Historically, the Samoyed’s feet were of critical importance to the dog’s survival. Not only did they have to be of the proper structure to traverse the ever-changing Arctic tundra, but they also had to be tough and well-furred to withstand the terrain and frigid temperatures.
Today’s Samoyed remains blessed with those well-engineered feet, though the demands on their performance are not quite as rigorous as they once were.
- It will be imperative through the years for you to handle your dog’s feet—to check for a buildup of ice between the toes, to clip the nails, or to clean a small pad abrasion sustained while hiking—so, as soon as possible start playing with the pup’s feet and get it used to the sensation. Then, when serious business is in order, the dog will see nothing out of the ordinary in your attentions to these important appendages.
- Where grooming is concerned, you must address two separate areas of the foot. First, the soft tissues. An outdoorsy Sam’s feet are prone to damage from foxtails, ice balls, salt, and glass shards, all of which may worm their way into the delicate skin between the toes or even into the tougher skin of the pads, and cause great pain and injury to the unsuspecting pup. You must thus examine the feet for these intruders regularly and thoroughly, especially after every foray into the great outdoors, and especially if your dog suddenly begins to limp.
Nail Care for Your Samoyed
Related of course to the foot-care agenda are the toenails. If you allow them to grow unchecked, they can severely hinder the dog’s ability to walk and move correctly and comfortably. The nails of a dog that walks frequently on hard surfaces will be somewhat filed down by the constant friction between nail and ground, but they will still require trimming.
The same holds true for the dewclaws, the nails that grow up near the ankle and never have contact with the ground. Most breeders have their puppies’ dewclaws removed within several days of their birth, but if your dog’s dewclaws are intact, you must keep them trimmed to prevent pain and injury to your pet.
Many owners pale at the thought of taking on the job of nail trimming by themselves. For such owners, professional groomers are well prepared to take up that slack every month or two to keep the nails trimmed at the proper length. But in truth, there is nothing to fear from nail clipping as long as you proceed carefully and patiently, and help your dog adjust along the way.
Once again, early acclimation is the most effective step toward successful nail trimming. The dog that learns to tolerate the procedure as a puppy will have no trouble dealing with it gracefully as an adult, assuming, of course, its formative experiences are positive.
You can ensure they are so by first understanding the structure of the nail. Take care, for example, to trim only the lighter outside rim of the nail and avoid the darker blood-rich quick that lies close to the toe, as the quick will bleed profusely if nicked. (Apply blood-stopping powder or a styptic pencil if you do “quick” the dog; it happens even to the best of professionals.)
If the dog has black nails that prevent you from discerning the tip from the quick, clip only the very tip, and trim the nails every week or so rather than every month to ensure that you not only keep them short enough, but also avoid the potential bloodletting.
Positive associations may be further encouraged by bribing your Samoyed with treats. Depending on the dog’s opinion of nail clipping, you may be able to do all the nails on all the feet in one sitting, after which the dog is rewarded with the much-coveted treat.
More likely, however, is the possibility that your Samoyed will not be so amenable, so be patient. In this case you may need to clip only a few nails per sitting, the dog receiving a treat after each nail. Do what you have to do to get the job done.