Hi all
I'm a cat girl, but hubby and I have been considering adding a canine to the zoo. We both really love Samoyeds and have both been trying to read up on them as best we can. I haven't had a dog since I was really really small, and hubby has never had one, although his parents who live downstairs from us have one.
So why Samoyed? Well, we feel that it would be a good choice to get on with the cats. We want a dog that's clever but has a personality, and one that loves to be with people and loves to be cuddled. We want a dog that wants to walk and run and in the winter have fun with us in the snow. We have a white cat, so why not a white dog (joking...). I've just trained as a groomer, so looking after its coat would be fine and I need to get used to handling dogs in my new line of work.
We know that Samoyeds can potentially be hard work, but at the moment I work from home and hubby works from home some of the week. When I open my business, doggy can come with me or stay with hubby when he's home.
So, those who have them, how easy are they to train? I'm talking about walking on the lead, sitting, stopping, coming, lying down, you know, the basics. How prevalent are the health concerns like hip dysplasia, SGH, PRA, diabetes and pulmonary stenosis? (well in the UK, I'm in Italy so it may differ here). What tests are available and are they reliable? What are your views on crating? Is there any significant difference between males and females? We intend to neuter.
What do you feed them and how much? We raw-feed the cats...
Why do YOU love your Samoyed? What should I be aware of?
Thanks chucks
I'm a cat girl, but hubby and I have been considering adding a canine to the zoo. We both really love Samoyeds and have both been trying to read up on them as best we can. I haven't had a dog since I was really really small, and hubby has never had one, although his parents who live downstairs from us have one.
So why Samoyed? Well, we feel that it would be a good choice to get on with the cats. We want a dog that's clever but has a personality, and one that loves to be with people and loves to be cuddled. We want a dog that wants to walk and run and in the winter have fun with us in the snow. We have a white cat, so why not a white dog (joking...). I've just trained as a groomer, so looking after its coat would be fine and I need to get used to handling dogs in my new line of work.
We know that Samoyeds can potentially be hard work, but at the moment I work from home and hubby works from home some of the week. When I open my business, doggy can come with me or stay with hubby when he's home.
So, those who have them, how easy are they to train? I'm talking about walking on the lead, sitting, stopping, coming, lying down, you know, the basics. How prevalent are the health concerns like hip dysplasia, SGH, PRA, diabetes and pulmonary stenosis? (well in the UK, I'm in Italy so it may differ here). What tests are available and are they reliable? What are your views on crating? Is there any significant difference between males and females? We intend to neuter.
What do you feed them and how much? We raw-feed the cats...
Why do YOU love your Samoyed? What should I be aware of?
Thanks chucks