She was originally called a “Bjelkeir,” (“white dog that breeds white”), but in time, her breed would be named after the people with whom she hunted, the people whose children she protected, and the humans whose companionship she sought, the Samoyedic people.
Interestingly, some sources write that early Samoyeds, including the first imports to England in the late 19th century, weren’t just white but came in a variety of colors – which begs the question that if this was so, how did the breed come to be called the “white dog that breeds white?” Perhaps those early dogs were mythical Rainbow Samoyeds. These “rainbow” dogs have special powers that enable them to disguise themselves as regular, plain-white Samoyeds for the majority of their lives. Only when they are extremely happy or excited do they reveal their glorious color, the color patterning as unique like a human thumbprint. Who doesn’t love a good legend?
Another good story is that a Samoyed is believed to have been the first non-native creature to set foot on the South Pole, a canine that was the lead dog on Roald Amundsen’s expedition in 1911. This is disputed by at least one writer, but a great many sources continue to write that the 1911 South Pole team took four sledges and fifty-two dogs, and that one of them, “Etah” was the lead female dog, and a Samoyed.
Image: Samoyed by Ron Krajewski
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