Page 201 - ShowSight - June 2020

SAMOYED Q&A
“...SPARKLE OF THE EYES, ANIMATION AND LIGHT UP ” OF THE FACE WHEN ALERT OR INTENT ON ANYTHING.
MARY JO WILLDIGG & LINDSEY RAGSDALE
My mother, Mary Jo Willdigg, lives outside of Denver, Colo- rado, and I recently moved to the East Coast. To support my moth- er’s love for this sport and her breed she worked at a bank, holding many positions over her 35-year career. Now, however, she is enjoy- ing her retirement years. As for myself, I worked in the financial service industry on the marketing operations/project management side until I recently moved to the East Coast. My mother and I have been fortunate to have had a successful breeding program from the start and have produced many top-winning Samoyeds over 44 years. Everyone has to start somewhere. My mother began her love affair with this breed in 1976 with her first show dog and our foundation bitch, Ch. Tushina Snow Star. Tushina was a beautiful, balanced and elegant girl that helped bring about our success in Samoyeds. My mom wanted to honor this beautiful girl by naming our kennel after her T-Snow Star Samoyeds (pronounced “Tee Bar Snow Star”). As many people might say, I was raised with the Samo- yeds. I grew up with this beautiful breed and began my showing career at the age of 10 when I entered my first Junior Showmanship competition. I went on to compete throughout the years in Junior Showmanship and conformation, having success in both areas.
Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from breeding and showing dogs? Even though competing with our dogs is a big part of our free-time, we also enjoyed a few other hobbies. My mother enjoys her spare time by sewing and crafting. You may have seen her work at one of the shows with our crate covers and my wonderful towel bag. As for myself, I like to go hiking and painting, but I’ve recently been enjoying going to the beach.
What are the key aspects of breed type? Both my mom and I see the Samoyed type as an important part of this beautiful breed. We see it as their signature look that sets them apart from other breeds. As breeders, we think about the standard, but also the over- all balance and elegance of the male or female. Breed type should be seen in the head with the expressive and alert almond-shaped eyes and the classic Sammy smile. However, Samoyeds are a work- ing breed and should have a heavy double coat that is either pure white, cream, biscuit, or biscuit and white that can withstand the harsh cold elements like their ancestors before them. The body of the Samoyed should have sufficient substance, meaning the bone and muscle are well-balanced with the male and female’s frame; with their length of leg proportionate from the ground to the elbow around 55 percent of their total height. Another part of breed type is their movement. A Samoyed should have well-timed movement that is agile, free, and balanced that can single track in the front and rear while showcasing the ability to conserve energy when needing to cut through snow. There are many more aspects of the Samoyed breed type that should be considered when being judged, but these are a few important ones we consider.
Can I speak to my breed’s ideal size? The ideal size for a Samoyed should be between 19 to 23 1⁄2 inches. To take this a step further, males typically range from 21 to 23 1⁄2 inches and females are 19 to 21 inches. Any male or female out of these ranges are typically penalized. However, each breeder has their preference as to what their ideal size is for a Samoyed based on these guidelines.
What about the “Sammy smile?” How important is correct expression? Going back to breed type, the famous Sammy smile is and important part of our breed and the most recognizable trait.
The lips of the Samoyed should be black or near black with small curves at the corners of the mouth, showing an expression of joy. Even though the Samoyed are a very joyful breed, the slight curve in the corners of the mouth represents a heart-warming smile for this breed. Going beyond aesthetics the “Sammy smile” helps pre- vent ice building up when competing in harsh elements. When most people think about the expression of the Samoyed they think about the Sammy smile. However, there is more to it. The “Samo- yed expression” is a combo of the Sammy smile, ears and eyes. Our breed standard explains it the best—“sparkle of the eyes, animation and light up of the face when alert or intent on anything.”
Is there a preference for color in the ring? When observing the show ring, many may feel that the pure white is the most desired. I understand why. However, there have been many top-winning Samoyeds throughout the decades that were not the perfect pure white. By having these dogs win, it helps showcase our standards of color; pure white, cream, biscuit or white and biscuit.
Does my breed have any specific exercise needs? Going back to the purpose of the breed, the Samoyed needs the stamina to sledge, herd, or protect the families which means they can be high energy and alert when the task demands. Also, the breed is intelligent and eager to serve. With all this combined, this breed does need exercise (especially if they are younger Samoyeds). Many Samoyed owners have utilized their Samoyed’s energy and intelligent by working with them on titles in agility, herding, weight pulling and other fun activities.
Is my breed generally good with other dogs? With other house- hold pets? My favorite part of the Samoyed breed is their disposi- tion. We have had many Samoyeds go into homes with other pets and be fantastic. We had one family that had a cat that was scared of everything until they introduced their male Samoyed. This male let the cat lay on him or near him most of the time. We personally feel Samoyeds make the perfect family dog with their gentle hearts, but alert dispositions.
How much does my breed really shed? Are they enthusiastic barkers? I think the most common question we get asked when we are out with our pups is, “Do Samoyeds shed?” Boy, do they shed! I always let them know that this breed needs to be maintained. Our dogs typically shed based on the seasons—spring and fall. This helps them prepare their coats for the summer and winter. However, Samoyeds always have some loose hair and need brushing so the hair does not matte down onto the skin.
A funny story I’d like to share about my experiences showing Samoyeds? My mother and I believe that each day with our Samo- yeds is a comedy show. Each one of our guys has their own quirks, but always bring a smile to our faces. There are many funny sto- ries that my mother and I could share. My favorite story is when my mother and I were in Winners Bitch together many years ago showing two class bitches. My mother was showing a young puppy female and I was showing a female that won the Open Bitch Class. The judge kept comparing our two females together by moving us around and having us free stack our girls. Well, the young female started losing her patients with moving around and the standing pretty part that she began to jump straight up in the air when my mother was looking at the judge. This happened several times and my mother finally noticed. My mother got so embarrassed. The judge cracked up and gave my mother Winners Bitch. Every funny story reminds us why we continue doing this sport, but we also truly feel blessed to be part of this breed and the community of loving Samoyed owners that comes with it.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2020 | 199