Frequently Asked Questions - NTSRI

Q. Where do your rescued Samoyeds come from?

A. North Texas Samoyed Rescue, Inc. gets Samoyeds primarily from animal shelters, and occasionally from owner surrenders.  We are registered with many animal shelters throughout five states (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kansas), and our 501(c)3 paperwork is on file with them, allowing us to pull Samoyeds.  The shelters themselves usually get the Samoyeds when they are picked up as strays by Animal Control and not reclaimed by their owners, or when their owners bring them to the shelters for surrender.  NTSRI is also an approved “Rescue Partner” with the SPCA of Texas, which means we have passed their inspection and met their requirements to be an organization authorized to pull dogs from their facility and rehome them.

If the shelter itself does not contact us, we often get calls from “shelter walkers.”  These are volunteers who regularly visit animal shelters and then notify breed rescue groups about the presence of specific dogs, so that they can be rescued.  Most animal shelters euthanize animals if they are not claimed within a specific period of time, so these volunteers save a lot of lives!

From time to time, we may also be contacted directly by an owner who can no longer keep his/her Samoyed for a variety of reasons.  Owners who wish to surrender their Samoyeds to us must sign an Agreement, waiving all custody and other rights to the Samoyed, which allows NTSRI the right to rehome the dog.

Q. Are your rescued Samoyeds purebred?

A. As you can no doubt appreciate, dogs that are pulled from animal shelters do not come with pedigrees!  Our goal is to rescue those dogs that exhibit primarily Samoyed characteristics; however, there is no way for us to know if they are “purebred” or perhaps mixed with another breed.  If we suspect that one of the rescues in our program may be a mix, we will always include this information on the profile of the dog on our website.

On extremely rare occasions, we have received dogs, via owner surrender, which are verified as purebred Samoyeds.

Q. Why are there never any puppies available for adoption on your website?

A. It is an extremely rare occasion, indeed, when a Samoyed puppy comes into our rescue program.  Responsible breeders will take back puppies they have bred, and contracts between buyers and responsible breeders typically require that the buyer return the dog to the breeder if he/she cannot keep it for any reason.  That is why puppies almost never end up in rescue.

If you are interested in a Samoyed puppy, we recommend that you check the Breeder Referral section of the Samoyed Club of America website.

Q. I want a male (or a female) Samoyed, but there aren’t any on your website.

A. Be assured that we regularly and frequently update the “Available Dogs” section of our website.  Also, we regularly post information on our Facebook page the minute a new Samoyed arrives (although all Samoyeds arriving in our program must be completely vetted and evaluated before they will be listed on the website as “Available”).

If you do not see a dog on our website that fits your needs, please keep checking back!  We never know when we will get a new rescue, but as soon as one becomes available, we will post the information.  Meanwhile, we recommend that you go ahead and submit an Adoption Application to us.  Then, we will have your basic information already on file, so that when a Samoyed comes into our program and might be a suitable “match” for you, we will be able to contact you right away.

Q. Samoyeds have so much hair!  Do they shed a lot?

A. All dogs (and humans, too, for that matter!) shed!  Even short-haired dogs shed.  In fact, some short-haired dogs are even worse about it than the long-haired ones, and it has been our experience that it is much harder to clean up the tiny short hairs than it is the longer Samoyed hairs.

Samoyeds are double-coated dogs.  That means that they have a soft, fine undercoat and a harsher, longer outer coat.  It is typically the undercoat that is shed.  About twice a year, the Samoyed “blows coat”; that is, the majority of the undercoat comes out. Other factors, aside from “seasonal” ones may affect whether a Samoyed blows coat.  For example, if the Samoyed has been put under anesthesia for any reason, he will typically blow coat soon afterward.  (We’re not sure exactly why this is, but it does happen.)

The key to minimizing the use of your lint brush and being able to wear dark colors while still owning a Samoyed is to properly maintain his coat.  This means that he should be brushed with a good quality pin brush at least once a week.  To really get through the entire coat, down to the skin, we also recommend using a good quality metal grooming comb.  We also recommend regular bathing with a good quality shampoo on a regular basis.  

There are several very good instructional videos on YouTube, which demonstrate the proper way to groom your Samoyed to ensure a thorough removal of any loose undercoat and to keep him fluffy, mat-free and sparkling white. These are three of the best we’ve ever seen:  Grooming Equipment; Pre-Bath Grooming; Bathing; and Drying.

Q. Why do you do home checks on prospective adopters?

A. NTSRI’s goal in placing a rescued Samoyed in a permanent home is to ensure that the home is the best possible fit for the dog and the family.  This includes both the physical environment in which he will be living, as well as the people and/or other pets with whom he will be sharing the environment. The last thing we want to happen is that the dog is returned to us due to some unforeseen problem.

Our purpose in doing home checks is not to be nosy or to invade your privacy in any way!  We simply want to get a feel for the environment in which the Samoyed will be living, as well as to meet any other family members who may not have attended the initial meeting between you and the dog.  Our home checks help us to ascertain and point out to you any considerations you may need to keep in mind as you make your decision on whether or not to adopt a particular Samoyed. For example, if your fence is four feet high, we can advise you, based on our knowledge of the specific rescued Samoyed you have chosen, whether or not we feel there might be a possibility of the Samoyed jumping it, and offer you suggestions on how you might be able to prevent this.  

In short, our goal is to support you in every way possible by identifying anything in the home environment that may need to be considered before you make the final decision to accept the Samoyed into your home.

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