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| GOT SKUNKED? Try this remedy for removing the odor: Mix the following ingredients together in a non-metal container: One quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide ¼ cup of baking soda (not baking powder) 2 tablespoons of liquid Ivory dishwasing soap. Soak your dog’s fur with luke-warm water, then soap him up with the washing solution, taking care not to get it in his eyes. Leave him soaped up for 5 – 10 minutes, then rinse well. You can use the solution to clean your own clothes or anything else that got skunk smell on it in the process. When finished, discard all the solution down the drain with plenty of running water. Do not try to store it; it will lose its strength quickly, and the oxygen gas it emits can cause a closed container to blow up. In addition to caring for your eskie’s coat, you also need to keep their nails trimmed. When the dog is standing on a flat, hard surface, take a look at the nails. They should not be touching the surface. When the nails grow too long, the dog can not walk properly. Check your eskie’s ears every so often. If there is any dirt or wax build up, this can be easily cleaned with an ear cleaning solution (made for dogs) and a large cottonball. The teeth should be brushed a few times a week to keep tartar build up to a minimum. If you haven’t exposed your dog to a toothbrush, it isn’t difficult to get started. Using a toothpaste designed for dogs, apply a small amount to a toothbrush also designed for dogs. Let your dog investigate. He will probably start licking the toothbrush. This is fine for getting started. Let him get comfortable with the toothbrush and toothpaste before going any further. When he is ready, you can apply just the slightest bit of pressure to any of the teeth you can see without having to handle the dog. Once he is comfortable with this slight brushing action, you can start being more assertive. This should never become a chore or a wrestling match. Use patience and take as much time as necessary for the dog to be comfortable with this new procedure. Check your eskie’s eyes for anything out of the ordinary. If there is any colored discharge, you should get your dog in to be seen by your vet. For those extra teary eyes some of our eskies have, the best remedy seems to be keeping them wiped clean with a soft cloth moistened with warm water. |
| Offering Support and Training for your American Eskimo Dog |
| Keeping the Eskie’s coat gleaming, full and white is not as daunting a task as it might first appear. Its coat texture is such that dirt does not cling, and even mud will fall from the coat as it dries. This texture, coupled with a relative lack of oiliness, also tends to be resistant to easy matting, and best of all, the Eskie is virtually free of doggy odor! It is also a good breed for allergic dog owners, as the Eskie sheds minimal dog dander. |
| A couple of baths a year will be enough for the average Eskie. When you do bathe your eskie, please remember to use a shampoo designed for dogs. Human shampoos are often too detergent, and will cause dry skin and itching. If you like to bathe & groom your dog but hate the mess left behind, there are places where you go and use the shop’s tub, water, shampoo, towels and dryer for a fee. You get the satisfaction of grooming the dog yourself, without the mess in your home. Our favorite shop is SOGGY PAWS. |
| The coat should be brushed once or twice a week to keep hairs from shedding throughout the house. When properly cared for, their snow-white coat keeps them cool in summer and warm in winter. |
| You should never shave your Eskie’s coat either to reduce shedding or to keep him cool. Dogs do not dissipate heat through their skin. Shaving the coat will only subject them to sunburn. For the summer months, you need to give them a thorough brushing to remove the soft undercoat. The long hairs of the overcoat then act like an umbrella, reflecting the sun to keep them cooler. In addition to removing the only protection they have from the sun, a shaved coat will continue to shed short hairs, and the new growth will have a dull appearance because the ends of the hairs are broken and blunt. |