American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo dog is actually a descendant of the white German Spitz brought to America in the early 20th century and renamed because of anti-German feelings during and after World War I. The modern American Eskimo dog has been bred in isolation for about a century and has gone far from its ancestor, that’s why it’s considered a separate breed. American Eskimo dogs were not used by northern tribes, like other Nordic Spitz breeds, but they are adapted to cold climates like the Husky and Akita.

The American Eskimo dog is more popular compared to its relatives of the northern origin. It’s probably because of the smaller size, which makes these dogs suited for apartment living and city lifestyle. While true northern breeds were originally selected for performing hard work in harsh conditions, American Eskimo dogs were selected for personality and conformation. According to the UKC breed standard, there are two varieties of the American Eskimo dog: the standard and the miniature. The ACK also recognized the toy variety.

The main purpose of this breed for many years was entertaining people in circuses. The typical personality of the American Eskimo dog is alert, bright, friendly, fun-loving, and very smart. These dogs are willing to serve the owners and guard the property when needed. If not given a task to do, a dog of this breed will become noisy and destructive. A well-bred and socialized American Eskimo dog is very intelligent and eager to learn new tricks. These dogs can be good pets for families with sedate lifestyle. They are good with children and the elderly.

This breed is low-maintenance, obedient, and suited for novice owners. However, if an American Eskimo dog was poorly bred and not given proper socialization, it’s difficult to live with even for an experienced dog owner. As this breed is very popular, many puppies are produced from mediocre and poor quality parents. It results in producing weak, neurotic and unhealthy puppies that can be bought by unknowledgeable buyers and then surrendered to rescues. It’s very important to obtain an American Eskimo dog from reliable breeders and keep away from puppy mills and backyard kennels.