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Eskeimo Dog
A sturdy, powerfully built
dog capable of withstanding extreme cold, and a dedicated
worker.
History:
A Spitz-type of dog with
ancestry dating back two thousand years, it was used by the
Inuit living on the fringe of the Canadian Arctic. Before
that, it may have been brought by the Mongolian races when
they migrated from Asia to North America, and was then
cross-bred with wolf. Used as sled dogs they numbered in the
20,000s in the 1920s, but their numbers declined with the
introduction of the snowmobile.
Physical
characteristics:
A medium-sized dog. Height:
Under Canadian standards: 23 - 27.5 in (58.4 - 70 cm) for the
dog and 19.5 - 23.5 in (49.5 - 59.7 cm) for the bitch.
Elsewhere: 23 - 27 in (58.4 - 68.6 cm) for the dog and 20 - 24
in (50.8 - 61 cm) for the bitch. Weight: Under Canadian
standards: 66 - 88 lb (30 - 40 kg) for the dog and 40 - 66 lb
(18 - 30 kg) for the bitch. Elsewhere: 75 - 105 lb (34 - 47.6
kg) for the dog and 60 - 90 lb (27.2 - 40.8 kg) for the bitch.
The
head is broad and wedge-shaped with a strong, flat skull and
moderate stop. The muzzle is medium-length, tapering to the
black nose. The lips are black and tight, covering large,
strong teeth, with a scissor bite. The eyes are small,
slanting, brown or black. The ears are small, set well apart,
and face forward. The body is well-muscled and strong, with
wide shoulders and chest, and a straight and well-developed
loin. The tail is set high and is large and bushy with a thick
curl over the back, falling to one side. The forequarters are
heavy-boned, straight and muscular. The hindquarters are
straight with broad, heavily muscled thighs.
The coat of the Eskimo Dog is
a thick double coat, with the outer coat being long and stiff
over the body, and shorter over the head and legs. It is a
dense, rough coat to withstand freezing temperatures with, a
soft undercoat to insulate the skin. The color is unspecified.
Behavior:
The Eskimo Dog still retains
many of its original characteristics. It is still strongly
competitive with other dogs which must be allowed for if two
or more are kept together. To avoid disputes, one dog must be
allowed to be dominant over the other(s), but never over the
family. These alert and responsive dogs make good watch-dogs
and soon become very protective of their family. These dogs
require plenty of exercise to keep them in top form. If these
dogs are to be kept in hot climates, special accommodation
must be made to avoid overheating them.

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