Fun Eskimo Dog Facts For Kids

Often referred to as ‘beautiful pooches’, Eskies, American spitz or the American miniature Eskimo dog is basically a beauty with brains package amongst canines. The American Eskimo is a striking, smart, perky, and playful canine that is categorized as a non-sporting dog breed.

The Eskimo dog breed was created by German immigrants who migrated to the United States in the late 19th century. With their white coat, captivating expression, and black eyes, these Nordic dogs are loyal and loving family dogs and great companions with high energy level.

However they are quite restrained with strangers. The size of American Eskimo Dogs ranges between the miniature Eskimos, the standard Eskimos, and the toy.

Dogs from Nordic breeds are available in three different breeds, standard, miniature, and toy. Did American Eskimo Dog  or eskie catch your attention? Peruse ahead and take a deep dive into learning some amazing and interesting facts about this dog from non-sporting dog breeds.

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Eskimo Dog Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an Eskimo dog?

American Eskimo Dog is a descendant of the spitz family. They are also known as eskimo spitz.

Recognized for their cheerful behavior, smart caliber and good looks Eskimos or Canis lupus belongs to the family Canidae. The history of the Eskimo Dog breeds runs back to the soils of Germany.

Despite the common belief, this breed of canines was not originally exclusive to America. The ancestry of the Eskimo Dogs can be traced to the members of a Nordic breed that is the German Spitz.

The German Spitz migrated to America during the 1800s. Initially, these canines were used as farm dogs.

However, with the emergence of the show business, the breeders decided to introduce these highly trainable and intelligent canines into various entertainment ventures such as traveling circuses and Wild West shows traversing through America.

Due to their agility, binding-beauty, and easily trainable characteristics, the German Spitz was quite popular and highly sought-out breeds for any dog-acts by the show ventures.

However, in the year of 1991, when America stepped into World War I, there was a mass prejudiced adopted by the nation against just anything German. And keeping up with this ritual back then, the name of German Spitz was altered to American Eskimo dog.

Eskimo dog breeds are essentially companion dogs and love to be around humans. Proving true to the phrase ‘people pleaser’, Eskimos excels in mental and physical stimulations and are easy to train. However, an American Eskimo puppy is a bit naughty at times.

What class of animal does an Eskimo dog belong to?

The American Eskimo Dog belongs to the class Mammalia; that is, organisms that possess mammary glands for the nourishment of their young ones. They are the members of a canine family that are recognized by their physical attributes such as a curved tail, snout, pointed ears, and long, thick white fur, besides the behavioral playfulness and intellect.

How many Eskimo dogs are there in the world?

There are no accurate estimates of the total number of  American Eskimos dogs in the world. Like other dog breeds, it is estimated that adequate number of Eskie dogs are present as pets across the world.

Where does an Eskimo dog live?

The American Eskimos dogs, due to their affectionate and pleasing attributes, are home-friendly dogs. They easily adapt to the surroundings in which their humans live, so it can be said that American Eskimos are apartment friendly. However, the Eskimo dogs have hairy bodies, and it’s preferable for them to stay in low-temperature areas.

What is an Eskimo dog's habitat?

The ideal environment for American Eskimos dogs includes several factors. These canines like to be around their human families and companions. In case of separation (of however short span), they are known to undergo separation anxiety. Therefore the presence of at least one person is needed in the case of these Eskimo Dogs.

Due to their super active and playful nature, American Eskimos dogs fit into an environment where they can be provided with regular exercises.

Since the American Eskimos dogs have a hairy fur coat, they are well suited for low-temperature regions.

Who do Eskimo dogs live with?

Eskimo pooches are quite popular for their friendly, exuberant, and doting temperament. Therefore they prove to be fantastic companions for kids, other dogs and cats as well as senior members of the family. However, American Eskimos dogs are quite reserved around strangers.

How long does an Eskimo dog live?

American Eskimos dogs have an average life span of about 13-15 years. Therefore the love, loyalty, and adoration stay with you for a long time.

How do they reproduce?

The reproductive cycle in the Eskimo dogs begins with the onset of the estrous cycle in females. The first estrous begins in dogs when they reach their sexual maturity.

However, the indications of sexual maturity in males are observed when they are tall enough to inseminate the females. The reproduction is proceeding by mating between the male and female dogs.

During mating, the male dog mounts the females from the rear side, and after a firm connection, they stay in the given position for 10-20 mins.

This is followed by fertilization, which is the formation of a zygote due to the fusion of gamete. Following fertilization, after a gestation period of about 58-65 days, the female American Eskimos dogs give rise to a litter of about four to five dogs.

What is their conservation status?

Though the Eskimo dog family in general has a low population rate, the number of  American Eskimos dogs are stable. These species are not recognized by IUCN to be facing any threat.

Eskimo Dog Fun Facts

What do Eskimo dogs look like?

The Eskimo dog is a member of the Canidae family with the characteristics of a loving and doting companion dog. The American Eskimos dogs are a medium-sized dog that is available in three standard sizes.

The double coat of the Eskimos dogs bear an occasional combination of cream or biscuit-colored marking, the double coat appears almost snowy white . The thick and soft white coat around the neck forms a notable mane adding to their beauties to a multi-fold.

A compactly built Eskimo Dog or eskie possesses a smooth and graceful gait.

The face is adorned with mesmerizing black eyes and small erect ears. Besides presenting a picture-perfect morphological characteristic, the American Eskimos dogs have a winning personality full of quintessential agility, strength, and companionship.

How cute are they?

The American Eskies are quite known for their beautiful appearance. With white long hair, beady black eyes and an expressive face these canines are a sight to behold. The Eskies are adoring and loyal to their companions.

How do they communicate?

Belonging to the Canidae family and possessing an extremely intelligent temperament, the Eskies excel at understanding commands. They use common methods such as howls, bark, and whimpers to communicate.

But then expressing is just not limited to that. The American Eskimo dog is observed to be vocally loud, especially during the episode of loneliness.

Since Eskies are heavily dependent on the company, being alone tends to induce anxiety, and they get it out by barking at increased intensities. Additionally, yowls and mumbling are also the sounds they switch to in order to express their mood.

How big is an Eskimo dog?

The average height of the American Eskimo Dogs is about 9-19 in. However, these canines are available in three standard sizes.

How fast can an Eskimo dog run?

They can’t run fairly fast due to their heavy fur, but they have good stamina and don’t get tired easily.

How much does an Eskimo dog weigh?

The American Eskimos though medium-sized are quite well-built canines. The average weight of the American Eskimo dogs is about 6-35 lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names based on the gender of the American Eskimo dogs. The male Canis lupus, the member of family Canidae are called dogs while the females of this family are referred to as bitches.

What would you call a baby Eskimo dog?

The babies of American Eskimo dogs or Canis lupus, belonging to Genus Canis, are called puppies or pups.

What do they eat?

Since the American Eskimo Dogs are omnivores, these dogs feed on leafy vegetables, meat, fruits, eggs, cottage cheese, and bones. It is necessary to feed your dog with proteins and carbohydrates to maintain a healthy, strong body.

However, a number of factors need to be considered before selecting a food product for one’s dear pooches. It is important to go for products that contain whole-grain, no by-products, vegetables, chicken or meat, or fruits.

But at the same time, it is equally necessary to keep an eye on your canine’s weight and prevent obesity. Overfeeding should be avoided at all costs. Another factor that determines the quantity is the size of your pooch.

In the case of American Eskimo dogs, you have about three standard sizes to take into consideration. Beside this, the canines age, health conditions as well as the  activity level also play an important role in impacting the food cycles.

Are they slobbery?

These dogs are the perfect contenders of canines with low drool tendency. The slobbery levels in the American Eskimo dog are quite low.

Would they make a good pet?

The American Eskimo dog makes excellent pets. In credits to their playfulness, affection, and loyalties, these pooches are fantastic companions.

Though not really a working dog, however, their attentive characteristics and loud vocals contribute to wonderful watch dogs. Since the Eskimo dog is easy to train and is a quick learner, it's fun to work along with these canines.

However, as spirited as mischievous as little kids, certain boundaries need to be implemented to control the over-enthusiastic and destructive behavior.

Did you know...

If a dog can be categorized as a chatterbox, then we have definitely found ‘the one’. The American Eskimo is an extremely vocal dog with a high affinity for barking, yapping, and howling.

These dogs are vulnerable to certain disorders such as hip dysplasia, juvenile cataract, cancer, retinal atrophy, and skin conditions.

As the American Eskimo dogs are covered with heavy coats the tendency of shedding is just as high. In fact, under certain seasonal situations, they are known to be heavy shedders.

Eskimos dogs enjoy playing in snow and water, and playing with their humans just intensifies the fun.

These beautiful pooches are not the actual natives of America. They have their roots traced back to the soils of Germany. The Eskimo dogs are known to have descended from a family of German spitz. They are believed to have migrated with their German owners.

After a spectacular performance at the Barnum and Bailey Circus, the American Eskimo dog became quite a sensational breed. They presented a mesmerizing performance by tuning in with the music and coordinating with the clowns.

There are about three groups of the breed (the Siberian huskies, Finnish spitzes, and Bichon Frises) that hold quite a resemblance with the American Eskimo dog.

Coming up as a package deal of beauty, loyalty, and brains, a minor setback in the American Eskimo dogs is that these pooches tend to be heavy shedders.

Do Eskimo dogs like to cuddle?

The American Eskimo dog is known to form strong and lasting bonds with its humans. They are exceptionally doting and loyal quite much of a people pleaser.

Besides their marvelous beauty, these dogs are intelligent and extremely friendly dogs. They love spending time with children and, yes, definitely love to snuggle and cuddle. In fact, these pooches are perfect options if you are looking for funny, loyal, and intelligent friends.

What is special about Eskies?

Uniqueness with the perfect tinge of intellect does make one special, and the same applies to these lovely pooches. The American Eskimos, usually rated amongst smart and intelligent canines, have proved their caliber as talented acrobats in the past.

These dogs owning up to their brightness at a phase in their history, were used as circus dogs. They were incorporated with the skills to cooperate and work with clowns, react to music, weaving in/out wagon wheels and walk on a tightrope.

In fact the Eskie is the first canine to play the trick of walking down a tightrope.

Well, pulling off such a tricky trick does make these pooches quite special. In fact, the American Eskimo dog was a highlight of circuses during the 19th century.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Eskimo coloring pages.