The All-White American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo Dog or Eskie is a breed of dog that is of Spitz type and which has been developed originally in the United States. It belongs to the Nordic line of dog breeds and is very popular as a sledding dog across North America. This breed is also often mistaken for a German Spitz but the two have been differently developed for over 100 years.

There are three varieties of an Eskie and they are toy, miniature and standard. The toy variety stands 9 to 12 inches, the miniature 12 to 15 inches, and the standard 15 to 19 inches in height. However, an Eskie that falls below 9 inches or exceeds above 19 inches of height is considered disqualified according to the breed standard.

The body of the Eskie is described as compact in build and slightly longer than tall. It has a double coat that is water resistant and which serves as a protection against cold temperatures .Its ears are small and thick and are cold-resistant too, while the coat hangs slightly thicker around its neck and chest, making him look like a lion.

Additionally, the hind legs and behind of the Eskie are also lushly covered with dense coat while its tail is feather-like and freely sways behind its back. The only acceptable colors for this breed are white and white with biscuit cream. Keeping the coat of the Eskie requires brushing and combing twice weekly but during its shedding season, twice daily is escalated to almost daily.

In the US and Canada, the Eskie is being considered as a superb house companion and a family pet. It is observed as very protective dog and it feigns to become a part of its human family. Since it barks as a signal that a stranger is approaching, the Eskie also makes a good watchdog.

The Eskie is also noted for being a very intelligent, highly trainable, very active, moderately independent and eager to please kind of dog. Without proper socialization, however, it may come out shy or aloof that’s why it is good to train him in socialization as early as possible. Some of the activities that are good for the Eskie’s socialization skill are agility competitions, flyball, and dancing.

Because this dog is highly energetic, it means that it has excessive energy that needs to be utilized in order to keep him healthy mentally and physically. He must be brought out for daily exercise and the intensity should depend on its size. Although active and protective, the Eskie, won’t attack or bite on impulse unless it is being provoked.

The modern Eskie developed from breeds such as the large German Spitz, Italian Spitz, Volpino Italiano and many more. These precursor breeds first arrived in the United States during the early 1900s as brought by immigrants from Europe. The Eskie’s first recognition as the American Eskimo Dog happened in 1919 under the American United Kennel Club and it was in 1995 that the breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club.