Samoyed vs Siberian Husky

A Samoyed
Photo: PeCeT_full
A Siberian Husky
Photo: Lorie Shaull / Lorie Shaull

Side by side

Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Adult weight
Males 20–29 kg (45–65 lb); females 16–23 kg (35–50 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 20–27 kg (45–60 lb); females 16–23 kg (35–50 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 53.3–59.7 cm; females 48.3–53.3 cm (breed club figure)1
Males 53.3–59.7 cm; females 50.8–55.9 cm (breed club figure)2
Lifespan
Median 13.1 years3
Median 11.9 years3
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes4
Group
Spitz & primitive5
Spitz & primitive6
Coat
Double coat5
Coat of medium length6
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
A brush once a week
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
Plenty
Health
No sourced figure
Underactive thyroid (more likely)7
Class
Family
Sport

Which suits you

Lifespan
In UK vet records the Samoyed lives longer: a median of 13.1 years, against 11.9 for the Siberian Husky.
Grooming
The Siberian Husky needs more grooming, brushing a few times a week, where the Samoyed needs a brush once a week.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Samoyed: a lap or leaning dog; Siberian Husky: affectionate on its own terms) and on independence (Samoyed: cooperative, with its own ideas; Siberian Husky: decides for itself).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 22 kg (49 lb) for the Samoyed and 22 kg (48 lb) for the Siberian Husky.
Alike
Both are rated the same on voice: very vocal.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Samoyed
Spitz & primitive · Medium

In temperament the Samoyed is friendly, gentle and sociable. It tends to greet strangers with interest rather than suspicion, so it makes a poor guard dog.

Siberian Husky
Spitz & primitive · Medium

The Siberian Husky is friendly, gentle and outgoing, with an independent streak and a name for mischief. It greets strangers rather than warning them off, and many are determined escape artists.

The Samoyed page →The Siberian Husky page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Friendly with everyone
Independence
Differs
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Decides for itself
Around the home
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Very vocal
Very vocal
Prey drive
Differs
Chases; needs managing
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 22 kg.
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
01020302m4m6m9m12m18m
01020302m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the Samoyed with
Alaskan Malamute vs Siberian HuskyAlaskan Klee Kai vs Siberian HuskyGerman Shepherd vs Siberian HuskyAlaskan Malamute vs SamoyedJapanese Spitz vs SamoyedAmerican Eskimo Dog vs SamoyedAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·