Samoyeds are stunning dogs with their plush white coats, upturned tails, and dark eyes, noses, and lips, but how much shedding can you expect if you want to share your life with a Samoyed?
Do Samoyeds shed a lot? Samoyeds shed profusely year-round and shed even more seasonally. The dense, double coats have an amazing amount of hair for a smaller dog, but Samoyeds will, at least, produce less hair than larger dog breeds.
Read on to learn what tools and techniques you can use to control Samoyed shedding, when shedding is likely to be worst, and how to keep your Samoyed as healthy as possible to reduce shedding.
Shedding Patterns
Samoyeds have thick, double coats. The outer coat is harsh and longer, while the inner coat is soft and wooly. Samoyeds shed year-round.
However, around spring and fall you’ll really notice your Samoyed start to fill the house with white fluff.
These dogs shed seasonally to blow out their coats in order for new growth to begin. That means that they’ll need to shed nearly their entire coat twice a year.
The American Kennel Club recommends brushing your Samoyed two to three times a week.
Many owners find that more frequent brushing can reduce the amount of hair left around the house.
How Does Samoyed Shedding Compare to Other Breeds?
Samoyeds shed about as much as any long-haired double-coated breed.
You can expect a similar amount of hair shed per square inch of skin from a Husky, Great Pyrenees, or Bernese Mountain Dog.
However, because Samoyeds are so much smaller than these other breeds, you probably won’t notice quite as much hair.
Are Samoyeds Hypoallergenic?
There is no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog.
People with allergies respond to saliva or dander in the skin of every dog, regardless of what kind of hair they have or even if they don’t have hair at all.
However, dogs with coats that don’t shed much produce less dander and saliva and prompt fewer allergic reactions.
Since Samoyeds shed a lot, they can’t be considered hypoallergenic. They will drop a lot of dander and saliva every time that they drop hair.
Everyone with allergies to dogs responds differently.
Sometimes you may have a strong allergic reaction to one dog and not another, regardless of the coat.
Therefore, if you have your heart set on a Samoyed but have allergies, try exposing yourself to a Samoyed at a breeder or dog show, and see how you react.
Recommended Grooming Tools and Tips
Samoyeds don’t require extensive grooming, but they do need a lot of brushing.
You won’t need to trim your Samoyeds coat unless you want to clean up the hair around the paws.
However, unless you regularly brush your dog’s coat, the lush hair can become tangled, which is bad for your dog’s coat and very uncomfortable for your dog.
Here are some brushes that you’ll find come in handy when grooming your Samoyed.
Pin Brush
This straightforward brush has padded pins with regular spacing. It is a good tool to have on hand for everyday use.
It’s a great brush to get dirt and debris out of your dog’s coat when they’ve been playing outside. You can use the pin brush all over your dog’s body to gently get rid of loose hair.
Hertzko makes a nice one with a nice comfort-grip handle.
Slicker Brush
If you want your Samoyed’s coat to be shiny and smooth, you should have a slicker brush in your grooming toolkit.
This brush has fine, closely spaced wire nubs that remove mats and smooth your dog’s coat. It’s an excellent tool for smoothing your dog’s plume tail.
I like the self-cleaning version by Slicker Pro, and it comes in Green or Blue.
Shedding Comb
When your dog is in the midst of yearly shedding, a shedding comb is essential.
You’ll find that the thick, wooly undercoat quickly fills up a slicker brush, so you need something with wider nubs to remove the undercoat without being bogged down.
A shedding comb has nubs at different lengths to work out tangles and break up the undercoat for removal.
Undercoat Rake
Like the shedding comb, the undercoat rake is very important when your Samoyed is shedding heavily.
The rake-like shape helps you to put some pressure into working out your dog’s coat without making your hand sore.
Wide, gentle nubs can be applied with some pressure to work out mats without hurting your dog.
You’ll probably find that your Samoyed leans into the undercoat rake every time that you use it.
The FURminator does an exceptional job, but many people find that a two-sided rake allows for more detailed grooming.
Other Tools for Samoyed Grooming
Brushes aren’t the only tools that you’ll need in order to keep your Samoyed’s coat looking its best and not leaving hair all over your home.
Here are some other tools that you’ll doubtlessly find helpful.
Dryer
A dryer, whether a high-velocity dryer or a regular hair dyer, can do a lot to keep your dog’s coat from matting. Samoyeds tend to be more prone to matting when they are wet.
When you give your dog a bath or he gets wet playing, he may be much more likely to form mats as he dries off.
Using a dryer keeps your Samoyed’s coat from matting and helps the hair to dry straight and even so it will be less likely to tangle.
Shelandy Pet Dryer is designed for dogs with thick fur and comes with five attachments, adjustable speed and temperature options, and noise-reducing technology.
Nail Clippers
Samoyeds have strong nails that usually need to be trimmed at least a couple of times a month, even if your dog is very active.
Choose strong clippers that aren’t too large for your dog’s relatively small feet.
Train your Samoyed to tolerate the clippers from a very early age in order to set both of you up for success in nail trimming.
Coconut Oil
Even if you are dedicated to brushing your Samoyed regularly, every now and then he is bound to develop a mat.
If you’d like to avoid cutting out the mat, coconut oil is a gentle, natural way to detangle your dog’s hair.
Keep some coconut oil on hand and use a little in a wide-toothed comb like the shedding comb or undercoat rake to work through mats and loosen the hair.
Tools and Tips for Cleaning Samoyed Hair Around the House
Samoyeds shed year-round, so even if you brush out your dog regularly, you’re sure to have some Samoyed fluff around your house.
If your Samoyed enjoys car rides, you’re bound to have some of that lovely white fur deposited on your car’s upholstery too. Be sure to read our solutions for ridding your car of pet hair.
Here are some ways to deal with shedding Samoyeds.
Choose White
Normally, white is the last color that you want when you are decorating as a dog owner, but when it comes to Samoyeds, decorating in white may be a good choice.
White hairs will be much less evident against white tile, rugs, and furniture. Of course, if you have kids, you make want to rethink this option.
Fur-Removing Mitts and Gloves
Fur-removing mitts are designed to attract fur and wipe it smoothly off of furniture and upholstery. You’ll be glad you have this convenient tool around for everyday cleanup.
Though designed for use on your pet, grooming gloves can perform double duty for use on furniture, carpets, floors, and even clothing.
A Robotic Vacuum
Robotic vacuums are great at picking up the medium-length hair that Samoyeds drop.
Not only will running a robotic vacuum regularly keep hair off of the ground, but it will also make it less likely that hair will be tracked onto the furniture.
Some of these robots, like the iRobot Roomba, automatically self-adjust height, connect to products like Alexa, and will dock and recharge all by themselves.
Supplements to Reduce Samoyed Shedding
One way to keep Samoyeds from shedding excessively is to make sure that their diet is optimized for coat health.
Whether you want to choose a dog food that has great supplements for skin and coat or whether you want to choose additional supplements, added nutrients can do a lot to keep your Samoyed’s coat healthy.
- Omega-6 fatty acids – Keep your dog’s coat moisturized. These acids are especially helpful in dogs who have dull, dry coats.
- Omega-3 fatty acids – Reduce itching and increase moisture in the skin.
- Vitamins D & A – Improves coat quality and lushness.
- Vitamin E – Antioxidant that helps the coat and skin to heal.
- Biotin – Builds healthy skin.
Related Questions:
Can shaving my Samoyed reduce shedding?
Under most circumstances, Samoyeds should not be shaved. Dogs with double coats use their coats to regulate body temperature, both when it is hot and cold.
Therefore, shaving a Samoyed makes them less able to regulate body temperature.
Are Samoyeds good for warm climates?
Samoyeds are a northern breed. As such, they are better suited to cooler temperatures.
However, since they are smaller dogs, they can get a lot of their exercise inside when the weather is too warm outside.
