Samoyed Breed Standard
The breed standard is there as a guide to show you how the breed is meant to look. Each of the 218 KC registered breeds have their own breed standard, as breeders and people who show our dogs, we are aiming to have your dog as close to this standard as possible, but as it is in written words and each person will read it differently, we will all have different views on what is most important and this reflects in the different breeding lines.
Below I have put the KC (UK) and the FCI (European) breed standard for Samoyed's for you to see. There is also the American (AKC) but I have not included this one but you can find it on the AKC site.
British Kennel Club Standard
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. Eye rims 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 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 deep ribs, giving plenty of heart and lung room.
Hindquarters :
Very muscular, stifles well angulated. Viewed from rear, legs straight and parallel, with well let down hocks. Cowhocks 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 straight away from body and be free from curl.
Colour :
Pure white, white and biscuit, cream, outer coat silver tipped.
Size :
Height: 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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.
Note :
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
*Note for prospective puppy buyers :
Size – the Kennel Club Breed Standard is a guide and description of the ideal for the breed; the Size as described does not imply that a dog will match the measurements given (height or weight). A dog might be larger or smaller than the Size measurements stated in the Breed Standard.
FCI European breed Standard
General Appearance :
Medium in size, elegant, a white Arctic Spitz. In appearence gives the impression of power, endurance, charm, suppleness, dignity and self-confidence. The expression, the so called « Samoyed Smile », is made up of a combination of eye shape and position, and the slightly curved up corners of the mouth. The sex should be clearly stamped.
Important Proprtions :
The length of the body is approximately 5% more than the height at the withers. The depth of the body is slightly less than the half of the height at the withers. The muzzle is approximately as long as the skull.
Behaviour And Temperament :
Friendly, open, alert and lively. The hunting instinct is very slight. Never shy nor aggressive. Very social and cannot be used as guard dog.
Head :
Powerful and wedge-shaped.
Cranial Region :
Skull :
viewed from the front and in profile only slightly convex. Broadest between the ears. Slightly visible furrow between the eyes.
Stop :
Clearly defined but not too prominent.
Facial Region :
Nose :
Well developed, preferably black. During some periods of the year the pigment of the nose can fade to a so called « winter nose » ; there must however always be dark pigment at the edges of the nose.
Muzzle :
Strong and deep, approximately as long as the skull, gradually tapering towards the nose, neither snipey nor heavy and square. The bridge of the nose is straight.
Lips:
Close fitting, black and rather full. The corners of the mouth are slightly curved forming the characteristic « Samoyed Smile ».
Jaws/Teeth :
Regular and complete scissor bite. The teeth and the jaws are strong. Normal dentition.
Eyes :
Dark brown in colour, well-set in the sockets, placed rather apart, somewhat slanting and almond-shaped. The expression is « smiling », kind, alert and intelligent. The eyerims are black.
Ears :
Erect, rather small, thick, triangular and slightly rounded at the tips. They should be mobile, set high ; due to the broad skull well apart.
Neck :
Strong and of medium length with a proud carriage.
Body :
Slightly longer than the height at the withers, deep and compact but supple.
Withers :
Back :
Clearly defined
Loin :
Of medium length, muscular and straight ; in females slightly longer than in males.
Croup :
Short, very strong and defined.
Full, strong, muscular and slightly sloping.
Chest :
Broad, deep and long, reaching almost to the elbows. The ribs are well sprung.
Underline :
Moderate tuck-up.
Tail :
Set rather high. When the dog is alert and in motion the tail is carried bent from the root forward over the back or side, but may be hanging at rest, then reaching to the hocks.
Limbs :
Forequarters :
General appearance :
Well placed and muscular with strong bones. Viewed from the front straight and parallel.
Shoulder :
Long, firm and sloping.
Upper arm :
Elbow :
Oblique and close to the body. Approximately as long as the shoulder.
Close to the body.
Carpus :
Metacarpus (Pastern) :
Strong but supple
Slightly oblique.
Fore Feet :
Oval with long toes, flexible and pointing straight forward. Toes arched and not too tightly knit. Elastics pads.
Hindquarters :
General appearance :
Upper thigh :
Viewed from behind straight and parallel with very strong muscles.
Stifle :
Of medium length, rather broad and muscular.
Well angulated.
Hocks :
Metatarsus :
Rather low and well angulated.
Short, strong, vertical and parallel.
Hindfeet :
​As front feet. The dewclaws should be removed.
Gait :
Powerful, free and tireless in appearance with long stride. Good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters.
Coat :
Hair :
Profuse, thick, flexible and dense polar coat. The Samoyed is a double coated dog with short, soft and dense undercoat and longer, more harsh and straight outer coat. The coat should form a ruff around the neck and shoulders framing the head, especially in males. On head and on front of legs, hair is short and smooth ; on outside of ears short, standing off and smooth. Inside the ears should be well furred. On back of the thighs the hair forms trousers. There should be a protective growth of hair between the toes. The tail should be profusely covered with hair. The coat of the female is often shorter and softer in texture than that of the male. The correct coat texture should always have a special glistening sheen.
Colour :
Pure white, cream or white with biscuit. (The basic colour to be white with a few biscuit markings.) Should never give the impression of being pale brown.
Size :
Height at withers : Ideal height : male 57 cm with a tolerance of ± 3 cm and females 53 cm with a tolerance of ± 3 cm.
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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
• Visible faults in structure.
• Light bone.
• Males not masculine and females not feminine.
• Pincer bite.
• Yellow eyes.
• Soft ears.
• Barrel ribcage.
• Double twisted tail.
• Low on the legs.
• Badly bow-legged or cow hocked.
• Wavy or short coated throughout, long, soft or coat hanging down.
• Aloofness.
Serious Faults :
• Clearly unpigmented areas on eyerims or lips.
Eliminating Faults:
• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• Eyes blue or of different colours.
• Overshot or undershot bite.
• Ears not erect.
• Coat colour other than permitted in the standard.
Notes :
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.
Links to the KC and FCI standard
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/standard.aspx?id=5139