Carol Tenny
tenny@linguist.org
Obedience
Agility
Freestyle
Sledding
Herding
Dogpacking
Teaching
Therapy Dogs
in Linguistics
CD CGC TDI NA NAJ
(b. 1996)
'Fee'
'Rosie'
Copernicus Kintaro of Poohbah CGC TDI CDX NA
and Long Trail End-to-Ender (1989--2003)
'Nico'
Samoyeds are a breed of Nordic dog that have an ancient lineage in Siberia, where they were companions and workmates of the Samoyed peoples, who were semi-nomadic reindeer herders living in a harsh land. The Samoyed dogs were brought to the west by polar explorers who bought their expedition dogs in Siberia. They are wonderful dogs, famous for great temperaments.* I had a variety of dogs growing up, but I have lived with Samoyeds for the last 17 years. If you want to learn more about Samoyeds, contact the Samoyed Club of America. If you are interested in adopting a Samoyed, contact Samoyed Rescue.
(*Samoyeds are not recommended for inexperienced dog owners; they are inclined to dig, bark, chew, shed, run away -- and they are not famous for obedience. They are very intelligent problem solvers, and the problems they solve may not be the ones you want them to solve.)
I work and train my Samoyeds in several venues, competitive and non-competitive.
Competitive Obedience
Samoyeds are not famous for obedience, like the Nordic dogs in general. This is not for lack of intelligence or goodwill -- they are just very independent dogs.
Sammies can learn and compete in obedience -- as long as you train appropriately and you don't mind surprises. For example, in 2003 (the year Nico did it) there were five Samoyeds who earned the title of Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) in American Kennel Club obedience trials (and 262 Golden Retrievers). Two Samoyeds earned the Utility Dog title (UD) (and 120 Golden Retrievers did). At the higher levels of competition, it is not so much about blind obedience as about teamwork, respect, and mental challenges like staying focused and attentive.
I recommend that every dog and owner earn the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate. This is a non-competitive title earned by passing a test in the basic good manners needed for a dog in public places, and at home. Please help to reverse the tide of bad publicity for dogs by training your dog in basic manners; and demonstrating to the public what a pleasure a well-behaved dog can be.
Freestyle suits the inventiveness of Sammies, because unlike in the obedience ring where all moves are prescribed, in a freestyle performance nobody except you knows if the way you did it is the way you meant to do it.
Skijoring is a great way to exercise you and your dog in the winter. All you need (besides a dog in harness) are skis, equipment to attach the skier to the dog, and snow. This is Nico and Carol skijoring near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (right).
If you want to learn more about working Samoyeds and preserving the working heritage of the breed, contact the Organization for the Working Samoyed.
A dog can be a wonderful companion in the mountains or on the trail. I have hiked around the Northeastern USA with our Samoyeds. Here are Nico and Carol on the Appalachian Trail.
Nico and I spent 12 years hiking the length of Vermont. We hiked the Long Trail which traverses the length of the Green Mountains that run through the state of Vermont.
I teach dog training classes through my club, the Golden Triangle Obedience Training Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where we teach all breeds and mixed breeds. At GTOTC I have taught and assisted with obedience and agility classes, created their Basic Obedience Teaching Manual, and I created a Clicker Training class for the club. (Fiona is largely clicker trained.) I also occasionally teach privately or do consultations. I am a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
My dogs are licensed and registered as therapy dogs through Therapy Dogs International. They visit in a local care center as part of the regular therapy programs there.
