by Mary Nihilam

The American Eskimo Dog is oftentimes called a Spitz in the U.S.. The American Eskimo Dog is a loving, alert, quick, highly intelligent, obedient, and curious pet and companion. She makes an excellent watch dog however is controlled to be not threatening or aggressive. It has a white straight outer coat, with a heavy undercoat. There is a lion-mane feature as the coat is longer and thicker around the chest and neck and has a heavy tail carried on the back. You would not see any blue eyes in this breed otherwise it is considered a defect or unhealthy.

She will maintain well in an apartment as long as she can get frequent long walks. She was carefully bred to be a house dog and they need a lot of family attention. She is excellent with children but obviously, never leave very little children alone with any dog for any length of time without adult supervision. The Spitz relates to a group of breeds and not just an individual breed. It is a variety of breeds including the Samoyed, Pomeranian, Finnish Spitz, Siberian Husky and Shiba Inu. They can normally live 12 to 14 years with the right nutrition and care. There are also cases of these pets expanding over 20 year life spans. There are three sizes of the American Eskimo Dog labeled as Toy, Miniature and Standard. The Toy runs from 9 to 12 inches to the withers (which is the tallest point of the back), the Miniature runs 12 to 15 inches to the withers and the Standard runs 15 inches to19 inches to the withers.

The American Eskimo Dog, like many big dogs, are prone to patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, flea allergies, hot spots, epilepsy, cataracts, and Leg-Calve-Perthes Disease. They have no tolerance for fleas and can build up severe flea allergies which can result in painful skin lesions. Their skin is typically dry so they do not need to be bathed more than once every two or three months. Also all dogs should have their teeth brushed once a week. The thick coat is easy to groom and remember to brush twice a week with a strong bristle. They are a medium shed class, usually around May or June and then again in November or December. Many owners use an undercoat rake to groom which is available on line or check your local pet stores.

The American Eskimo Dog comes from the ancient Spitz family. They are recognized as the German Spitz in Germany. Hailing from the coastal regions of Germany, these dogs were once traded throughout Europe. When this family dog came to America along with German immigrants, they were used as family pets, watch dogs and circus animals. Circuses would sell puppies after performances and that was how they spread throughout America. They became popular during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Since we were at state of war with Germany, they were renamed during World War I to remove their national origin. They were established as a breed in 1913.

They can be quite protective but rarely will they bite. They do not smell like a dog. They love to bark and is inclined to weight gain. They can respond very poorly to rough treatment and can take a bit long to mature. They must be trained early as a puppy to be more effective later on.

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