American Eskimo Dog Puppy Dog Care Information

Photo of an attractive
American Eskimo Dog puppy dog

American Eskimo Dog Health Information:

Being an ancient breed, the American Eskimo doesn't suffer from many health problems as a rule. However, it's always important to choose your breeder carefully - you want a breeder who thoroughly screens her dogs before breeding to ensure they do not have any health conditions that could be passed on to their puppies. This is not a 100% guarantee against a puppy developing a canine disorder, but certainly will greatly improve your chances of acquiring a healthy, happy and long lived puppy.

American Eskimo dogs can be susceptible to the following genetic disorder:

*Progressive Retinal Atrophy

A responsible Eskie breeder will have her dogs CERF tested and certified prior to breeding to help ensure this disorder does not occur in her puppies.

Other things that can affect your Eskie puppy include:

Hip dysplasia
Patellar luxation
Cataracts
Legg Calve Perthes disease
Epilepsy
Flea allergies

American Eskimo Dog Exercise Information:

The American Eskimo puppy is a very active and energetic individual though they do tend to calm somewhat, once they mature. Even as adults, however, most Eskies enjoy rousing, romping games of fetch, chase, and do quite well in obstacle courses and events. Additionally, the American Eskimo Dog enjoys learning new tricks and thrives on praise; encouraged to keep going, he loves to perform and will do so until his heart's content.

While the American Eskimo does best with access to his own back yard, where he can frolic and play, they can adapt well to apartment living, provided they are taken out for daily walks or are allowed the liberty of a run in the dog park. If started early, the American Eskimo Dog does well in a social setting and will learn to enjoy the company of other canines.

American Eskimo Dog Grooming Needs:

The American Eskimo Dog is relatively simple to groom and maintain. To prevent risk of mats, he should be brushed a couple of times a week with either a wire slicker brush or a comb, paying special attention not to scratch his skin. Be forewarned that the American Eskimo does shed and they are known to "blow their coat" a couple of times per year. Blowing the coat refers to periods when the dogs shed profusely (mainly in the Spring and Fall). The hair will come out in clumps during this time, discouraging many from shedding breeds such as this. To the Eskie lover, however, this shedding is all part of the joy of owning one of these wonderful little dogs.

An American Eskimo Dog shouldn’t need to be bathed too often; once or twice a month is usually a good bet, unless you have an individual who really enjoys getting dirty. Aside from this, the only other major grooming needs that an Eskie requires are keeping his nails clipped, his ears clean and, if he will let you, his teeth brushed. Should tooth-brushing be an issue, however, there are a variety of toys and treats now available, which help to reduce tartar build up and tooth decay.