restricted the amount of the house that he had access to, basically he had the run of the hallway and the kitchen for the first few weeks, until he considered this to be part of his "den" and did not use it as a toilet. The key signs to look out for are circling and sniffing at the floor before he does "it", this can be very hard to spot sometimes as it does not last long, when you think your dog is going to go, take him immediately out to the garden to your designated spot and say your keyword. This does eventually imprint on the dog and mine will now more or less go on command. When the dog is very young it is worth taking him outside at regular intervals, particularly shortly after he has been feeding or drinking.  My Sam is now a perfect house dog, he is spotlessly clean and is a very good burglar alarm ;-))
 

Training:

The Samoyed is not the easiest of dogs to train, they are NOT stupid !  They will not slavishly follow commands as would a Collie or Labrador, they have been developed over the centuries to think for themselves and will only work WITH you, not FOR you. In my experience "Clicker training" has been the most successful, there are numerous books and videos available on this subject, but it is far better to go to a dedicated trainer as method and timing is everything and your dog will need "Tuning in" to the clicker correctly.

The person who introduced me to the clicker method was a lady called Phillipa who runs a dog club "Tuffley Tails - Dogs for life" based in Gloucestershire. She runs weekly classes and also offers "Doggy Holidays" where owners bring their pets and spend a pleasant few days in rural Herefordshire doing everything from Obedience to Agility. Phillipa can be contacted on 01452 700023 (Office Hours only).  She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and only uses kind training methods, this is important to Samoyeds as they do not respond at all well to overbearing or harsh methods. The Dogs for life webpage can be found by clicking here, the page gives further details of training events and holidays with dates and prices.

Never get angry with your Samoyed, try not to raise your voice and NEVER under any circumstances strike the dog, you will not gain respect from a Sam through these methods, kindness is the only way to gain their respect and co-operation. A book I read stated that you should be kind but firm and always consistent.
 

Agility Training & Keeping his mind active:

I have only attended one (day long) training session at agility to date, due to the approach of winter, classes do not resume until the springtime. But after seeing how my Sam performed with ALL of the obstacles I think I can safely say that he enjoyed everything he did - and wanted more...  Bobby seems to get bored very easily when left without anything to do, he loved the challenge of the agility course and could not get enough of the tunnels in particular (Including the flat tunnel) and would pull me back around to the opening to go through again !  Even the A-Frame was not a problem. I can fully recommend trying your Sam at agility, we are looking forward to the next class in the spring. To keep his mind active during the quiet season he loves a game of  hide-and-seek around the house and garden, this also serves to improve his recall for when he is on a walk, I use a whistle (I bought a few of the same pitch) and a piece of cheese as a reward - but Sams are too clever and soon learn all the usual hiding spots...
 

Pulling on a lead:

Samoyeds have been bred to pull and mine certainly can if he wants to.  The best device I have ever bought has been a "Gentle Leader". This is a "Halti-like" bridle that fits over the dogs nose and fastens behind his ears, when the dog starts to pull it tends to turn his head slightly and applies a slight pressure at the back of his head. The transformation is nothing short of miraculous. The Gentle Leader is not meant to be used all the time, but as a training aid, and it sure works! With the Gentle leader on my dog walks right by my side. I don`t need it all the time now, I usually only put it on if I am taking him to an area that he does not know well, as he is a very inquisitive dog and will pull if he sees something new. (CLICK HERE to see a picture of a gentle leader) Another technique that seems to work very well is to stop dead in your tracks as soon as the lead goes tight and use a short keyword. This does mean that it can take forever to get to the end of the street but it does work eventually, as does turning direction unexpectedly and keeping the dog guessing as to where he is going.
 

Diet:

I have tried many diets with my dog, but have turned to a "natural diet" on Phillipa`s advice, this has paid dividends and I can thoroughly recommend it. My dog has approximately 5 Raw chicken wings a day (cut in half, bones and all - they are not dangerous when raw as they are supple and do not shatter) and a Lambs heart cut up into small bite sized strips. This is fed Raw, with some vegetables that have been blended when available. This may sound a lot of trouble, but it takes no longer to prepare than a canned meal with mixer and has completely changed my dogs health. He was never over keen on canned food and we would sometimes have trouble getting him to eat enough, he would also get tummy trouble from time to time. Since changing his diet he devours his food, his coat is stunning and we have not had to visit the vet. After all Raw food is what their stomachs are designed to eat. Samoyeds love fish, so I occasionally give him a salmon steak as a special treat.  It is a good idea to make your Sam work for his supper, just simple things like sit, stand, down or touching the back of your hand on command to get each piece of food, mine looks forward to this interaction each day. Bobby has bran added to his diet from time to time, usually he will have Branflakes for breakfast (which for some strange reason he usually eats at supper time!) as Bran helps to combat any anal gland problems. There are numerous books available on the subject of the natural diet, most of these are obtainable from "Crosskeys" a company that specialise in Doggy books, check out their webpage as detailed on my "Sources of Information" page.
 

Teeth:

I have always considered it to be important to keep my Sams teeth healthy. He always has his teeth cleaned just before he goes to bed and looks forward to this every night. I can even recall him from the garden in the evening with the promise of having his teeth cleaned !  The toothpaste I have found to be the best is "Logic" toothpaste (you must NEVER use human toothpaste for a dog). It is probably the most expensive brand but is the easiest to use as it is very, very, sticky and you do not need to brush (I do use a finger brush to ensure that it is applied where it is needed, although it is not apparently necessary). My veterinary charges about £8 per tube of this stuff, but I have found an alternative supplier (see table at the bottom of my "Sources of Information" page) who only charge £4.99 a tube and does not charge for posting if you spend something like £20.  A tube usually lasts approximately a month, so buy your £20 worth...   My dog has lovely white teeth with virtually no plaque at all and thanks to regular brushing, his breath does not smell as do some dogs. The "natural diet" he is on also helps prevent tooth and bad breath problems.
 

The Hunting Instinct:

The Samoyed was used as a hunting dog (as one of his many tasks) by the Samoyed tribesmen, so it is hardly surprising that there remains a residual instinct within the dog to this day. My Samoyed has a very strong hunting instinct, he has a natural ability to sniff out game and put rabbits, squirrels and birds to flight and will usually spot them long before I do. Therefore if you are thinking of getting a Sam, but have other small animals or cats in the house I would recommend getting them aquainted with each other as soon as possible when the dog is still a puppy, a Sam will learn very quickly that these animals are not their quarry.
 

His Favourite Place:

Bobby's favourite place depends upon the weather, as you would expect from a Siberian breed, that in its natural habitat can be used to -50 degrees Celsius, he loves the colder areas. Usually in the summer he will tend to stay in the kitchen with his belly on the linoleum floor or lie outside under a table, wherever there is some shade and a cooling breeze. In the hotter weather it is important to keep an eye on a Sams water bowl as they will drink quite a lot, I usually put some ice in the water to cool him quicker. In the winter he loves to lie in the porch on the cold floor tiles and watch the world pass by, from what I hear from other owners this is somewhat standard for a Sam.