The American Eskimo is a member of the Spitz family. Despite the name and appearance, American Eskimo is not from America nor from Alaska. In fact, the American Eskimo was brought to America by the immigrants from Europe. Due to the anti-German prejudice during the First World War, it was renamed from German Spitz to American Eskimo. The name Eskimo was the name of the kennel they were taken from.
American Eskimos have the tendency to mature slower than most dogs that is why you'll notice that they still have puppy-like behavior even when they are 2 years old. Despite that flaw, American Eskimos can easily be trained. In fact, they were trained before to walk on a tightrope. With patience and practice, American Eskimos are great as a family dog.
There are three varieties of American Eskimo: toy, miniature, and standard. These dogs share a common resemblance with Samoyed dog and Japanese Spitz.