Eskies. The American Eskimo Dog

  • By: Mick Whitefield
  • Time to read: 4 min.

The American Eskimo Dog commonly referred to as Eskies come in three Kennel Club sizes, Standard, Miniature and Toy. Originally it was a working dog with its history as a Germanic Spitz, then an American Spitz. Although occasionally still used as working dogs these days the breed is generally known as a bright, fun and lively family dog.

Facts about the American Eskimo Dog

Lifespan

12 to 14 Years

What height is the American Eskimo Dog?

Full grown at the Withers

Standard – 15 to 19 inches or 38 to 48cms
Miniature – 12 to 15 inches or 30 to 38cms
and Toy  – 9 to 12 inches or 23 to 30cms

The Weight of an American Eskimo Dog is:

Standard – 20 to 40lbs or 9 to 18kgs
Miniature – 11 to 20lbs or 5 to 9kgs
The Toy  – 6 to 10lbs or 2 to 5kgs

How much do American Eskimo Dogs cost?

In the USA prices range from $600 to $4500 which is very much dependant upon the breeding history and the pedigree papers.
In the UK these dogs are about £1000 to £2000.

What Class of Breed is the American Eskimo Dog

Placed in the Kennel Clubs Utility Group it is listed as a Companion Dog.

Are American Eskimo Dogs Hypoallergenic?

No. This breed is double coated with an undercoat that moults, sometimes heavily and will require brushing. Although many double coated breeds are hypoallergenic this breed of dog is NOT hypoallergenic. Contrary to popular belief and some online searches.

They are a double coated breed of which the top coats sheds very little hair, but the undercoat on these dogs sheds a considerable amount often with the change of seasons and can leave tufts of hair lying around, not good if you are allergic to pet hair.

What does the American Eskimo Dog look like?

This dog has a white coat of double fur which looks puffy and soft when groomed. A medium slightly angular snout leads to a high forehead into a round shaped head with low erect ears generally facing forward.


The eyes nose and lips tend to be black.

Note the black lips

The neck is strong and looks wide, but this is an illusion of thick hair. The neck is of average size and leads to a square chest and a back that has a slight downward curve, lifting at the tail which is a medium length, fluffy and usually facing toward the head over the back.

A pair of American Eskimo Dogs

The feet are oval at the end of short legs under a compact body structure. Despite its genteel appearance this is a tough little dog.

It should be noted here that many people mistake Samoyed dogs for American Eskimo Dogs and it is easy to see why in the picture below.

A Samoyed Dog – Not an American Eskimo Dog

The easy way to tell full grown breeds apart is simply from the size. The three sizes as shown above give you a maximum height of 19 inches, Samoyeds are larger than this, only the smallest Samoyed are about19 inches high.

History of the American Eskimo Dog

Eskies are generally descended from a line of Spitz dogs emanating from Germany with various influences from Keeshond, Pomeranian and possibly Volpino Italiano. Originally bought to the USA by Europeans who were trading and working as well as immigrants.

By 1920 the Spitz was performing in circuses and was given the name American Spitz. Breeders at the circuses would sell the puppies as they travelled making the breed widespread across the USA.

Between WW1 and WW2 the name was changed to American Eskimo, removing any trace of the Germanic sounding names and thus the breed survived and multiplied.

Although the breed was registered with the United Kennel Club the AKC did not fully recognise the breed until as late as 1994.

Characteristics of the American Eskimo Dog

Eskies are lively, bright, intelligent dogs and love outdoor exercise.

American Eskimo Dog Climbing Over an A-Frame at Dog Agility Trial

They love company and are usually eager to please their trainers. Happy with their own company when left alone they also make good guard dogs as they are usually very alert to their surroundings.

They very much enjoy play and affection which makes them good family dogs and are very good when growing with children making them very loyal to the family and mindful of strangers that may approach.

Health Concerns of the American Eskimo Dog

Generally this breed is very fit and very active but occasionally pups have been known to have Patellar Luxation  and older dogs like many breeds can suffer with hip dysplasia and PRA (see our Health Concern Page) .

Conclusions for keeping an Eskie

This dog needs plenty of exercise, a daily walk or run is a must and they need stimulation with play or toys or they may become destructive or mischievous when bored.

An American Eskimo puppy stands in the snow on a wooden deck.

They make good kennel dogs as they are very happy outside, they prefer cold weather to hot weather and may struggle inside a hot centrally heated home, so although they make good family pets this may not be a good dog for an elderly person.

For a fit and active family with time to spend with their pets this is a very good dog.

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