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EARLY ORIGINS

In the beginning, there were man and wolf—not quite enemies, not quite friends. Through the centuries, however, this relationship was to change as descendants of the original wolf stock endured great anatomical changes. As a consequence of man’s intervention and manipulation over time, descendants of the wolf (Canis lupus) became domesticated and evolved into the dogs we know today.

Observing the sizes and shapes of many of the wolf’s descendants, one would be hard-pressed to detect any of the characteristics of the original wild animal from which they descended. However, there existed a branch of the family canid that, because of its close proximity to its wolf ancestry, retained many of the wolf’s physical characteristics.

Like their undomesticated ancestors, these dogs maintained the traits that protected them from the rugged environment of northern Europe. Weather-resistant coats protected from rain and cold. They had long, coarse outer coats, which shed snow and rain, and dense undercoats, which insulated against sub-zero temperatures. These coats were especially abundant around the neck and chest, thereby offering double protection for the vital organs.

GENUS CANIS

Dogs and wolves are members of the genus Canis. Wolves are known scientifically as Canis lupus while dogs are known as Canis domesticus. Dogs and wolves are known to interbreed. The term “canine” derives from the Latin-derived word canis. The term “dog” has no scientific basis but has been used for thousands of years. The origin of the word “dog” has never been authoritatively ascertained.

The plumed tail could cover and protect the nose and mouth should the animal be forced to sleep in the snow. The small prick ears were not easily frostbitten or frozen. The muzzle had sufficient length to warm the frigid air before it reached the lungs. The leg length was sufficient to keep the chest and abdomen above the snow line. These dogs carried their tails horizontally or up over their backs, rather than trailing behind in the snow.

Skeletal remains of these early wolf descendants have been found throughout northern and central Europe, northern Asia and the Arctic regions of North America. These dogs stand as the forerunners of what now are commonly referred to as the Arctic or Nordic breeds.

This group of breeds can be divided effectually into four categories: hunting dogs (Norwegian Elkhound, Chow Chow, Karelian Bear Dog, etc.); draft dogs (Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, etc.); herding dogs (Samoyed, Swedish and Finnish Lapphunds, etc.) and companion dogs (including most of the spitz-type dogs—German Spitz, Pomeranian, American Eskimo, Volpino Italiano, etc.).

One specific branch of this family was known as Canis familiaris palustris, or more commonly and interchangeably known as both “the dog of the lake” and “the peat bog dog.” Skeletons of these spitz-type dogs, said to have existed in the late Stone Age, have been found in many places throughout northern Europe. Although their exact role in the lives of the tribes with which the dogs lived cannot be fully identified, American Eskimo author and breed historian Nancy J. Hoffman suggests that they may well have served as what we today have come to think of as guard dogs—sounding the alarm by barking when danger threatened. The alert nature, rapid vocal response and protective devotion to home and hearth of the spitz breeds certainly give credibility to this belief.

THE GERMAN SPITZ BREEDS

Although the spitz-type breeds had already become popular in Germany in the early 1500s, Count Eberhard zu Sayne is the first to have been known to refer to the dogs as “Spitz.” The word spitz is German for “sharp point.” Count zu Sayne described the dogs as having no real interest in hunting but totally dedicated to their masters and protective of all of their masters’ property.

It appears that the Count had great influence in Germany in that, from his first use of the term “spitz” in 1540, the word was included not only in the German vocabulary but also in the dictionaries of that country.

The spitz-type dogs came in many sizes and many colors, with each type being identified by a separate name. They all, however, shared the same physical characteristics that had distinguished them from other types of dog for many centuries prior. Historically, dog breeds and varieties within breeds have been developed in various towns and villages of continental Europe and Great Britain quite simply due to the color and size preferences of influential individuals or due to common interests of a given area’s residents. The varieties often took on the names of the towns or villages in which they were developed, and sometimes the variety’s name referred to the particular duties assigned to the dogs.

The German Spitz is separated into varieties according to size. This classification was used originally in Germany and is that which is used today by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the governing canine authority throughout continental Europe.

The Wolfspitz is the largest of the five German Spitz breeds. It stands approximately 18 or more inches at the shoulder. The only color allowed is gray. It is believed that the American Eskimo Dog descended from this variety. The next largest is the Grossspitz, sometimes called the Giant Spitz, which stands 16 inches and above at the shoulder. Colors are white, black, brown and orange. The Mittelspitz, or Standard Spitz, is ideally 11 to 14 inches tall and can be white, black, brown, wolf gray and orange. The Kleinspitz, or Small Spitz, is bred in white, black, brown, wolf gray and orange, and measures 8.5 to 11 inches tall. Finally, the Zwergspitz, or Dwarf Spitz, can be white, black, brown, wolf gray or orange, and measures less than 8.5 inches tall.

The German Wolfspitz, the largest of the German Spitzen, seen in the characteristic wolf-gray color.

Size and color separated the varieties in Germany, but then, as now, they all retained the same basic look. The White Spitz enjoyed great popularity both in Germany and even more so abroad. By the 1700s, the popular dog of British society was called simply the White Spitz. These dogs were particular favorites of Queen Charlotte, who was born in Germany and remembered the dogs from her childhood.

A group of German Kleinspitz, showing off some of the breed’s color possibilities.

Queen Charlotte’s dogs were obtained from the area around Pomerania, which had a far-reaching reputation for the excellence of its white dogs. Charlotte’s treasured White Spitz came to be called the “Pomeranian” in England. This name was attributed to her creation, but no breed has ever been known by this name in Germany.

The Japanese Spitz very closely resembles the American Eskimo Dog.

These Pomeranians gained tremendous popularity, even among England’s commoners in the 1800s. The dogs weighed about 20 to 30 pounds and were said to be about 18 inches high at the shoulder. The size and color, incidentally, coincide approximately with those of the Standard variety of today’s American Eskimo Dog. Shortly we will see that the Miniature variety of the Eskie seems more apt to be tied to the Pomeranian as we know it today.

It would be Queen Victoria, however, who was to have the most profound and long-lasting influence on the character of what was referred to as the Pomeranian. After ascending to the British throne, Victoria and her entourage journeyed to Italy. In Florence, she came upon a red sable spitz that weighed only 12 pounds. She became enchanted by the little dog and brought him back to Great Britain with her. She called him Marco and he became her constant companion.

The Pomeranian is a close relative of the Eskie.

Victoria exhibited him at dog shows in London as a Pomeranian, even though he looked nothing like the larger white dogs that carried that name. Little Marco created a minor sensation, launching a demand for Pomeranians of his size and color. For a time, both the larger white and smaller colored dogs were shown simultaneously. Eventually, the smaller dogs gained such a foothold that the white dogs that had carried the name Pomeranian fell from favor and disappeared completely from the show scene. From that point on, the diminutive variety retained the name Pomeranian.

ARRIVAL AND ESTABLISHMENT IN AMERICA

Some of the larger white dogs had found their way to America by the turn of the 20th century and maintained some popularity under the name “Spitz.” They no doubt emigrated to the US with the early German settlers. Unfortunately, a good many of these early dogs were somewhat sharp in temperament and were not considered entirely trustworthy.

Early in the 1900s, Mr. and Mrs. James Hall became deeply involved in breeding the White Spitz, or what was popularly known at the time as the “American Spitz.” The Halls contacted the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1913 and negotiated to have their dogs registered with that organization.

The UKC had been founded by Chauncey Z. Bennett in 1898, just a few years after the AKC had opened its doors, and was primarily a registering source for working dogs. Why the Halls chose the UKC as the breed’s registering body has never been revealed, and how the breed became known as the American Eskimo Dog remains controversial. Some believe it was simply because the Halls did not like the German word spitz. They therefore opted for the name of their own kennel, which was “American Eskimo.” This name did in fact somewhat describe the breeds used by the Eskimos of the Arctic regions, but in reality had absolutely nothing to do with the spitz dogs that the Halls were breeding.

Considering the world’s political situation at the time that the Halls applied for recognition of the breed, there is another story told that may well be closer to the truth. American sentiments were dramatically anti-German at the time and, in fact, German Shepherds were referred to as Alsatians and Dachshunds as Badger Dogs. The American public wanted absolutely nothing to do with Germany or anything associated with that country. Certainly “American Eskimo” was a far more patriotic-sounding name than “German Spitz.”

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) painted “Pomeranian and Puppy” more than 250 years ago. The breed has changed considerably since then, but its relationship to the Eskie is very obvious.

The first known breed standard for the American Eskimo Dog is said to have been drafted by Dr. E. G. Fuhrman, who was then-president of the UKC. Although it basically described the breed as we know it today, his draft contained some significant errors. The most important incorrect statement made was that the Eskie was a miniaturized version of the Samoyed that had been painstakingly bred down in size through the years.

SPITZ BREED NAMES

The word spitz actually became an umbrella term in Germany in that some of the spitz-type dogs were named in respect to the area from which they came. For instance, the Mannheimer Spitz was developed in the area of Mannheim, Germany. Other varieties were given their names because of the work they performed. The dogs that worked as guardians for the wine-growers of Germany became known as the Weinberg or Vineyard Spitz.

German Kleinspitz.

From 1913, when the UKC first admitted the breed to its stud books, until 1970, the UKC accepted “single-dog registrations.” That is, a dog of obvious pure breeding could be registered without benefit of a pedigree. However, the stud books of the United Kennel Club have been closed to single-dog registrations of the American Eskimo Dog since 1970. While the single-dog registry may seem unusual, many kennel clubs of the world have resorted to the same procedure. When trying to establish foundation stock for a new breed or particularly to reestablish a breed decimated by war or genetic problems, this method has been resorted to in Europe and also in Great Britain.

The American Kennel Club resorted to this same method as recently as the end of the 20th century as a response to the request of American Basenji breeders, who needed an outcross to assist them in correcting genetic problems rampant in the breed. The Basenji parent club was permitted to single-register Basenjis that had been found in the tribal villages of Africa.

According to Nancy Hoffman and Cathy J. Flamholtz’s The American Eskimo, 43 fanciers from across the country gathered in DeSota, Missouri in November of 1969 to form the National American Eskimo Dog Association. Thomas Maxwell was elected president of the new organization. He became one of the breed’s staunchest supporters and remained in office for many years.

Mr. Maxwell’s female Standard Eskie, Maxwell’s Gidget, became the first UKC champion in the breed. Another dog of his breeding, Maxwell’s Zsa Zsa, was to become the first Miniature champion. Many champions were bred by Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell and the couple traveled extensively, showing and winning with their dogs throughout the US.

As the years progressed and the American Eskimo grew from strength to strength, many of the breed’s supporters felt that the breed deserved to be included among those breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. In order to support their efforts in that direction, fanciers met with Carolyn Jester in 1985 to form the American Eskimo Dog Club of America (AEDCA). Carolyn Jester was named president and stud book registrar of the new organization. She served as president until 1998 and maintained the AEDCA stud book from its inception to its final preparation and turnover to the AKC in the fall of 1993.

STONEHENGE ON THE SPITZ

J. H. Walsh, the English author who wrote under the pseudonym “Stonehenge” in the 1800s, is regarded as an eminent dog authority and historian to this day. In his book, Dogs of Great Britain, America and Other Countries, he wrote about the Pomeranian or Spitz dogs in this manner: “…he is always cheerful in the house, generally free from smell either of coat or breath, and readily taught to be cleanly in all his habits. He has not the fondness for game generally exhibited by the colley, and on that account is more suited to be a ladies’ pet, nor is he so pugnacious as that dog…”

The American Eskimo derives from dogs that came to us under the name White Spitz.

On April 13, 1993, the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club voted to accept the American Eskimo Dog into its stud book and over 1,750 dogs were registered as foundation stock. The breed was shown in the Miscellaneous Class at American Kennel Club shows until July 1, 1995, at which time the Eskie attained full breed recognition as a member of the Non-Sporting Group. The American Eskimo Dog Club of America was officially recognized by the AKC as the breed’s parent club.

An immediate flurry of activity arose after the date on which the breed was given full recognition, as exhibitors rushed to try their wings under AKC judges. It took only 22 days for Sandy Tocco’s Stevens’ Gorbachev to become the first entry in the breed’s AKC record book. Gorbachev became the first AKC champion of record on July 23, 1995 at the Burbank Kennel Club show in Burbank, California.

On the first day that the breed was eligible to be shown at an AKC show, Sierra’s Orion, bred by Joe and Diana Allen and owned by C. Anne Bishop, PhD., made breed history by winning his way to first place in the Non-Sporting Group. Orion’s ensuing show record proved that his first win was not serendipitous—he went on to win the first National Specialty Show of the AEDCA in February of the following year and became the first of the breed to win an all-breed Best in Show. The historic occasion took place at the Greater Emporia Kennel Club, Emporia, Kansas, in May of 1996.

THE WHITE SPITZ

It is a known fact that there were very good representatives of the White Spitz breed in America as early as the late 1800s. At that time, British authors made reference to the fact that high-quality specimens of the breed had been imported into England from America by British citizens who had traveled to America and back. In 1919, National Geographic magazine carried an article that spoke of this spitz breed as having been popular “thirty or forty years ago…in this country.”

A wintry portrait that reminds us of the American Eskimo’s beginnings.

HOME SWEET HOME

One of the most highly prized characteristics of Germany’s “Spitzhunds,” precursors of the American Eskimo, was their lack of interest in chasing game or straying away from the home. This made the dogs ideal home guardians and they soon became the cherished breed of the common man, guarding home and hearth. The dogs were especially held in high regard by the mothers of the family, who knew that the alarm would be sounded if anyone attempted to approach the children or if the children attempted to wander off.

The breed’s accomplishments did not end in the conformation ring, as many Eskies quickly proved themselves as obedience winners. The first High in Trial and Obedience Hall of Fame titleholder was Donna J. Blews’ brilliant female, Northern Lights Calah, UD, ASCA-CDX, TDI, TT, CGC.

Today, chapters of both the National American Eskimo Dog Association and the American Eskimo Dog Club exist throughout the United States. Shows are held throughout the country on almost every weekend of the year, with the NAEDA abiding by the UKC’s rules and breed standards, and the AEDCA abiding by those of the AKC.

It is to the credit of the breeders and members of these organizations that great care has been taken in the placement of Eskie breeding stock and companion stock. Devoted fanciers have avoided making the American Eskimo the dog du jour, as witnessed by the modest numbers registered with the AKC each year. For example, at the close of 1999, the 491 individual Eskies registered by the AKC put the breed in 98th place among the 147 breeds recognized by that organization. It is also to the credit of the Eskie fancy that such great strides have been made in stabilizing and improving the breed’s temperament that it is now considered to be among one of the finest home companions available.