The Samoyede people of Northern Siberia were a very hardy people, and very good-natured. If what “they” say is true – that dogs come to resemble their owners – perhaps this accounts for the amiability of the “Smiling Sammy,” though y were called “Bjelker” by their people.  Another reason would be the dog’s intimate relationship with his people.  The “choom” was a round-

A Choom

topped tent made from reindeer hide and mounted on heavy poles. It was in this that the family lived, and it was this dwelling that the Samoyed not only guarded, but in which he was given complete freedom of movement. Stories are even told of how a Samoyed could be trusted to baby-sit the children. Though the men of the tribe were rarely affectionate with the dogs, children and wives were, and it was with them that the dogs sometimes acted as hot water bottles to help keep warm. The Samoyedes regarded their dogs as companions and work partners, and when the family gathered together, the dogs usually sit around them, perhaps anticipating food that might be tossed their way.  There can be little doubt that this close association imbued the breed with an affection for people that remains to this day.

Image: “Arctic Serenity” by Cori Solomon
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