The American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo Dog is a dog that is known as a companion these days, back in the day it was used for a variety of purposes, but most of all this dog has been, and will be in the future, a companion to man: a friend.

One thing that is very interesting to note is that the American Eskimo Dog did not originate in America and did not originate with the Eskimos; this dog has absolutely no ties with our huskies whatsoever.

The American Eskimo dog originally comes from Germany, it is a German Spitz breed, and they think that the name was changed sometime around the First World War due to anti-German prejudice.

This is a breed like no other in the fact that it won the hearts of the American people not with its bravery or some mundane ability, oh no, the American Eskimo Dog won its place by becoming a circus performer, this is just about the only breed in the world that proved that it could walk a tightrope! The first known dog in the world to walk a tightrope was a dog that worked in the Barnum and Bailey’s circus acts. The breed became wide spread because they would sell puppies in each town that they performed in.

Despite the American Eskimo Dog’s early recognition by the people it was not until 1994 that the dog was recognized by the AKC and it was not until 2006 that the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) recognized the American Eskimo Dog as a breed.

The Eskimo Dog is really from the Spitz family; it is these dogs they say that are closest to original thing, least altered by man’s messing around with the gene pool. Because of this they are noted for having an extremely high learning level and diseases are rare with these dogs, they are a hearty breed.

The American Eskimo Dog comes in three different sizes, Toy (9 to 12 inches), Miniature (12 to 15 inches), and Standard (15 to 19 inches), they have a long graceful muzzle and triangle ears that are held erect and at a point. This breed has a beautiful tail that is feathered and curls up over the dog’s back. This is a breed that has two coats, an undercoat of soft fur that helps keep the dog warm and a topcoat that is made up of coarser hairs that keeps the weather off of the dog’s skin. The males have a handsome lion-like ruff about their neck and the hair on all the body is white or cream in color.

The American Eskimo Dog was bred first and foremost to be a companion dog to be a friend to the family; they thrive on human companionship and they love to be part of the family! These dogs are strong-willed, some people might say stubborn, but despite this, they are very easily trained as a direct result of their high intelligence.

These are good watchdogs but do not depend on them to guard anything because this is not in their nature, they were not bred to attack a person but to be friendly to people, so guarding is out. Training needs to start at an early age with these pups because even though temperament can be inherited it is also taught, so the sooner they know how to act and what to do, the better off for everybody involved. Because of this dog’s intelligence they need stimulation to keep their brains going round and to keep them busy or else they tend to develop behavioral problems. Remember, a bored dog is a destructive dog, this goes for any breed!

The American Eskimo Dog needs to be brushed about once a week because of the type of coat that he has, this is a breed that does best in cold climates but they have been known to thrive in hot climates as well, you just have to be careful with them. Some owners have even been known to shave their dogs during the summer when they are in hotter climates so that the dog will be more comfortable.

The American Eskimo Dog is a nice breed of dog that wants nothing more then to be part of the family, anybody that takes this canine companion in will get a lot of laughs and a lot of love; they will never regret it!