Breed History
The American Eskimo Dog is actually not related to Eskimos....
Nicknamed an Eskie, this breed actually originated in Germany. Originally a companion of rich folks, the dog fell out of favor with the aristocracy around the 19th century but found loving arms in the German working class. German immigrants, heading to America around the 20th century, brought their Eskies with them.
The dogs keen mind and trainability landed the breed in an interesting profession: circus performer. Balancing, handling complex routines, and entertaining people with their quick wit was right up their alley, and the traveling circus life served as the main propagator of American Eskimo puppies.
But if theyre from Germany, where did their name come from? After World War I, international relations were pretty strained, and the dogs original name, spitz, was replaced with the word Eskimo. Recognized by the AKC in 1994, this dog came into official status a little later than most, but they have in fact been entertaining America for quite some time.
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