HWT Featured Breeds -- The American Eskimo

Terrific companion animals, Eskies like to be with their owners. They love to sit in your lap and be petted and loved. Most are big 'kissers'. Many Eskies enjoy swimming and will jump right in and play with you in the water. They will cuddle up in bed next to you and keep you warm at night. They make great watch dogs and will sound a warning when they hear something outside.

Many of them make wonderful traveling companions and travel very well. Most of them will go to sleep as soon as the car starts moving. They adjust to crate training easily and are easy to house break. They do very well in agility, and obedience competitions.

They are very intelligent and are eager to please their owners. They are protective of their home and family but not normally aggressive. They were once highly sought after by circus people like Barnum & Bailey because they were such good performers. They are highly intelligent animals and like to have something to do. They can become destructive if they become bored. They are loving companion animals and therefore want to be inside and be treated like part of the family. They do
very poorly if left outside for long periods of time and should never be tied or chained up

Because they are so intelligent they can be mischievous at times. They can figure out how to get up on or over almost any obstacle to be by your side. Some Eskies - if not trained properly can be very noisy. They may bark constantly if they are left outside unattended trying to get your attention to let them back in. They have a high prey drive so any rabbit, squirrel, or bird had better be on its guard if it ventures into an Eskie yard.

skies' fur is usually white but occasionally you will see some biscuit cream coloring. They have black or brown noses, black lips and black rims around their eyes. They have a double coat with longer guard hairs covering a short undercoat. They need to be bathed, blown dry and brushed fairly frequently but don't require haircuts like some other breeds.

RATINGS GUIDE

1) Energy level: An eskie can live in an apartment if taken for daily walks but a home with a fenced back yard is best

2) Good with children under 5; maybe

3). Good with children over 5; yes

4) Good with children under 10; yes

5) Good with children over 10; yes

6) Ease of care; They need to be bathed, dried, and brushed. They don't require clipping or trimming.

7) Housebreakability; Most Eskies are eager to please.

8) Life limiting disorders (lets be honest); None that I can think of.

9) Nonlife limiting disorders; Some Eskies that are poorly bred do have hip problems.

10) Length of average life span; 12 years or longer. Some to 18 years.

11) Trainability; Smart and eager to learn

12) Less than lovely breed quirks; They blow their coats twice a year and they do shed.

13) Average weight/size:
They come in three sizes.
Toys: under 12 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing under 10 lbs,
Mini: 12 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing 10 to 20 lbs,
Standard: 15 to 21 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing 20 to 35 lbs

14) Personality; Lovable companion dogs, very affectionate and eager to please