American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo Dog or the Eskimo spitz, Eskie, American Spitz, Spitz, Toy Eskimo Dog, and Miniature Eskimo dog has the most discombobulating history. Despite its name, it did not originate anywhere in the USA, but rather the distant European country of Germany. There are 3 size varieties of the Eskimo spitz. These include Toy, the smallest, Miniature, larger, and Standard, largest.

Appearance
Eskies are a beautiful small to medium sized breed of spitz. This breed has a wedge-shaped head, and on it, sit erect and triangular ears. They have a relatively sturdy back which has an extremely plumed tail curled over it. They also have a well-carried neck, and hardy legs. American Eskimo dogs should have black noses, gums, eyelids, and pads. This breed's majestic coat is always white, or white with biscuit and/or cream markings. This beautiful coat is heavily dense around the neck, forming a sort of mane! Males are the ones who get this very often. Eskies should have a thick and soft undercoat, with a harsher outercoat. Its skin is usually pink, but sometimes gray. The toy variety of this breed is 9-12 inches tall and weigh 6-10 lbs. The miniature is 12-15 inches tall and will weigh 10-20 lbs. The standard version is 15-19 inches, and weighs in at 18-25 lbs.

Behavior
American eskies make idealistic family companions due to a menagerie of reasons! The eskie is a very affectionate dog. They are charming and playful, making them very desirable with children. Also, it is very intelligent and obedient, often being one of the top ranking in obedience trials! They like to help you or work with you when you work, which frankly might get annoying, but it is just because of their curiosity. Wary of strangers at first, but the more they see the stranger, they become immediate friends. They require a sufficient amount of exercise, otherwise they may become very hyperactive, often spinning around in circles to no avail! They require a firm leader, otherwise they may develop SDS, or small dog syndrome.

History
The American Eskimo dog's country of origin is Germany, despite its oxymoronic name. Here it was bred to be a hard-working, multi-purpose farm dog. They are actually very closely related to German spitzes. German spitzes were brought to America, but due to the anti-German feelings in World War I, they were renamed American Eskimo Dog. Today, they are known as a separate breed due to their significant differences. The White Keeshond, white Italian Spitz, White Pomeranian, and the Samoyed, are all said to be descendants of the American Eskimo dog. Evidence infers that white Spitzes were brought to the USA by German settlers, but despite its name (again) it had nothing to do with the culture of the Alaskan Eskimos. However, some believe that they were named this due to its heavily dense coat which would resemble the coats Eskimos made, or the coloration of its fur, snow white, like the snow of the Alaskan wilderness The incorrect name came about in 1913 when Mr. and Mrs. F.M. Hall registered this dog as a member of the UKC kennel club. The American Eskimo became its kennel name, which later became the official name of the breed. In 1969 NAEDA (National American Eskimo Dog Association) was formed. The AEDCA (American Eskimo Dog Club of America) was formed in 1985 for the purpose of achieving AKC recognition. AKC recognized this pulchritudinous breed on July 1, 1995, ten years after AEDCA was formed. Popularity of this breed skyrocketed when it came to circuses in the 30s and 40s. The obedience, agility, and intelligence of this dog made it the perfect circus performer. Today, they are known as companions, watchdogs, narcotics detectors, herders, and performers.

Top names

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