GENERAL APPEARANCE

You look at your clinic schedule for the day and see a new patient, Mr. Robinson, a 75 y.o. man, who is presenting for a complete history and physical. You go out to the waiting area to greet Mr. Robinson and find an older man accompanied by a younger woman. Mr. Robinson is dressed in a sweatshirt and baggy pants. His shoes appear somewhat scuffed and the tops of the shoes are worn and salt stained. As you introduce yourself, Mr. Robinson pushes himself out of the chair, using the arms like parallel bars. His handshake is firm but you note that he appears pale. The woman accompanying Mr. Robinson introduces herself as his daughter and accompanies her father into the office. Robinson walks slowly, he swings his left leg out as he walks and his left arm is slightly flexed. He stops once to take a rest, leaning on his daughter's arm.

The Samoyed, being essentially a working dog, should present a picture of: • beauty • alertness • strength • agility • dignity • grace As his work lies in cold climates, his coat should be heavy & weather resistant, well groomed & of good quality rather then quantity. Males carry more of a "ruff" than the female.

Substance
•Is that sufficiency of bone and muscle which rounds out a balance with the frame.
•The bone is heavier than would be expected in a dog of this size but not so massive as to prevent the speed and agility most desirable in a Samoyed.
•Bone should be in proportion to body size.
•The Samoyed should never be so heavy as to appear clumsy nor so light as to appear racy.
•The weight should be in proportion to the height.

Height
•Males 21 to 23½ inches •Females 19 to 21 inches at the withers.
•An oversized or undersized Samoyed is to be penalized according to the extent of the deviation.
•Body should be well covered with an undercoat of soft, short, thick, close wool with longer and harsh hair growing through it to form the outer coat, which stands straight out from the body and should be free from curl.
•Should form a ruff around the neck and shoulders, framing the head (more on males than on females).
•Quality of coat should be weather resistant and considered more than quantity.
• A droopy coat is undesirable. The coat should glisten with a silver sheen.
• •The Samoyed should trot, not pace.
•He should move with a quick agile stride that is well timed.
•The gait should be free, balanced and vigorous, with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters.

Gait
When trotting, there should be a strong rear action drive.
The back should remain strong, firm and level.
A choppy or stilted gait should be penalized.

Rear End
Cow hocks Correct Narrow Legs should be parallel and straight to the pasterns.
The pasterns should be strong, sturdy and straight, but flexible with some spring for proper let-down of feet.
Because of depth of chest, legs should be moderately long.

Front End
Length of leg from the ground to the elbow should be approximately 55% of the total height at the withersa very shortlegged dog is to be deprecated.

55%
Shoulders should be long and sloping, with a layback of 45 degrees and be firmly set. Out at the shoulders or out at the elbows should be penalized. The withers separation should be approximately 1-1½ inches.

Front Problem Fronts
Elbow out Narrow Toeing In Toeing out Large, long, flattish -a hare-foot, slightly spread but not splayed; toes arched; pads thick and tough, with protective growth of hair between the toes.

Feet
Feet should turn neither in nor out in a natural stance but may turn in slightly in the act of pulling.
Turning out, pigeon-toed, round or cat-footed or splayed are faults.
Feathers on feet are not too essential but are more profuse on females than on males.

Feet
Skull is wedgeshaped, broad, slightly crowned, not round or appleheaded, and should form an equilateral triangle on lines between the inner base of the ears and the central point of the stop.

Head
Muzzle of medium length and medium width, neither coarse nor snippy; should taper toward the nose and be in proportion to the size of the dog and the width of skull. The muzzle must have depth. Whiskers are not to be removed.
Stop -Not too abrupt, nevertheless well defined.
Lips -Should be black for preference and slightly curved up at the corners of the mouth, giving the "Samoyed smile".
Lip lines should not have the appearance of being coarse nor should the flews drop predominately at corners of the mouth.

Too Wide Correct Snipy
Ears should conform to head size and the size of the dog; they should be set well apart but be within the border of the outer edge of the head; they should be mobile and well covered inside with hair; hair full and stand-off before the ears. Length of ear should be the same measurement as the distance from inner base of ear to outer corner of eye. Expression is made up of a combination of eyes, ears and mouth… The ears should be erect when alert; the mouth should be slightly curved at the corners to form the "Samoyed smile."

Expression
Neck -Strong, well muscled, carried proudly erect, set on sloping shoulders to carry head with dignity when at attention.
Neck should blend into shoulders with a graceful arch.
Chest -Should be deep, with ribs well sprung out from the spine and flattened at the sides to allow proper movement of the shoulders and freedom for the front legs.
Should not be barrel-chested. Perfect depth of chest approximates the point of elbows, and the deepest part of the chest should be back of the forelegs -near the ninth rib. Heart and lung room are secured more by body depth than width. Torso A to B: 5% longer than E to C E to D: 45% of height D to C: 55% of height