THE HAIR OF THE DOG by Sandra Stewart

The Samoyed coat has long been labelled the breed's crowning glory. And indeed, there is nothing quite so breathtaking as a beautifully groomed biscuit or white Sammie in full coat. For the groomer and bather, too, it's undoubtedly been somewhat of a breathtaking task, for there's no escaping that preparing this breed for the show ring takes time and effort. However, nothing quite matches a Sam in full feathers, and a ring full of immaculately prepared dogs is a magnificent sight. The first 1909 Samoyed standard allowed the parti-coloured dog.

"Black and white, brown and white, as well as pure white and white with slight lemon markings" were the first words on colour. A study of the early dogs reveals that both black, like Mrs. Cammack's Pedro, and the "deep biscuit" - read, dark brown - Sabarka, were used at stud.

Sabarka, the original import brought to England by Mr Kilburn Scott in 1889. His colour was described as ‘deep biscuit’’

Pedro, owned by Mrs Cammack’

It was not until 1920, when the second standard was adopted in England, that the parti-coloured dog was excluded and the "pure white, white and biscuit, and cream" became the standard colours for the breed.

Probably then, too, the debate on colour began. And it continues, off and on, to this day. 

The public, most judges and some breeders prefer the pure white. So breed pure whites and penalize colour? But there's the rub. For undoubtedly, the better-textured coat is one with some colour in it, or on a dog with colour in parents or close ancestry. The breed standard requires a harsh-textured, stand-offish, weather-resistant outer coat and a dense, woolly undercoat. But how often do we see a Sammie coat collapse and part, showing the skin, when a bit of drizzle falls these days? Too frequently, I contend.

Dominion Samoyed Club patron and president Elma Todd of Tilenka Samoyeds in Christchurch has been a long-time fan of the coloured coat, breeding particularly for it in the litter which produced one of New Zealand's most biscuit Samoyeds, Ch Marusja Arova of Tilenka. The very white coat certainly seemed to be the soft one in her kennels, more often than not on a dog with lighter pigment and sometimes lighter eye colour, she says. 

"I remember trying to show Pumpkin (Ch Marusja). She was peaches and cream, a lovely overall apricot colour with deeper tinges on her ears. I remember arriving at a show and being told to take her home and wash it out. It was a disqualification, I was told. People even questioned whether she was a Samoyed or not. There were gasps all round the ring - but she didn't look back. She had tremendous coat texture, and, just as well, because you couldn't dry clean her. She had to be bathed before each show.

If you bathed a white dog the day before a show, the coat would flop all over the place. Bath Pumpkin the day before, and you'd still have a stand-off coat."She had beautiful pigment, and her eyes were a lovely, rich brown. She had a dense black lip line, black roof to her mouth, the only part of the mouth with any pink was the pink line just above her teeth. And her tongue, of course. She had black toenails and magnificent foot feathers - the whole picture was one of rich colour."

Elma Todd laments the fact that more coloured dogs are not in the show ring. But it's still the case that judges penalize it, she says. 

"I've heard a lot of different opinions. The late Claude Naylor said colour in the Samoyed was only all right if evenly distributed through the coat. Patches weren't allowed. I don't know where people get this from. There's certainly nothing written about it, and the original Sams were a patched multi-coloured lot. Perhaps people are just confusing it with other breed standards." 

Another stunning coloured Samoyed bitch was the late Eng Ch Fairvilla Anastasia, owned by Betty Moody of Novaskaya Kennels. One of the few Samoyeds registered as "biscuit", Ana won her first CC at 7 months and her last, with BOB, at 11 years of age. She also took Best in Show at the Samoyed Owners and Breeders League Show at 14 1/2 years of age. A deep orange-apricot with lighter shaded tail and trousers, this bitch was literally a show stopper, reputedly halting the class at Crufts. At the same time, her owner discussed her colour with spectators. 

While the coloured coat may have its detractors in the show ring, with Samoyed fibre garments, the delicate shading of the coloured coat certainly comes into its own. It's also easier to spin.

Helen Roberts of North Canterbury, a keen fibre spinner, had her introduction to the breed through her two coloured Sammie girls. While she rates herself as an enthusiastic amateur, several Canterbury spinners have won Quality Mark certificates and national spinning prizes with Samoyed fibre and wool garments.

"I started when Freya was a pup - that's 25 years ago",' she said. "I couldn't get anyone to spin it, so I thought I'd do it myself. It was trial and error to start with. And then one joined the Spinners and Weavers' Guild. When all else fails - read the instructions."

Lisa Chapman and Phoebe spinning Samoyed hair at the Championship Show 1 July 2016. Photo by Mark Hickman. Printed in the Sleigh Courier 2016 Summer magazine.

Helen's first effort resulted in a gorgeous jersey - lovely to look at, but not practical to wear.

"I wanted a Samoyed jersey, but didn't realize how it would fluff up and shed with washing. It still retains novelty value and serves as a great talking point. But it's much better to have something you can wear."The jersey was spun on a mill-spun single thread, with the Samoyed fibre plied onto the thread, resulting in a very high Samoyed fibre content. 

"When you shake it, bits fly everywhere. It's like a jolly snowstorm". Helen now uses one-ply wool and one-ply Samoyed, or, better still, blends at around 75 percent wool and 25 percent dog. A little bit of silk added luxury, and a touch of Angora added softness, making the garment a bit different, she says. Samoyed fibre needs wool. The fibre does not have scales that hold a thread of wool together, and the 75:25 mix yields a wearable garment. Plus, it doesn't shed with washing. You collect the soft undercoat from the adult Samoyed; a puppy coat is too short. You don't have to card it, as the fibre has already been effectively carded by combing the soft undercoat out of the dog. Helen spins the fibre "straight from the dog". She also finds fibre from bitches easier to spin than from males, and the texture of the biscuit-coloured coats makes for easier spinning. Once spun and plied, you tie the fibre into hanks and wash it, Helen says. 

"You wash it in really hot water, going from really hot to really cold, to shock and pre-shrink it. It takes an awful lot of courage to dump those hanks you've worked so hard over straight into hot water".

But that's what you do. Wash with pure Sunlight soap to remove the grease. Don't agitate it too much, or you're likely to feel it. Then hang it on the line to dry on a nice breezy day. Ball it up, and it's ready to knit. The fibre will dye nicely, and Helen has seen a magnificent, multi-coloured woven jacket made from blended wool and Samoyed fibre. 

The insulating properties of Sammie fibre are well known. Several World War 2 airmen shot down into water owe their lives to the insulating properties of a Samoyed jersey.

Helen Roberts is an innovative spinner; her spinning portfolio is complete with interesting fibre threads. There's a bit of Corgi, Finnish Spitz, an Alaskan Malamute/Siberian Husky mix, Elkhound, a goat, rabbit, and a Malamute thread, a Birman cat, Pekingese, Shetland Sheepdog, Belgian Shepherd, and Newfoundland. She's a fan of lacy, open patterns due to the large needles used when knitting the Sammie fibre.

"Keep air in the pattern, don't do a fisherman's rib or stocking stitch - it's just too hot. And be careful with the garment. Treat it like wool and remember the time and effort that's gone into making it, and treat it accordingly. Be careful too of rings, jewellery and dog claws catching on it."

Oh yes, a word of warning! Dogs find a fibre jersey fascinating. 

"I've had some very near misses," Helen says. "Almost christened by one male. Now I know what a bitch in season feels like. Dogs certainly know you're wearing something. So be careful and don't leave the garment around where your Sams can get to it", she says. 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Skrownek Samoyed Stud (Reprinted from 1993 Samoyed supplement). New Zealand Kennel Club Gazette May 2006 Samoyed Supplement.