Hello!
January’s dog of the month is the Samoyed, which is thought to be the oldest Arctic dog breed. They were used to herd and guard reindeer, they were close to their people, and they pulled sleds. In fact, Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer who was the first man to get to the South Pole in 1911, was pulled by a dogsled team of Samoyeds! There was one other dogsled team that has been to Antarctica in 1990, but now dogs are banned from there because scientists didn’t want the dogs to give distemper or any other diseases to animals in Antarctica because the place was endangered.
Samoyeds are white and fluffy, but they can also be tan, cream, or tan and white. They have two coats: an undercoat and an outer coat. In winter, the undercoat keeps the Samoyed warm; in summer, it keeps the dog from getting too hot. And its fur only sheds twice a year! Their mouths are turned up in a way that makes them look like they’re always smiling. Samoyeds are good family dogs and are even great with kids! If you have one, that is wonderful as I know you are really enjoying this loyal furry friend.
Well that’s it for this dog of the month. Thanks for reading and check out next month’s dog in my February post!
-Zariya
(Top) photo credit: gw/k via photopin cc
(Bottom) photo credit: hepp via photopin cc
I am a home-schooled outdoor explorer, pianist, author, reader, passionate about all dogs and other animals. I aspire to become a future veterinarian and join a dog sled team.