AMy: is the American Eskimo dog and the Samoyed similar?
my fiance and i are thinking of getting wither a American Eskimo dog or a Samoyed. i did some research, but im still kinda fuzzy on the differences between them. what are the differences between them?
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Answers and Views:
Answer by Charlie the black Pomeranian Agility King
Yeah, they`re both part of the Spitz family, they can both be white, pretty close. But they`re separate breeds. Just like a Pomeranian and a German Spitz which are two other Dogs in the Spitz family.
Answer by Dustin
From my experience Eskimo's have a different personality from the Samoyed's. The biggest factor will have to be the size, if you want a medium-sized dog get the Samoyed, if you want a small dog, get the Eskimo. If you have no preference then I would suggest interacting with each to see which breed suits you best.
Personally, I prefer the Samoyed because I work at a pet store and we have both breeds. I have never especially liked the "snow dogs" such as the Husky, Eskimo, Malamute, Samoyed, etc. but I began training a Samoyed at work when he was only 10 weeks old and he picked up on training incredibly fast. Within 2 hours he learned how to sit, shake, lay, roll, and "sit pretty." He could do these tricks with verbal commands, as well as with only hand commands. I've trained many dogs, several of them being in the top ten smartest dog breeds, and he picked up on training just as fast as any of them.
One negative, prepare for a lot of shedding – get a Furminator!
Answer by Sydney
Here is how they are similar and different:
HEIGHT
American Eskimo's range from 15 to 19 inches, Samoyed's range from 19 to 23 inches.
WEIGHT
American Eskimo's range from 18 to 35 pounds, Samoyed's range from 35 to 50 pounds.
GENERAL LOOKS
They both are usually white, and look very similar.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
They are both prone to hip dysplasia.
LIVING CONDITIONS
They can both live in an apartment as long as they are exercised enough.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
American Eskimos are expected to live for 15+ years. Samoyeds are expected to live for 12 to 15 years. (The life expectancy of a dog typically depends on it's size. A larger dog tends to live a shorter life than a smaller dog.)
- What is the Nature of a Husky Samoyed Mix?
- Is Samoyed a good apartment dog to be left home alone?
- Differences between American eskimo dog, Japanese spitz and Samoyed?
GROOMING
They both require extensive brushing and grooming.
The American Eskimo is typically smaller in height and weight than the Samoyed, but other than this they are actually quite similar.
I hope this answers your question :)
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!
Karen A Vasquez says
I have had 2 eskies and one Sammie. I currently have an American Eskimo end there are big differences. In both Eskimos as they’ve gotten older like 5 years old I noticed both was skittish about pain or for seeing it coming. For lack of a better description projection of fear pain. Both s keys were on the lazy side and love water. The pool the hose the sprinkler they just love water. The American Eskimo is very willful. Easy to train yes obedient yes but will. I suppose it’s part of their intelligence. The Sammy I had was full of energy constantly . Unfortunately I only had him up to one year because of a divorce but the energy level at a puppy was a bit too much. I think the Sammy’s are more beautiful because of the squared face but I wrote The American Eskimo all the way he makes the world smile with this silliness and they are silly
Sarah says
Apart from the size difference, these two breeds have very different personalities. Samoyeds tend to be a lot friendlier overall, but like many nordic breeds, may tend to be more difficult to train than something like a golden retriever. In my experience with american eskimos,they tend to be wary of strangers to a fault, some even being growly and nippy if not bred and trained well. However, eskies are highly trainable and considerably more intelligent than the average dog. They originally spread throughout the US as circus dogs, and are excelent at obedience, agility, and just learning tricks in general. They LOVE to please you, and will do anything for you. Expect to have a permanent shadow with either breed, both breeds NEED to be an integral part of your family.
I believe samoyeds need a bit more exercise. Both have a tendancy to be rather vocal. Samoyeds may be diggers. Samoyeds are way better with kids, strangers, and other dogs, though I think (but I could be wrong) that american eskimos are better with small animals (mine had a non-existant prey drive as an adult, but that could have been unique to him and our training) Every dog requires a commitment to daily exercise and training, and these two are no exception.
I loved my own american eskimo, but honestly, if I were to do it again, I would get a samoyed instead. I strongly prefer their bullet-proof temperments. If you do opt for an american eskimo, I would stongly recommend purchasing from an extremely reliable breeder to counteract the potentially heartbreaking temperament issues with poorly bred individuals (check out the akc’s breeder of merit program) or rescuing an adult dog who’s temperment is already known and stable. Samoyeds are lower risk as far as temperment goes, but I would still advise either rescuing or going with a top notch breeder. Just my two cents.
I would check out dogbreedinfo.com, and the akc breed pages, they are incredibly helpful!
Kristen says
The difference is that the Samoyed is way bigger. Samoyeds are about the same size as a Husky, 21"-23" tall and 50-60 lbs. Standard American Eskimos (AKA Eskies) are a small dog usually about 15" tall and 20-30 lbs. Eskies also come in toy and miniature, but standard is the most common.
Both are fairly similarly minded dogs. They are smart, like to learn and work, cuddly, and friendly. The Samoyeds I know are friendly to people and dogs. I also know a few Eskies, and two are weary of strangers and other dogs (but are okay once they get used to them), and the other one I know is very friendly to all dogs and people. So, I guess it varies. Both breeds can be a little stubborn and independently minded (especially American Eskimos), but they still smart and trainable.