American Eskimo Dog
| Recognized By: |
ACR
,
AKC
,
APRI
,
CKC
,
NKC
,
UKC
|
| |
|
| AKA: |
Spitz, Standard Eskimo Dog, Miniature Eskimo Dog, Toy Eskimo Dog |
| |
|
| Mispellings: |
|
| |
|
Caring for a American Eskimo Dog
Feeding: Care should be taken to not over feed the American Eskimo Dog as they can gain weight easily if not properly exercised.
Living with a American Eskimo Dog
Temperament: The American Eskimo Dog is an alert, friendly, affectionate, intelligent dog who should be neither shy nor aggressive.
Family Dog: The American Eskimo Dog is playful and great with children. They can be wary of strangers, but warm up quickly to them.
Shedding: The American Eskimo Dog is an average shedder.
Grooming: For showing the coat of the American Eskimo Dog should not be trimmed, this includes trimming of the whiskers or body. It is permitted to trim the feet and backs of the rear pasterns. The coat should be brushed with a firm bristle brush twice a week or daily during their high shedding times.
Training: The American Eskimo Dog is an intelligent dog who is eager to please and learns new commands quickly. They need firm and consistent training. Do not allow them to rule the house or they may develop behavior issues including aggressiveness, separation anxiety, obsessive barking and guarding.
Exercise: The American Eskimo Dog likes to work as such they need daily physical and mental exercise or they may become hyperactive and high strung. They should be taken on a long daily walk and enjoy romps in safely enclosed area.
Living Conditions: The American Eskimo Dog can live in an apartment provided they are properly exercised. They are very active inside but should still have at least a small yard.
American Eskimo Dog Appearance
Appearance: The American Eskimo Dog is a compact, well-balanced small to medium sized dog with a white or cream colored coat. They are loving and alert with a strong and agile appearance.
Size: The American Eskimo Dog comes in three distinct sizes. The Toy American Eskimo Dog stands between 9 to 12 inches tall at the withers. The Miniature variety ranges in height from greater than 12 inches tall up to and including 15 inches while the Standard is greater than 15 inches up to and including 19 inches in height.
Companionship: The American Eskimo Dog is a loving companion dog.
Head: The American Eskimo Dog is has an intelligent and alert expression. The skull is wedge-shaped, slightly crowned and wide between the ears. The stop is well defined.
Nose: The nose of the American Eskimo Dog is dark brown to black in color.
Eyes: The eyes of the American Eskimo Dog are slightly oval in shape, set well apart and should be neither slanted nor prominent. They commonly have tear stain underneath the eyes. The eyes should be medium to dark brown in color with dark brown to black rims and white eyelashes.
Ears: The ears of the American Eskimo Dogs should be triangular in shape and conform to the head size and blend softly with the head. They are slightly blunt-tipped, set high and held erect.
Muzzle: The American Eskimo Dog has a broad muzzle with an overall length that should not exceed the length of the skull. The lips are thin and tight. They should be dark brown to black in color.
Teeth/Bite: The jaw of the American Eskimo Dog is strong with a full set of close fitting teeth meeting in a scissors or pincer bite.
Neck: The American Eskimo Dog carries its medium length, slightly arched, strong neck proudly erect.
Body: The body of the American Eskimo Dog is slightly longer than it is tall at withers with a 1.1 to 1 ratio. They have a strong and compact body with adequate bone. The back is strong and level. The chest is wide and deep extending to the point of the elbows with well-sprung ribs. There is a slight tuck-up just behind the ribs. The loin is strong and muscular.
Forequarters: The forequarters of the American Eskimo Dog are well angulated with the muscular shoulders firmly set and the shoulder blades well laid back at a 45° angle with the horizontal. The shoulder blade forms approximately a 90° angle with the upper arm while the legs are straight and parallel to the strong, flexible pasterns which have about a 20° slant. The overall length of the legs is proportionate to the body.
Hindquarters: The American Eskimo Dog's hindquarters are well angulated with the pelvis laying at approximately a 30° angle to the horizontal. The upper thighs are muscular and developed. The stifles are well bent. The hock joints are firm and well let down. The pasterns are straight. The rear legs are parallel to each other and should turn neither in nor out.
Gait: The American Eskimo Dog has a bold, agile, balanced gait with good forward reach and rear drive. The legs will converge under the body as the speed of the dog increases but the back should remain firm and level.
Feet: The feet of the American Eskimo Dog are compact, oval and tightly knit with a thick padding of hair and dark brown to black pads that are tough and deeply cushioned. The toes are well arched with white toenails. There are no dewclaws on the rear legs and the front ones may be removed.
Tail: The tail of the American Eskimo Dog is set moderately high reaching near the point of hock when it is down. It should be carried loosely on the back or down when the dog is at rest.
Color: The coat of the American Eskimo Dog should be pure white or white with biscuit cream. The skin should be pink or gray in color.
Coat: The American Eskimo Dog has a double coat that consists of a dense undercoat and longer guard hairs that growing through the undercoat to form the stand-off outer coat. The coat should be straight and free from any signs of curl or wave. They have a noticeable ruff around the neck which is more prominent on males than on females. The outer portion of the ears are covered with a short smooth coat with Longer hair growing in front of the ear openings. The coat on the muzzle should be short and smooth. The backs of the front legs and rear legs down to the hock should be feathered. The tail is covered in a long thick coat.
American Eskimo Dog Facts
Category: Northern, AKC Non-Sporting
Life Expectancy: The average life expectancy of the American Eskimo Dog is 15 years or more.
Characteristics: The American Eskimo Dog makes an excellent watchdog and is protective of its home and family. They are often in the top ranks in obedience trials. They also excel in agility, performing tricks and narcotics detection.
American Eskimo Dog Health
Health: The American Eskimo Dog is a generally healthy breed. They are prone to hip dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy. They should be checked often for flees as they can cause dermatitis.
Eye Health: Special attention should be paid to the American Eskimo's eyes and tear ducts.
Litter Size: The average litter size of the American Eskimo Dog is 5 pups. \
American Eskimo Dog History
History: The American Eskimo is a member of one of the Spitz families of Nordic breeds. They were originally called the White German Spitz when they were brought to America by German settlers. Their name was changed to American Eskimo Dog because of the anti-German feelings during World War I. Today, the two are actually two separate breeds. It is believed that the Samoyed and White Keeshond are also closely related to the America Eskimo Dog. The first American Eskimo Dog was register in with the United Kennel Club in 1913. The breed was spread through the United States by the Barnum and Bailey Circus where they used to walk a tight rope. In 1985, the American Eskimo Dog Club of America was formed with the intention of someday achieving AKC recognition. Ten years later, on July 1, 1995, the American Eskimo was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club.
