American Eskimo

The American Eskimo Dog is a breed of companion dog originating in Germany. The American Eskimo is a member of the Spitz family. Despite its name and appearance, the American Eskimo dog is not from Alaska; the dog's heritage is traced back to Northern Europe. The breed's progenitors were German Spitz, but due to anti-German prejudice during the First World War, it was renamed American Eskimo Dog. Although modern American Eskimos have been exported as German Spitz Gross (or Mittel, depending on the dog's height), the breed standards are actually significantly different. In addition to serving as a watchdog and companion, the American Eskimo dog also achieved a high degree of popularity in the 1930s and 1940s United States as a circus performer. There are three size varieties of the American Eskimo breed, the toy, miniature and the standard. They share a common resemblance with Japanese Spitz and Samoyed dog. Miniature American Eskimos, with their high intelligence and inquisitive nature, will love to investigate. If they find something very interesting they will often want their owner or handler to investigate as well, and will at times, not let the matter go until the person complies. You will often find this behavior when it comes to children; for instance, if a baby or child is crying, the American Eskimo will want you to see what the problem is and will not stop worrying until you do. The American Eskimo being so tuned in is one of the characteristics that makes them a desirable breed around children.