Poodles vs Samoyed

[Jumping31]

Well I currently have a Borador and she’s a sweet little thing but I am tentatively thinking about another dog in the far out future. But I would prefer to get a purebred this time and I realize waitlists can take some time. (Yes I know, adopt don’t shop. My current dog is a rescue and I couldn’t be happier but I’d like to have a touch in these specific breeds and purebred dogs.)

I’ve managed to bring it down to a Standard Poodle or a Samoyed for various personal reasons. Does anyone have experience with owning either of these breeds? Especially in regards to grooming, they are both on the higher maintenance side and I want to see how realistic this can be in my lifestyle.

[ElisLove]

I have a standard poodle and will never be without one again.
As far as grooming goes. it’s really up to you how high maintenance you make a poodle. At home shave downs if you don’t care if the dog looks professionally done, can in the long term save you money. If you get your dog shaved down every 2 months you probably won’t have to do any in between brushing at home (unless you leave long ears or something) A professional shave down at a salon will probably last a bit longer because it will be the most even. A professional more stylized, longer trim will require either more frequent at home brushing, or more often salon visits.
A samoyed obviously has the shedding aspect and to keep that under control would probably result in more frequent home brushing. A pro groomer would be a huge aid in keeping the coat under control as especially their bathing, and drying techniques combined with brushing techniques can generally go much beyond what a pet person can do in home unless you really invest in high cost dryers (and have a place to contain the hair that will be blown into the air.) Depending on how much you brush at home and the season pro grooming every 6-12 weeks, and could be more expensive than a poodle cut would cost.

I love my standard poodle. He’s affectionate not clingy. Loves ALL people. He’s an intact male so can be picky about dogs he likes or takes longer to warm up to them (yet he comes to work with me in my salon loose everyday and isn’t an issue with dogs being brought in and out. He only postures with dogs he doesn’t like if they run up to him all rude). He loves his brothers and plays well with my 4 pounds pomeranian. He competes in conformation and is in training for competition obedience, and agility. Usually 4-6 off leash runs a week and some training is enough to keep him nice and settled in the house. He’s a big goof.

[Sugarwells]

100% poodle all the way

[Chall]

How did you come up with that list? They are very different breed traits.
Samoyeds shed in a very dramatic way once a year. If you google it you can see pictures where the pile of shed hair is larger than the dog that shed it.

I love Samoyeds, but wouldn’t get one if I didn’t live in an area that gets winter cold and snow.
ours would find a patch of ice and lie on it happily panting.

They like to dig, escape and have a bark when they don’t yodel.
They are good with family but chase cats squirrels and bunnies.

And they need to run (jog really) for long stretches of time. We handled that by training to run next to a bike and later alongside the car (on the back roads of a campus). OUrs could run for a mile or two, every day.
That said, they are an intrinsically upbeat dog.
They are not into training , not the way a poodle is.
Everyone wants to touch them, kids instinctively reach out and grab their fur (ouch).
They aren’t clingy and won’t connect to just one person in a family.
They can be mischievous especially when trying to escape for a run.
For security purposes their only plus is people mistake them for other aggressive breeds, ours only growled once or twice in her 15 years.

PS Ours adored the vacuum-attached grooming comb.

[S1969]

@Chall

How did you come up with that list? They are very different breed traits.

Agreed - what qualities are you ideally looking for - it’s hard to know which of these two would be better because they are so different.

And as far as the “adopt don’t shop” - I’m so sick of that phrase. I have no objection to rescue, but the backyard breeder and puppy mill mentality has fed the need for rescues. Puppies from reputable breeders don’t often end up in rescues and shelters.

From simply a grooming perspective, you will have a lot of shed hair with a Sammy but less maintenance of the coat required. For poodles, you will have to think about some way to keep the coat groomed/clipped on an ongoing basis. Neither would keep me from getting the breed I preferred.

[Bluey]

I would say which is best, other than personal preference, is if you want a dog that is around you and you take for a run and kind of entertains itself?
A samoyed would be better.

Do you want a dog to do things with, take most places you go and that enjoys being more of a social butterfly and is always in the middle of all you and your family do?
Then think poodle.

We had in our dog club breeders of both breeds that competed with them in conformation and obedience, before we had agility.
We had some club members that had both breeds, some from those breeders.

The ones with samoyed had more management problems, training problems, just had more dog to manage than those with poodles, that come practically trained and being part of the human pack.
Some consider poodles, especially the bigger ones, to be humans in a dog suit.
Samoyed are all dog, with more primitive dog instincts.

The breeder of samoyed was a very competent and experienced professional dog handler and dog groomer.
Her very sweet male one day, out of the blue, jumped her when she came home.
She had to fend him off with a chair and it took over 100 stitches to put her back together.
She thinks maybe she carried some smell from a dog she groomed her dog took serious offense over?
He had never shown any aggression before or after, but that is how those dogs are.
Samoyed live more to their own drummer and follow their dog instincts over any management or training.
Just more dog to live with than poodles, that are attuned to humans in a more discerning way, we may say.

Between such two different types of dog personalities, it depends what you want of your dog experience which kind of dog will fit best in your life.

[IdahoRider]

Poodle! No contest!
Sheilah

[LegalTexan]

is there any way to get in touch with people of each breed? I would spend some time with each breed and see how I like each- they are such a opposite, that I would think you would make up your mind once you spend time with each breed . It all comes down to personal preference

[bdj]

I’ve got a friend with a Sami bitch that I just love - she’s a retired breed ring dog who’s now doing agility and she’s lovely - sweet and on her way to being a fabulous agility dog. That said, you don’t see lots of Samis in agility. Know some Standard Poodles and while some of them are nice and great agility dogs, others are (by their owners own description) downright goofy.

Personally, based on my preferences, I’d be more likely to go Sami than Poodle - a big part of that would be grooming related - I can handle shedding (I’ve got corgis), but I’m not interested in the amount of maintenance it takes to keep a Poodle looking good.

OP, if you gave us a little more information about what you’re looking for in a dog, we could offer better informed opinions.

[Jumping31]

The reasons for whittling it down to those two are mostly personal experience and preference. Heck, if you asked me a few years ago I would be dead set on a GSD. My grandfather, an avid dog owner, has been through many dogs, litters, puppies for several decades and he has noted Samoyeds were a great favorite of his for their sweet disposition, plain beauty, and silly personalities. As for the standard poodle, I dogsitted a poodle for a mentor of mine. She’s only ever owned standard poodles and promised he would be a delight. And he absolutely was. I loved having an energetic but loving dog. I don’t mind the different grooming needs as I already do clip and brush my Borador on the regular myself. When she was a puppy she was very independent but as she has grown older she has become more affectionate and I find myself wanting my future dog to be more of the affectionate cuddly type.

The ideal dog would be up to play and run around but still willing to cuddle and have some bonding time. Though both breeds are different, I would keep in mind that each individual dog is slightly different. Some being more affectionate than others, despite their breed.

As for the “adopt don’t shop” phrase that’s more for the trolls out there who will bash peoples heads together to no end about peoples personal preference. Ditto them

[RPM]

Why such totally different breeds? What are your reasons?

I wouldn’t go for a Samoyed in my part of the country. Too hot too long and too humid. The Sami would be miserable.

What on earth is a Borador? I’m hoping it’s not a Border Collie-Labrador mix, because that cross makes no sense to me.

As does a Border Terrier-Labrador mix.

[LauraO]

I have not owned either personally. However, I suspect it may be a little bit like the difference between my mostly german shepherd, and my newer mostly northern breed cross:

I wave my hand in some direction at the Shepherd, and she tries to figure out what I want.

I wave my hand in the direction of something I want with the huskyX, and he starts negotiating about how much more fun HIS idea is, before huffing and trying my way … if the price is right.

[luvmyhackney]

My riding instructor had a Samoyed when I rode with her as a kid. She was an show dog and titled. Gorgeous dog and the sweetest thing that ever lived. Us barn kids would spend hours brushing her and would get insane amounts of hair. She was very snuggly and loved everyone, but she also had the run of 15 acres at the barn and they lived on the beach where she could go on runs every morning. She was trained with hand signals and I don’t remember her being difficult in any way. She was fine with cats and horses. I never heard her growl and she rarely barked, but would make talk with a woohoo sound, almost like a husky. Our barn family lost her when she was 16.

If I lived up north with lots of snow, I would gladly get a Samoyed. We were in SE NC and she did fine but was in the A/C most of the time.

[EventingAndEmpowerin]

I would go with a poodle. I don’t have a standard, so I can’t speak on that front, but I am in love with my Moyen/Klein. They are incredibly smart, and the older they get, the more cuddly. As a puppy mine wasn’t the quickest to snuggle but he has grown into being a very lovable pooch. Grooming isn’t the worst, but if left untamed the mane will go crazy. :lol: Either way, both seem like amazing breeds. Let us know what you decide!

[Foxtrot_s]

There are a couple of Samoyeds in our dog group - aloof, unpredictable and not at all interested in pleasing their owner…not to mention the hair all over including the owner.

The poodle on the other hand is the total opposite - delightful.

[MsM]

I havent owned them but have worked with both breeds.
The poodles, in general, are more people-oriented. Some are really goofy, but some of the males are kind of like Dobermans in curly suits. (One Std male decided that he was bored sitting on his grooming table at a show. He knew he shouldnt get down - so he jumped to another table, and another, and another with a dog on it, gaily creating havoc! But another of the same age and breeding was not cuddly and would fight other dogs) Of the 25 or so I knew, I liked the female personalities better, though they were all intact so it may be different if neutered.
I have known fewer Samoyeds but they were more doggy-dogs. Seemed loyal, but less interactive. Lots of brushing with them to avoid mats. I thought poodles in pet or puppy clips were easier to maintain than a full coated Sammy. Another breed in which I liked the female temperament better.

[tbchick84]

Poodles don’t shed and most don’t bark. You could stuff a pillow with the hair that comes off a Samoyed. I’m not sure about their barking mentality.

[knightrider922]

I have had 3 standard poodles and a border collie. My first standard lived till almost 15 years old, I have a 13 year old and 7 year old Standard and the border collie is 18 mos. I’m sure you border collie mix is super intelligent and after owning a very smart breed, i couldn’t go too far away from the intelligence factor.

My standards are loving, protective, have the big dog bark but sweet funny personalities. They are totally people dogs yet will respect your space if you ask. I will never be without a standard on my farm. The grooming needs are not that bad. I do take them to a groomer now because i don’t have a place to do them myself at home. But they are neat, clean and don’t smell.

I only got a border collie because I didn’t want 3 big grooming bills and I’ve been doing agility and someone in my club had pups so this is my first. I still love my poodles. They have the sense of humor missing in my border collie who is all work, work, work. And they are athletic so enjoy doing agility and hiking, etc… yet they are quiet in the house.

Get a poodle…hands down. You won’t regret it!

[Bluey]

Over decades with the performance dog club, lessons to the public and other activities, we learned that people will look for this and that in their next dog, or just get the equivalent of the doggy in the window, or wait for years for the perfect dog from a breeder.

Whatever way people acquire a dog, once you have the dog, it is the best dog in the world and no other like it.
We make do, dogs have a way to just fit, no matter what the dog is, other than MY dog.

Hope we get to see pictures of YOUR dog.
All dog lovers love dogs, any dog.