The Samoyed (/ˈsæməjɛd/ SAM-ə-yed or /səˈmɔɪ.ɛd/ sə-MOY-ed;[1] Russian: самое́дская соба́ка, romanized: samoyédskaya sobáka, or самое́д, samoyéd) is a breed of medium-sized herding dogs with thick, white, double-layer coats.

Samoyed dogs are most often white, and can have a brown tint to their double-layer coat which is naturally dirt-repellent.

[6] During preparation for the Fram expedition to the North Pole in 1893–1896, 33 dogs were purchased from the Nenets people.

According to Nansen's notes "...all the dogs were strong, tough and excellent at pulling sleds; they worked very well in hunting Polar bears [as well]."

[3][7] British Zoologist Ernest Kilburn-Scott is widely considered the founder of Samoyed breed.

In his book "To the South Polar Regions," expedition member Louis Bernacchi wrote:[9] "The sickness was aggravated by the intense heat and the appalling effluvium arising from the 90 Siberian sledge-dogs we had on deck.

In cold weather, Samoyeds may sleep with their tails over their noses to provide additional warmth.

The topcoat contains long, coarse, and straight guard hairs, which appear white but have a hint of silver coloring.

The undercoat typically sheds heavily once or twice a year, and this seasonal process is sometimes referred to as "blowing coat".

The breed is characterized by an alert and happy expression which has earned the nicknames "Sammie smile" and "smiley dog".

[15] Samoyeds can compete in dog agility trials, carting, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, mushing and herding events.

[16] A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.1 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

The disease is caused by a defect in the structure of the type-IV collagen fibrils of the glomerular basement membrane.

Affected males appear healthy for the first three months of life, but then symptoms start to appear and worsen as the disease progresses: the dog becomes lethargic and muscle wastage occurs, as a result of proteinuria.

From three months of age onwards, a reduced glomerular filtration rate is detected, indicative of progressive kidney failure.