Walking Samoyed sometimes can be a challenge. These adorable and playful dogs like to run, have a rather high prey drive, also their herding instinct is always present and constant leash pulling could be very annoying for you.
You also need to take other things into consideration when going out with your Samoyed. Is it too hot or too cold? How often and for how long you should walk your dog?
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Can I Walk My Samoyed Off The Leash?
Before I say anything about Samoyed dogs and leashes, please check if there is a leash law in your state/country. Some states (like PA) require that all dogs should be secured at all times.
Even if your state allows walking your dog off the leash, you need to check the local law, as that one might be different than the state’s law.
However, some states/countries require dogs to be on the leash in public parks or wildlife areas, as well in a certain period of the day, for example from the morning to the evening.
Let’s get back to Samoyed dogs and leash. Besides the fact that walking off the leash might be illegal, it can be dangerous too.
Sammies are really curious creatures, their prey drive is pretty high ( they used to be hunting dogs ) so chasing a skunk or squirrel is something very common.
Further, their herding instinct, as well as different kind of distractions in nature ( odors, food, other dogs, noise …), prevent these dogs from having a good recall.
Not all dogs are the same, some Samoyed dogs will be perfect off the leash but for most Sammies proper training is necessary to improve their recall.
Most of the northern breeds have a very bad recall. Luckily it’s something that you can work on.
Even if you decide never to walk your Sammy off-leash, a good recall can help you both in many situations.
Imagine that you have visited your friend’s house with your Sammy. A 7-year-old child of your friend has opened the front door and your Sammy ( that heard something and saw a cat outside ) runs off.
He is already on the street when you realize what has just happened. Or you accidentally drop the leash and you Sammy which has been pulling you all the way, suddenly gets free. A good recall may save your dog and you as well.
What Can Happen If I Walk My Samoyed Off The Leash?
In Samoyeds, potential flight risk is high. Even if your Sammy doesn’t run away many bad things can happen.
Samoyed dogs are not aggressive but you never know who you are going to run into. Maybe some other dog in the park will see your playful bundle of joy as a threat.
It happens that dogs that are not aggressive by nature, become aggressive if they find themselves in the non-familiar surrounding.
The two dogs can hurt each other over food or toy. If the boy and girl meet, the boy may start showing his dominance by behaving violently.
Observe your Samoyed. Does he/she start the fights? Can you see the usual triggers? Try to avoid them.
If your Sammy is off the leash, he could eat something, that he shouldn’t. That could be some spoiled food, weed, poop.
If you walk your dog ( off the leash) down the street, he could run out into the road and get hit by a car.
Eventually, if your Samoyed dog runs at large, he can get lost. And you don’t want that, do you?
As we know all dogs have a certain motivation to run off sometimes. That motivation is usually food. In the case of Samoyed dogs, food is also highly placed but freedom is the greatest stimulus for running off.
How To Successfully Walk My Samoyed Off-Leash?
To walk a dog off-leash, you must trust him and be sure that he is trained well. So what’s the catch?
Proper training is a must. You also need to teach him to respond to your voice commands. If he doesn’t do that, many bad things can happen.
Since Samoyed dogs are considered working dogs, it’s in their genes to learn skills and obedience. So they are easy to train but you have to start from an early age in order to get the best of them.
It’s the truth though that some Samoyed dogs may be stubborn so the training may require more of your time and effort but eventually you will succeed.
It’s useful to take some professional training as you too can learn a lot. If you learn how to be a good pack leader, life will be much easier.
Once you are certain that your Sammy is trained, that he will respond to your voice command try walking him off the leash ( taking the law and local regulations into consideration).
Before you head to off-leash dog parks, do try something less challenging such as your backyard. Let him run freely and then test the training. See if he responds to your voice commands.
Note that in the dog park, he can find more distractions than in your back yard. So if you are not satisfied with his obedience, don’t take him out of your backyard. Keep on training him until he becomes a dog that you can trust and that will behave adequately ( in most cases).
If you walk your dog off the leash and then he suddenly sees something like a small animal and runs off to chase it, you cannot do anything about it at that very moment.
Your dog will be so focused on the prey or whatever dragged his attention that he won’t hear your yelling, screaming, and begging to come back.
Most probably he won’t catch the prey and at the end of that session, he will be feeling exhausted and thirsty.
When the moment of distraction has passed, he will remember that there is some human who he loves very much, waiting for him.
He knows that human is hiding some tasty treat deep in his pocket and freshwater that he craves for right now. Eventually, he’ll come back.
How To Stop My Samoyed From Pulling?
I am sure you are familiar with the following scenario ( or at least you can imagine it): you have just taken your Sammy for walk when he sniffs something and starts pulling you very hard.
Your natural reaction is to pull the leash trying to force your Sammy back towards you. He pulls even harder and eventually a walk becomes a real hell.
There are plenty of distractions out there. Your Sammy gets out and finds the world full of amazing things, predominately smells. He sniffs something and then he desperately wants to reach it. What to do in this case?
First, you try to offer him something more appealing than the thing he is chasing for. Always have a nice bag of tasty treats in your pocket.
When he starts pulling the leash, offer him a treat. Hopefully, he gets back to you. But if this method doesn’t bring results try something else.
When your Sammy starts pulling the leash, turn around and ask him to GO in the opposite direction. It may happen that some other smell tickles his nose and he starts pulling the leash again then you change a direction again.
Repeat this training session as many times as possible in a 15-20 min period ( it shouldn’t take longer than that)
You should provide an anti-pull harness for your Samoyed. These Y-shaped harnesses are fixed under the chest and not above the back.
As soon as your Sammy starts pulling the leash he will feel uncomfortable so he will slow down. That gives you opportunity to walk your dog at your own pace.
How Often and For How Long Should I Walk My Samoyed?
Samoyed dogs are a working breed so they like to be active and hate to just sit around. They need plenty of exercises as well.
A daily schedule should include at least two walks. A longer one in the morning ( 45-60 min) and a shorter one in the evening ( about 30 min).
Regular daily activity is simply necessary for Samoyed dogs to stay fit and healthy (not just physically but mentally as well)
Samoyed dogs need moderate to difficult activity every day so consider all kinds of activities such as walking, running, hiking sleds pulling, etc.
Even though Sammies can learn to play fetch, they are not good at it. They will run off to catch the thing but to return to you… well, hardly.
If you take your Sammy, to run or you go hiking, bear in mind that the adult dog that is fit and healthy can run from 10-20 miles. After this, they have to stop and get some water and rest.
What Is Too Hot / Cold For Samoyed?
Samoyed dogs were initially bred in Siberia, Russia so, therefore, they can withstand the temperatures between -30 and -60 F. So we can say that almost nothing is too cold for Samoyed.
High temperatures are a different story. As you know Samoyed dogs are double-coated dogs and that luxurious coat protects them both from the cold and heat. Although Samoyed dogs can live in warmer climates, they are not thrilled with higher temperatures.
If you notice your Sammy is panting, it means that he is getting too hot. If the temperature is 86 F ( 30 C) or above, make sure your Sammy stays inside the house. During hot summers walk your dog very early in the morning and late in the evening to avoid heat.
