Krystal Zima Samoyeds

03/30/2024

Today at the Potomac Valley Samoyed Club specialty show, Natasha won Best Veteran in sweepstakes (she will be 11 the end of April) and Misha got an Award of Merit (goofy boy 🥰 ).

01/27/2024

This is very important to understand. Never leave an infant/toddler and a dog (no matter how good the dog is) together unsupervised. You never know what the baby might do that might annoy or hurt the dog; and this could lead to tragic consequences.

“They aren’t dangerous if you raise them right.”

Not exactly true. Modoc is 7 years old and has been raised around kids and to not be food or toy aggressive. Harrison is being raised to be respectful to animals.

BUT Modoc is a dog and Harrison is a baby.

Babies need to be at all times around dogs, and not just watched. People need to understand a dog’s stress signals.

Modoc is a great dog but Harrison also isn’t allowed to on or the dogs, he’s not allowed to play with their or , he is not allowed near their ever and not allowed around them when they are .

My dogs are not expected to tolerate being annoyed. I can tell you from experience that EVERY DOG HAS A BREAKING POINT, and every dog WILL bite.

It is up to to to be safe and and to educate themselves on dog behaviour and body language and prevent what is usually 100% preventable." - Olivia Paige

01/19/2024

Pups are enjoying the snow! ❄️☃️

12/06/2023

Misha got mail!!!
His herding title certificates for his new HCT and JHD titles 😁. So proud of my baby boy!

12/06/2023

This is an interesting perspective on the reports of increased canine respiratory diseases.

I’ve held off writing about this but since I’ve been answering many emails about it every day, here we go. The questions I keep getting (as usual) are

09/25/2023

We’re at the SCA Nationals in VA Beach… Saturday and Sunday Misha did herding. Misha says "I had lots of fun playing with sheep over the weekend!!!"

He got his HCT on Saturday, and his JHD on Sunday (by the skin of his teeth). Check out the videos linked below.

HCT 1 - https://youtu.be/oy9STWrhSC8
HCT 2 - https://youtu.be/1fX6TxX_OSE

JHD 1 - https://youtu.be/tEvJ2XXN7Y0
JHD 2 - https://youtu.be/rSoEd1hbSzw

Krystal Zima's Dances on Air AHBA Junior Herding Dog leg 2

05/20/2023

This article (study results) is very long, and I have not fully read all the way through it yet. From what I have read so far though, it looks like a good resource to help make informed decisions about whether to spay/neuter your dog, do an O***y sparing spay (oss) or vasectomy, or leave them intact. My boy Kodiak (Lg Standard American Eskimo) was never neutered and lived to 17.5 years old. At this point my 3 Samoyeds (Natasha (F) - 10, Misha (M) - 6, and Tundra (F) - 3) are all intact.
Here is the link to the article:

Abstract OBJECTIVE To compare health and behavior outcomes for dogs that underwent vasectomy or ovary-sparing spay (hysterectomy) with sexually intact dogs or dogs that had undergone traditional castration or spay. SAMPLE 6,018 dog owners responded to a web-based survey between November 3, 2021, and...

05/12/2023

We went to show at the Westminster Kennel Club show this week. We didn't win, but Misha looked good and performed well. Here is a link to the official video on YouTube https://youtu.be/efVnZaiNiC4
And here is a screenshot of me and Misha in the ring.

05/09/2023

If you didn’t have a chance to watch the live streamed breed judging of the Westminster show today, the recording for Samoyeds is now up at

05/09/2023

We’re up in New York to show Misha tomorrow morning at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. All or the breed judging will be live streamed on www.WestminsterKennelClub.org . Samoyeds are in ring 3 at 9am Tuesday. (You need the ring number to find the right streaming camera)

The Westminster Kennel Club, established in 1877, is America's oldest non-profit organization dedicated to the sport of dogs. The Club hosts the iconic Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the second-longest, continuously held sporting event in the U.S., and since 1948, the longest nationally televised...

04/20/2023

I’ll be showing Misha up in New York at the annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Below is a link to the viewing schedule. One of the cool things about WKC coverage is that ALL the breed judging during the day is live streamed on the Westminster Kennel Club website, and the recordings are available later in the day (and anytime thereafter) on the website. Samoyeds will be showing on Tuesday May 9th at 9:00am. Here’s the link.

FOX Sports Coverage16 Feb 2023ShareTweetSaturday, May 6, 202310th Anniversary Masters Agility Championship Preliminaries Streaming LIVE on westminsterkennelclub.org from 8:00am - 4:00pm 8th Annual Masters Obedience Championship Streaming LIVE on westminsterkennelclub.org from 8:00am - 3:30pm A...

03/20/2023

I am over the moon proud of Mishka (CH Krystal Zima's Ursa Minor FDC CAA FCAT2 CGCU TKA ATT) and Owner/Handler Barbara for their FABULOUS Best Opposite/Owner Handled Group 2 win under breeder judge Joe Deleo at the Antietam Creek Samoyed Club’s regional specialty show in York, PA. yesterday! Mishka is my first born from my first Samoyed litter and is six years old. She is also Barbara’s first dog. Barbara has worked so hard training both herself and Mishka to get to this point. 🥰

03/16/2023

A great article on the history of the Samoyed.

The Samoyed was originally thought to be an aboriginal breed that was indigenous to the Russian tundra. It is now thought, due to modern DNA testing, that the earliest proto-Samoyed may have migrated into Russia from China.

03/06/2023

Misha's official show pic from his Owner Handled Group 2 win a couple weeks ago. I have a weird expression on my face, but at least my boy looks good. 😄

02/19/2023

Misha had a good day at the dog show today. He went Select Dog and Owner handled Best of Breed. Then after a long wait into the evening, in the Owner Handled Working Group he went OH Group 2. He hasn’t been shown since last summer, but he did great today! Here is a quick cell phone pic while we wait for the official group win photo.

08/21/2022

Official show picture of Misha's Best of Breed win with my daughter handling this past July, under judge Polly D. Smith. 🥰