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.