Interesting facts about American Eskimo Dogs

The American Eskimo Dog nicknamed the “Eskie” is a breed of companion dog, originating in Germany.

The soft, white, and fluffy it is sometimes referred to as “The Dog Beautiful.”

Eskies are family dogs. They are very loyal and need to be around their owners. Eskies are highly intelligent, but can be stubborn. They make good watchdogs, but are prone to excessive barking.

It is a strong, compactly built dog with an alert expression. Its thick, double coat is always white or white with biscuit. It carries its plumed tail over its back, and males especially have a thick ruff of long hair over the neck and chest.

Like the Poodle, the American Eskimo Dog comes in three sizes: standard, miniature, and toy.
• Toy stands from 22to 30 cm (9 to 12 inches) high and weighs from 2.3 to 4.5 kg (5 to 10 lbs).
• Miniature stands from 30 to 40 cm (12 to 15 inches) high and weighs from 4.5 to 9 kg (10 to 20 lbs).
• Standard stands from 38 to 50 cm (15 to 20 inches) high and weighs from 6.8 to 18 kg (15 to 40 lbs).

The American Eskimo dog breed has its origins in the Spitz family of dogs traced back some 6,000 years to the Peatbog dog. The Spitz family of dogs, known as the northern or Nordic breeds, include the Pomeranian, the Samoyed, the Keeshond and Artic sled dogs. The family has wolf-like characteristics with erect pointed ears and double coats.

The breed’s progenitors were German Spitz, but due to anti-German sentiment during the First World War, it was renamed “American Eskimo Dog.”

After World War I, the small Spitz dogs came to the attention of the American public when the dogs became popular entertainers in the American circus. If there was one dog breed capable of becoming an acrobat, it would be the American Eskimo Dog.

In 1917, the Cooper Brothers’ Railroad Circus featured the dogs. A dog named Stout’s Pal Pierre was famous for walking a tightrope with the Barnum and Bailey Circus in the 1930s, and also contributing to their popularity, they sold puppies after the show. Due to the popularity of the circus dogs, many of today’s American Eskimo Dogs can trace their lineage back to these circus dogs.

After World War II, the dogs continued to be popular pets. Postwar contact with Japan led to importation into the United States of the Japanese Spitz, which may have been crossed into the breed at this time. The breed was first officially recognized as the “American Eskimo” as early as 1919 by the American United Kennel Club (UKC), and the first written record and history of the breed was printed in 1958 by the UKC.

In addition to serving as a watchdog and companion, the American Eskimo Dog also achieved a high degree of popularity in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s as a circus performer.

The National American Eskimo Dog Association established the official standard of the American Eskimo dog with the United Kennel Club in 1970. In 1985, the American Eskimo Dog Club of America formed to make the Eskie an American Kennel Club breed, and the breed achieved full recognition there in 1995.

All American Eskimo Dogs love cold weather. However, because they create close attachments to their human family, they should be allowed to live indoors.

The Eskimo Spitz’s double coat must be combed and brushed twice a week, more during its shedding periods.

These playful and perky dogs are sweethearts of many American dog lovers, and their adaptability to the cold environment makes them especially sought after in the Northern United States. Puppies of this breed can go for anywhere between $1000 – $2000.