Border Collie Samoyed Mix: Is It the Right Dog for You?
Every once in a while, a breeder ends up with several unintended puppies. If all goes okay, the puppies are not terrible pets, but they indeed weren’t the purebreds the breeder was hoping for.
Licensed and registered dog breeders typically don’t enjoy finding out that their champion bitch is pregnant with anything other than the purebred dogs they naturally breed, but that doesn’t mean they can’t sell the puppies all the same.
If you find border collie Samoyed mix puppies available for sale or adoption, you might consider buying one.
Never buy any dog, purebred or mixed, without first doing enough research on the dogs and their bloodlines.
The last thing you want is to discover that the dog is wrong for you, your lifestyle, and your family’s needs.
What Border Collie Samoyed Mix Means
A border collie Samoyed mix is what you get when accidental breeding of a border collie and a Samoyed takes place.
It may also be intentional, but the purposes of the intentional breeding of these two breeds aren’t always clear. That’s not to say that a mix of these two dog breeds doesn’t create a nice animal. It’s just how the mixed dogs (a.k.a., “mutts”) come about.
The Border Collie Half
A border collie is a herding dog with a ton of energy. They are quick, lively, and brilliant. They were initially bred to move sheep, cattle, and other livestock around a pasture and into a barn or pen.
Border collies can learn almost anything you are willing to teach them or train them to do. As mid-sized dogs, they fit in most home environments but crave open spaces and enjoy running.
The Samoyed Half
Samoyeds hail from Siberia, a cold and lonely winter land. As a result of their original environment, they are very hardy little dogs with very thick, water-repellant fur. They are extremely friendly, almost too friendly, and do not do well as guard dogs.
Out of all dogs, they are not easy to train and will bark constantly and loudly. They serve well as sled dogs because of their energy and willingness to move quickly.
They may become overprotective of their human “pack,” resulting in potential harm to others if they think their human “pack” is being threatened.
The unpredictability of these dogs’ behavior does not make them a great choice to breed with other dogs. Even if the different dog breed is notorious for being excellent, calm, and never attacking, it does not guarantee that a border collie Samoyed mix will fare well.
Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get a Border Collie Samoyed Mix
It would help if you were a very active individual willing to run and take a lot of long walks with a mixed breed like this.
If you don’t jog twice a day and take the dog with you, it will become boring (the Samoyed half) and then bark incessantly until you return.
It may also try to escape and run around the neighborhood looking for things to chase or people to play with, which could annoy your neighbors.
You can’t leave a border collie Samoyed mix like this one at home alone. It will find things to chew and destroy when bored, frustrated, or lonely.
If someone isn’t going to be at home all day with the dog, this is not the border collie Samoyed mix for you.
Why You Should Get a Border Collie Samoyed Mix
If you need to get up and move more because your doctor said so and you lack the motivation, this dog will provide the motivation you need.
If you need a loyal, friendly, and protective dog, this dog is right for you if you live in a colder northern climate where this dog won’t suffer heat stroke just walking out the front door.
These dogs are incredibly playful. They can keep your kids busy outside for hours, just playing fetch or chasing kids around.
If you enjoy taking your dog on family vacations or just a drive to the gas station at night, these dogs will be thrilled to be your companions.
Appearance, Personality, Coat Colors, and Other Traits of a Border Collie Samoyed Mix
These dogs range from 18 to 22 inches at the shoulder due to being a mixed breed. Most border collies are two-toned dogs, with black and white being the most common.
However, the Samoyed is typically snow-white to camouflage itself in the wilds of Siberia. Your border collie Samoyed mix dog could be a two-tone pattern of colors other than black and white.
They are very furry and wooly, which is an endearing feature if you love fluffy dogs. However, it also means they will shed everywhere, and you will constantly be vacuuming and brushing the dog to keep the mountains of fur at bay.
Personality-wise, they are very loving and affectionate, sometimes to a fault. They are unafraid of strangers and not very good watchdogs as a result. If you want a guard dog and a family pet in one, this mix-breed dog isn’t it.
They will chase everything that moves. Kids, squirrels, other pets, cars, etc., are all fair game because the border collie in them was trained to do that.
However, training them NOT to chase things is possible since the border collie in them is very smart. If your dog has more difficulty learning things quickly, you likely got more of the Samoyed brain than border collie brain in the mix.
Samoyeds have upright pointed ears, while border collies have floppy points on their ears. Your dog’s ears could come out and behave either way as a mixed breed.
Samoyeds have thicker snouts, and border collies have longer snouts, so your mixed dog’s snout will fall somewhere in between.
Samoyeds have been listed as potentially dangerous dogs because there is an aspect of unpredictability in their behavior.
Remember, they were rustic Siberian dogs made to haul sleds and protect family members in cold tents at night. They have also been trained to fight dogs in some countries, with much success in the dog fighting rings.
As such, this should always be at the back of your mind where your mixed dog is concerned. Your dog may never act weird or snap at someone, given their typical hybrid traits of amiability, but you should still be aware of it.
Border Collie Samoyed Mix Puppies for Sale
These puppies are undeniably cute, but what puppy isn’t? Still, if you see some for sale, you should ask why the seller is trying to dump a bunch of cute puppies on the public. Approach with caution and be clever in how you ask.
A bushel of these puppies for sale may result in one purebred dog being impregnated by accident by another.
The owner of the bitch (i.e., female dog) may want nothing to do with the mixed puppies and is trying to sell them off to be rid of them.
They may also be part of dog hoarder’s collections, rescued by animal welfare workers and sold to people willing to care for them properly.
You never know the story behind someone selling a Border Collie Samoyed Mix puppy. Find out how and why these puppies came into being before you buy one.
Ask to see the parents if the breeding was intentional. If the breeding was intentional, also ask the breeder why they would breed these two dog breeds instead of other breeds or purebred dogs.
Grooming Your Border Collie Samoyed Mix
These dogs have long fur. They shed A LOT. During spring and fall, you will have to brush daily with a pin brush to keep up with the shedding and keep your dog free of mats and clumps of dirt mixed in the fur.
A “hygiene” shave of the fur on your dog’s derriere comes highly recommended. Long-haired dogs frequently have fecal matter stuck to the long fur on their butts. Unless you want that all over your house, shave their backsides short once a month.
Because they are long-haired dogs, you will also have to constantly check for fleas and ticks. Check the skin as often as you brush to prevent problems with your dog’s skin and coat. Use the proper flea and tick medicine prescribed by your vet.
Nails will need to be clipped at least once a month. Because they were bred to be outdoor dogs, the Border Collie Samoyed Mix grows long nails quickly.
Brush your teeth daily, or at least once every other day if you don’t have time for daily teeth brushings.
Border Collie Samoyed Mix Health Problems
It’s easy enough to assume that these two breeds’ health problems become a concern in one dog of mixed breed heritage.
You can expect your dog to have canine hip dysplasia issues because both breeds typically suffer from it. Look for eye and thyroid issues and diabetes as the dog becomes a senior animal.
Border Collie Samoyed Mix Food Requirements
Feed your Border Collie Samoyed Mix a healthy diet of high-quality food to avoid weight gain and diabetes. Also, consider unique dog food formulas made for high-energy dogs since your dog is likely to burn off everything it eats during hours.
An all-natural raw food diet is a good idea if you are so inclined. The purified water that doesn’t come from the tap is best to keep your dog properly hydrated and chemical-free.
Border Collie Samoyed Mix Exercise Requirements
As previously mentioned, these are high-energy dogs. They need long runs through a park, larger fenced-in yards to run off energy during the day, and lots of physical playtimes.
If you can’t provide this much exercise, take the dog to a doggy daycare where staff can provide your dog with all the training it needs.
Border Collie Samoyed Mix Training
Training should start when your dog is a puppy. If you get an older dog, you can still train it. Obedience classes are an excellent idea for this mixed breed dog at any age.
Because of the border collie in your dog, it may train very quickly regardless of age. Because of the Samoyed in your dog, the training process may go much slower. It just depends on how your particular dog’s brain decides to work.
Purebred border collies have been used as rescue, therapy, and helper dogs; they can even learn to recognize over a thousand human words to fetch objects for you.
Samoyeds aren’t quite as clever, but they are eager to please. The mixed breed could show traits of one, both, or none of the above.
Border Collie Samoyed Mix and Families
Both breeds in your mixed dog are great family dogs. They are loyal, loving, affectionate, hard-working, and willing to herd and protect. The mixed breed is likely to display most, if not all, of these traits.
Your kids and other pets will be greeted warmly and protected against perceived threats (unless the Samoyed half that loves everyone ignores intruders!). Different dogs will want to befriend your dog, and smaller, pesky animals will run in fear. In general, the mixed breed is a good family dog.
Border Collie Samoyed Mix and Other Pets
The border collie in your dog will want to perpetually chase other pets in the house while simultaneously wanting to play with, lick, and snuggle other pets.
The Samoyed in your dog may show aggression to other pets, particularly if the personalities of the other pets don’t jive with your mixed breed dog.
Ergo, it’s hard to tell how your mixed dog will react to the other pets in the house until the dog lives under the same roof.
Best advice? Introduce your new mixed dog to other pets very slowly. Stay close to make sure one doesn’t attack the other.
Keep the dog away from the other pets until everyone is used to the new dog, and it doesn’t look like there’s any danger.
Is Border Collie Samoyed Mix Right for You?
Is this mixed dog right for you? Find a calmer dog if the dog’s main attributes are not something you can successfully manage. If you are not balking or bothered by anything this dog might be, could end up being, or act, you’ll do great.
