How Much and What Should I Feed My Samoyed?

Samoyeds are beautiful dogs and great family pets. One of the main concerns of any responsible owner would be to provide a high-quality and balanced diet for his/her dog. It’s not only about the type of food you feed your Samoyed but also the amount of it.

Samoyed puppies are usually fully weaned between 6 and 8 weeks. Although they have started with solid food earlier, now solids are their only food so for the puppies 8-12 weeks old you should serve 4 meals a day.

Samoyed puppies 3-6 months old eat 3 meals a day and those of 6-12 months old get 2 meals a day. Samoyeds older than 1 year should eat either 1 larger meal or 2 smaller servings.

What Kind Of Food Should Samoyed Eat?

If you bought your Sammy from a local breeder, you should ask the breeder for the type of food he/she fed your pet. Not only to ask him but to seek an explanation of why he/she used that particular food/brand.

If he is able to explain to you why this food is good for your pet, you can continue with it, switching the puppy version for the adult version when your dog hits his first birthday.

In case the breeder has no specific reason for using that food, then ask the local shelter, your vet or some other breeder for advice.

There are many premium dog food manufacturers. According to the Samoyed Club of America, you should look for AAFCO certification on your dog’s food as that means that food has been tested using AAFCO procedures to certify it’s the ability to provide balance and complete nutrition.

Commercial food ( of course the quality one) is a good choice for your Sammy. If you want to add some ”extras”, human or table food do consult the vet first.

Samoyeds like cooked eggs, some fruits, and vegetables as well as cottage cheese but this kind of food should be no more than 10% of your dog’s daily diet. Too much human, table food could lead to obesity.

If you want to give a bone to your Sammy, you can do it, but make sure it’s a raw, large bone. Cooked bones are choking hazards, especially small bones that can damage the intestine while large ones can wear down the teeth.

The raw bone will give your Sammy the exercise he needs, help him to clean his teeth, and fulfill his need to chew.

Don’t forget that dogs, same as humans can suffer from food allergies. The research that is done recently suggests that food based on lamb /chicken/ poultry and rice has the least possibility to trigger allergies.

Are Samoyeds Picky Eaters?

According to the Samoyed Club of America, young Samoyeds are not hearty eaters as one would expect from a dog of its size. You will have to encourage your pup to eat more by adding meat juices or bacon grease. This stuff will make his meal more appealing.

The first year of life is very important for your Samoyed. This is the period during which he needs to learn good eating habits. As matter of fact, you are the one who will teach him this important lesson.

Even adult Samoyeds might be fussy eaters. Note that many snow dogs or Arctic breeds including Samoyeds among others (Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute ) are known as picky eaters. There can be various reasons for that.

If your Samoyed doesn’t eat well, you first need to rule out some illness. A full vet check-up can help.

Another thing that you should think about is the level of activity. Samoyeds are a working breed so they are used to be very active, don’t like to sit around.

They need a lot of exercises, run and play. If they don’t do that, it’s possible to eat less, as they don’t need that amount of calories.

The interesting fact is that Arctic breeds are prone to Zinc deficiency. Why is this important? Well, because if the dog has a lack of Zinc then he doesn’t feel the taste of food.

Imagine yourself, you are eating a mouth-watering meal but cannot enjoy it as you cannot feel any taste. After a few bites, you are not so interested in food, right? Same as your Sammy. Check his level of Zinc. The lack of Zinc might be caused by poor diet or can be a hereditary issue.

Some dogs simply prefer dry food or wet food. Try different options to check what kind of food your Sammy prefers. If he likes more canned, wet food, that doesn’t mean you cannot serve him kibble. You can soak them in the water or in chicken soup for dogs to make them softer and more appealing for your pet.

It can happen that your Sammy refuses some food, not because he is a picky eater but because it’s something wrong with the food. Maybe the food contains some inappropriate ingredients ( poor meat by-products, grains …) and your dog instinctively knows that’s not good for him.

Is My Samoyed Overweight?

It’s true that some Sammies can be picky eaters but there will always be those who are hungry all the time and eat more than you think they should.

First of all, note, that genetically, Samoyeds have a tremendous appetite. Since they were working dogs, who lived in harsh weather conditions ( up to -60F), they had to eat a lot to fulfill the caloric needs.

Nowadays, most of them are lovely, family pets, usually doing nothing (except running and playing ). Because of that, this breed tends to overeat and has sensitive stomach issues.

If the food you are giving to your Sammy is not nutritious enough he will be eating more. As you can assume if your dog ingests a lot of empty calories, they will make more damage than good.

Make sure his food doesn’t contain corn or soy. Watch out for cereal grains and their position on the food label list. If they are positioned high, that means that your dog won’t get much protein he needs as the food is full of grain fillers.

For Samoyeds with a sensitive stomach is very important not to eat food that contains wheat or corn but to consume gluten-free grains such as quinoa, brown rice, and millet.

Adult Samoyed should weigh between 50 and 60 pounds. If he has more, consult with your vet about what to do.

Another way to check if your Sammy is overweight is to check the width of his chest and his tummy. His chest should be wider than the tummy. If a tummy has the same width as the chest, your dog is overweight.

Conclusion

Samoyed dogs usually have a very good appetite. If you provide a well-balanced food with all the necessary ingredients, as well as a satisfying level of activity, your dog will be healthy and in great shape.

Premium commercial food for dogs is always a better choice. Avoid table food or at least keep this food to a minimum, not more than 10% of your dog’s daily diet.

If you have an adult Samoyed, make sure he gets one hearty meal or two smaller ones per day. Freshwater should be at his disposal all the time.

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