Practical Genetics for Samoyed Breeders and Owners Health Seminar presented to the Samoyed Club of America, October 15, 2002 Jerold S Bell, DVM, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine

As a breed, the AKC registered Samoyed population has significantly declined over the last fifteen years. Individual dog registrations were at 8,192 in 1985, making the Samoyed the 29th most populous breed in registrations. While registrations grew to 8,389 in 1990, the breed rank dropped to 36th most populous, due to the rising popularity of other breeds. By 1995, AKC registrations were less than half, with 4,088 dogs being registered, and a breed rank of 47th. The decline in registrations has continued each year, with 2,552 dogs registered (54th) in 1998 and 1,698 dogs registered (66th) in 2001. These numbers have to be compared to what is going on with the SCA "breeder" population versus the commercial breeding population. Sometimes the popularity of a breed based on commercial, puppy mill, or pet-store breeding can drop, but the gene pool represented by the individual breeder/club member does not change accordingly.............