American Eskimo Dog
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 Description:
The American Eskimo Dog, nicknamed "Eskie",
is an intelligent, friendly dog with a beautiful
thick, snowy coat. It is loving companion, alert,
protective, friendly and confident.
The American Eskimo Dog is a member of the Spitz
family of Nordic dogs and was likely introduced
to the United States by German immigrants in the
19th century.
It is believed this breed descended from European
spitzes - the white German Spitz, the white Keeshound,
the white Pomeranian and the white Italian Spitz.
Recognized in the United States as the American
Spitz, the name was later changed in 1917 to the
American Eskimo Dog. The exact reason is unknown,
however, it has been said the breed was initially
known in the U.S. as a German Spitz and because
of the anti-German sentiment during WWI, the name
was changed.
There are three different varieties for for the
American Eskimo Dog: the toy, miniature, and standard.
Height:
Each variety of the American Eskimo
Dog has a different height range: Toy height is
between 9-13 in. (23cm-33cm); Miniature height:
12-16 in. (31cm-41cm); Standard height: 16-21
in. (41cm-53cm)
Weight:
Each variety of the American Eskimo Dog has a
different weight range. Toy weight: 6-10 lb (3kg-5kg);
Miniature weight: 10-20 lb. (5kg-9kg); Standard
weight: 18-35 lb. (8kg-16kg)
Coat Type:
The American Eskimo Dog has a thick, dense, double-coat.
The undercoat is dense with a longer coat of guard
hair which grows through it. The coat is straight.
Around the neck, the hair is thick and pronounced
and is more noticeable on males. The ears are
well covered with smooth, short hair; the front
of the ear openings are covered with longer tufts.
Both the front and rear legs of the American Eskimo
Dog are well feathered and the tail is covered
thickly with long hair.
Color:
Pure white is the preferred color of the American
Eskimo Dog's coat, although biscuit or cream markings
are acceptable.
Temperament:
The American Eskimo Dog is friendly, alert, a
loving companion, charming and affectionate. Intelligent,
a quick learner, eager to please and protective
of its home and family- although in general, they
will not threaten to attack or bite. The American
Eskimo Dog is very energetic and needs to be stimulated.
Some dogs are prone to excessive barking and separation
anxiety.
Health Problems:
The American Eskimo Dog's life expectancy is between
12 and 14 years, although some might live as long
as 20 years or longer. The Eskie is a fairly healthy
breed.
Special Interest:
• The American Eskimo Dog received a great
deal of popularity in the US as a circus performer
beginning in the late 19th century. In the 1920s
and '30s, the breed traveled with Barnum &
Bailey Circus and performed trick-dog acts.
• The very first dog ever to walk the tight-rope
was an American Eskimo Dog by the name of Stout's
Pal Pierre.
• The American Eskimo Dog became AKC's 138th
breed in 1995.
Classifications:
AKC: Group 6 - Non-Sporting
CKC: Northern
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