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American Eskimo Dog Breed Introduction
American Eskimo( also known as American Eskimo Dog or Eskies) is a small to medium sized companion dog of the Nordic type. It is known for its sparkling white or white with biscuit cream coat with a lion-like mane around the shoulders and chest. American Eskimos come in three varieties based on size; standard, miniature, and toy. These dogs share common resemblance with German Spitz, Samoyeds, Japanese Spitz, Volpino Italiano, Indian Spitz, and Danish Spitz.
American Eskimo Origin | History
In the early 19th century, German immigrants brought a Nordic breed, German Spitz that was used as a multi-purpose working dog on the farm. These dogs came in many colors, however, the white-coated German Spitz were the most preferred dogs by the Americans. White colored German Spitz are the progenitors of the modern American Eskimos. During World War I, pet owners started to refer to their pets as American Spitz and eventually American Eskimo Dogs instead of German Spitz in a display of patriotism.
After the war, it was difficult to keep the high-trainable dogs down on the farm since show business was beckoning. American Spitz came to the attention of the American Public when they became popular entertainers in the American circus. One of the famous American Eskimo was a Pierre, a tightrope walker with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. American Eskimos were recognized as a breed in 1995 by the AKC( American Kennel Club).
American Eskimo Lifespan
According to AKC, American Eskimos have a lifespan of 13 to 15 years.
American Eskimo Grooming
An American Eskimo sheds at moderate levels all-year round. Brush the coat twice or thrice a week to remove dirt, dead hair, and promote new hair growth. Regular brushing helps to prevent matting especially around the shoulders and chest. Before brushing the coat, spritz it with a detangling spray or a water conditioner solution to prevent hair breakage. The coat has natural oil present that prevents dirt from adhering. Therefore, American Eskimos need bath every few months. Regular baths can make the skin irritated and dry.
Before bathing your pet, always brush the coat to remove dirt and mats which gets messier when they are wet. Use a hypoallergenic canine shampoo and conditioner. After a bath, thoroughly rinse off the coat using lukewarm water to remove grooming products in the long run preventing skin irritation. Wipe the face using a damp washcloth or canine wipes instead of soapy water that irritates the eyes.
Clip the nails using nail grinder or clippers every 3 to 5 weeks. Overly grown nails make walking and running painful for American Eskimos. Brush the teeth at least twice a week if not daily using a tasty canine toothpaste and a finger toothbrush. Clean the ears weekly using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls to remove excess wax, or debris. While cleaning the ears check out for odor, dark discharge, and redness that are signs of dog’s ears infection.
American Eskimo Grooming Styles
American Eskimos have a thick double-layered coat that protects it against extreme cold and heat. Shaving the fur is dangerous since it interferes with the ability of the coat to regulate body temperature. The fur may also fail to grow back correctly once it is shaved. Therefore, owners maintain the classical Eskies look by only trimming the fur between the paws and the rear end for sanitary purposes.
American Eskimo Shedding | Shedding Season
An American Eskimo sheds at moderate levels throughout the year and heavily twice a year while experiencing seasonal change in Spring and Fall. Brush the coat at least twice a week to remove the dead hair before it is shed on the surface and furniture.
American Eskimo Hypoallergenic
This breed sheds all-year round at moderate levels and heavily while experiencing seasonal change twice a year. Therefore, American Eskimos are not regarded hypoallergenic. Shedding allows the spread of dander and fur around the house which aggravates allergies. Dog’s hair, dander, saliva, urine, and mucus have a protein allergen that triggers allergic reactions in people who suffer from dog allergies.
American Eskimo Training
American Eskimos are intelligent dogs that are highly-trainable, enjoy being with their human pack members, and love to work. They may learn command words by simply observing other dogs execute them. However, American Eskimos are not a breed for anyone since they have strong pack instincts. Therefore, they must have a pack leader. Eskies excel where a perking order has been established. For an owner to establish him or herself as the pack leader, he or she should always eat first and get through the door first. If the pet parent eats first before the dog, it helps it to understand that they are the owners of all the valuable resources including food, toys, and treats.
Training an American Eskimo is paramount since it teaches the dog to respect the pack leader and have proper canine manners. To raise a well-mannered, adjusted and friendly Eskie, socialization training is key. This training starts from the age of 3 weeks while the pup is with the breeder until the age of 16 weeks when the pup is in its new home. Normally, puppies leave the shelter to join their human family from the age of 8 weeks. However, this training may still continue after the age of 16 weeks to ensure the dog has a well-rounded personality and temperament.
To socialize an American Eskimo, expose it to wide range of people, animals, situations, expectations, surfaces, smell, sights, and sounds such as lawn mowers, washing machine, sirens, baby crying sounds, whistles, and vacuum cleaners. Enrolling an American Eskimo in a puppy class from the age of 8 weeks also serve as a form of socialization. These classes provide a controlled environment where canines can interact. Puppy classes also enable the owners not only to identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance. Start teaching an Eskie basic command words from the age of 8 weeks.
Some of the command words that this breed can learn include stay, come, heel, sit, down, leave it, etc. Teach one command word at a time until the dog understands before proceeding to the next command word. Never issue a command word while too excited or frustrated to avoid confusing the dog. Make the training sessions fun, challenging, and short distributed throughout the day for a span of 10 to 15 minutes. Use of positive reinforcement methods such as treats, petting, toys, and verbal praise to encourage positive outcomes. Avoid use of harsh correction methods such as yelling.
To effectively house break an American Eskimo puppy, crate training, potty training, and creating a feeding schedule should be done immediately the puppy comes home. A crate is an indispensable tool that enables American Eskimos parents to watch out the dog for signs that it wants to eliminate such as whining, squatting, circling, restlessness, sniffing, and trying to lift a leg against the crate door. When potty training, take American Eskimos to the designated toilet area immediately it wakes up, after a nap, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, every 2 to 3 hours, following an exciting activity such as playtime and car ride, and before bedtime.
American Eskimo Temperament | Traits
- Intelligent.
- Eager to please.
- Highly-trainable.
- Friendly.
- A bit conservative with strangers.
- Alert.
- Vocal.
- Protective.
- Sociable.
- Loyal.
- Sensitive.
- Gentle.
- Loving.
- Energetic.
American Eskimo Exercise Needs
An Eskie has moderate energy levels that requires a lot of mental challenges and physical exercise. An assortment of toys and a secured yard will help to provide good exercise and stimulation to keep this dog out of trouble. If not exercised or left alone for long hours it may lead to destructive behaviors such as chewing, digging, and excessive barking.
American Eskimo Barking
An American Eskimo is an alert, protective, and vocal breed that will bark to notify the owner of an approaching person. However, this dog doesn’t bite or attack people.
American Eskimo Height
This breed has 3 varieties categorized according to size which have varying height range as discussed below:
Standard American Eskimos have a height of 15 to 20 inches ( approx. 38 to 50 cm ).
Miniature American Eskimos have a height of 12 to 15 inches ( approx. 30 to 40 cm ).
Toy-sized American Eskimos possess a height of 9 to 12 inches ( approx. 22 to 30 cm ).
American Eskimo Weight
An American Eskimo has varying weight range according to the size variety;
Standard American Eskimos have a weight range of 15 to 40 pounds ( approx. 6.8 to 18 kg).
Miniature American Eskimos possess a weight of 10 to 20 pounds ( approx. 4.5 to 9 kg ).
Toy American Eskimos have a weight of 5 to 10 pounds ( approx. 2.27 to 4.5 kg ).
American Eskimo Size
This is a small to medium sized dog that has varying sizes according to height and weight as discussed below:
Toy-sized American Eskimos have a weight of 5 to 10 pounds ( approx. 2.27 to 4.5 kg ) and a height of 9 to 12 inches ( approx. 22 to 30 cm ).
Miniature American Eskimos have a height of 12 to 15 inches ( approx. 30 to 40 cm ) and a weight of 10 to 20 pounds ( approx. 4.5 to 9 kg ).
Standard American Eskimos have a weight range of 15 to 40 pounds ( approx. 6.8 to 18 kg) and a height of 15 to 20 inches ( approx. 38 to 50 cm ).
American Eskimo Aggressive
American Eskimos are neither aggressive or overly shy dogs. However, they are a bit reserved with strangers and will never attack or bite people.
American Eskimo Behavior Problems
Although an American Eskimo has a thick double coat, it should live indoors with its human family. Failure to exercise American Eskimos and leaving them alone results to behavior problems such as destructive digging, chewing, and excessive barking.
American Eskimo Health Issues | Health Problems
An American Eskimo is a relatively healthy breed. According to the national breed club, these dogs are predisposed to progressive retinal atrophy and hip dysplasia. Other health problems that American Eskimos may suffer from include Juvenile Cataracts and Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease.
American Eskimo Names
A pet parent may decide to get a name for the Eskie puppy before it comes home from the breeder or a few days after spending the time with the dog to understand its personality. Owners may get name inspirations from the coat of the dog, celebrity American Eskimos, food, movies, songs, nature, and historical figures.
Regardless of where they get their inspirations, they should ensure the names chosen don’t make them embarrassed when uttered out loud in the public places and freely rolls of their tongue.
American Eskimos and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels. If a pet parent settles with a long name, they should find a cute nickname for the pooch. Avoid giving an Eskie a name that rhymes with the command words to avoid confusion.
If an American Eskimo dog shares a name with any family member or guests who frequent your household, it may cause confusion. Some of the names that Eskie parents give to their pets include Ace, Caesar, Cooper, Beau, Harry, Max, Cassie, Angel, Amber, Abby, Echo, Katie, Zia, Phoebe, Lael, Leah, Jada, etc.
Apart from American Eskimos, other breeds of dogs include:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
American Eskimo Dog Food
The amount of food that an American Eskimo feeds on depends on its age, activity level, body build, metabolism, and size. Puppies tend to have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults and senior dogs. Therefore, American Eskimos puppies should feed 3 or 4 times a day from when they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, the puppy will feed twice a day for the rest of its life.
Most Vets advise against feeding an Eskie with chicken bones, steak bones, turkey bones, and ham bones. This is because there is a chance that the small bone chips may get lodged in the digestive tract or throat. Lodging may cause tissue damage leading to surgery for repair and removal. Depending on the budget and time preparation needed, Eskies parents may feed their dogs with dry, wet, raw diet, or home-made food. When feeding your dog with commercial food, ensure that the first three listed ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial dog food should be free of additives, chemicals, fillers, preservatives, and meat by-products. Dry or wet food should be formulated for small to medium sized puppies, adults, and seniors. Check the physique of an American Eskimo to know whether it is overweight or underweight. If you can see the ribs, chances are the pet is underweight. Although, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, the dog has an ideal weight.
If the ribs can’t be felt, the American Eskimo is overweight and should be exercised. After getting a puppy from a breeder, the owner is likely to switch to another quality food. They should gradually do this over a period of 4 weeks by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the American Eskimo is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
American Eskimo Colors
An Eskie may either have a pure white coat or a white coat with a biscuit cream color.
American Eskimo Food Allergies
Although rare, an American Eskimo may suffer from a food allergy. A true food allergy results in an immune response that is accompanied with a wide range of symptoms including skin issues signs such as hives, crusting lesions, sores, dermatitis, rashes, and pruritus as well as gastrointestinal stress such as acute vomiting and diarrhea, weight loss, and bloating. Apart from food allergies, an American Eskimo may also suffer from food sensitivity.
Most pet parents may confuse food sensitivity for food allergies since both of them result to diarrhea and vomiting. However, food sensitivity doesn’t cause an immune response. Food sensitivity is a gradual response to an offending ingredient in the diet and snacks of American Eskimos. Some of the ingredients that result in food sensitivities include fillers, corn, soy, wheat, beef, lamb, pork, fish, chicken, turkey, milk, eggs, additives, preservatives, chemicals, etc.
Signs of food sensitivity includes vomiting, diarrhea, poor skin and coat, foot infections, and ear infections. Pet parents should work along with the vet in order to manage the symptoms and find the offending ingredient in the diet of the dog. This may be done through elimination method where the Eskie will feed on the same carbohydrate and protein for a period of 8 weeks. However, some parents may opt to totally switch to a new diet.
American Eskimo Tail
This breed has a plumed tail that is carried over the back.
Are American Eskimo Dogs Hypoallergenic
No. American Eskimos shed all-year round at moderate levels and heavily when experiencing seasonal change twice a year. Shedding allows the spread of dander and fur which aggravates allergies.
Are American Eskimo Dogs Smart
Yes. American Eskimos are intelligent dogs that may also learn command words by observing other dogs.
Are American Eskimo Dogs Aggressive
No. American Eskimos are neither overly shy nor aggressive dogs. However, they will bark at strangers to alert the owner but will never attack or bite someone.
American Eskimos Quick Facts
- These dogs resemble various breeds including Samoyeds and German Spitz.
- American Eskimos are categorized into three based on size; Standard, Miniature, and Toy.
- An American Eskimo is prone to food allergies and sensitivity.
