The Samoyed has a highly deserved reputation as one of the most beautiful of dog breeds, and rightly so. Anyone who has felt their luxurious coat or observed the degree of sincere happiness they receive at a simple gesture like a pat on the head will agree that the Samoyed is a breed that quickly endears itself to even the hardest of hearts. That said, there is much more to the Samoyed than meets the eye. The breed has existed for centuries as a dog that performs what amounts to hard labor in some of the harshest climates on the face of the planet. Because they've changed so little since their inception as a breed, the modern Samoyed is still very much suited to taking up their role as a working dog should the desire arise.
If you plan to work your Samoyed, however, there's a few things you should know. Each individual job that the Samoyed might be suited for requires a very particular type of training that must be started when the dog is fairly young. Though even an older dog will still possess the instincts to perform the job admirably, it's much easier to convince a Samoyed puppy to do what you ask than it is a full grown willful adult.
For instance, if you desire to use your Samoyed as a herding dog, you should take care to introduce him or her to the concept of herding at a very young age, but to take care that this is done in a totally safe manner. Full on herding training should start when the animal is around six months old. When the time comes, it's important to try and locate a good trainer for the desired kind of behavior. It's possible to train a Samoyed yourself, but a trainer who specializes in herding will have livestock on hand who are suitable for the beginner herding dog, whereas if you were to try your hand on just any old group of livestock you happen to come across, you might end up inadvertently hurting either them or your Samoyed. You can get your dog ready for this type of training early by teaching him or her certain required commands in the puppy years, such as how to sit, how to come when called, and how to yield when necessary.
Alternately, you might decide that you want to stick even closer to your Samoyed's roots and let him or her have a shot at sledding. Pulling a dog sled is an activity with somewhat more limited applications in the modern world than herding (for instance, you'll at the very least need to live somewhere where it snows during the winter), but is still very much popular as a sport. There are many high-profile races that you can train a Samoyed for and in doing so, also teach him or her the practical skill of sled-pulling. No matter the reason you decide to train your Samoyed as a sledding dog, you'll again need to take some certain precautions including acclimating your Samoyed to the equipment used in sledding at a very young age. In addition, he or she will need to be able to get along well with other dogs so that he or she can participate in a team pull if the need arises. Once again, learning basic obedience and commands as a puppy will make more advanced training as an adult all the much easier.
With a little dedication and effort, you can easily train your Samoyed to be suited for a nearly infinite variety of tasks. In doing so, you'll not only increase your own education, but you'll drastically improve the quality of your dog's life in the process.
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