Samoyeds are also called Sammies, Smileys, and Smiling Sledge Dogs. They are wonderful with kids and other pets because they are not aggressive. Once a Samoyed considers someone part of their family, they will keep an eye on that person indefinitely to guarantee that they are okay. Samoyeds make good watchdogs because they will bark to alert their families of someone they do not recognize approaching the home.
Are Samoyeds Protective Dogs? Yes, they are herding dogs and are thus fiercely protective of those they consider their herd. Samoyeds are very friendly and sociable dogs, getting along well with both people and other animals. Samoyeds will not chase away the danger, however. Instead, they will try to herd their family to safety. They will attack the danger if provoked, but it is not their first instinct.
So while Samoyeds are protective of their herd, they do not make good guard dogs. They are herding or sledding dogs by nature and would rather corral their family away from the danger than attack it head-on. Nevertheless, Samoyeds make great watchdogs and are also a wonderful addition to any family. They are known to perhaps pick a favorite person who they will follow around and listen to above all else, but they are hyper-aware of everyone else in their pack. They are high-energy dogs who require a lot of enrichment, which works out well in families with kids who want to play with the Sammie and take them on long walks.
Are Samoyeds Protective?
Samoyeds are very alert dogs. They are descended from dogs who herded reindeer and pulled sleds. However, they are not particularly territorial. They will bark to alert their humans that there are something new or different approaches, but they will not be aggressive unless seriously provoked.
As herding dogs, their instincts will be to corral their people away from danger. This can actually include biting their people to inform them to stay away from the danger. Yes, this is somewhat counterproductive, but it derives from the Samoyed’s herding nature where they will nip at the animals in the herd to get them to go a specific direction.
Still, Samoyeds may very well help someone feel that they are protected and otherwise safe from danger because of their watchful nature. Their bark is what you would expect from a dog of their size. They can bark loudly and deeply, but it may not be the most intimidating bark.
On that note, any intruder will not go unnoticed by a Samoyed. Anyone approaching the home will get a loud welcome from the Sammie.
Samoyeds are adaptable and will naturally want to work alongside their human for peak pack performance. They also adjust to changes easily. Because they love tasks, letting a Samoyed know that their penchant for barking at anything new that shows up at the house as a form of protection, means that Sammie will take this job very seriously.
Will a Samoyed Protect its Owner?
As far as protection goes, a Samoyed is better at getting their pack away from danger rather than chasing the danger away from their pack. They make great family dogs since they mix well with other animals and people.
Samoyeds can act as somewhat of a babysitter for younger children, making sure they do not get into harm. The herd instinct is strong and a Samoyed will absolutely herd small children. Though, it is best not to leave a Sammie unattended with small children, since the energetic dog can absolutely accidentally knock a small kid over.
Samoyeds are also good with older people because they are gentle when they are thinking about it and they just want to be loved by everyone. It is only when they get incredibly excited that they might need to go for a run to calm down before interacting with small children or senior citizens.
Samoyeds can and will protect their owners in their own way. They will bark to alert of any changes around the house. Sammies love to bark and be generally vocal, so their humans will always know when their doggy friend is watching or interacting with something.
The owner, especially Sammie’s favorite person, will eventually learn to distinguish the types of barks and noises their Samoyed makes. Different barks and yips will mean different things and it will not take long for the owner to distinguish between a bark that means play and bark that means ‘come investigate!’
An owner can absolutely trust that their Sammie will stay with the children and bark in the case of anything going wrong. This is just a part of being a herding dog. So, in this way, a Samoyed will absolutely protect their owner, by alerting them to danger or getting them away from it.
Is a Samoyed a Good Guard Dog?
Samoyeds make excellent watchdogs, but not great guard dogs. They are not aggressive at heart and would much rather watch than attack. They can bark loudly and growl threateningly to perhaps encourage the stranger to leave, but they will not chase the danger away from the house. It is not in their nature.
They are great at surveillance, both to alert their humans of strange happenings, and to keep their humans inside at night. But when it comes down to it, they are overall too gentle of a dog to get aggressive in the face of danger. Nevertheless, a Samoyed is on the larger size of dog breeds, and so they may come off as intimidating enough to deter danger.
Can a Samoyed be trained to be a guard dog? Sure. However, they have centuries of instinct informing them to work peacefully alongside humans and it takes a bit to unlearn that, even if Samoyeds are an intelligent breed that can learn easily.
Additionally, because Samoyeds have destructive natures that come out when they are bored, training them to be an aggressive guard dogs can lead to a lot more bad behaviors that would then need to be untrained.
It is honestly best to let them be watchdogs but not expect them to be guard dogs. Guard dogs are a different type of working dog than a Samoyed is. Plus, for a Samoyed to remain a friendly pet, they cannot also be a guard dog.
Are Samoyeds Loyal?
Samoyeds are fiercely loyal. They know who all are their people and will keep an eye out for them at any given time. Sammies will pick a favorite person to listen to the most and be the most affectionate with. They can easily win over the hearts of many people, but they know who their owner is.
They come to adore their humans and are incredibly devoted to keeping the family all right. They are peaceful and energetic and want to be around their people at all times. In fact, they can even get destructive if left alone for too long.
They thrive in close contact with the humans they consider to be a part of their pack. They love being given tasks so they can be considered helpful. Once they understand the rules of the household and have been trained to do tasks, they can be counted on to get those tasks done, whether it is a regular task or something on command.
In addition to being loyal, Samoyeds are friendly and outgoing dogs. They are not violent or aggressive, which makes them great around children and other pets, but is a point against them being an aggressive guard dogs.
They just want to be loved, be entertained, and be around people. They are loving, loyal dogs with a lot of energy. They will absolutely inform their humans if something new or different is about, but their job is to stay with their herd and help that way.
Conclusion
Samoyeds are not the greatest guard dog. But they will protect their humans in their own way. They want to be alert of the danger and get their people away from it. While they can be trained to be a guard dogs, this tends to unlock a lot of their destructive tendencies and lead to overall bad behavior.
It is best to let the Samoyed be a friendly, loyal, and energetic dog, who will naturally act as a watchdog.