News from the members of the Potomac Valley Samoyed Club

When the snow came down last week, Marjorie Goodenough rejoiced. She could romp and play with her eight samoyed show dogs to her heart's content.

The winter wonderland of her large back yard beckoned the furry white creatures to the window. The dogs, who live indoors, couldn't wait to get outside and pull their sled.

Mrs. Goodenough is in the process of training several of her show dogs to be sled dogs. Samoyed dogs may not be "confirmed sled dogs," but that doesn't discourage Mrs. Goodenough or other area samoyed owners who spend each winter teaching their dogs to lead and follow." I just always thought it was the coolest thing for a dog to pull a sled," she said.

Although her Maryland dogs may not outrun Siberian huskies, they are well-suited for the weather and will give them a run for their money, Mrs. Goodenough thinks. And they will easily rank as the most beautiful competitors.

" We are into the total package," she said. "We don't have to be the fastest. We'll just be the prettiest."

Descendants of Siberian samoyed reindeer herders, Mrs. Goodenough's dogs have thick double-coats, which insulate them from cold in the winter and heat in the summer.

" In the summer they are more comfortable than a black lab," said Mrs. Goodenough, who has never considered moving to an area with a cooler climate.

Their outer coat is slick. Ice stays on the surface and falls out easily, along with any dirt that collects on them, she said.

In the snow, Splash, Panzer, Bomber, Sherman, Suds, Sugar, Flurry and Toddy become hyperactive. " They just get excited," laughs their owner. "They go in circles, up and down, loving every minute of it."

Playing out in the backyard, the dogs make sport of barking at their owner's racing horses, fenced in an adjacent field. They run up and down the fence with unfailing energy. The horses resemble deer, said Mrs. Goodenough.

When the dogs get in front of a sled, they can't wait to take off. " They get psyched, lunging forward, saying 'Let's go!'" she said. The trick is to make sure they know what they are doing.

It's difficult to teach the willful dogs commands, she said. " Samies would rather have fun," she said.

Samoyed dogs are known for having a trusting, loving personality. " They are worthless as guard dogs," said Mrs. Goodenough. "They love people. They are very people-friendly. They have no sense that they haven't known you all of their life."

Their owner is more than taken with her dogs' personality. The walls of her home are plastered with portraits of her dogs, some painted, others carved in wood. Samoyed dog figurines and statues stand around every corner.

She and her husband are building an addition onto the house. It will be the dogs' palace, their "Taj-bow-wow," she said.

Mrs. Goodenough would like to go on an expedition in Russia to find any Samoyed dogs that might still roam in the wild. She wonders if there are any out there.

In the meantime, she continues to train her dogs. When there is no snow she hooks them up to an ATV, she said. When it does snow, friends of hers often come over or they meet somewhere to hook several dogs to one sled. There is great camaraderie among them and it is a great deal of fun, said Mrs. Goodenough. She can't get enough of winter or her "samies."

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