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Wanted: Samoyed Puppy

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  1. #1

    Wanted: Samoyed Puppy

    Does anyone know where I can get a Samoyed puppy (purchased or adopted) in Hong Kong?
    I've tried looking at pet shops but I don't trust them; it's so frustrating and sad to see all the dogs looking so depressed and drugged up in their cages and they charge insane amounts. I asked them whether they sold Samoyeds but they told me I would have to "reserve" one. They claim that the ones from Taiwan would cost over HK$15,000 and the ones from UK/Aussie/US would cost approx. HK$50,000. I think that's outrageous and I'm also suspicious as to whether they are actually just smuggled from China.
    I've also checked the SPCA and other dog rescue organisations in Hong Kong, but I haven't come across any!
    Help please?


  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by georgielaw:
    Does anyone know where I can get a Samoyed puppy (purchased or adopted) in Hong Kong?
    I've tried looking at pet shops but I don't trust them; it's so frustrating and sad to see all the dogs looking so depressed and drugged up in their cages and they charge insane amounts. I asked them whether they sold Samoyeds but they told me I would have to "reserve" one. They claim that the ones from Taiwan would cost over HK$15,000 and the ones from UK/Aussie/US would cost approx. HK$50,000. I think that's outrageous and I'm also suspicious as to whether they are actually just smuggled from China.
    I've also checked the SPCA and other dog rescue organisations in Hong Kong, but I haven't come across any!
    Help please?
    A very rare breed in HK - and for good reason. They were developed for sled pulling in the artic, are terribly unsuited to HK's hot and humid summers and often have health issues as a result (skin conditions and are often overweight with the accompanying problems b/c cannot exercise properly in the summer). I think that I've seen one sammy come into HK Dog Rescue in the last several years, so I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for one to come into a rescue organization. If you contact adoption coordinators for the various rescue groups they can keep you in mind in case a suitable dog does come in.

    Pet shop quotes are about right for import from the various countries, but I would also be skeptical of breeders from any country willing to send a sammy to a place with HK's climate. If you must import, try contacting various breeding organizations in the US/ UK/ Aus to get breeder contacts directly and see if you can find one that is willing to ship a pup to HK. The dog will have to be at least 4 months old before a HK import permit will be approved so the breeder will have to be willing to keep the puppy that long. Expect to pay, for a samoyed dog from the US, between US$1500-2500 for the dog and another US$1000+ for shipping fees, vet visits and import paperwork. The breeder may also charge boarding fees (of up to hundreds of US$/ month) for keeping the puppy that would be old enough to leave its mother (typically between 8-10 weeks) until it is old enough to travel to HK.
    limepickle likes this.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by apple&dog:
    I believe no matter which bred you Take, they will have a lifespan 15 to 20 years. So think about it before getting a dog.

    Posted via Mobile Device
    You REALLY don't know much about dogs, do you? Large breeds, like a sammy, RARELY live past 12 years. Some smaller breeds have life spans up to 15 years (which is very old for a dog). A 20 year old dog is pretty much a miracle and very, very rare.
    Last edited by hello_there; 07-04-2010 at 03:16 PM.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by hello_there:
    You REALLY don't know much about dogs, do you? Large breeds, like a sammy, RARELY live past 12 years. Some smaller breeds have life spans up to 15 years (which is very old for a dog). A 20 year old dog is pretty much a miracle and very, very rare.
    The point the person is trying to make is that a dog should be a long term commitment. Samoyed are expected to live 12-16 years so while 20 years would be remarkable, saying that they rarely make it to 12 is also incorrect.

    In any case, having this kind of dog in HK is self indulgent and selfish as they are working dogs that are happiest in a cooler environment where they can be active and have lots of exercise.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    In any case, having this kind of dog in HK is self indulgent and selfish as they are working dogs that are happiest in a cooler environment where they can be active and have lots of exercise.
    Indeed - as far as I can see that constitutes animal cruelty, pure & simple.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    The point the person is trying to make is that a dog should be a long term commitment. Samoyed are expected to live 12-16 years so while 20 years would be remarkable, saying that they rarely make it to 12 is also incorrect.
    The OP doesn't need to be lectured about commitment by some dog walker who doesn't show up to jobs about responsibility for dogs.

    Sammys live 10-12 years, sometimes a little longer. We were actively involved in Sammy rescue for many many years when I was a kid and my mother still is. She's never had one live past 14 and most start having real problems (hip and joint problems, various cancers, heart disease) at around 10-12 yrs.

    A quick google search shows a bunch of varying estimates for sammy life expectancy ("about 12 to 15 years", "up to 14 years", "11 - 12 years", "about 12–15 years"...) but doesn't give the percentage of dogs (low) that actually live to the high end of that range. People can live to over 100, but how many 100+ year olds do you really know?
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    HKDR had a Samoyed, but he was adopted a few weeks ago, if you are determined this is the breed you want, put your name down with HKDR or SPCA incase another one comes in. I have seen this breed quite regularly recently, which is unfortunate.

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  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by hello_there:
    The OP doesn't need to be lectured about commitment by some dog walker who doesn't show up to jobs about responsibility for dogs.

    Sammys live 10-12 years, sometimes a little longer. We were actively involved in Sammy rescue for many many years when I was a kid and my mother still is. She's never had one live past 14 and most start having real problems (hip and joint problems, various cancers, heart disease) at around 10-12 yrs.

    A quick google search shows a bunch of varying estimates for sammy life expectancy ("about 12 to 15 years", "up to 14 years", "11 - 12 years", "about 12–15 years"...) but doesn't give the percentage of dogs (low) that actually live to the high end of that range. People can live to over 100, but how many 100+ year olds do you really know?
    12 year old for a Samoyed is hardly the same as 100 years old for a person. You stated that they rarely lived to 12 which is incorrect because they often do... If you changed that number to 15 years old then it would be a much closer comparison to a 100 year old person. I have never heard of a 20 year old Samoyed though I don't discount that it's possible.

    As to lecturing people on commitment, many people in HK certainly need to hear it from the number of dogs that are abandoned and even more so when they want to indulge themselves with breeds that are not suited to this climate.

    This is a public forum and everyone is certainly entitled to post their opinions whether you like them or not.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    12 year old for a Samoyed is hardly the same as 100 years old for a person. You stated that they rarely lived to 12 which is incorrect because they often do...
    I never compared a 12 year old sammy to a 100 year old person. In fact, the comparison I gave was to the high end of the age range for the dog vs. a 100+ year old human - not many of either. At least try to get your facts straight.

    Do you know that they "often" do live past 12, really? As I noted, my fam has been actively involved with the breed for many years and have known very few of them live much past 12.
    Last edited by hello_there; 07-04-2010 at 05:58 PM.

  10. #10

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    As opposed to your "scientific observations" that they rarely live past 12. Here's a study that puts the median age at 12 years and 6 months. In case you are not familiar with a median, it means that half the dogs lived past that age, I think that rarely doesn't qualify when the average dog live that age...

    http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/down.../hssamoyed.pdf

    Or maybe your family just wasn't very good with dogs...


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