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Compared to other dog breeds, Samoyed dogs pant more. Their body is built for freezing weather conditions. At -40F where no other dog breed can survive, a Samoyed can live easily. At warm places, with temperatures above 60F, they pant excessively to cool down. Prolonged heat exposure can be fatal. Samoyeds have thick fluffy coats and are a very active dog breed. It’s normal for a Sammie to play nonstop and pant after to cool off.
Reasons why your Samoyed pants more than other dog breeds:
- Your dog is happy to see you: There might be a slight increase in your dog’s breathing when they see you after some time. Usually when you return home from work or from grocery shopping. Samoyeds get very attached to owners and are very affectionate to them. They will come running around you or jump on you. You can see it in their behavior – wagging tail, lots of jumping around, barking and running around the house. It’s natural for them to pant fast in excitement exactly the way you would run out of breath after meeting a celebrity or seeing someone after years. You are no less than a celebrity to them. This should not be mistaken for an illness or anomaly. Your dog is fine and you are probably overthinking it.
- Your dog is Exhausted:
Despite being known as tough dogs and a breed with high stamina they do get exhausted and pant a lot to drop the body temperature. Humans also have a natural mechanism for that, it’s sweating. This cools down our body and releases the built up heat. Dogs don’t sweat, they pant. That’s their cooling mechanism. They also salivate by sticking their tongues out. After a playful day, returning from a long walk or running around the house your Samoyed dog gets tired and needs rest. It will salivate and pant fast. Panting should gradually reduce in some time, usually in 15-30 minutes. If your Sammy pants longer than that, you should call your vet. - Weather is too hot:
Unlike humans, Samoyeds thrive in very cold places and do not keep well in a hot and humid climate. They will pant fast even inside a house if the temperature outside is above 70F degrees. Panting longer than normal may lead to heatstroke which is very dangerous for your dog. If the temperature is very hot outside then keep watching your Samoyed’s behavior and have plenty of fluids around. Keep them inside the house and shower occasionally.
Shedding or grooming your dog can also be helpful on warm sunny days. This helps remove all the extra fur and allows air to reach the skin. Grooming also helps remove the foul smell and check if there is any skin disease, injury, scratches, swelling or lumps on the skin.
Regular brushing is a chance to see if your dog has ticks or fleas. Having bugs under the coat causes dogs to scratch themselves, and they end up with wounds that need further treatment. If your dog visits parks frequently or plays in your backyard then you should take extra care of their skin and coat. Use shampoo and medication to keep the skin and fur texture healthy, beautiful and fluffy. - Your Samoyed is thirsty:
It’s in their instincts to stay with the group. Your dog may be thirsty but choose to stay with you if the bowl is in a different room. You can have multiple water bowls and place them strategically all around the house. Your dog will never be far from water and can drink whenever they want. Your Samoyed dog loses water from its body through saliva during panting. It’s important that your dog stays hydrated at all times.
Don’t let your dog drink water from mud holes, sidewalks, drains or from any unfiltered water source. Parasites can enter their body and cause diseases. Parasites make your dog uncomfortable and cause pain. Sometimes having parasites inside can lead to terminal illness. - Your dog is stressed out:
Commonly anxiety and stress can cause panting in all dog breeds. There can be many reasons behind it. Some common reasons are travelling, loud noise, unknown places or unknown people. People love to travel and don’t want to leave their pet. Most of the time Samoyeds adjust well to car travel, some of them even look forward to it, however, if your dog is not comfortable with changing places then don’t force. It will cause stress and anxiety for both of you. The same goes for loud noises like speaker music, cracker bursts, loud horns and automobile noises. If you are watchful then you will notice a pattern. Avoid these situations by simply walking away or taking your Sammy to a quiet place. - In severe pain:
Dogs shiver and pant heavily when under pain. Your dog may limp, walk or run slow, express unwillingness to be active, show disinterest in activities and prefer to sleep most of the time. Observe properly to identify if there is any abnormality in posture, behavior or body. Early detection will save your dog and related medical bills. - Illness:
Dogs cannot tell us about the discomfort or pain they experience, you can detect that by diagnosing their body language. You have to be vigilant to be able to tell the changes in urination frequency, weight loss, apathy and oversleeping.
Frequent urination is an early symptom of illness. Samoyeds might suffer from organ failure, heart, kidney, skin disease, orthopedic issues, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory disorders. With Samoyed many of the health issues and diseases are genetic, they are related to the dog breed. This means they are at a high risk to suffer from these diseases more than any other dog breed.
How do I know if my Samoyed is panting too much?
Samoyeds are a very active breed, they pant excessively during or after activities. Your dog usually needs 15 to 20 minutes to cool down. Depending on the intensity and duration of the activity, cooling down might extend to 30 minutes max. Fast panting should slow down once they have cooled down. While resting, Samoyeds pant at a normal rate. Is your Samoyed panting heavily without the reason or beyond 30 minutes after a workout? If yes, then there might be a problem, consider getting in touch with a vet and get your Sammy checked.
Is it bad if my Samoyed dog is panting a lot?
Depending on the time of the day and what your dog was previously doing you can evaluate if it’s bad for your dog to pant a lot.
- Did your dog come back from a long walk or was playing in the house? If yes, then you should not be worried. Its panting should slow down in 15 to 30 minutes. Consult a vet if your dog keeps panting even after 30 minutes of resting.
- If your dog is panting a lot while resting then you might want to consult a vet. Panting heavily all the time is an early sign of illness or obesity. Early detections can save your dog from a terminal illness.
What should I do if my Sammy pants a lot at night?
Panting at night can be caused by several reasons. You should check if the room temperature is too hot for your dog. Samoyeds are naturally built for cold weather.
- The temperature of the room at any point of time should not exceed more than 65F degrees. Your dog might suffer from heatstroke if the comfortable temperature is not maintained.
- Listen carefully for noises like faint murmurs along with your dog’s breathing, difficulty in breathing or coughing. These may be due to heart malfunction. By regular health check-ups, you may be able to early detect health issues and give your pet more healthy years.
- If it is not because of the temperature then your dog may be under anxiety. Samoyeds are attached to their owners and if they are separated at night then they will be under stress. Don’t leave your dog in a different room, try to have its bed in a visible range from yours. That should fix the problem.
Most of the time there is no reason to be concerned about excessive panting, your dog may be fine and just relaxing. However, if you know your dog well and fear they are breathing unusually then it’d be better to see a vet.
