erased and the breed was described as a dog that was bred down from large sled dogs, with nothing of its German origin being mentioned. The size of the breed was stated at “15 to 19 inches at the shoulder”. Then, in 1969 the National American Eskimo Dog Association was formed and they divided the breed into two sizes, Standard and Miniature, accord- ing to weight. This was done “for show purposes only”. The breed was divided so there would be more classes, thus more ribbons would be given out. This would hopefully keep exhibitors show- ing longer and make the shows larger. In the 1974 Standard, nothing was written about any history of the breed. Nothing was said where the breed came from, nor what it was bred for. There was a statement in an old Bloodlines magazine that stated, “soon people will forget about the Spitz name, and only know the breed as American Eskimo, they forget everything”. It seemed that the intent was to attempt to hide where the breed actually came from. In 1985, the American Eskimo Dog Club of American was formed. The breed was then divided into three siz- es by height and disqualifying heights were incorporated into the Standard.
They are a resourceful, thinking breed and can be destructive if left without a “job”, or something to do. They are easy to train, love to work and enjoy being with their human pack members. Off lead, they prefer to stay within sight of their human. They have a close bond with humans in general, and enjoy working close with them. They are a versatile breed being able to be used for a number of tasks. Breeders work hard to breed a dog that is sound structured, mentally stable and can do the work the breed was intend- ed to do…which is to be versatile, able to herd, able to be a watchdog as well as a close companion, be intelligent, easy to train, independent and be not needy. These are the traits that are the essence of what makes the breed an American Eskimo Dog. The American Eskimo Dog traces its ancestors to Germany and has many of the same ancestors as a number of the Nordic breeds of today. Today, the American Eskimo Dog stands proud of its German heritage. The American Eskimo Dog is one of the most versa- tile breeds excelling in herding, agil- ity, tracking, obedience, service and therapy work, companion and just an all–around great dog!
In 1995, the AKC officially accepted the American Eskimo Dog for registra- tion. They did not separate the breed into separate varieties or sizes. In Open class only, the breed could be separated into three divisions. Eskies are show in the Non–Sporting group. THE ESKIE TEMPERMANT The American Eskimo is considered a “primitive breed”, in that many of the natural instincts of the breed are still very fixed. The Eskie, as with most Nor- dic breeds, has a strong pack instinct. The Eskie’s natural instincts in breed- ing, whelping and rearing of a litter are unyielding and require little to no outside assistance. The breed is noted for its longevity, with many living until their middle to late teens. For their size, they are strong, powerful dogs. Also, they are a healthy breed when com- pared to many other breeds, but are not without their issues. As with any breed, they are not the breed for everyone. With their strong pack instincts, they must have a pack leader. They are a moderately active breed and do need exercise. They are a double–coated breed with a thick weather resistant coat, and will shed their undercoat usually twice per year.
268 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , D ECEMBER 2017
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