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Dog-Eared Reads: The Complete Samoyed

By Wesley Coburn

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was created using digital filters) A Samoyed is pictured on the third day of Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 6, 2015 in Birmingham, England. First held in 1891, Crufts is said to be the largest show of its kind in the world, the annual four-day event, features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part and vie for the coveted title of 'Best in Show'. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was created using digital filters) A Samoyed is pictured on the third day of Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 6, 2015 in Birmingham, England. First held in 1891, Crufts is said to be the largest show of its kind in the world, the annual four-day event, features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part and vie for the coveted title of 'Best in Show'. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) /
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If you’re interested in Samoyed history, this is the book for you.

If you aren’t, skip Bob and Dolly Ward’s 1971 nonfiction work The Complete Samoyed, from Howell Book House.

It is part a series of dog books published by Howell, other titles included The Complete Beagle, The Complete Bulldog, How to Train Your Own Gun Dog and Dog Psychology.

The husband-and-wife duo from West Allis, Wis., showed and raced Samoyeds for many years and helped write the American Kennel Club’s Breed Standard, in addition to each serving terms as President of the Samoyed Club of America.

They clearly know what they’re talking about, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into a readable book.

The opening section sketches early Arctic explorers in the late nineteenth century and their experiences with the local dogs of the Siberian tribes, and the dogs’ importation into England and then on into the United States.

The majority of the book delivers an exhaustively detailed history of show dogs and bloodlines, which is unreadable to all except academics and show-dog enthusiasts.

Breeders in the Mid-Atlantic states first starting showing the Samoyed, and then the breed spread to California by the 1920s. By the late 1940s the breed had spread into the Pacific Northwest, and by the late 1950s Samoyeds were found nationwide.

There is also a thorough recap of the various breed standards used in various countries and how they differ.

Chapters on proper breeding techniques, puppy training, selecting a puppy, and show-dog training follow, each written by one of their friends and edited by the Wards.

The book closes with chapters on spinning Samoyed wool and their use as sled dogs for racing, which are both interesting for their novelty.

While The Complete Samoyed was a dreary read, for a dollar find at the library book sale it wasn’t bad.

Next. Dog-Eared Reads: Album of Dogs. dark

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