Baskimo Dog Breed

Below are details and specs for the Baskimo dog breed.

Mature Baskimos weigh from 26 to 40 pounds if male and 22 to 33 pounds if female. Both males and females, however, stand 10-13 inches tall.

Your Baskimo will love children, get along great with most other pets (especially dogs, as they tend to not dominate and has one parent — the Basset Hound — who has centuries of being pack-raised) but will most likely be wary of strangers although they usually warm up to them once introduced.

Expect to perform a moderate amount of maintenance and grooming for your Baskimo, and the kind of either depends on how much Basset Hound and/or American Eskimo they may have inherited. Hounds may impart the possibility of obesity — and more exercise to curb it — whereas the long hair of the Eskimo means longer and more frequent grooming.

The Baskimo is a fairly new hybrid dog that may have first been produced prior to or around the turn of the 21st century; as such, they have very little history. The parent breeds — the Basset Hound and the American Eskimo — have intriguing histories, however.

The origin of the Basset Hound is believed to be in France, although some say that they were present much earlier as it is known that scent hounds were deployed for hunting in ancient Greece and Rome. The Hounds were bred to hunt hares and rabbits, and their short legs allowed them better access to the brambles in which such game lived.

Basset Hounds came to America, it is thought, by way of the young French General Lafayette when he made a gift of a pair to General George Washington. Soon thereafter, the exportation of Basset Hounds to the United States began in earnest, a fact partially prompted by the revolution in France. Basset Hounds were also exported to Britain (as it was on the way to the States), and the breed became popular in the two nations simultaneously. Britain hosted dog shows whereas the Americans preferred to push the dogs to be better hunters. Nevertheless, Basset Hounds were also appreciated in America as show dogs, and by 1935, they were officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

The American Eskimo — affectionately called the Eskie — is firmly believed to have come from European Spitzes. Like them, the Eskie has a pure white coat and black eyes that sparkle from beneath the long hair. These small, striking dogs were used in circuses during the early 20th century, and their performances dazzled crowds. The breed was originally called the American Spitz but the name was changed to American Eskimo in 1917 so as to eliminate any association with Germany after WWI The American Eskimo Dog Club of America was founded in 1985, and a decade later (in 1995), the breed was formally recognized by the AKC.

The Baskimo is a medium-sized dog with a compact body that may be somewhat long and with relatively short legs if she has more Basset Hound in her; at the most, the legs will certainly be stocky. She may have the short, coarse coat of the Hound or the long, silky hair of an Elkie. The head is sure to be round with a fairly long muzzle, and if she gets the almond-shaped eyes and floppy ears of the Basset Hound, her seemingly sad demeanor will surely melt your heart!

Your Baskimo should be friendly, intelligent, loyal and very eager to please — which in turn means easy to train. Although Baskimos are not keen to dominate, you should nevertheless establish yourself as a pack leader as house-training can be a bit difficult otherwise — especially if he inherits the stubbornness of the Basset Hound.

While they do like to remain close to family members, they are not the kind of dog that actively seek attention. They do make great watchdogs due to their extraordinary sense of smell (they are classified as scent hounds, after all) and they have a distinguished, deep bark that is difficult to ignore.

Obesity may not be the worst of the health concerns for your Baskimo, but it may be the most constant if there is a prevalence of Basset Hound traits; a poor diet and lack of exercise can quickly lead to this and related complications. Other problems may be hip dysplasia as well as eye and ear problems. You should regularly check their ears and eyes for an abundance of fluids or bad smells, and gently clean and dry their ears at least weekly as those big ears tend to prevent circulation, which can lead to infections. If kept healthy and happy, expect your Baskimo to live anywhere from about 10 to 13 years.