Overview
The Nenets people have used this dog for centuries to move reindeer across the tundra, and it is widely regarded as the stock from which the Samoyed was developed. It is a spitz through and through: wedge head, pricked ears, curled tail and a dense double coat built for weather that would kill most breeds.
Almost none exist in Britain, so any you meet will probably be an import with an owner who knows the type well. Lean on that owner. The breed is generally described as biddable and good-natured for a northern dog, with herding instinct rather than the hunting drive of the Laikas used for game.
Exercise and walking needs
Plan for an hour and a half of movement a day, ideally with some of it off the lead in a secure space where the dog can trot in big loops. A steady trot is the natural gait; this is a dog designed to cover ground all day at a working pace.
In warm weather cut everything back. The coat was made for minus forty and the dog will overheat on a day you consider pleasant. Early starts, shade and water are the rule from late spring onward.
On the walk
- Recall: Better than most spitz breeds because the job required working with people, but still a northern dog. Treat recall as unproven until you have seen it hold against a deer or a rabbit.
- Herding: Moving things is the point of this breed. It may try to bunch other dogs together or run wide circles around a group. Interrupt early and redirect.
- Coat: Mud falls out once dry, but the undercoat sheds in great clumps twice a year. Expect wet weight after a river and a long drying time.
- Other dogs: Most are companionable and used to living in a group. They tend to be straightforward communicators with little bluster.
Tips for professional walkers
- Ask about heat tolerance before you plan anything in summer and be ready to swap a walk for a shaded sniff.
- Use a long line in open country until recall has been proven against wildlife.
- Carry a towel and brush out the worst of the mud before the dog goes back indoors.
What to ask the owner
- Where did the dog come from, and how much of its early life was spent working or in a kennel group?
- What temperature does the owner consider too warm for a walk, and where do they want it walked in summer?
- Has the dog shown any herding or chasing behaviour with other dogs, children or wildlife?