Petzlover
American Eskimo Dog is originated from United States but Azawakh is originated from Mali. American Eskimo Dog may grow 27 cm / 10 inches shorter than Azawakh. American Eskimo Dog may weigh 9 kg / 19 pounds lesser than Azawakh. Both American Eskimo Dog and Azawakh has same life span. Both American Eskimo Dog and Azawakh has almost same litter size. American Eskimo Dog requires High Maintenance. But Azawakh requires Moderate Maintenance
The American Eskimo is derived from the Nordic Spitz breed and most closely related to the German Spitz in particular. There were many German Spitzes in the United States at the time of the second World War and anti-German sentiment caused its name to change to the American Eskimo Dog. However, as the breed developed over time in the States, the American Eskimo became its own separate breed. In addition to the German Spitz, the American Eskimo is also related to the white Keeshond, the Samoyed, the white Italian Spitz and the white Pomeranian.
The history is beginning to show that the Spitzes that were brought to the US in the early 1900’s was white. This color was not popular in Europe but was quickly the favorite in the United States. They were originally working dogs on farms and ranches. They have excellent herding instincts, make goo watch and guard dogs, and good law enforcement sniff dogs. However, their first introduction to the American public was through the Cooper Brothers’ Railroad Circus and Stout’s Pal Pierre at the Barnum and Baily Circus. Eskimo puppies were sold after the circus show.
It was then that the breed became one of America’s favorite breeds and they quickly became house pets. Following World War II, Japan exported the Japanese Spitz into America and it was crossed with the Eskimo also. The American Eskimo Dog breed was not recognized by AKC until 1985. Still in 1958 there was no official breed club in the States but there were growing numbers of the dogs. It was not until 1970 did the National American Eskimo Dog Association (NAEDA) come into being. They collected the pedigrees of the first 1750 dogs to be AKC registered.
Since the American Eskimo Dog is not recognized internationally, those wishing to participate in international competition such as England’s prestigious Cruft’s Dog Show must register their dogs a German Spitz. Despite this the American Eskimo and German Spitz remain two very different breeds.
Azawakh dog was bred by the nomads in Africa. They were originally bred to be a guard dog. But, they realized that their body shape and bone structure allows them to run really fast (some say that they can run at the speed more than 65 km/h. This fact made them ideal for the hunting. Nowadays, they can be found across the globe but they are still very rare kind of a dog because they can survive and adapt to very high temperatures but they are very intolerant of low temperatures. Male Azawakh is slightly bigger than a female dog, with a greater instinct for guarding, hunting and taking care of the family and the pact.
This small to medium dog is beautiful and resembles a miniature Samoyed. There are three sizes of American Eskimo – the standard, miniature, and the toy. The Eskimo’s head is wedge shaped with tall, triangular, erect ears. It has a heavily plumed tail with a sharp curl over the back. The Eskimo can burst into bold action due to their good legs and feet.
The coat is a double one with a harsh outer coat and plush inner one. The coat is always white or white with cream or biscuit markings, and visible skin in gray or pink. The American Eskimo’s ruff or mane is very heavy, and the nose, eyelids, pads and gums are black. They have dark eyes and blue are not allowed.
Azawakh is a large dog breed placed in a family of the hounds. It looks almost like any hound we know – slim, with long and skinny legs, with a big-boned chest with a stomach placed up with the spine. They have thin and a bit longer tail, narrow nose and small skull in a triangle shape. Their body may look skinny but it is just the way they should look. Actually, you could probably see the bone structure of the adult Azawakh because they, like any other hounds, have specific muscles – very thin and flat. They can be found in many coat colours like sand, fawn or dark fawn, even brown. Their coat is very short, usually with white marks on the neck, chest and all four paws. In Africa, Azawakh can be found in a diversity of colours.
The Eskimo is affectionate, playful and love children of all ages. They are intelligent and want to please you. They can be trained easily and are champions of the obedience trial. They are fun and confident. At the same time, they need a confident pack leader. He is prone to Little Dog Syndrome where the dog thinks they oversee the home and display all sorts of behaviors. Under these circumstances the American Eskimo can become obsessive, aggressive, and engaging in obsessive resource guarding and barking.
Once Azawakh is a part of the family, he will try to find his place. If you teach him that you are the main figure, they will be obedient and affectionate pet. They love children, and they will surely be always close to them, guarding them and making sure they are safe.
canine freestyle sports, heelwork to music competitions.
If your Azawakh pet is trained well and socialized, they can fit in almost anywhere. Some will say that they hate cats, but there are some cases where they were raised with them and they did just fine. They will be quite tolerant of a stranger in your house. Since they get attached to the family, it is not recommendable to consider this breed as a new-owner kind of pet.
Once you set yourself as a pact leader, you will have almost no problems with training your dog various tricks. Azawakh is an intelligent breed, they learn quickly and they will be more than happy to show you every day what they have learned. It is necessary to start socializing your Azawakh dog while he is still a pup. They don’t respond well to harsh methods of teaching so you should really avoid them.
The American Eskimo Dog is prone to hip dysplasia. Their eyes and tear ducts are potential issues with progressive retinal atrophy. They are allergic to fleas and have a tendency to be overweight.
We deal with PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) in greater detain in a following section but it is not as destructive as it used to be. It is much more treatable now.
There are potentially some dental issues that some American Eskimo Dogs are prone to.
The Azawakh breed is very rare and this kind of information cannot be still guaranteed. If they are bred with a healthy family, they are usually very healthy and don’t need much of the vet care. Some of the diseases that were found in a medical history of this magnificent dog report heart problems (usually caused by their super high need of daily activity), problems with the thyroid glands, and skin diseases caused by the increased secretion of the thyroid glands which causes their skin to become dry and in some cases even the loss of the hair.
Your American Eskimo Dog needs a high quality food so they will not get overweight. Make sure you know how much is appropriate for your particular dog and her specific age. The puppies should be fed twice a day but adults only once.
As previously mentioned the American Eskimo Dog is prone to eye issue such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy or (PRA) – this disease is inherited and used to cause blindness as the rods in the retina died. New medical discoveries mean this is no longer a hopeless disease. Their eyes are also susceptible to other issues so make sure you check them and the tear ducts regularly.
Like so many other breeds the American Eskimo is also susceptible to hip dysplasia and a moving patella in the knee. For this reason watch their weight. They can also be very allergic.
This small dog has more energy than his size can handle. He needs a lot of exercise and a place to run. If he will become hyperactive and destructive. They are prone to disturbing behaviors such as spinning (spinning in circles) when they don’t get enough exercise. The American Eskimo Dog is smart and agile, Play games like catch or agility. They are also great at herding, competitive obedience or detection.
The Azawakh bred has a high risk of the obesity. They must be fed with special care since the food they eat can affect the thyroid glands function. They should never be overfed by average dry dog food. You will be advised to give them food with little percentage of the protein. They drink a lot of water and they like the dairy products. Their meals shouldn’t include fruits and vegetables, and some grains (millet, rice). They do not need to eat a lot of meat, but you can add some chicken in their meals.
Puppies should be fed three times per day. Their portions should be small and diverse. Keep in mind to feed them at the same time each day because their metabolism will be formed by this. Adult dogs are fed two times per day, at the same time as well. After the meal, let them rest for an hour or two and never give them meals right after high physical activity.
If you want your Azawakh dog to be healthy and happy make sure you provide them with enough space to run, explore, dig holes and always have some fresh water. They don’t need regular vet checks, but if you notice some changes in their digestion, lower activity or skin abnormalities, it is very important to take them to the vet station. They should never be kept indoors, so if you are living this kind of life maybe this kind of dog is not for you. But, if you are super active and if you have a couple of hours per day to spend with your Azawakh, maybe you can make him feel a lot better.
Since they like the warmer climate, you can take them running with you. They will be a great companion while you bike and leave them leash free but only if he is trained to stay by your side. If you have a yard, make sure to leave some areas free for digging and hiding their special toys or treats. They are extremely playful and cheerful, so they will wander off in no time. Some of the Azawakh dogs were great on the hiking trips, so you can try this daily activity once you train him to listen to you.