Producing Beautiful and Healthy Samoyed Puppies

September 25, 2023

CARRIE KNOWS BEST

It was the year of 2012 and we were living in our hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, when my  youngest stepdaughter was about to leave for college in the US.  My husband tasked me with finding a perfect dog that he could call his own to help him deal with her absence. I spent weeks researching the different breeds of dogs and one day I came across the White Magic Samoyed web page. I had never seen a Samoyed and knew nothing about the Breed: at this point I was just in love with their looks.  Several reviews described White Magic as pretty much “the Rolls Royce” of Samoyeds.  Knowing my husbands “go big or go home” mentality,  and descriptions such as “hypoallergenic”  and “odorless”  I thought…. this is it!   I called their phone and Palmer answered.  He was very nice and thorough in explaining what the process of exporting a puppy would entail and from his interest in questioning me about how a Sammy would fit into our lives it was instantly clear to me they were very responsible breeders. Shortly thereafter we filled out the puppy application, sent a wire transfer for our deposit and waited a couple of months.  Carrie and Palmer lived in CT and they shipped our eight week old puppy to Miami where we picked him up and flew him to Bogota the next day.  We were surprised to see in his AKC certificate that his birthday was November 8^: the day that my husband and I had met and fallen in love.

Maximiliano (“MAX”) was like every other White Magic Samoyed:  breathtakingly beautiful.  But what we did not anticipate was his temperament. Max was … what word could describe him?  Angelic. He not only helped my husband through the empty nest syndrome but played a fundamental role in helping him overcome anxiety episodes that had haunted him since childhood.   Diego’s psychologist always spoke of Max as her “co-therapist”.  Max was always by his Daddy’s side sheltering him with pure, unconditional love. 

A couple of years later the political and economic environment in Colombia started deteriorating and after careful consideration we decided to start the legal process to relocate the US.  As a certified emotional support animal Max traveled back and forth with us. Unfortunately, that involved frequent vaccinations to meet sanitary requirements. Being based in Colombia also meant that we did not have continuous access to the food and supplements that Carrie recommended. That, together with the early loss of our “puppy binder”, a folder with detailed information on every relevant subject which Carrie gives every family with their new puppy, caused that instead of following Carries precise recommendations we had to rely on the expertise of local veterinarians for everything concerning Maxs health and nutrition.  

In 2018 we moved permanently to Florida. Home to us was wherever Max was and he was the reason we made many new friends in our new neighborhood.  A couple followed us on our walk one day demanding to know where they could buy a dog “exactly like him”. We gave them Carrie’s information and they got “Sasha”.   We reconnected with Carrie and Palmer who by then had moved to Kissimmee. Our next door neighbor also got a WM female: “Martini”.  The daughter of my best friend across the street adopted “Maize”. I joked that we were definitely  the community in Florida with the most White Magic Samoyeds per block.  When we walked them together bystanders went crazy following us and taking pictures.  

On September 27, 2021, a month before his 9^th birthday, suddenly and unexpectedly our beloved Maximiliano crossed the rainbow bridge.  The hurt of Max’s passing was unbearable. We could not handle staying in our house: every corner reminded us of him.  Martini would howl from her yard calling for her playmate.  Our neighbors showered us with condolences: they all adored him. Diegos mother had also passed away roughly a month before and the double blow caused his anxiety episodes to reappear.

A few weeks later my son came home to be with us and convinced us go to Orlando to visit the parks. I talked with Carrie and asked if we could stop by her place in Kissimmee to drop off Max’s medical records that she wanted to review.  When we got there, we were greeted by Alabama’s enthusiastic jumps and kisses. Fantasy was there with a newborn litter.  Diego buried his face in Bama’s fur crying and suddenly…  he could breathe again.

Before even reading Max’s medical records Carrie asked us very specific questions and inquired about conditions that we verified he had presented.  That together with the review of his medical history suggested that the cause of his premature death was most probably kidney failure derived from a number of complications caused by vaccinosis.  Max had also been severely overweight since he had been subject to a treatment of steroids.  We must have spent hours talking with Palmer and Carrie trying to understand what had happened and  to get some “closure”.  

At the end of the afternoon or mood had shifted completely and we decided on a plan moving forward: we would we get a male puppy as soon as available and six months later we would get the female that I had always wanted. They would both be part of Carrie’s breeding program. Palmer asked me repeatedly if I was sure this is what I wanted to do; whelping puppies was a lot of work and many, many sleepless hours.  I assured him that as an IP attorney working in Biotech I had been always drawn by genetics and biology so the entire process of breeding champion Samoyeds with amazing temperaments not only was emotionally rewarding but intellectually fascinating to me.    

Two months later when Diego held the chosen “ light blue boy” (Fantasy & Calvin) in his arms  I finally saw a smile that lit up his whole face.  Six months later Carrie found him the perfect mate and our sweet “Merengue” joined the clan.  They are the light of our lives and keep us entertained 24/7.  Bacchus turned out to be Mommy’s little boy: I am the empty nester now and he never leaves my side.  Merengue cuddling up to her Daddy is the image of contentment and tenderness.

Going to my (and Bacchus) first dog show with Carrie when he was only seven months old was amazing.  She showed him and won him his first 12 mayor points. Watching her in action was awe inducing and it made me understand why she is so highly respected among Breeders. I must say though, Breeders are quite peculiar characters: most of them will not remember your name but they can remember every detail and characteristic of fifteen generations of dogs! 

I follow Carries recommendation to the letter and watch their weight very carefully.  I ask for her invaluable input every time I had a question on anything from grooming to vaccines.  Counting on her expertise to guide every aspect of caring for our two furry babies is a game changer. At two years of age Champion White Magic Bring the Wine (“Bacchus”) is the epitome of good health, happiness and amazing good looks.  Both him and Merengue have only ever needed to go the vet for their basic shots and now recently to the reproductive vet.   Merengue should be a little over two weeks pregnant as I write this…. soon to be confirmed!  I am super excited to have grand puppies and watch them grow and develop day to day.   My husband is worried that I will not be capable of parting with them once they are ready to go to their forever families. I’m sure I will miss them, but part of my mission is to send off these angels to where they will love and be loved.  I am nervous but I reassure myself thinking “I just need to follow Carries instructions”. 

And Carrie Collier is arguably the most knowledgeable “protector of Samoyeds” who ever walked this earth.

Testimonial From,  a handful more coming!

Laura Brennan Newtown, CT

Thank you, White Magic Samoyeds!

My journey to a Samoyed began when I stumbled upon a list of hypoallergenic dog breeds and was shocked to see a smiling Sammy staring back at me. I never dreamed that such a big fluffy dog could be a possibility for my husband and 13-year-old son with mild dog allergies.

My family researched the breed and became more excited by the moment. The runners and hikers in my family loved the idea of an active dog who could keep up! The musicians were excited about a dog who could sing along with their instruments. My funny 9-year-old especially loved the stories of Sammys with a sense of humor. And I longed for a fluffy dog who could keep my feet warm in the cold New England winter. I loved the idea of a dog with a personality, and I was prepared to be more stubborn than my Samoyed. If our allergy sufferers could tolerate a Samoyed, it sounded like a perfect fit.

I started on Google and White Magic Samoyeds came up immediately. I happen to live just one town away from Brookfield, CT where Carrie and Palmer bred Samoyeds for nearly 20 years. The local connection was comforting but the online reviews were inconsistent.

I received advice from my cousin who is a dog trainer. She suggested that I contact local veterinarians to ask for their recommendations on breeders. I contacted two, asked questions about the breed and collected information. When I asked, “Do you have any breeders you can recommend?” both immediately recommended White Magic without reservation. Since we happen to be local, they had seen many White Magic Samoyeds over the years who were consistently healthy and beautiful inside and out. Each time I saw a questionable online review, I was reassured by the unbiased endorsement of not one but two local veterinarians.

Once I made contact with White Magic, they were outstanding to work with. The first step for us was to have our allergy sufferers meet some Samoyeds. Palmer at White Magic made arrangements for us to meet two dogs, a male and a female. No itchy eyes or asthma symptoms! And the dogs were stunning with mesmerizing personalities!

I was given information about upcoming litters including pictures and descriptions of the moms and dads. I was thoroughly informed where I was on the waitlist, how many puppies I would have to choose from, and the pros and cons of waiting for future litters. We discussed temperament and gender at length to make sure we were making the right choice for our family.

We happened to be looking at the time when airlines were not allowing puppies to be shipped because of the heat wave out west. Carrie explained the situation in detail and gave us the option to choose a puppy from an earlier litter. She told us about the parents and puppies and we talked through the timing change to make the best choice for our family.

The litter happened to be local which was a huge plus! We were welcomed to meet the mom and the whole litter. We enjoyed playing with every bumbling, beautiful puppy and we admired their stunning mama. We saw the home where they lived and the yard where they played. The co-breeder made us feel like family immediately! She also gave us valuable insights into the temperaments of each sweet pup to determine which ones might be just right for our family.

We knew that we were not at the top of the list so we were prepared with 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices but we loved them all. As it turned out, our top choice, Baby Boy Blue Thunder, was destined to join our family.

We picked up our boy from Magic Touch Grooming, owned by the daughter of the family. Dana was sweet, knowledgeable and professional. Our puppy was stunning! He was fluffy, soft and smelled so good. Best of all, he was friendly and his tail wagged as he greeted all five of us.

Little did Palmer and Carrie know that their job had just begun. Our little guy became the youngest case of Anaplasmosis (a tick disease) that the vet had ever seen. Carrie was on speakerphone with the vet to support us every step of the way.

When our boy barked in his crate and struggled with leash training, they were right there with practical strategies and insights. They celebrated with us as he learned. They were responsive, thoughtful, kind and practical. They loved our pup like their own.

Our Murphy was beautiful, smart, gentle, independent and a true family dog, but he hated being alone.  Carrie and Palmer supported us through finding him the perfect buddy, our beautiful Laika.  She completed our family!

As our dogs grew into stunning adults, we were honored to be considered to become part of the breeding program.  The process began with extensive health tests on their eyes, hips and hearts.  Carrie’s knowledge and commitment to the health of the dogs was relentless and comprehensive.  I already trusted her implicitly but my respect and gratitude grew immensely.

With the support of White Magic, our Laika delivered six adorable puppies!  They stayed with us from 4 weeks until they were ready for their forever homes at eight weeks old.  They played in our yard, were showered with love and the experience is one our whole family will remember forever.

White Magic exceeded our expectations in every way. They treated us- strangers and customers- like old friends. They supported us, taught us, loved our dogs as their own, and became our friends.  I could never thank Carrie and Palmer enough for their commitment to the breed and for our beautiful Samoyeds.