Appearance

The Samoyed, nickname the Smiling Sammie, is a really beautiful dog. It's 19-23.5 inches at the shoulder and weighs in at only about 50-60 pounds - pretty small for a "large" dog. It's known for its "smile" and usually lives for 12-14 years.

Health and Grooming

Not only do you need to consistently brush out the Samoyed's fur to prevent matting, the Samoyed also sheds. This is because it has a beautiful, thick white double-coat to protect it from the harsh weather of it's homeland. The Samoyed is healthy, not super healthy, but not super susceptible either.

Temperament

Samoyeds are super smart and love to be preoccupied. They're very friendly and know how to interact with people of different ages. They're very territorial and protective of their family and will alert their owners and protect their owners from any potential danger.

Friendliness and Exercise Needs

As I said, the Samoyed is super friendly. It can be a great playmate for older kids while still being very gentle and loving towards the younger kids. It loves being an active member of the family, whether that involves fetching the newspaper, or keeping a toddler happy, the Samoyed has the family's best interest at heart. The Samoyed needs a lot of exercise and is very active. In order to keep the samoyed from getting too mouthy or destructive, one should be engaged in vigorous activity with the samoyed more than once a day.