that light graceful movement that gives the impression the dog could go all day long and come home happy and in good health. We all love the sweet happy face of a baiting Samoyed. They usually look like they are ready for mischief and play. But do not expect a Samoyed to stand and bait for a long time, they should be intel- ligent and interested in what is going on around them. The ears will flick back and forth to get all the “news”. The tail will go up while they are gaiting, but may wag in glee while standing or the dog may be so interested in what is going on around that the tail drops down. As long as the dog does not look spooky, please do not penalize the one that drops its tail while standing in line. Many years ago, a student in a judges education seminar made a comment that I feel is one of the most important when judging our breed. “The Samoyed is a breed to be preserved, not a breed to be developed and improved.” Please keep this in mind and help us to pre- serve the wonderful breed that nature developed for us. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Judy Mears purchased her first Samo- yed in 1970. She has bred or owned over 55 Champions with a very lim- ited breeding program that is always owner/handled. Since then, Judy has bred 11 dogs/bitches with multiple group placements, always owner/han- dled; three Best in Show dogs, owner/ handled; two Champion/UD bitches; three Champion/MACH bitches; four dogs that have worked on racing sled teams, including one lead dog; and three dogs exhibited to CD. Judy has been a member of the Samo- yed Club of America since 1971. She is the past President of SCA and has spent many years on the Board of Gover- nors of SCA. She was the Ad Hoc Com- mittee Secretary and Trophy Chair for the 1984 National, Show Chair for the 1991 National and Trophy Chair for the 2001 National. She was the Chief Ring Steward and Judges Hospitality Chair for the 2011 National and the Show Chair for Evergreen Colorado Kennel Club, an all-breed club. Judy has judged at the SCA’s National Specialty on four different occasions and she has been an AKC licensed judge since 1999. A past business owner and associ- ate editor, for the past 20 years Judy has been and continues to work as a fingerprint technician. This includes analyzing fine detail and patterns in ridge skin to identify people for Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado.
correct movement. The Samoyed is a moderate dog, therefore over extension of side gait is not desired Heads come in a range of style from slightly long and narrow to shorter and broad. Either style is okay as long as the essential qualities of type are met: the lip line should be tight and, hopefully, curve up slightly at the corner when the mouth is closed. The eye should be deep set, almond shaped and set slant- ing up with the outside corner of the eye pointing to the base of the ear. Ears should stand erect with thick leather and be well covered with fur inside and out. The muzzle should be deep, the stop slightly sloping with the back skull wedge shaped and slightly crowned. When judging a Samoyed, you must get your hands into the coat and feel the bone and muscle. Coat that is scis- sored and over groomed is rampant in the AKC show ring. The coat should be clean and well brushed. It is a double
coat with coarse stand off guard hair and a thick wooly undercoat. The coat should not be so long as to hide the shape of the body. Siberian Huskies, Malamutes and most other Northern breeds were developed for the same bit- ter cold climate that formed the Samo- yed. The guard coat must be weather resistant. The dog that gets wet from snow packing into a soft coat will die in arctic winter weather. Samoyeds were developed to spend long days working in a harsh environ- ment. The feet and legs must be strong and straight, elbows must set next to the body. The true test of a correct Samoyed is in its efficient, clean move- ment. When trotting down and back, the legs must tend to a single track front and rear. There should be no twisting in any of the joints. Wasted motion would be life threatening to a dog that must live on minimum food in a harsh envi- ronment and work all day. The ideal is
252 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2018
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