About American Eskimos

The American Eskimo Dog is a small to medium sized breed of dogs of the Spitz type.  The breed was developed in the United States.  The name was devised to differentiate the breed from its German ancestors.  Although the breed is similar to some of the German Spitz breeds, the American and German dogs have developed separately over the past 100 years.  The American Eskimo Dog is a house dog, companion, and a great watch dog.


HEALTH & TEMPERAMENT:   Health testing should be performed by all responsible breeders and anyone purchasing a puppy should be aware of the genetic problems which have been found in some individuals of the breed, such as PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), luxating patella, and hip dysplasia.  None of these are common and the breed is generally healthy.

In addition to the problems above, the breed can have a tendency towards allergies and tear-staining, and the propensity towards these traits is inherited.

American Eskimo Dogs along with other Spitz were bred to be house dogs and companion dogs, and thrive on being a part of a human family.  The Eskie is highly intelligent, eager to please, very active, has lots of energy, and moderately independent.  At home, these lively dogs make excellent watchdogs, barking to announce the presence of strangers.  The Eskie can be protective of its home and family, but in general they will not threaten to attack or bite a person unless provoked.  As with all dogs, behavior is partially inherited and partially trained. Some dogs are prone to excessive barking and separation anxiety.  It is important for puppy buyers to research pedigrees as temperament may vary due to inheritance.


GROOMING & TRAINING:   Eskie's double coat needs brushing and combing twice weekly, more often when their biannual shedding occurs.  An undercoat rake, a tool available at most pet stores, is useful for brushing out the heavy undercoat.  Some owners in hot climates do shave their Eskies, but if this is done, the dogs should be kept indoors as much as possible to prevent sunburn.  The breed's shedding, along with its active temperament, results in some dogs being taken to animal shelters or otherwise put up for adoption.  Owners should contact breed-specific rescue groups that will give advice on grooming, training or curbing behavioral issues.

American Eskimo Dogs are very energetic and require daily exercise,the extent of the workout depending on the size of the dog.  Owners can avoid problems by socializing their Eskie through obedience training or participating in dog sports, such as dog agility, flyball, and dancing.

Taken from Wikipedia.org