American Eskimo
The American Eskimo Dog has a trademark white coat and triangular, pointed ears
Other names	American Spitz
Country of origin	USA (Ancestors came from Germany)
Nicknames	Eskie
Traits

The American Eskimo Dog is a breed of sled dog originating from Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic Dogs with characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans bred from a known foundation Sled dogs, known also as sleightman dogs sledge dogs or sleddogs are types of Dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle Despite its appearance the American Eskimo dog is not a descendant of the Husky. Even though it was bred for sled work, it is a rare sight to see it in the harness anywhere, and the Miniature and Toy Eskies were the bred down version to serve as a companion. In addition to serving as a companion, it has been used as a watchdog, and also achieved a high degree of popularity in the 1930s and 1940s United States as a circus performer even as early as 1917 at the Cooper Brother's Railroad Circus. One of many American Eskimo Dogs to walk a tightrope was an American Eskimo by the name of Stout's Pal Pierre in the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, Clowns trained animals trapeze acts Hoopers, tightrope walkers "PR" Stout's Pal Pierre was from a long line of American Eskimos used in Barnum and Bailey's Circus acts. Pierre's grandfather was the first known dog in the world to walk a tight rope. The breed became popular as circuses would sell the puppies during their travels across the nation. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1994 and set the current standard for the breed. The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is a registry of Purebred Dog pedigrees in the United States. The United Kennel Club had recognized the breed long before 1994, and there is no difference between the two breed standards except that the AKC allows the toy size and the UKC does not. The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of Purebred Dog Pedigrees in the United States and The American Eskimo Dog was accepted into the Canadian Kennel Club CKC Recognition Of The American Eskimo Dog as of March 2006. CKC (Canadian Kennel Club). The Canadian Kennel Club (or CKC) is the primary registry body for Purebred Dog Pedigrees in Canada.

Description

Appearance

American Eskimo Dogs are known for their playfulness

The standard for the American Eskimo Dog calls for them to be white or white & biscuit cream, with brown eyes (blue eyes, such as those found on the Siberian Husky, are a disqualification and a sign of poor health or breeding), and a compact body. The dog's length should be only slightly greater than its height at the shoulder. The muzzle is long and lupine (in contrast to the muzzles of Pomeranians). The ears are held erect and alert, and the tail should be feathered and loosely curled on the dog's back. These dogs look very much like smaller versions of the Samoyed, and come in three standard sizes. The toy is from 9 to 12 inches at the withers; the miniature is from 12 to 15 inches; the standard is from 15 inches up to and including 21 inches. Wither redirects here For the comic character see Wither (comics.

Eskimos, as with all Spitzen, have erect, triangular ears ("prick ears"), a tail that flips onto the dog's back in a spiral, and two coats of fur: an undercoat that is softer and helps insulate the dog, and an outer coat that's harsher and acts as a weather repellent.

The Eskimo, a loving companion dog, presents a picture of strength and agility, alertness and beauty. It is a small to medium-size Nordic type dog, always white, or white with biscuit cream. The American Eskimo Dog is compactly built and well balanced, with good substance, and an alert, smooth gait. The face is Nordic type with erect triangular shaped ears, and distinctive black points (lips, nose, and eye rims). The white double coat consists of a short, dense undercoat, with a longer guard hair growing through it forming the outer coat, which is straight with no curl or wave. The coat is thicker and longer around the neck and chest forming a lion-like ruff, which is more noticeable on dogs than on bitches. The rump and hind legs down to the hocks are also covered with thicker, longer hair forming the characteristic breeches. The richly plumed tail is carried loosely on the back.

Temperament

American Eskimo Dogs along with other Spitzen were bred to be companion dogs, and thrive on being a part of a human family. They are easily trained and very intelligent, although like many Nordic breeds, are conservative. At home, they make excellent watchdogs, barking to announce the presence of strangers. The Eskie can be protective of its home and family, and are known to threaten to attack or bite a person when provoked. Eskies must be trained early in age. As with all dogs, temperament may be partially inherited and partially trained. Some dogs are prone to excessive barking and separation anxiety. It is important to research the dog's parents as their temperament may vary due to inheritance.

Puppy at 11 weeks

Many people find the puppies of American Eskimo Dogs to be very "cute" and purchase this breed as a puppy without doing sufficient research, such as discovering the longevity and needs of this breed. This breed can take longer to mature than other breeds, and Eskies can behave more like puppies than like adults for up to two years, when they finally start to mature and grow their adult coats. They are also a very intelligent dog and need to be stimulated. When their intelligence is not stimulated or they are ignored, they can develop behavior issues. Owners can avoid this problem by socializing their Eskie through obedience training or participating in dog sports, such as dog agility, flyball, dancing, and Schutzhund. Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context Dog sports are activities that involve Dogs There is much discussion about what exactly defines a Sport for dogs Dog agility is a Dog sport in which a handler directs a Dog through an Obstacle course in a Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of Dogs race against each other from a start/finish line over a line of Hurdles to a box that releases a Musical canine freestyle &mdashalso known as musical freestyle, freestyle dance, and canine freestyle &mdashis a modern dog sport that is a mixture of Schutzhund ( german for protection dog is a dog sport that was developed in Germany in the early 1900s to test whether German Shepherd Dogs act and These dogs are quite athletic and are very able jumpers.

Health

Tear stains are common among 'Eskies'.

The breed lives on average between 12 and 14 years, although some individuals might live as long as 20 years or longer. The Eskie is a fairly healthy breed, although close attention should be paid to its eyes and tear ducts. They are prone to hip dysplasia, Elbow and Knee degeneration, patellar luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, epilepsy, urinary stones and allergies, especially flea allergies, that can lead to acute moist dermatitis or "hot spots". Luxating patella (or trick knee, subluxation of patella, or floating patella) is a condition in which the Patella, or kneecap dislocates or Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA is a group of genetic diseases seen in certain breeds of Dogs and more rarely cats A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the Eye or in its envelope varying in degree from slight to complete opacity Epilepsy is a common chronic Neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Bladder stones or uroliths are a common occurrence in animals especially in domestic animals such as Dogs and Cats The stones form in the Urinary HotSpot is the primary Java Virtual Machine for desktops and servers produced by Sun Microsystems.

Flea allergies and "hot spots"

The American Eskimo has a tendency to develop severe allergies to fleas. One flea on an Eskie can result in frantic scratching and gnawing on its skin, which results in painful "hot spots" and skin lesions.

Care

Grooming

Eskies have a long, dense coat and need regular grooming. This means brushing them once a week, or more often if necessary. They shed, but it can be maintained with regular brushing. They "blow" their coats twice a year, once in May or June to shed their winter undercoat and once in November or December to shed their summer coat. A Dog 's coat is its Fur. A dog can be double coated &mdashthat is having both a soft undercoat and a coarser topcoat. Down hairs, also called the ground hairs, are the very fine fluffy hairs closest to the Skin on some Mammals The hairs are short and crimped Many Eskie owners use an undercoat rake, a tool available at most pet stores, for grooming. A pet store or pet shop is a retail business which sells different kinds of animals Some owners in hot climates do shave their Eskies, but if this is done, the dogs should be kept indoors as much as possible to prevent sunburn. Some people believe that once a dog is shaved, the coat will grow in with a coarser, woollier texture than it would have had it been left alone, but reporting of this by people who have clipped or shaved their dogs varies.

Although Eskies prefer cold weather, they can live in hotter climates as well. Eskies should not be shaved, as the long fur helps to maintain the temperature of their skin.

Eskies have drier skin than most other dogs, and because of their dry skin, they need to be bathed only every two or three months, unless they soil their coat with large amounts of dirt or substances with strong odors. Regular brushing maintains a clean coat in most cases. Eskies are a very clean breed and constantly groom themselves.

History

The Eskimo is derived completely from the various German Spitz breeds (Pomeranian, Keeshond, etc. ) The Spitz family of Nordic dogs is one of the least altered by human husbandry and reflects most nearly the prototypical dog, from which stock all others have been derived. Spitz -type Dogs (the correct German plural is Spitze, though Spitzen is commonly used in the United States are a type of dog characterized Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland Animal husbandry, also called Animal science, stockbreeding or simple husbandry, is the agricultural practice of breeding The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Archeology suggests that Neolithic dogs living with humans would today pass for spitzen. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos

Breed-specific rescue

Because so many people purchase 'cute' puppies and then discover that they do not want an active, intelligent dog with a heavily shedding coat, many of this breed end up at the animal shelter or otherwise up for adoption, or possibly in more unfortunate situations. An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless lost or abandoned animals primarily a large variety of Dogs and Cats The animal is kept at the shelter There are many breed-specific rescue groups that are more than willing to give advice on training or curbing behavioral issues. A rescue group or rescue organization is dedicated to Pet adoption.

References

• The Dog Bible. Mehus-Roe. 2005
• Guide to the American Eskimo Dog. 2003
• The New American Eskimo" by Nancy J. Hofman (Author), Cathy J. Flamholtz (Author) Order from Amazon. com

External links

• American Eskimo Dog Club of America
• National American Eskimo Dog Association (USA)
• The American Kennel Club Breed Info
• Heart Bandits - American Eskimo rescue in the U.S.
• American Eskimo Rescue and Sanctuary of Iowa- Information and Breed Sanctuary
• Eskies Online American Eskimo Dog Rescue
• Eskies Rescuers United American Eskimo Dog Rescue
• American Eskimo Dog Rescue Organization
• Puppy Dog Web
• Dog Breed Info