American Eskimo Dog

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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. "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 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 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).

History and overview

The Eskie is derived almost 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. Archeology suggests that Neolithic dogs living with humans would today pass for spitzen.

• Toy Height: 23-30 cm/9-12 inches
• Toy Weight:2.4-4.5 kg/6-10 lb
• Miniature Height: 38 cm/11-15 inches
• Miniature Weight:4.5-9 kg/10-20 lb
• Standard Height: 38 cm/14-19 inches
• Standard Weight: 16 kg/18-35 lb
• Coat: Thick, profuse white (or 'biscuit cream') standoff double-coat, pronounced ruff around the neck
• Activity level: Medium
• Learning rate: Extremely high
• Temperament: charming, affectionate, loving, hardy, playful, alert, wary, energetic, loyal, outgoing.
• Guard dog ability: Low to Low-medium
• Watch-dog ability: High
• Litter size: Standard - 4-6 * Mini - 2-4 * Toy - 1-2
• Life span: 10-15+ years, some up to 20 years with proper feeding, exercise and vet care.

Appearance

General : 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 (23 to 30 cm) at the withers; the miniature is from 12 to 15 inches (33 to 38 cm); the standard is from 15 inches up to and including 19 inches (39 to 48 cm).

The Eskie, as with all Spitz breeds, has 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 Eskie, 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.

AKC Standard

There are three separate size divisions of the American Eskimo Dog (all measurements are heights at withers): Toy, 9 inches to and including 12 inches; Miniature, over 12 inches to and including 15 inches; and Standard, over 15 inches to and including 19 inches. There is no preference for size within each division. Disqualification: Under 9 inches or over 19 inches. Proportion. Length of back from point of shoulder to point of buttocks is slightly greater than height at withers, an approximate 1.1 to 1 ratio. The American Eskimo Dog is strong and compactly built with adequate bone.

Head : Expression is keen, intelligent, and alert. Eyes are not fully round, but slightly oval. They should be set well apart, and not slanted, prominent or bulging. Tear stain, unless severe, is not to be faulted. Presence of tear stain should not outweigh consideration of type, structure, or temperament. Dark to medium brown is the preferred eye color. Eye rims are black to dark brown. Eyelashes are white. Faults: amber eye color or pink eye rims. Disqualification: blue eyes. Ears should conform to head size and be triangular, slightly blunt-tipped, held erect, set on high yet well apart, and blend softly with the head. Skull is slightly crowned and softly wedge-shaped, with widest breadth between the ears. The stop is well defined, although not abrupt. The muzzle is broad, with length not exceeding the length of the skull, although it may be slightly shorter. Nose pigment is black to dark brown. Lips are thin and tight, black to dark brown in color. Faults: pink nose pigment or pink lip pigment. The jaw should be strong with a full complement of close fitting teeth. The bite is scissors, or pincer.

Neck, Topline, Body : The neck is carried proudly erect, well set on, medium in length, and in a strong, graceful arch. The topline is level. The body of the American Eskimo Dog is strong and compact, but not cobby. The chest is deep and broad with well-sprung ribs. Depth of chest extends approximately to point of elbows. Slight tuck-up of belly just behind the ribs. The back is straight, broad, level, and muscular. The loin is strong and well-muscled. The American Eskimo Dog is neither too long nor too short coupled. The tail is set moderately high and reaches approximately to the point of hock when down. It is carried loosely on the back, although it may be dropped when at rest.

Forequarters : Forequarters are well angulated. The shoulder is firmly set and has adequate muscle but is not overdeveloped. The shoulder blades are well laid back and slant 45° with the horizontal. At the point of shoulder the shoulder blade forms an approximate right angle with the upper arm. The legs are parallel and straight to the pasterns. The pasterns are strong and flexible with a slant of about 20°. Dewclaws on the front legs may be removed at the owner's discretion; if present, they are not to be faulted. Feet are oval, compact, tightly knit and well padded with hair. Toes are well arched. Pads are black to dark brown, tough and deeply cushioned. Toenails are white.

Hindquarters : Hindquarters are well angulated. The lay of the pelvis is approximately 30° to the horizontal. The upper thighs are well developed. Stifles are well bent. Hock joints are well let down and firm. The rear pasterns are straight. Legs are parallel from the rear and turn neither in nor out. Feet are as described for the front legs. Dewclaws are not present on the hind legs.

Coat : The American Eskimo Dog has a stand-off, double coat consisting of a dense undercoat and a longer coat of guard hair growing through it to form the outer coat. It is straight with no curl or wave. There is a pronounced ruff around the neck which is more noticeable on dogs than bitches. Outer part of the ear should be well covered with short, smooth hair, with longer tufts of hair growing in front of ear openings. Hair on muzzle should be short and smooth. The backs of the front legs should be well feathered, as are the rear legs down to the hock. Coat is thick along the hindquarters, giving a look of "jodhpurs." The tail is covered profusely with long hair. The only permissible trimming is to neaten the feet and the backs of the rear pasterns.

Color : Pure white is the preferred color, although white with biscuit cream is permissible. Presence of biscuit cream should not outweigh consideration of type, structure, or temperament. The skin of the American Eskimo Dog is pink or gray. Disqualification: any color other than white or biscuit cream.

Gait : The American Eskimo Dog shall trot, not pace. The gait is agile, bold, well balanced, and frictionless, with good forequarter reach and good hindquarter drive. As speed increases, the American Eskimo Dog will single track with the legs converging toward the center line of gravity while the back remains firm, strong, and level.

Temperament

American Eskimos were bred to be companion dogs, and thrive on being a part of a human family. They are easily trained and very intelligent, as well as being strong-willed and independent. At home, they make excellent watchdogs, barking to announce the presence of strangers. The American Eskimo dog can be protective of its home and family, but in general they will not threaten to attack or bite a person (unless provoked). American Eskimos 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.

American Eskimos can take longer to mature than other breeds, and can behave more like puppies than like adults for up to two years, at which point they begin to mature and grow adult coats. They are a very intelligent breed and need to be stimulated for their maximum intellectual and behavioral potentials to be realized. When their intelligence is not stimulated or they are ignored, they can develop behavioral issues. Owners can avoid this problem by socializing the dog through obedience training or participating in dog sports.

Health

The breed lives on average between 12 and 14 years, although some individuals might live as long as 20 years or longer. They are prone to hip dysplasia, Elbow and Knee degeneration, patellar luxation, Legg-Calve-perthers Disease,progressive retinal atrophy,cataracts,epilepsy, urinary stones and allergies, especially flea allergies, that can lead to acute moist dermatitis or "hot spots".

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. Many Eskie owners use an undercoat rake, a tool available at most pet stores, for grooming. 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. Also, 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 this has not been reported by people who've actually clipped their Eskies.

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.

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. There are many breed-specific rescue groups that are more than willing to give advice on training or curbing behavioral issues.