American Eskimo Dog.

American Eskimo Dog. American Eskimo Dog, breed of domestic dog introduced to the United States from Germany in either the late 19th century or the early 20th century. Despite its resemblance to Inuit sled dogs, the American Eskimo dog, nicknamed the Eskie, is a type of spitz dog, a family of dogs that can be traced to the late Stone Age (about 6000 years ago). American Eskimo dogs are intelligent, energetic dogs that typically have bright white coats. The standard American Eskimo dog weighs 9 to 16 kg (18 to 35 lb) and has a shoulder height of 38 to 48 cm (15 to 19 in). Dogs belonging to a miniature variety of this breed weigh 4.5 to 9 kg (10 to 20 lb) and are 28 to 36 cm (11 to 14 in) tall. A toy-dog variety, which is even smaller than the miniature variety, has been developed, but it is not recognized as a distinct breed by the American Kennel Club. These dogs have wedge-shaped skulls with wide muzzles; oval, dark brown eyes; and triangular, erect ears that are rounded at the top. Their thick double coats are either pure white or cream colored. The coats are thickest around the neck, where they form a manelike ruff, which is especially obvious on males. The tail is curved and is covered with long hair. American Eskimo dogs have a good-natured temperament that makes them suitable for many living situations. Because of their high energy, however, they may become noisy or destructive if they are forced to be inactive. They are ideal companion dogs because of their intelligence and eagerness to please. These dogs are rarely used to perform work. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.