Notes, quotes and articles
In England after a certain year was it forbidden to do sled work with dogs?
We often hear that in England after a certain year was forbidden to do sled work with dogs, is it true? How did the laws of England at the time when it was banned (if that is true) turn into. And what does the law say about that today? Are their in England today good of possibility to use the breed in sled dog work in order to preserve some of the breed's origin and history?
These questions above were asked in a discussion group about the breed in 2013 and received the following answer from a person who had knowledge of this:
"This was an old law that has now been superseded and so is no longer in force. It was never meant to cover sled dogs per se in their sport role. It came into force after being heavily supported by King George in a bid to end animal cruelty and came into place nationwide In 1911. It was preceded by a similar law that just covered the London area. Before this, dogs (usually large breed rather than sled dog breeds) were used for pulling carts to deliver milk, bread, meat, fruit, fish, vegetables, and all sorts of goods being sold and for the rag-and-bone men collections and were subject to some pretty atrocious conditions and work loads. By banning their use on the public highway it stopped the practise and meant that the middle classes no longer had to witness this cruelty. -Protection of Animals Act 1911 - Use of dogs for purposes of draught. - If any person shall use, or cause or procure, or being the owner permit, to be used, any dog for the purpose of drawing or helping to draw any cart, carriage, truck, or barrow, on any public highway, he shall be liable upon summary conviction in respect of the first offence to a fine not exceeding [F13level 1 on the standard scale], and in respect of the second or any subsequent offence to a fine not exceeding [F13level 1 on the standard scale.]"
Kai Donner writes in the book "Bei den Samojeden in Sibirien"
The Samoyed peoples lived always close together with their dogs. It's why they are nowadays still great family-dogs. Kai Donner writes in the book "Bei den Samojeden in Sibirien" about this the following:
Market at Napa-ed (on the Tym): P. 59: "The camp was full of life. The dogs, which the Samoyeds always take with them, were tied to stakes at long rows and barked day and night. " (they still start to bark at any moment)
Pokkelky (on the Taz) in the meeting house, p. 160-161: "The room was always full of people, and in between there are a lot of more or less evil dogs pushing around, growling because of an inveterate habit, as soon as someone approached their master, which could not be avoided in the crowd."
At cold nights they take the dogs into the tent. Kai Donner did have a Samoyed dog too: Village at Ket p. 93: "My greeting was cool because my Samoyeddog who saw chickens for the first time in his life, bit half a dozen the necks off before I could intervene. The poor dog was nearly beaten to death, but at the last minute, I managed to make peace and reconciliation. " (how recongnizable, my Samoyed did that too).
An article from Our Dogs, 1935
Difference between small Samoyeds and weedy Samoyeds (due to bad conditions?) and the heredity.When reading the last text, written by G.P., it's clear that in 1935 still black-and-white Samoyeds were born, but that breeders did drown those pups.
Hannie Wink: "Genetically you can't get non-white samoyeds out of white Samoyeds with white parents. M. Fornier de Savignac did breed black- and white Samoyeds in the thirties, but I didn't know that in England there were also breeders of black- and white Samoyeds. I have posted before pictures of the black- and white Samoyeds of M. Fornier de Savignac."
Susanne Lindsteding: Most samoyeds are piebald, but the reason they're white is a different one. The samoyed breed is genetically fixed for a loss-of-function mutation at the Mc1r-locus, better known as the extension-locus, so all samoyed have the genotype e/e (like golden retrievers, yellow labradors or white akitas), which prevents the formation of black pigment in melanocytes providing for the hair. The former S-locus is now known to be a gene named MITF with only two alleles instead of four: S and sp. Most samoyeds are sp/sp and therefore piebald but rarely (never?) extreme piebald, which is very fortunate as the extreme piebald phenotype is associated with sensorineural deafness (the dogo argentino, white bullterrier or dalmatian are examples for that phenotype). Sometimes a somatic mutation occurs which can lead to small black marks on a e/e-dog, but those are not hereditary.
Onze Honden, 21-2-1929, page 352
Hannie Wink: "An article (I have translated) from the Dutch Magazine "Onze Honden", 21-2-1929, written by Miss. Nelly Dickhoff, owner of Champ. Farningham Ikon of Samoya, about Ikon and how Mrs. Killburn Scott has used her Samoyeds during World War I."
The Samoyed, by Miss. Nelly Dickhoff, Soestdijkerstraatweg 95, Hilversum
Now they enjoy, our dogs! The colder it is, the more they ask to be allowed to be outside. Ikon walks with a contented face in the garden around, plays like a puppy with a bag and makes the silliest jumps. From time to time he will sit down in the middle of the snow and looks with interest at everything passes. The fierce East wind he sniffs with apparent enjoyment.
After several hours he asks to come in and then he brings in his thick coat a lovely fresh air with snow.
The fireplace seems very tempting him, and he lies down near the fire and looks with a philosophical face in the flames. Very long it does not take, he gets up, shakes itself once again and asks to be allowed out again and soon we hear from the garden again funny, short, high playing barks and we know that Ikon again entertains himself best in the cold.
Most of our Sams don't know the enjoyment of sled pulling. Unfortunately! They love to do it so fondly. At Mrs. Killburn Scott's all the dogs get excited when they see the sled and they jostle to be harnessed first. And then they go off, as hard as they can. There belongs to the harness however, a very necessary thing, and that is a bell. Every dog has to wear a bell. Without bell they also pull, but not so wholeheartedly, then when they hear merrily ringing their Swiss cow bells.
During the war years, the dogs from Mrs. Killburn Scott have done useful work. It was not easy to get food and fuel delivered in the distant village of Farningham. Miss Scott harnessed some dogs for the sled (if there was no snow on the ground, there were put wheels under it) and then went to the neighboring places to get everything what was needed, to return then with a well-laden sleigh. Then, they also put often a span Samoyeds for plow or harrow.
At Cruft Show in London, which was held two weeks ago, Mrs. Killburn Scott achieved the championship prizes with Champ. Polar Light of Farningham and Barena of Farningham (the latter had a light nose). Her other dogs gained the first prizes in the various classes.
Eug Hemberg aboute the draft dog
This is a small excerpt from a long article written by the Swede Eug Hemberg who traveled through Siberia in the late 1800s and described the presence of dogs there. Interesting is the fact aboute the function of the samoyed dogs as sleddogs used both by reindeer and non reindeer people."......
Dog plays the same role as for the eminent Scandinavian Nordic nomads. Perhaps an even more significant. For the Samoyed are both generally larger and much stronger than our scandinavian spitzbreed. Why he also considerable efficiency protects herds from predators attack. First, increasing the value through his capacity as a draft dog. In front of light, short sleds strapped four dogs, occasionally more in width, and at the autumns thin snow layer, springs snow crust and in summer over dry tundra plant covers linkes the journey. In soft leather harnesses dogs galloping forward, the sluggish or cal spirit hit by whip braided belt, the direction is determined by light lashes that are applied at the last dog that deviates from its flock. So do reindeer owners traveling to and from their herds, so do also the the people travel that no reindeer have at all between fishing and bird sites, between the Oceancoust and Novaya Zemlyas bird mountain."
This text also tell us that they wher galloping infront of the sleds, whitch tells us that they wher pretty fast sleddogs in Siberia.
Information about the early founder dogs
In the document below you will find a lot of information about the early founders dogs. It is from OUR DOGS 1935.
An article in Our Dogs 18-10-1935 about the early importations. It says that Antarctic Buck was born in 1890, but that must be a typing error. When Antarctic Buck sired Olgalene, he was nine years old. The Killburn Sott's have taken him to England in 1908. So, he must have been born in 1899 and that could be correct because the Southern Cross Expedition from Carsten Borchgrevink was during the years 1898-1900 and Antarctic Buck was bred by C. Borchgrevink. He must have been brought back to Stewart Island, but didn't stay there, because the Killburn Scott's saw him in the zoölogical garden. If he was in Sidney Zoo, it does explain why in the previous article I posted is written "he was left in New South Wales", because Sidney is a city in New South Wales. It must have been round 1906 that the Killburn Soctt's saw Antarctic Buck and the other Samoyed (Queenie), because the Nimrod Expedition from Ernest Shackleton was during the years 1907-1909 and he has taken Queenie with him on expedition. I hope I have made the correct conslusions now.PDFOur-Dogs-18-10-1935.pdfAlla reaktioner:3Carole Mikx och 2 andra
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
Ernest Kilburn Scott was in Archangelsk
Hannie Vink: On the website www.oldsams.nl Pieter Keizer assumed that Ernest Kilburn Scott was in Archangelsk as a woodtrader, but Ernest Kilburn Scott was an electrical engineer and lecturer. He gave lectures all over the world about the nitrogen fixation furnace. That was also the reason why he was in 1908 in Sidney (Australia) where they discovered Antarctic Buck in the zoo. The article I found is several pages long, but I have only made a copy of the first paragraph. Found it here: Scott, E. (1912). THE MANUFACTURE OF NITRATES FROM THE ATMOSPHERE. Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, 60(3104), 645-667. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/41340159
Early Finnish article
Dutch dog encyclopedia by count Van Bylandt, 1904
Above: In the third edition of the Dutch dog encyclopedia put together by count Van Bylandt, which was published in 1904.
The Samoyed standard 1932
Mr Hally wrote a regular column "Samoyed Sayings" in the weekly UK "Our Dogs" newspaper and the following was published September 9, 1932:
"Samoyed Sayings: Contributor: Mr. Will Hally, Halstead, Auchterarder, Perthshire. "Samoyed owners read this column, and I know that a lot of other people do so, too; but is it ever looked at by the majority of those who are now deciding the destinies of the awards in the Samoyed show rings? The immediate inspiration of these remarks was a comment made in one of last week's show reports by a famous all-round judge, but the primary reason for them is a growing feeling of alarm by many Samoyed exhibitors (an alarm continually reflected in my correspondence) at the judicial attitude of so many all-rounders towards the breed. In days gone by such an attitude would not have mattered very much because it was the specialist who awarded most of the prizes; to-day the all-rounders' attitude is of the first-rate importance because the all-rounders have practically a monopoly of the championship and other leading shows. No one has a more genuine admiration for our British all-round judges than I have, and without their wide knowledge and great experience, the judicial problem would be a far more difficult one than it is—in dogdom as a whole, I mean. But I think we have the right to demand from all-rounders when they judge Samoyeds, that they make their awards by the accepted and long-established Samoyed standard, and not by their own ideas of what a Samoyed should be. I frankly and gladly admit that some all-rounders judge by the Samoyed standard, but the majority, if their awards, and especially their reportorial remarks, are any criterion, certainly do not. For example, despite all that has been said and written about the absolute incorrectness of a cobby body on a Samoyed, are we any nearer disabusing the minds of the great majority of all-round judges that "cobby," "compact," and "short-coupled" Samoyeds are completely wrong, than we were when all-round judges only occasionally officiated in Samoyed show rings. There are other illustrations of disregard of the breed's standard, but let us take last week's judicial criticism which, as I said, was the immediate inspiration of this paragraph. The comment was on a Samoyed exhibit and read; "I had to be severe on his (what we judges term) 'Dudley nose,' which breeders may know better as 'flesh-colour.' " If the judge who wrote that were alone in his opinion on the question of Samoyed nose colour, I should not have bothered to deal with it here; but that judge is not alone and his attitude fairly accurately represents the general attitude of all-rounders towards other-than black noses in Samoyeds. If I ask the judges who insist on black noses, why they penalise "Dudley" noses, I shall probably be told that black is the correct nose-colour in most canine breeds. Granted! But one cannot apply a general standard to a breed which the general standard does not fit. The Samoyed standard makes perfectly plain that while black noses are preferable, when all other points are equal, nose (and eye-rims, too) "may be brown or flesh-colour." These six words in inverted commas were not put into the standard to meet a failing of the breed at the time. They were put in for a very definite purpose, a purpose which is as present to-day as it was when the standard was formulated; long experience had proved that while black noses were not difficult to "fix" in Samoyeds, they were not infrequently allied to faults, or they did not carry with them the attributes which the flesh-coloured noses did. Of course, every black nose then had not those faults, any more than every black nose has to-day; but it was realised that to make black noses a stipulation in the standard would eliminate several most essential Samoyed characteristics. Long experienced breeders are acutely aware that that holds good to-day every whit as much as it did when the standard was drawn up. The reason for safeguarding the brown-nosed exhibits would require more space for detailing than is available in this column, but, to put it briefly, the Samoyed is not originally or inherently a black-nosed breed, and even black noses may change their colour at certain times. I know no standard which was given more careful thought in its compilation, than that of the Samoyed, and while, naturally, the wording (though not the application) of some of its phases was discussed at length before it was issued in its complete form, the brown nose "permission," or the mere preference for a black nose when all other points were equal, was one of the most unanimous and most emphasised features of the whole standard; incidentally, one of the other features equally emphasised by the compilers of the standard was the correct body, the definition of which was deliberately "wordy," so that there might be no possible dubiety about it. As I have said, the Samoyed fancy is becoming seriously alarmed at the contradiction of the standard which features so many awards to-day, and there is the fear (not a groundless one, by any means) that if things go on as they are doing, the breed will be changed ("ruined" is the word which generally appears in my correspondence) to meet the demands of the adjudicators. And whatever is the cause of it, it is a fact that, in spite of a huge increase in the number of exhibitors and exhibits, Samoyed merit in general is on a much lower scale to-day than it was, say, ten years ago, to go no further back. The outstanding exhibits of the moment belong not to the second half of the first post-war decade, but to the first four or five years of that period. The levelling-up of quality in the lower rungs of the classes must not blind us to the fact that there has been a serious levelling down of merit in the-higher rungs". W.H."
EARS OF THE SAMOYED
In the 1929 issue the following picture was published:
Text with the picture:
Female Samoyed Farningham Narucha of Samoya, born on May 8, 1927, father Ch Polar Light of Farningham, mother Destara of Farningham. A female with a beautiful coat, ideal small ears, nice posture of the ears, she already came to herself again after her journey, at a show still a little bit timid. Won a championship at Brussels. Owner Mrs T. Walt van Lennep. A gain and a promising female for a good stockbreeding.
Remarks with the above:
Perhaps it was not a very good choice to mention the ears of a Samoyed rather small at that time.
Nowadays a lot of breeders are not able to make a good interpretation of the word anymore
when they read the standard and breed to it.
Compare the ears above and take your own conclusion.
The dog on the picture at the left was one of the dogs who stood model for the first standard in 1909,
so we should accept those ears as the one and only right ears for a Samoyed.
All things go by comparison ... even the word 'small' ... so it is wise to also have a very good look at the pictures!
To help you a little bit: underneath you can see from left to right: small ears (ChowChow), medium seized ears (Samoyed), and large ears (German Shepard).
Comments on the above:
Perhaps it was not very smart at the time to call the Samoyed's ears small.
Nowadays, many breeders are no longer able to correctly interpret the word
when reading the standard and breeding to it.
Compare the ears and draw your own conclusion.
The dog in the photo on the left was one of the dogs that was the model for the first standard in 1909,
so we would have to accept those ears as the only good ears on a Samoyed.
Everything is relative... even the word 'small'... so it is wise to first look very carefully at old images!
To help you a little... below you see from left to right: small ears, medium ears, large ears
And, what do you think now yourself when you read a Samoyed must have small ears?
And what do you think when you read that a Samoyed must have small ears?
The head and typ
Hannie Wink: Following article is to my opinion a very important article in the history of the Samoyed. I have posted several articles from the thirties, published in Our Dogs, but also in the Dutch Magazine "De Hond" were Samoyed-judges are writing that some of the Samoyeds they see in the showring are looking like the Spitz / large white Pomeranian / Keeshund. In 1963 Mrs. Ivy Kilburn Morris is visiting again England and went also to a show to see the Samoyeds. Afterwards she has written next article. Robert and Dolly Ward did partly cite her also in "The new complete Samoyed" on page 173. In the appendix you can see the article and the pictures. Ivy has send this article to Mr. Clay and at the top she wrote "You may use this article in Holland in Samoyeds." At the bottom she wrote: "This picture is of a pure Spitz (large Pomeranian) not a poor type Samoyed - all points that are right for the Spitz or Keeshund are wrong for a Samoyed - the Spitz are found in most parts of the world. Average height 16 to 20 inches at shoulder."
Our Dogs, Nov. 1, 1963 - 911
The Sam in England today
Sir – It has been a great pleasure returning to England, my last visit being in 1950. My husband retired in 1952, and we settled down in South Africa after many years in Hong Kong, taking with us our Samoyed, Polar Bado, which we purchased in Australia in 1947. He lived to the age of 14 years and is now exhibited in the Natural History Museum, Cape Town.
I have had a most enjoyable time attending shows and meeting old friends among the Samoyed owners and finding many new enthusiasts. I feel I must congratulate all those who, since the war, have worked so hard in the interest of the breed with books, club show and rallies. It is pleasing to note the comparatively large entries at championship shows and I am amazed that breeders are able to do all this with costs of feeding, travel etc., as high as they are these days.
Many owners are anxious to know my impression of the modern Samoyed. I have seen some magnificent dogs with excellent ears, legs, feet and tails, with outstanding coats, and carriage. I would say that, since the end of World War I, many all-round good specimens have been bred; the bitches, especially, are larger and a high standard is being maintained.
About 1920, some breeders were producing Samoyeds resembling white Collies. This was recognised to be wrong and was soon checked. The breeding of over and undersized specimens is detrimental to the breed. In an article by my mother, Mrs. Kilburn Scott, in the early twenties, states: "We must remember that the Samoyed is not a massive breed, but a graceful, medium-sized dog which should average 22 inches at the shoulder, very nimble and alert; a reindeer herd-dog, not a sledge-dog in his native land.
"I am often asked about the colour of the nose. In the Club Book, the points made many years ago, which were based on the originally imported dogs, the nose is mentioned as being either black, or lightish colour, and the eyes dark, or brown. Either is correct. The Samoyed must be kept as we found him, and no new opinion should alter the points on which depend the beauty of the original dogs. I am also against following entirely the pure white colour when the dog has only that to recommend it. A perfectly white specimen is most typical provided he is equally sound in other points. A deep biscuit colour is not to be recommended, neither is the patchy colour. A deep-cream (light-biscuit) dog with perfect head, carriage and outstanding coat should most certainly be put over the pure-white who fails in these points."
When one has been away for a number of years one immediately observes any change for the better or worse. I am sorry to say that I had a great shock to find such a change in the head, especially in the foreface. In some cases the expression of the true Samoyed is entirely lost, the head resembling more that of a Spitz (large Pomeranian) or Keeshond. The eyes in many of the present-day dogs are too large and wrongly spaced, or round and slightly prominent. The skull above the eyes is too broad, the muzzle too short and the stop rather too pronounced. These changes give a hard expression quite foreign to the Samoyed, which should have a soft, smiling, gentle look, devoid of any "so-called" lippiness, with almond shaped eyes, fringed with white lashes. It is extremely difficult for me to explain what is wrong. The head between the ears and the ears themselves are all right. The trouble is all in the foreface. There are slight faults in some dogs in the carriage of the ears, these being placed in a forward position, like a Chow, also they are sometimes not quite erect, or placed too close together on the head.
It is useless having a magnificent show dog if the head and expression is not typical. The faults that I now observe are definitely harmful to the breed, and if not checked it can well be that, in another decade or so, the head of the true Samoyed will be entirely changed. Only the breeders and specialist judges can alter this by encouraging the breeding and showing of those dogs with the better type heads.
It must be understood that I, personally have no axe to grind, as I am not breeding or competing and have no favouritism, but every admiration for those who have so every way to preserve the standard of this wonderful breed of dogs. In conclusion, I would add that I have been associated with the Samoyed and know his history, since the first dogs were introduced into England by my father, Mr. Kilburn-Scott, in the latter part of the last century. I took a very active part in running my mothers famous Samoyed kennels, and it has been my main interest since I was a small child.
I. Killburn Morris.
Mrs. Kilburn Morris (nee Miss Ivy Kilburn-Scott), "Kongmoon," Somerset West, Cape Province, S. Africa.
Mrs. E. Brownson (nee Miss E. Kilburn-Scott) The Old House, Ivinghoe, near Leighton Buzzard, Bedordhsire. Telephone: Chedding 444.
Dogs Vs ponnies
Hannie Wink: On the website of Helen Newman I found the article "Samoyeds then and now" about the dogs the explorers used, with PICTURES and literaturelist. Thank you Helen for this very well documented article. I am now reading "A thousand days in the Arctic" from Frederick Jackson. Jackson preferred to use ponies. Page 291: "The floes had become worse, but having dogs they could as a rule get along fairly well. Eight dogs, however, on hard snow will not do the work of one pony or go along as fast. Dogs are preferable over rotten ice, as, being less heavy, they don't go through so easily."
Clippings aboute the breeds hiatory
Helen Smith - The Roald Admundsen information in this book is incorrect. There were not any Samoyeds on that trip. The facts stated about this in this book are not substantiated by any first person historical accounts - I know because I read them looking (unsuccessfully) for any mention of Samoyeds or "Etah".