THE AMERICAN ESKIMO DOG

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.

TEMPERAMENT
The American Eskimo is an affectionate, loving dog. Hardy and playful, they are excellent with children. Charming and alert, because of the dog's high intelligence and its willingness to please, it is easy to train and often rank among the top scorers in obedience trials. American Eskimos like to work. They are naturally wary of strangers, but once introduced they become instant friends. Eskimos need to be part of the family with a firm, consistent, confident pack leader. If you allow the dog to believe he or she is the ruler of your home, many varying degrees of behavior issues will arise, including but not limited to: separation anxiety, obsessive barking, dog aggressiveness, willfulness, and guarding. Without enough mental and physical exercise, they can become hyperactive and high strung, spinning in circles. Due to their dominant personality it is not always recommended for first time dog owners to own them.