American Eskimo

Lovingly called Eskies, American Eskimos are affectionate and people-oriented dogs who love companionship. An Eskie is a good fit for seniors who are more active and can take their dogs outdoors for long periods of time. This dog breed is particularly popular for its good looks — incredibly cute and fluffy with its shiny white coat.

Are American Eskimos a good breed for seniors?

Eskies make good companions

Eskies crave companionship. He loves attention and being around you all the time. Even if you have to visit the bathroom, he will follow and patiently wait outside the door. He loves getting rubs on his forehead and would make a perfect companion for seniors who have an active lifestyle.

Eskies are bright and easy to train

Eskies are some of the smartest and highly intelligent dogs. He loves to please his owner and excels at agility training. No wonder the Eskie was the first dog breed to walk a tightrope and performed widely at circuses. Learning new tricks is his favorite activity. His soft temperant also means he will happily do what you want him to do without ever showing a stubborn streak. Even if you’re not the best trainer, an Eskie will pick things up from observation and do what’s expected of him. The key, however, is using a loving and rewarding approach to easily train this gentle pup.

They are a good breed for seniors to the extent that they are very friendly, train well, and look very cute with their generous and soft coats. They do shed a lot, but their fluffy coats are actually easy to clean. You will just need to brush them several times per week to avoid excessive shedding, but they do not need regular baths.

Just like poodles, American eskimos come in a variety of sizes and weight: 6-10 pounds for the toy American eskimos, 10-20 pounds for the miniature American eskimos, and 25-35 pounds (standard).

What seniors should be aware of?

Eskies bark a lot and need vigorous exercise

American Eskimos are prone to barking. With a 4/5 rating for “barking” by Dogtime, they might not be the best fit for apartment living, unless you are confident that you can train them. Additionally, don’t let their good looks fool you: they are very active and energetic dogs. They might “look” like the perfect designer dogs for apartment living, but they actually need medium/long daily walks to burn all that energy. Without activities, this problem-solver gets bored and destructive ending up chewing on furniture or barking excessively. As a result, they are a better match for seniors that are active and can take their dogs outdoors for long periods of time.