American Eskimo Dogs & Puppies

As the prototypical spitz, the Eskie (as this breed is often called) is just as often simply called spitz by pet households. In fact, the American Eskimo Dog descended from one of the varieties of spitz developed in Germany, with influences from other spitz breeds such as the Keeshond, Pomeranian, and Volpino Italiano. Ironically, it was the success of these other breeds that held the Eskie back. Although the Keeshond originally came in several colors, when it was decided to accept only gray specimens, the white Keeshonden were suddenly excluded. When the Pomeranian standard was drawn up to exclude dogs over 8 pounds, larger dogs were excluded as Pomeranians. Thus, by the early 1900s, there were two groups of medium-sized white dogs that, although pure-breds, were excluded from their breeds. Their fate is unknown, but it is likely that they became pets of the working people.

When European workers came to America, they brought these dogs with them as general farm workers and watchdogs. The UKC began registering them in 1913. In the 1920s the American Spitz (as it had come to be called) became a favorite of circus performers. Spectators often left the circus with a new family member—an offspring of one of the dazzling performers. Many present-day Eskies can be traced back to their circus ancestors.

After World War I, the breed’s name was changed to American Eskimos, to remove any Germanic sound from the name. Most Eskies were kept as pets and farm dogs. It wasn’t until 1994 that the AKC recognized the breed. The Eskie remains a dog of the people, and a very popular companion.