# Is american eskimo good for beginners?



## grayson (May 15, 2010)

looking for the first puppy for my family. we never had dogs before but we really like the color and shape of american eskimo. found a 6-month old male from a local breeder, just wondering if it's good for us. thanks.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

how are we supposed to know if its a good fit if you dont give any background info?

how much exercise can you give a day?
how much grooming are you willing to do?
how much do you know about training?
how many people will have responsibility for the dog?
How many hours a day are those people at home?

answers to those and other questions would be good.


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## grayson (May 15, 2010)

thanks for your suggestions and questions.
most of the time my wife stay home and she has plenty of time taking care of the puppy. we don't know anything about the dog/puppy yet. my wife, my 10-year-old son, and I all can have responsibility for the dog.


zimandtakandgrrandmimi said:


> how are we supposed to know if its a good fit if you dont give any background info?
> 
> how much exercise can you give a day?
> how much grooming are you willing to do?
> ...


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

different breeds have different requirements as far as care goes

whether or not you are a good fit for that breed depends on what you are willing to do

like i keep short coated dogs mostly because a lot of dog breeds with long coats require more grooming than i care to do. i dont want to have to pay a professional groomer to do sanitary trims and de matting coats and all that stuff so i dont get breeds that require that.

im an active person so i need a dog that can keep up with me..the flipside to that is that a lot of the breeds with the energy levels i want in a dog tend to be harder to train in some ways...which is not a problem for me but may be a problem for others

i have a young kid so i like a big dog with a high tolerance threshold so that my son's antics dont upset the dog or cause it pain. small dogs can a lot of times be intimated or made angry by kids being loud and rough. 

it really depends on your individual situation.

take a look at this link

before you get your puppy.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

As usual Zim is right to the point, more info needed. I have trained one for a young couple 14 yrs ago who was PTSed a few weeks ago. A very sweet intelligent dog. She was energetic but so was the couple. They had no problems.


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## grayson (May 15, 2010)

thanks a lot.


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

I have an eskie...she is now 22mo old and our first dog. She is AMAZING! Now, I haven't been around very many eskies but those I have, all but 1 was like Chloe in tempermant. 
Chloe LOVES to run, LOVES to be chased. Eskies live to run. We have 2.5acres, she uses up 3/4 of it when on a good run. From time she was with us at 11weeks she was taught limits, where she can and cannot go. By the time she was around 13-14mo old she was 100% reliable off leash when outside with us. We haven't leashed her up since then when we are outside. She stay with us or within acceptable range.

Potty training: We use potty bells. Chloe used them within the first week of showing them to her but she was not reliable until 5.5mo old. At 5.5mo old she was realiable up to 4hr if home alone, by 7mo old she was reliable for a standard work day. By the time she was a year old she was reliable up to 12hrs (which is RARE she is left alone that long, maybe 2 or 3 times is all) 

Grooming - We brush her every other day or so. Very easy to bathe. We do get her professionally groomed about every 8 weeks. We have them to a "poop shoot" or sanitary trim on her butt then neaten up her leg feathers & tummy fur. She has a tendency to get knots behind her ears & in her arm pits, she is very good and sweet about letting us brush them out. We let her get as muddy and dirty as she wants to, eskie fur is VERY easy, as soon as mud is dry it just falls off the fur. Nothing seems to stain her.

Temperment: She is sweet, outgoing, social ...loves everything that breathes, kids, animals of all kinds, strangers, NOTHING bothers her. We worked hard from the time we had her to take her everywhere, including doggy daycare, parks and stores. We exposed her to sounds, loud noises (kitchen door slamming) and machinery. She LOVES for me to hold her when I am on the riding mower. On mowing days they go to daycare nad hubby picks them up, if I am still mowing when they get home she comes running at me. I turn off the PTO (blades) and hold her for a few minutes, we have to make her get down. 

Energy: loves to run, loves to be chased by kids, other dogs & my hubby. She won't run for me, she nuzzles against my legs instead. She loves to play in the house but is content if we have a lazy day and do nothing. 

Weight: Chloe is about 15" and weighs 18.8lbs. This is the leanest I like her, she can go up to 19.5lb. We were feeding Tast of the Wild but due to our other dog needing more fiber we now feed Pure Vita, we are very happy with this food. She is fed 1/3-1/2 cup of food twice a day and LOTS of training treats.

Training: GET IN TO OBEDIENCE CLASSES with a certified trainer. I think it is important for first time dog owners. We have a wonderful trainer, Chloe is now in her 5th class. She LOVES going to classes, when I ask her if she wants to go to class she runs for her leash and spins circles. The classes helped us understand dog mentality, how to train for things other than what they show you in class and gave us a resource for questions that we trusted.

Noise: She is barky but not horrible, very tolerable actually. When she thinks the boogy man is outside (UPS or no-see-um's) she barks, runs to me to sit on my lap to protect me. Now not sure why she does this since she LOVES everyone, especially our Schwan's driver. I've heard of eskies being very quiet & very barky.

Overall...long walks a couple times a week, play time with thier human, play time in the yard (even if small yard), training, socialization and they make great dogs. We couldn't be happier with her, she truely is amazing. We've met other eskie owners that felt the same way about theirs, matter of fact I met a guy who had 2 that were both 15yr old - as he loved on Chloe he was so sad his were not 22mo old again. 

At Chloe's doggy daycare they didn't realize how much training we were doing with her, she started going to daycare a couple days a week at the age of 16weeks. At 6-7mo old they said they had to have a talk with me over Chloe's behavior. She was barky and rude (humping) to other dogs. I told them that she doesn't do that at home, they need to figure it out & had my permission to use obedience training and oh btw, she is in her 2nd class already so she knows many commands. DOH! Turns out the 15 people that work there were ALL manipulated by my cute white ball of fur. If Chloe wanted their attention, she barked. If she wanted them to pick her up she humped. They realized she manipulated them in to behaviors that worked for her. They got it nipped in the bud quickly, she is now a favorite of theirs and we still laugh about experienced handlers being so easily manipulated (most of the staff breed & show diff breeds). 

This help?


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