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KENNEL CLUB BREED STANDARD

FOR THE SAMOYED

GENERAL APPEARANCE  Most striking. Medium and well balanced. Strong, active and graceful, free from coarseness but capable of great endurance.

CHARACTERISTICS  Intelligent, alert, full of action. ‘Smiling expression’.

TEMPERAMENT  Displays affection to all mankind. Unprovoked nervousness or aggression highly undesirable.

HEAD AND SKULL  Head powerful, wedge shaped, with broad, flat skull, muzzle medium length, tapering foreface not too sharply defined. Lips black. Hair short and smooth before ears. Nose black for preference, but may be brown or flesh coloured.

EYES  Almond shaped, set slanted, medium to dark brown, set well apart with alert, intelligent expression. Eyerims unbroken black. Light or black eyes undesirable.

EARS  Thick, not too long, slightly rounded at tips, set well apart and well covered inside with hair. Fully erect in adults.

MOUTH  Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK  Strong, not too short, and proudly arched.

FOREQUARTERS  Shoulders well laid, legs straight and muscular with good bone and not too short.

BODY  Back medium in length, broad and very muscular with exceptionally strong loin. Chest deep but not too broad, well sprung ribs, giving plenty of heart and lung room.

HINDQUARTERS  Very muscular, stifles well angulated, viewed from the rear, legs straight and parallel with well let down hocks. Cow hocks or straight stifles highly undesirable.

FEET  Long, flattish. slightly spread and well feathered. Soles well cushioned with hair. Round cat feet highly undesirable.

TAIL  Long, profusely coated, carried over the back and to side when alert, sometimes dropped when at rest.

GAIT/MOVEMENT  Moves freely with strong, agile drive, showing power and elegance.

COAT  Body should be well covered with thick, close, soft and short undercoat, with harsh but not wiry hair growing through it, forming weather resistant outer coat, which should stand away from the body and be free from curl.

COLOUR  Pure white, white and biscuit, cream, outer coat silver tipped.

SIZE  Dogs 51-56 cms (20-22 ins) at shoulder. Bitches 46-51 cms (18-20 ins) at shoulder. Weight in proportion to size.

FAULTS  Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Published with the kind permission of the Kennel Club