Tuesday, November 6, 2012

American dog breed, or not.


I recently had the pleasure to perform some research on American dog breeds. It would be easy to think the American Eskimo is an American dog. It's not. The breed originated in Germany, and was called German Spitz up until the time of the first world war. At this time, anti-German influences were so strong, the breed was renamed American Eskimo.

The Eskie has an extremely thick, multi layered coat. There are three sizes: toy, miniature, and standard. The American Eskimo isn't considered an aggressive breed, but they were originally bred to guard people and property, and they can be valiant watchdogs when the occasion calls for it. This instinct to guard also shows itself in a tendency to bark at strangers.

Besides watching out for mom and dad, the Eskie is known for having excellent balance and they are famous for their skills as circus dogs. 

The American Eskimo is a hardy dog with an average life span of 16 years!


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