American Eskimo
The American Eskimo Dog has a trademark white coat and triangular, pointed ears
Alternative names
American Spitz American Deutscher Spitz German Spitz Deutscher Spitz
Country of origin
Germany
Common nicknames
Eskie
Classification and breed standards
AKC:	Non-sporting	Stds
CKC:	Non-sporting (Miniature and Standard), Toy	[? Stds]
UKC:	Northern Breeds	Stds

The American Eskimo Dog or Standard German Spitz is a breed of companion dog originating from Germany. Despite its name and appearance the American Eskimo dog is neither from Alaska nor is it a descendant of the Husky. The breed, also known as German Spitz, was renamed American Eskimo Dog due to anti-German prejudice during the First World War. In addition to serving as a companion, it has been used as a watchdog, and also achieved a high degree of popularity in the 1930s and 1940s United States as a circus performer even as early as 1917 at the Cooper Brother's Railroad Circus. One of many American Eskimo Dogs to walk a tightrope was an American Eskimo by the name of Stout's Pal Pierre in the Barnum & Bailey Circus. "PR" Stout's Pal Pierre was from a long line of American Eskimos used in Barnum and Bailey's Circus acts. Pierre's grandfather was the first known dog in the world to walk a tight rope. The breed became popular as circuses would sell the puppies during their travels across the nation. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1994 and set the current standard for the breed. The United Kennel Club had recognized the breed long before 1994, and there is no difference between the two breed standards except that the AKC allows the toy size and the UKC does not. The American Eskimo Dog was accepted into the Canadian Kennel Club CKC Recognition Of The American Eskimo Dog as of March 2006. CKC (Canadian Kennel Club). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1546x1213, 641 KB) I did not delete this image because there is information in the history of this file that cannot be deleted without violating the GFDL. – Quadell (talk) (bounties) 16:02, 9 February 2006 (UTC) Japanese Spitz (1546x1213 jpeg) - Image... The German Spitz is a dog breed or group of dog breeds of the Spitz type. ... © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ... The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. ... The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. ... The German Spitz is a dog breed or group of dog breeds of the Spitz type. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Companion dog usually describes a dog that does not work, providing only companionship as a pet, rather than usefulness by doing specific tasks. ... Look up Husky in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The German Spitz is a dog breed or group of dog breeds of the Spitz type. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the [[. In East Asia, the rise of militarism occurred. ... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... For other uses, see Circus (disambiguation). ... © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ... The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. ... C.K.C. is a three letter acronym that may stand for: Kennel Clubs Canadian Kennel Club Continental Kennel Club Misc Canoe Kayak Canada This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. ...

History & Overview

The Eskie is derived completely from the various German Spitz breeds (Pomeranian, Keeshond, etc.) The Spitz family of Nordic dogs is one of the least altered by human husbandry and reflects most nearly the prototypical dog, from which stock all others have been derived. Archeology suggests that Neolithic dogs living with humans would today pass for spitzen. The German Spitz is a dog breed or group of dog breeds of the Spitz type. ... For other uses, see Pomeranian. ... The Keeshond (IPA pronunciation: or KAYZ-hond; plural: Keeshonden) is a medium-sized dog with a plush two-layer coat of silver and black fur with a ruff and a curled tail, originating in Germany. ... Spitz-type breeds of dog (the correct German plural is Spitze, though Spitzen is commonly used in the United States) are characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles. ... Northern Europe Northern Europe is the northern part of the European continent. ... In general stewardship is responsibility for taking good care of resources entrusted to one. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ...

This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Kg redirects here. ... Look up pound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Appearance

American Eskimo Dogs are known for their playfulness

The standard for the American Eskimo Dog calls for them to be white or white & biscuit cream, with brown eyes (blue eyes, such as those found on the Siberian Husky, are a disqualification and a sign of poor health or breeding), and a compact body. The dog's length should be only slightly greater than its height at the shoulder. The muzzle is long and lupine (in contrast to the muzzles of Pomeranians). The ears are held erect and alert, and the tail should be feathered and loosely curled on the dog's back. These dogs look very much like smaller versions of the Samoyed, and come in three standard sizes. The toy is from 9 to 12 inches (23 to 30 cm) at the withers; the miniature is from 12 to 15 inches (33 to 38 cm); the standard is from 15 inches up to and including 19 inches (39 to 48 cm). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1546x1213, 641 KB) I did not delete this image because there is information in the history of this file that cannot be deleted without violating the GFDL. – Quadell (talk) (bounties) 16:02, 9 February 2006 (UTC) Japanese Spitz (1546x1213 jpeg) - Image... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1546x1213, 641 KB) I did not delete this image because there is information in the history of this file that cannot be deleted without violating the GFDL. – Quadell (talk) (bounties) 16:02, 9 February 2006 (UTC) Japanese Spitz (1546x1213 jpeg) - Image... The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia, belonging to the Spitz genetic family. ... For other uses, see Pomeranian. ... The Samoyed dog takes its name from the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. ... The withers is the highest point on an animals back, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. ...

Eskies, as with all Spitzen, have erect, triangular ears ("prick ears"), a tail that flips onto the dog's back in a spiral, and two coats of fur: an undercoat that is softer and helps insulate the dog, and an outer coat that's harsher and acts as a weather repellent.

The Eskie, a loving companion dog, presents a picture of strength and agility, alertness and beauty. It is a small to medium-size Nordic type dog, always white, or white with biscuit cream. The American Eskimo Dog is compactly built and well balanced, with good substance, and an alert, smooth gait. The face is Nordic type with erect triangular shaped ears, and distinctive black points (lips, nose, and eye rims). The white double coat consists of a short, dense undercoat, with a longer guard hair growing through it forming the outer coat, which is straight with no curl or wave. The coat is thicker and longer around the neck and chest forming a lion-like ruff, which is more noticeable on dogs than on bitches. The rump and hind legs down to the hocks are also covered with thicker, longer hair forming the characteristic breeches. The richly plumed tail is carried loosely on the back.

Temperment

American Eskimo Dogs along with other Spitzen were bred to be companion dogs, and thrive on being a part of a human family. They are easily trained and very intelligent, although like many Nordic breeds, they are strong-willed, independent, and conservative. At home, they 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. Eskies must be trained early in age. As with all dogs, temperament may be partially inherited and partially trained. Some dogs are prone to excessive barking and separation anxiety. It is important to research the dog's parents as their temperament may vary due to inheritance.

Puppy at 11 weeks

Many people find the puppies of American Eskimo Dogs to be very "cute" and purchase this breed as a puppy without doing sufficient research, such as discovering the longevity and needs of this breed. This breed can take longer to mature than other breeds, and Eskies can behave more like puppies than like adults for up to two years, when they finally start to mature and grow their adult coats. They are also a very intelligent dog and need to be stimulated. When their intelligence is not stimulated or they are ignored, they can develop behavior issues. Owners can avoid this problem by socializing their Eskie through obedience training or participating in dog sports, such as dog agility, flyball, dancing, and Schutzhund. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1142x705, 627 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): American Eskimo Dog Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1142x705, 627 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): American Eskimo Dog Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Obedience Training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context. ... Dog sports are activities that involve dogs. ... Agility field left side: A competition agility field showing (clockwise from lower left) a tunnel, the dogwalk, the judge standing in front of a winged jump, two additional winged jumps, dog executing the teeter-totter with his handler guiding, and the tire jump. ... Dogs from two teams race against each other over parallel lines of jumps. ... Musical Canine Freestyle—also known as Musical Freestyle, Freestyle Dance, and Canine Freestyle—is a modern dog sport that is a mixture of obedience, tricks, and dance that allows for creative interaction between dogs and their owners. ... Schutzhund is a dog sport that was developed in Germany in the early 1900s to test whether German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) act and peform in the manner that the breed was intended, rather than simply evaulating a dogs appearance. ...

Health

Tear stains are common among 'Eskies'.

The breed lives on average between 12 and 14 years, although some individuals might live as long as 20 years or longer. The Eskie is a fairly healthy breed, although close attention should be paid to its eyes and tear ducts. They are prone to hip dysplasia, Elbow and Knee degeneration, patellar luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, epilepsy, urinary stones and allergies, especially flea allergies, that can lead to acute moist dermatitis or "hot spots". My dog. ... My dog. ... This article covers Hip dysplasia, a condition affecting the hip joint, which occurs in humans but is more commonly associated with animals, especially dogs (Canine hip dysplasia). ... Luxating patella, or trick knee, is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of its normal location. ... Legg-Calvé-Perthes syndrome is a degenerative disease of the hip joint, where a loss of bone mass leads to some degree of collapse of the hip joint, that is, to deformity of the ball of the femur and the surface of the hip socket. ... Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a genetic disease of the retina that occurs bilaterally and is seen in certain breeds of dogs. ... Cataract is also used to mean a waterfall or where the flow of a river changes dramatically. ... Bladder stones in animals are a common occurrence, especially in domestic animals such as dogs and cats. ... In geology, a hotspot is a location on the Earths surface that has experienced active vulcanism for a long period of time. ...

Misc.

The American Eskimo has a tendency to develop severe allergies to fleas. One flea on an Eskie can result in frantic scratching and gnawing on its skin, which results in painful "hot spots" and skin lesions.

Grooming

Eskies have a long, dense coat and need regular grooming. This means brushing them once a week, or more often if necessary. They shed, but it can be maintained with regular brushing. They "blow" their coats twice a year, once in May or June to shed their winter undercoat and once in November or December to shed their summer coat. Many Eskie owners use an undercoat rake, a tool available at most pet stores, for grooming. 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. Some people believe that once a dog is shaved, the coat will grow in with a coarser, woollier texture than it would have had it been left alone, but reporting of this by people who have clipped or shaved their dogs varies. A dogs coat is its fur. ... Undercoat can refer to: The down hairs in a mammals fur A layer of paint beneath the main painted surface This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A typical pet store in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. ...

Although Eskies prefer cold weather, they can live in hotter climates as well. Eskies should not be shaved, as the long fur helps to maintain the temperature of their skin.

Eskies have drier skin than most other dogs, and because of their dry skin, they need to be bathed only every two or three months, unless they soil their coat with large amounts of dirt or substances with strong odors. Regular brushing maintains a clean coat in most cases. Eskies are a very clean breed and constantly groom themselves. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 635 KB) Author: Michael L. Benton Source: original picture of Marie Gravelles prize-winning American Eskimo Dog, Peary. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 635 KB) Author: Michael L. Benton Source: original picture of Marie Gravelles prize-winning American Eskimo Dog, Peary. ...

Breed-specific rescue

Because so many people purchase 'cute' puppies and then discover that they do not want an active, intelligent dog with a heavily shedding coat, many of this breed end up at the animal shelter or otherwise up for adoption, or possibly in more unfortunate situations. There are many breed-specific rescue groups that are more than willing to give advice on training or curbing behavioral issues. Dog Pound redirects here. ... A rescue group or rescue organization takes unwanted or abused pets and attempts to find new, caring homes for them. ...

References

This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)

• The Dog Bible. Mehus-Roe. 2005
• Guide to the American Eskimo Dog. 2003
• The New American Eskimo" by Nancy J. Hofman (Author), Cathy J. Flamholtz (Author) Order from Amazon.com

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

American Eskimo Dog

• American Eskimo Dog Club of America
• National American Eskimo Dog Association (USA)
• The American Kennel Club Breed Info
• Heart Bandits - American Eskimo rescue in the U.S.
• American Eskimo Rescue and Sanctuary of Iowa- Information and Breed Sanctuary
• Eskies Online American Eskimo Dog Rescue
• Eskies Rescuers United American Eskimo Dog Rescue
• American Eskimo Dog Rescue Organization
• Puppy Dog Web
• Dog Breed Info