If it seems like every man and his dog has a cockapoo at the minute, well, it’s because they do.
The cross-breed overtook the UK’s poshest pooch, the Labrador, as the most popular puppy to buy in Britain three years ago, the Royal Veterinary College revealed.
But there could be a new canine coming for the cockapoo crown, and it’s all thanks to Taylor Swift.
The music star and her husband have reportedly become parents to a fluffy white Samoyed, which was seen trotting down the steps of her private jet.
‘Often described as the ‘smiling’ dog, Samoyeds are known for their striking white coats, affectionate nature and distinctive good looks, making it easy to see why they capture people’s attention,’ Charlotte McNamara, chief canine wellbeing and engagement officer at Royal Kennel Club tells Metro.
The name Samoyed comes from the Samoyede, a semi-nomadic people of Asian descent who are believed to have migrated with their dogs to Siberiain the first millennium.
This meant Samoyeds were used to hunt reindeer and later used to pull sledges and herd the reindeer, so they’re primarily a herding and guardian breed.
European explorers to Siberia in the 19th century then brought back Samoyeds, and the breed soon became sought-after gifts for the tsars and other European royalty.
They’re a hit on social media, too. Samoyeds Boomer and Diya have 3.3 million followers on TikTok, with a single video of then hitting 21.4 million views.
Branded ‘domesticated clouds’ for this puffy pristine white coat, another sought after Samoyed is Wilco, with a video of him getting pats in public hitting 510,300 views.
‘If Taylor Swift has joined the ranks of Samoyed owners, she’s certainly picked a breed that has won plenty of fans in the UK,’ Charlotte says.
Taylor is hugely influential (just look at Swiftenomics), and pet expert Hedda Båverud Olsson tells Metro people’s pet purchasing habits are certainly shaped by celebrity or high-profile pooches.
‘There’s a long history of this, sometimes referred to as the ‘Dalmatian effect’, after Disney’s 101 Dalmatians triggered a surge in demand for the breed decades ago,’ she tells Metro.
‘We’ve seen it play out again and again since, Paris Hilton’s chihuahuas in the early 2000s, the Obama family’s Portuguese Water Dogs, and more recently the explosion of French Bulldogs, which has tracked closely with their visibility across celebrity social media.
‘A single high-profile appearance can shift interest in a breed almost overnight.’
While Hedda certainly expects to see a spike in demand for Samoyed pups, it’s not that simple. Royal Kennel Club figures show puppy registrations for this herding breed hit an all-time high in 2022, and have since settled at around 302 puppies registered each year.
We can’t compare this to the likes of the cockapoo because it’s not a purebred pooch, so it can’t be registered with Royal Kennel Club, but it’s thousands less than the popular Labrador breed.
‘Reputable breeders can’t simply scale up overnight to meet a sudden spike in demand, so I’d expect the real effect on litters and waiting lists to become visible over the next six to twelve months,’ Hedda, CEO of Lassie, adds.
The Samoyed is a ‘posh’ dog and the cockapoo an everydog
Cockapoos first emerged around 2010 but saw a huge boom in the pandemic, it’s appeal was driven by its hypoallergenic coat and smaller size for those who had smaller homes and didn’t want their dog to leave a trace.
It’s this mass appeal, that made the cockapoo an everydog. Samoyeds have a different connotation entirely.
‘There is certainly a “posh dog” perception building around the Samoyed at the moment,’ Hedda explains. ‘That immaculate white coat photographs beautifully, the grooming costs alone can be substantial, and its new association with a private jet only reinforces the sense of exclusivity.
‘Historically, the upkeep involved has meant the breed has skewed towards owners with greater disposable income, in contrast to the cockapoo, which became the nation’s favourite precisely because it cut across every kind of household and budget.
‘But whether the Samoyed becomes a genuine mainstream contender or stays a status symbol for the few will really depend on whether people are choosing it for the right reasons.’
Should you buy a Samoyed?
Charlotte explains that while their beautiful appearance is alluring, you need to understand what life with a Samoyed involves.
‘As a member of the Pastoral Group, they have a working heritage in the Arctic regions of Siberia where they were used for a variety of jobs including herding and guarding reindeer and pulling loads,’ she says.
‘They’re active, intelligent dogs that need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, so it’s important to make sure the breed is the right fit for your home.’
The thick, weather-resistant double coat they have means they also require daily grooming, and yes, they shed everywhere.
‘Anyone considering one should be prepared for the time and work involved in keeping that coat in good condition,’ Charlotte adds.
‘It’s important to remember the best dog for someone isn’t necessarily the most fashionable or popular one; it’s the dog whose temperament, exercise, grooming and other needs fit the owner’s lifestyle, and who has been responsibly bred with health and welfare at the heart of those decisions.’
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