What are the Best Dog Foods for Samoyeds?
The Samoyed was originally bred for hunting, hauling, and herding. Its thick, infamous, white coat protects against frigid temperatures. While Samoyeds are a dog with a mission, they are also friendly and clever. They’re commonly known to gain attention through proper social interactions and by mischievous means. These herding dogs are eager to learn and early, consistent training is vital.
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Breed Info
Breed Group:Working | AKC Samoyed Profile
Ideal Weight:Female Adult: 37 to 48 pounds
Male Adult: 48 to 62 pounds
Exercise Need:45 to 75 minutes per day
Breed Summary
Samoyeds originated from Siberia, and are named after the Samoyedic people who would huddle for warmth in their tents during deep-freeze winter nights. When not hauling supplies across the Siberian landscape, Samoyeds would be used to hunt for food and to keep watch over property. Over time, due to the Samoyeds’ protective nature, they became good herding dogs and were tasked with protecting the community’s herd of reindeer. These dogs are built for the cold; a Samoyed’s thick coat protects against deep-freeze temperatures and its upturned mouth prevents against drooling in frigid cold. They are a medium sized, working dog that is friendly, smart, and built for endurance.
• In the 1800s, Queen Alexandra promoted the breed as a companion and show dog.
• Samoyeds can pull one and a half times their body weight on sled.
• Many famous explorers traveled by sled with Samoyeds through unexplored frozen regions of Siberia.
Physical Traits
Stocky build, thick white coat, agile, high endurance
Personality Traits
Smart, strong, alert, hardworking, friendly, social, protective, good watchdogs
Health Considerations
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If given proper nutrition, exercise, and socialization, your Samoyed should thrive! Some conditions that you may want to evaluate your Samoyed for are:
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Eye/vision support
As the retina degenerates, the dog's vision can be affected leading often to blindness. We always make sure there are ingredients to support eye health in our recommendations.
Recommendations:
Anthocyanins・ Astaxanthin・ Beta-carotene・ Carotenoids・ Glutathione・ Lutein・ Lycopene・ Omega-3 essential fatty acids・ Phytonutrients・ Vitamin A・ Vitamin C -
Heart Support
There are key factors to consider when treating your dog’s heart issues. Nutritional considerations may include ingredients like vitamin e and taurine.
Recommendations:
Antioxidants・ Carnitine・ Complete protein・ Low sodium・ Omega-3 fatty acids・ Taurine -
Hip/Joint Support
Genetics often play a role in joint issues, like hip or elbow dysplasia, as well as obesity and rapid weight gain. For general joint health, we recommend foods and supplements that contain:
Recommendations:
Antioxidants・ Chondroitin・ Glucosamine・ Green Mussel・ Methylsulfonymethane・ Omega-3 from Fish Oil・ Taurine・ Turmeric・ Vitamin E -
Weight Management
Samoyeds need plenty of exercise to keep their weight in check. However, the food your Samoyed eats is equally important. Table scraps are not recommended, and treats should be less than 10% of daily caloric intake.
Recommendations:
Large bites (to slow chewing)・ L-carnitine・ Low calorie・ Low fat
Get a tailored nutrition profile for your dog
Our free nutritional assessment tool provides individualized recommendations based on your dog's breed characteristics, age, weight, body condition score, and activity level. It only takes 30 seconds to receive science-based insights to support your dog's lifelong health.
Are Fresh Food Diets Good for Samoyeds?
Only if they’re properly balanced.
Many well-intentioned Samoyeds parents spend a lot of time preparing meals at home, but health benefits are lost if meals aren’t properly portioned and balanced with all the nutrients dogs need. Recently, a few companies have done an excellent job ensuring accurate portions and nutrient balance by delivering pre-prepped fresh meals customized to the size and needs of your dog. Farmer’s Dog, Ollie and Nom Nom have each been approved by our nutrition team as delivering truly quality and well-balanced meals. They can be a little expensive (usually 3-4x more per day than kibble), but many find the added health benefits worth the cost. They do offer discounts to new customers, though, if you’d like to try one out.
Pros and Cons of Fresh Food Diets
✓ Diets balanced by Nutritionists・ ✓ Customized portions for weight control・ ✓ Superior digestive and immune health ・✕ More expensive than standard dog food
Foods We Recommend for Samoyeds Puppies
How long do Samoyedss need puppy food?
Until they're 12 to 16 months old.
Samoyeds are very focused on growing, and how we feed them should help them do just that. Since they have so much growing to do, they need higher amounts of nutrients than adult dogs, especially proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and — don’t forget — water. It’s still important to not overfeed puppies, so make sure to portion food and keep treats to no more than 10% of their caloric intake. Since balance is so important, we recommend that your young Samoyeds is eating food that is made just for puppies from a reputable brand.
Find the best nutritional start for your puppy
Our recommendation tool evaluates your puppy’s breed, age, growth stage, lifestyle, and health needs to identify a scientifically appropriate diet from over 10,000 options. Obtain personalized guidance to help support healthy development and lifelong wellness.
Foods We Recommend for Samoyeds Adults
When should Samoyeds start transitioning to adult food?
When they're 12 to 16 months old
From a nutrition standpoint, Samoyeds become adults once they reach about 90% of their expected weight. Once adults, our two key nutrition goals are balance and maintenance. We want balance because a dog’s body is responsible for a lot of things, like digestion, fighting infection, keeping muscles strong, and chasing squirrels. These are all important tasks, so we want to make sure each body function gets its share of nutrients. We also need to maintain a healthy weight. Underfed dogs are at risk for malnourishment, and overfed dogs can become obese — both of which lead to even worse problems for a Samoyed
Find the optimal nutrition plan for your adult dog
Our assessment analyzes your dog’s breed, age, lifestyle, and health considerations to recommend a scientifically selected diet from over 10,000 options. Personalized insights to help your dog thrive through adulthood.
Foods We Recommend for Samoyeds Seniors
When should Samoyeds start transitioning to senior food?
All dogs can age differently, but medium dogs like Samoyeds can start to benefit from senior food around 7 to 8 years old
Ever watch kids running around the playground and wish you had that energy again? Yeah. Dogs get there, too. The metabolic processes in senior Samoyeds slow down as they age, which often means they aren’t needing quite as many calories as they did in their prime. Smart dog food companies have formulated senior diets to ease up on calories but still help them feel full and give them adequate maintenance protein. Still, like humans, everybody is different. Sometimes older dogs need just as many calories, or more, depending on how their bodies progress. So keep a close eye on their body condition, and look for dog foods made for seniors.
Support your senior dog's health with targeted nutrition
Our assessment analyzes your dog’s breed, age, and health considerations to recommend a science-based diet from over 10,000 options. Help maintain mobility, cognitive health, and quality of life.
Affiliate Disclosure:
We do not accept money to recommend pet foods. However, we do receive referral fees from online retailers (such as Chewy or Amazon) on qualifying purchases. Our recommendations are neutral, and diet recommendations are made without considering whether we will receive a referral fee.