AMERICAN ESKIMO HISTORY

The Distant Past, the Ever Present, and the Impending Future

by Theresa Wright

"The Morning Walk" by Thomas Gainsboro 100 years before the Samoyed came to England.

Every living creature has a past (something that came before), a present (the tangible today) and a future (a roster of possibilities.) To determine what the American Eskimo Dog really is and what it should be is drawn from that which existed in the past, resulting in what exists today. The future will draw upon what has existed in the present of today, as well as the past.

A Bit of History

The progenitors of the domestic dog can be traced back 40 million years to a forum called Cynodictis. After the progression of 15 million years, the form became Cynodesmus, which, over several million more years, evolved to Tomartcus. Tomartcus was prominent for about 13 million years (during the Miocene Epoch,) and founded the dog Family Canidae. The earliest members of this family were Jackals, Coyotes, Dingos, Wolves, and Japanese Raccoon Dogs. These were primitive hunters; flesh eating carnivores that would grasp smaller prey by the head/neck and shake it rapidly (an assumption based on the conditions between skeletal remains and present day varieties with regard to the jaw, teeth, head, neck and muzzle structure.) They walked on their toes (which gave them a more effective stride,) panted to cool themselves, and were fur covered mammals. From these hunters a number of 'primitive' domestic breeds originated roughly 11 thousand years ago.

Dog phylogeny is an abstract science . There are few means to track the tremendous amount of backbreeding and crossbreeding that occurred over the past 11 thousand years. The problem is further complicated by the fact that wild canids can interbreed with domestic dogs. Ecological factors, food supply, and the environment have added a good share of obscurity. A clearly definable path to establish a true, definite, documentable ancestry can be likened to a whimsical fantasy sweetened with a good helping of imagination. Genealogical connections can be drawn by comparing similarities, and then grouping the similarities into respective types.

There are four subspecies of domestic dogs native to Eurasia (dating back 10,000 years ago, verified by radiocarbon dating,) which consist of: 1) Canis Familiaris inostranzewi - a Polar type sledge dog with erect ears and straight coat which descended from C.L. lupis, the wolf family, 2) Canis Familiaris intermedius- An intermediate size dog found in Lake Dwellings in Switzerland, 3) Canis Familiaris matris-optimae- A dingo/pariah like dog (associated with a sheepdog function) found in the Mt. Carmel caves, and in Persia, (descended from the Arab. and South Asian Wolves),and 4) Canis Familiaris palustrius- which was a terrier/housedog type. (Terrier described as a smallish but powerful domestic hunting dogs designed to kill or at least grapple physically with their prey.)

The gradual process of domestication began in the times of early man and wild dog by the formation of a mutual hunting alliance, due to similarities in hunting patters (surrounding and/or herding prey.) Neotenic wolves, jackals, and dingos (Neotenic referring to individuals that retained physical and/or psychological child-like characteristics after maturity) playing the role of scavenger, followed human clans, cleaning up leftovers and scraps, and eventually ingratiated themselves into a niche in the clan. Early man, by listening to the wolf song, and observing the movement of the pack might have learned prey location. By whatever means this symbiosis began, it culminated in the formulation of a variety of distinct working breeds. From there, as occupations and societies emerged within the human realm, (farming, herding, crafting, soldiering, etc.) new applications arose for dogs to fulfill and the chain of divergent specialization continued. As a result, different breeds originated out of the subset of possibilities available in the original wolf or progenitor. Domestication became the process of minimizing the primitive characteristics, and maximizing the design at hand. The wild progenitors have undergone divergent specialization as well, and some (such as the fox and the coyote) now differ in the number of chromosomes. It is no longer be possible for some domestic dogs to interbreed with certain wild types.

Physical Attributes of the Family "Canid."

The physical attributes and social aspects of wild dogs (closest predecessors to domesticated dogs) are both fascinating and remarkable. Many of these characteristics contributed to the modern domesticated dogs at the Genus and Species level.

Use of scent discrimination. Everything checked out with the nose for recognition.
The growth of fur (and undercoat) for heat retention and body insulation.
The ability to see in shades of green, gray, and brown.
Erect ears. Dogs in the wild have ears that are erect earlier in life than domesticated dogs.
Inborn capacity for intelligence to learn, improve, and adapt.
Inborn capacity for affection and loyalty. Wolves have a mighty devotion to each other. The capacity for this affection is taught by the mother; socialization and complex relationships are fostered by the hierarchy within the pack.
Strong family' orientation- hunting adults bring food back to the den. Young often fed by regurgitation.
Adults will adopt and raise youngsters.
Superb runners, trotters; by running on the toes, gained endurance (wolves can trot nonstop for 2 days!) and speed.
The carnivore traits (hunting, tracking, etc.) are the same as man's Mesozoic Ancestors.
The formation of packs or groups, dominated by two hierarchies; one male and one female.
The establishment of territories, which is nature's way of dividing up the prey supply.
Hunting in packs.
A caudal gland located on the base of the tail that offers pheromonal information indicating the sex of the individual.
A variety of coat shadings and colors co-existed within the pack.

These traits were available on the genus level during the production of 9 distinct species; the wolf, coyote, jackal (5 kinds), and Simenian Dog, (Simocyon) which were all interbreedable. (The genus Simocyon is extinct, but were described as short-faced scavenger dogs.)

The Process of Domestication

Domestication resulted in the loss or compromise of traits. Here are a few. The most profound trait is the ability for the truly domesticated dog to differentiate between humans and other dogs and adjust behavior accordingly. Animals in the wild do not make this distinction, and man, if accepted by the pack, is taken for an animal of the pack, not a human. ·The estrus cycle lost its seasonal occurrence, to some degree. Heat seasons for domesticated dogs are progressively less predictable as time goes on. The more differentiated from the 'wild,' the more 'lop-eared' the dogs tend to be. Long, floppy ears are a neotenic retained trait is favored in domesticated dogs, but baneful in the wild.· The appearance of a pronounced (forehead) stop and shorter jaws are partly caused by the environment, and partly due to the retention of infantile characteristics. Animals in the wild have longer, larger jaws, and almost no stop because of the intense work of bringing down prey that the jaw must do. (A wolf pup taken from the wild will grow shorter jaws and the skull will form a pronounced stop if raised in captivity.) The stop grows more pronounced and the jaws grow shorter as the domestication process continues. Wild canids carry their tail straight back. In many domestic breeds the tail is carried curved and/or high. Human intervention has fostered artificial selection by reproducing dogs possessing traits and conditions that would have difficulty surviving in the wild. (Such as bent or dwarfed limbs, protruding skulls, bulging eyes, severe underbite, oversized heads, large joint, disproportionate bodies, etc.)

The primitive types that likely descended from the European/Asian wolf are the Polar Dogs (Norwegian Elkhound, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed, Chow, etc.), the Hunter/Cutter type (German Shepherd), the Sheepdog, (Scandinavian Elkhounds, which represent a mix of polar and non-polar type, probably reflecting the north/south migration of people), the Dwarfed polar dogs (the Pomeranian, Spitz, Keeshond), and the Wolfhound, (a shaggy polar mix with gazehound.)

Of the primitive domestic types recognized, the Polar breeds are well studied. The Polar dogs are described as wolflike breeds that shared the ranges of the nomadic peoples that inhabited the area circling the Arctic. According to John McLoughlin2, this type originated from the small Eurasian wolf, and carried many wolf-like attributes such as; wild-coloring (banded, multicolored guard hair), erect ears, straight, heavy double coat, broad and powerful long-snouted skull framed by display ruffs, robust trotting builds, a characteristic sturdiness (hardness) and adaptive ability, as well as an air of jolly independence. These traits sound rather familiar don't they?

These traits served the animal well. The wild coloring helps the wolf blend in more with the surroundings (compared to a solid color.) The Arctic Wolf, white in color, has bands of pearl-like iridescence that have the effect of glistening snow. Erect ears are the most sensitive type for hearing, and can be rotated in the direction of the sound. Heavy coats are standard equipment for a harsh environment; one that can be wet as well as cold. A straight coat sheds water, ice and debris more readily than a curled one. Long, broad snouts are evidence of power for survival, and the display ruff serves to make the wolf appear as large as possible when facing an adversary. And, if a wolf had to trot for 2 days nonstop to find a meal, the build needs to be robust, sturdy and hardy.

Over time, the Polar group of dogs that were common to the Scandinavian and Northern European region has become a subset known as the Nordic Breeds. (Nordic is a word of Dutch origin that refers to the people of Northern Europe, specifically, Scandinavia. These horse people tenaciously conquered and settled many areas of Greenland, Iceland, England, Ireland, and Europe from the invention of the boat until the 11th century.) These dogs are often thought of as sledge type dogs that were commonly used for hauling and herding, but a few breeds that were closely tied with primitive tribes (such as the Ainu dating back 3,000 years ago, and unnamed clans that inhabited the primeval forests of Northern Europe) are marked for their aggressive ferocity, courage, loyalty, as well as superb hunting ability. And there existed a smaller, Renvall-type dog that was kept closer to the hearthfire by the Northern Europeans and Russians. (The closest description of Renvall describes a smaller, more compact, Norwegian Elkhound type of dog.)

The Spitz Family

The term Spitz is often applied interchangeably to the breeds of the Nordic Subgroup because of the pointed muzzle and ears (and tail carried over the back.) The Nordic breeds can roughly be divided in three utility categories: I) Herding and sledge pulling, 2) Hunting, and 3) Companion, Guarding, and Utility. The Spitz breeds can have differing percentages of these natural abilities, but the hunting and ferocious affects were not emphasized in certain breeds like the Samoyed, German Spitz, Keeshond, Finnish/Swedish Lapphund, Schipperke, Norwegian Budehund, Nenets Herding Laika, Greenland/lceland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, Alaskan Malamute, and the American Eskimo, to name a few. The Spitz type of dog was slow to gain acceptance in the modem, civilized world of the late 1800's. People of culture and sophistication considered these dogs to be as fierce, and savage as the primitive tribes who fostered them; the brutish Vikings that spread their ilk about the continents. Many were afraid that these dogs were the direct progeny of wind, untamed, bloodthirsty wolves. As a means to gain acceptance, the keepers and breeders of these dogs in the 1900's went to great lengths to exaggerate the herding and sledge pulling abilities in order to de-emphasize the hunting instinct.

For centuries, the Nenets and Samoyed people had at least three distinguishably separate types of dogs that served different functions. The Laika was a huge (20-27",) heavy boned, muscular dog. The thick, standoffish short/medium coat covering a more streamlined body lent an optically rangy appearance to the dog. This type served as the true hunter and the major sledge puller. The white dogs, known as Bjelkiers (translated as white animals that breed white) were often separated out from the hunters and used to tow barges down the rivers, or herdi (In ancient folklore, an all white animal was often considered weak or inferior, but this seems to apply more to the hunting/attacking aspect where 1) a white animal would stand out and be a target, and 2) the white animals were more loving and happy go lucky than aggressive.) White coat color was more prominent the further north the tribes were, which made ecological sense. The Nenets dog, which actually represents the Samoyed in its native land, comes in a variety of colors (including white,) asdoes the Laika. The Nenets dog of today stands 16" 18". Lastly, a small number of smaller, Renvall-type dogs were kept in the chooms (in the house with the master,) separate from the working dogs. These smaller dogs had no breed name, (the concept of breeds did not evolve until the past century) but they were capable of hunting, herding, or pulling smaller sledges. This type became more companion oriented as time progressed, by protecting the master's belongings and the homestead. These smaller dogs, similar in resemblance but slightly different in character were coveted as members of the household.

The Lapplanders of the region that encompasses present day Sweden, Finland, Norway, and parts of Northern Russia, had a Renvall-type dog that the Normans brought to England, and subsequently to Europe at least a thousand years ago. Presently, this breed is known Is the Swedish or Finnish Lapphund. This dog stands 18-21", and the coat is extremely long and thick, with a heavy underwool and generous fringes on the legs and tail. It is possible that a connection exists between the Nenets Laika and Lapphund.

The American Eskimo

The true origin of the American Eskimo is lost in antiquity, as is the true origin of the Samoyed, the Pomeranian, and the German Spitz breeds. The Samoyed breed, as it exists today outside of Russia, was selected from generic Bjelkiers, meaning dogs that produce white dogs. From breeding records, the Sam's color is predominantly white and/or biscuit in color, but an extremely rare throwback to piebald spotting or a solid black or brown color cam occur. Phenotypically suppressed (phenotypic refers to visible expression) traits can remain latent for as Many as50 generations, perhaps more. The owners of the Sams regard their breed one that h the most natural, unchanged even when bred by the meddlesome hand of man. This implies that the Sam is virtually unchanged from it's prototype since throwbacks to a different type have not occurred. (A Spitz type bred with a flop-eared type produces a majority of flop-eared dogs, signifying that mutations or changes tend to be dormant ) However, color and size variances have been noted. There are Spitz breeds such as the Chow, the Chinese Shar-Pei, the Eurasier, etc. that are the result of crossbred alterations of the genome type. The German Spitz and the Keeshond fancy the notion that their type is be the oldest. But the unquestionable prototype remains a mystery.

The American Eskimo bears a striking resemblance to the Samoyed in phenotype qualities like color, black points, physique, and coat type. They are close relatives, but they are distinctly different dogs. There is no way to trace just when and how each developed into it's own distinctly recognizable breed. The difference in size can be discounted when it is realized that the Spitz type has ranged in size from five pound toys to the fifty or sixty pound Samoyeds for thousands of years. The theory that the Sam, the Pom and the Spitz (Eskie) evolved from common ancestors at some time before the breeds of dogs became clearly differentiated is " tenable as the theory that one breed descended from the other, or vice versa. Even though there is evidence that the Spitz separated into a distinguishable breed in the Rhine region of Germany (possibly) as far back as 1900 B.C., there is no evidence to indicate which had come first. From an ecological standpoint, small is beautiful, small abounds, and small is a counterpart of something larger. For a quick example, consider the insect world, how small yet how diversifyably inextinguishable they are. Life on earth began with small organisms that combined, formed symbiotic ties and grew Is large Is the environment or ecosystem could support. The larger the creature, the more difficult it is to sustain and maintain that life form. Look at what happened to the dinosaurs!

The true origin is muddled by the diversity of the Spitz breed size and type. According to the history of the Pomeranian, the Pomeranian breed was recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1870. At the first show in June of 1871, were three Pom entries, owned by separate exhibitors. They were a trio of large white dogs. (The Samoyed was not introduced or shown in England until 1893.) A breed standard for Poms did not exist until 1892, so these entries must have been typical of the dogs at that time. In 1900, the American Pomeranian Society was organized. White Poms, weighing asmuch as 28 pounds were numerous. Blues, chocolates, and wolf-shaded sables, were also prominent. But these variations eventually vanished from the U.S. when the popular orange color and super-small size became the breed standard shortly thereafter. It is possible that some of the large white ones contributed to the stock of the American Eskimo since the Poms of the time were also called Spitz. -

The closest living relative of the American Eskimo is the White German Spitz, and it's identical twin, the White Keeshond, that was procured by the Dutch. All three of these breeds have the same gleaming characteristics, the same variations by size (ranging from 11"-19",) the same builds, and the same movement. If representatives of these three breeds were shown together in the same ring, it would be impossible to discern which breed is which. Information exists that documents when the German Spitz was brought to America by German settlers, which tightens the link between the American Eskimo and the German Spitz. Dutch history cites that the Keeshond were called Walsdag- (prior to the 18th century Dutch Patriot revolt that resulted in the Keeshond becoming the emblem for the political party) and had existed in Holland since the year 152. This breed came to Europe with ancient voyagers from the North a "great many centuries before then."

The link to the Pom is a little more distant, especially in Europe where the Pom is shown as Zwergspitz in Germany. The native Dutch breeders have the Dwergkeeshonden (dwarf) in Holland and rebuke the American Pom as a totally different breed, having a muzzle that is shorter and too pointed, a bulging forehead, and hackney gaited in front, whereas the true Dwergkeeshonden (or Zwergspitz) has a longer, wider muzzle, a better head, and is properly gaited. The Dutch recognize four sizes of Keeshonden. The Grotekeeshond (comes in wolfgray, or solid white, brown, or black) is the largest size ranging from approximately 16" to 21". The Middenslag Keeshonden (comes in solid white, brown, black, orange, wolfgray, or multicolor) is the middle-tall size ranging from approximately 13" to 16". The Kleine Keeshonden (come in the same colors asthe middle-tall) ranges from approximately 10" to 13", and the Dwergkeeshonden (which is rare, and comes mainly in orange, sable, and black... white ones of this size are nonexistent in Holland) are under 10".

Whatever the origin of the American Eskimo, it is truly and uniquely an established American Breed. All of the likely predecessors have contributed differing proportions of their genetic makeup, and this breed shares the distinction of being one of the oldest breeds in existence today. Taking a good measure of traits from the past, the present day American Eskimo emanates from the dogs registered in the studbooks at the United Kennel Club. From the first dogs registered in 1914, (from Hall's American Eskimo Kennel,) to the last dogs singly entered in the National American Eskimo Dog Association formed in 1969 and closed the studbooks, lies the complete history and genetic pool of this breed. Before 1914, the Eskie's history is likely shared with the German Spitz, the Dutch Keeshond, and perchance the Pom and Samoyed.

In conclusion, out of the material that is present today, the fertile ground that was the past will spring forth with the blossoms of tomorrow. The American Eskimo exists today in a variety of types and sizes. The breed standard allows for personal interpretation, which gives adequate room for equal consideration of differing types. For a breed to become more uniform, changes in the breed standard have to be made to exclude or disqualify certain hand-picked traits. These changes are made at the National Club level. The Pomeranian Club (of America) narrowed in type with respect to size. The American Keeshond is limited in type to the wolfgray color, and restricted size to 18' for males and 17' for females. This specialization has caused the disappearance of the beautiful, multi-colored Spitz dogs in the U.S. These dogs are rare even in Europe. Every change may have good intentions, but every decision also has it's consequences, and it is for that reason that changes should be considered with regard to the ramifications and consequences down the road. This is when past history becomes important, so that each breed can be analyzed as to it's origins, it's makeup, its purpose, and it's goals in the future. The design of the American Eskimo tomorrow is in the hands of today's breeders, and the hearts of the judges.

Dogs From The Past, by B. F. Johnson.
The Canine Clan, John McLoughlin.
The Complete Samoyed, by Robert & Dolly Ward.

Jeff & Theresa Wright, 5492 West H. Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Phone 616-382-3278
Email: Wrighteskie@AOL.com

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