True Samoyed's are willful and they do have a mind to do as they please but they are certainly not untrainable. I train my dogs myself and they all have been obedient, come when they are called, do not bark unnecessarily, and all sit, lay down and stand when asked. The important thing is make training fun and you will have a happy well trained Sam.
So here's a few of my own training tips to help you on your way
The way to go is start as you mean to go on. On a personal level I start training mine when they are small puppies, as young as 9 weeks. And I do believe if you have to teach any dog one thing it should be his/her name and the command to come.
"So how is it taught"
You can start from 8 weeks old. Its very easy when your puppy is at home playing, just simply throw a toy, which your lively bouncy pup will go chasing after and grab, then clap your hands and say " Puppy come"(obviously using your pups name). When they come back to you, praise them and take the toy and replace with a treat. This a great game for your puppy, and they will enjoy it. It also gives you valuable time spent building rapport with your pup too, which is essential if you want to work or show them. So by the time your pup is ready to go for walks in the park, your pup will have learnt that when you call their name if they return they will be rewarded for coming back to you.
When they are a bit older, you can continue this training in the park. Call them back periodically, on return hold their collar, praise, reward with a titbit, then let them go play again. This will teach them that each time they come back to you its not lead on and home.
However if they don't come back to you, and as much as you probably want to, *NEVER* scold them on their eventual return as they will remember and think bad things will happen when they get back to you. Much better to go over and get them, pop them on lead, say nothing and once again end the play session!
Most dogs will go through a stage of ignoring you, but if you have put the work in early, and keep with it, they will learn.
"Barking Mad"
Samoyed's are well know for having the last word, and one thing is for sure you really don't want to encourage barking, as it will drive you and probably your neighbours mad. All dogs will bark and you can't expect them to be silent all the time, but its the unnecessary barking you are aiming to stop.
So if they bark at you for no reason or excessively whilst playing then thats the time to turn your back on them and end the session. Then after a few moments try the play session again, and if they still continue just keep ending session.
Never reward constant barking with praise or titbits. You will find the end of session or turning your back on them will help them soon get the message.
Some Sams hate to be left alone for even a short time so its a good idea to get your new pup used to being left alone by just placing them into a room alone for a few minutes, while you wait just outside. First making sure there is nothing in there that will harm them, shut the door. Wait a few minutes, and if they are quiet open the door and reward them. You can build on this by gradually leaving them a little longer each time.
The same applies to the car, as a constant barker on a journey will be very irritating. Start when they are pups with short non exciting journeys, such as round the block and home. They will soon learn that they are never sure where they are going so will settle down very quickly without the need to talk all the way.
But Please Remember
NEVER EVER leave your dog in a car on hot or even warm days as they can become very seriously ill & possible die in a very short space of time... So don't do it for even 5 minutes, its just not worth the risk
If you want to show your dog its best to teach the stand position first. Standing your puppy just for a few seconds in the correct way, commanding stand and giving a titbit, soon gets them into the habit.
But there is no reason why you can't teach a show dog to sit or lay down, but never harshly push them into these positions as you could hurt their soft growing joints.
Always use kind & gentle methods as in my opinion these work much better & Samoyeds respond much better if they are happy!
Titbit's work wonders for training your pup, and most Samoyed's love their food. But if they are a dog who really isn't into food then you can use a favorite toy, saved and used only for training.
When you get your new puppy lots of people will probably give you all sorts of help and training advice. And I think from all the information you gather you will find your own way of training, and if it works for you than stick with it.
I hope all my tips may have helped you and your new puppy, as a well trained Sam will be a happy one
SO GOOD LUCK
and remember
WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES
