American Eskimo Dog
Nothing to do with the Arctic: it descends from the German spitz and was renamed during the First World War. It was a circus dog, and it still learns tricks fast.
Overview
The American Eskimo Dog has nothing to do with the Arctic. It is a German Spitz, brought to the United States by German immigrants and renamed during the First World War when anything German was unpopular, and it became famous as a circus dog performing tricks and walking tightropes.
It comes in three sizes, toy, miniature and standard, from six to thirty five pounds, and it is always white.
Temperament
Bright, alert and highly trainable, which is exactly why the circuses used them. Eskies learn quickly and enjoy performing, and they are among the more biddable spitz breeds.
They are also vocal and watchful. An Eskie announces visitors, delivery vans and squirrels, and the barking is a genuine consideration in shared housing. They bond hard and can develop separation anxiety if left long hours.
Care and grooming
A thick white double coat that sheds constantly and heavily twice a year. Two or three brush outs a week, daily during a moult, and no shaving.
The white coat shows tear staining around the eyes. Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy and patellar luxation all occur, and PRA has a DNA test.
Living and exercise
Forty five minutes to an hour a day plus training games. They are clever enough to need mental work and they are excellent at trick training and agility.
A bored Eskie barks, and a bored clever dog that barks becomes a neighbour problem quickly. The exercise is easy and the mental work is the part people underestimate.
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