Grand Bleu de Gascogne vs American Eskimo Dog - Breed Comparison

The Grande Bleu de Gascogne is a dog which has descended from a line of French hounds. Originating in France, the dog is actually more common in the United States than in France.

They were bred to hunt, and today they continue to be used for hunting, but they double up as loyal pets too.

It is believed that they descended from dogs such as the St. Hubert Hound and the English Southern Hound. The dog itself has had an influence on the development of several scent-hound breeds.

In the United States, the Grande Bleu de Gascogne was bred in the 18th century already, displaying typical pack hound behavior.The dog isn't recognized by the AKC but he is recognized by other kennel clubs as a scenthound.

The American Eskimo is derived from the Nordic Spitz breed and most closely related to the German Spitz in particular. There were many German Spitzes in the United States at the time of the second World War and anti-German sentiment caused its name to change to the American Eskimo Dog. However, as the breed developed over time in the States, the American Eskimo became its own separate breed. In addition to the German Spitz, the American Eskimo is also related to the white Keeshond, the Samoyed, the white Italian Spitz and the white Pomeranian. The history is beginning to show that the Spitzes that were brought to the US in the early 1900’s was white. This color was not popular in Europe but was quickly the favorite in the United States. They were originally working dogs on farms and ranches. They have excellent herding instincts, make goo watch and guard dogs, and good law enforcement sniff dogs. However, their first introduction to the American public was through the Cooper Brothers’ Railroad Circus and Stout’s Pal Pierre at the Barnum and Baily Circus. Eskimo puppies were sold after the circus show.

It was then that the breed became one of America’s favorite breeds and they quickly became house pets. Following World War II, Japan exported the Japanese Spitz into America and it was crossed with the Eskimo also. The American Eskimo Dog breed was not recognized by AKC until 1985. Still in 1958 there was no official breed club in the States but there were growing numbers of the dogs. It was not until 1970 did the National American Eskimo Dog Association (NAEDA) come into being. They collected the pedigrees of the first 1750 dogs to be AKC registered.

Since the American Eskimo Dog is not recognized internationally, those wishing to participate in international competition such as England’s prestigious Cruft’s Dog Show must register their dogs a German Spitz. Despite this the American Eskimo and German Spitz remain two very different breeds.

The Grand Bleu de Gascogne is a large dog, standing at 65–72cm with the female usually being slightly smaller at 62–68cm. The dog weighs about 36 to 42kg.

He has a lean, muscular body with long legs, long ears and with a strong, noble appearance. The coat is short and smooth and the color of the coat is white and black mottled. In some instances, there'll be large patches of black over the back of the dog. The head and neck area can also be black. There are tan markings above each eye.

Temperament:

This is a gentle dog, not aggressive at all, and he just wants to get on with hunting. He is a social dog and loves to be around other familiar dogs and his human family. He essentially wants to live in the country where he can be busy and active with tasks to do.

If you leave him alone for too long, he becomes frustrated and resorts to baying. He can get on well with adults and children in the home, but tends to be aloof around strangers. He is an intelligent animal, and training and socialization will be important for him, especially since he is independent and likes doing things his way.

The training will make him obedient and he'll always know how to behave well around strangers.

This small to medium dog is beautiful and resembles a miniature Samoyed. There are three sizes of American Eskimo – the standard, miniature, and the toy. The Eskimo’s head is wedge shaped with tall, triangular, erect ears. It has a heavily plumed tail with a sharp curl over the back. The Eskimo can burst into bold action due to their good legs and feet.

The coat is a double one with a harsh outer coat and plush inner one. The coat is always white or white with cream or biscuit markings, and visible skin in gray or pink. The American Eskimo’s ruff or mane is very heavy, and the nose, eyelids, pads and gums are black. They have dark eyes and blue are not allowed.

Your beautiful hunting dog is active and social and just loves to be out and about following a scent with other hunting dogs. This is what he absolutely loves to do.

These days, apart from just hunting, he is also kept as a pet. He makes a good family companion because he is a non aggressive, gentle, even-tempered pet. Some of these dogs tend to be more reserved in nature. However your dog turns out, he can be your special friend when you give him all the exercise, nutrition and love that such a loyal dog deserves.

The Eskimo is affectionate, playful and love children of all ages. They are intelligent and want to please you. They can be trained easily and are champions of the obedience trial. They are fun and confident. At the same time, they need a confident pack leader. He is prone to Little Dog Syndrome where the dog thinks they oversee the home and display all sorts of behaviors. Under these circumstances the American Eskimo can become obsessive, aggressive, and engaging in obsessive resource guarding and barking.

As a dog not known for inherited health problems, the Grande Bleu de Gascogne, with good care, can live to be 12 years of age.

Just like with other dog breeds, there are some conditions to which this dog may also be prone, and hip dysplasia is one.

The average litter size for the Grande Bleu de Gascogne is 4 to 7 puppies. It is important to prevent your puppy growing too quickly because this is precisely what leads to musculoskeletal problems as an adult.

If you're concerned about this, speak to your vet, as you want to do your best to prevent hip problems in the future.

The American Eskimo Dog is prone to hip dysplasia. Their eyes and tear ducts are potential issues with progressive retinal atrophy. They are allergic to fleas and have a tendency to be overweight.

We deal with PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) in greater detain in a following section but it is not as destructive as it used to be. It is much more treatable now.

There are potentially some dental issues that some American Eskimo Dogs are prone to.

Known for his hunting skills, the Grande Bleu de Gascogne has high exercise requirements. Although a walk is wonderful for him, it won't be enough. If you have a large garden, which will be ideal for him, throw the ball so he can fetch it. If you go cycling or jogging, he'll thank you for including him in these.

Grooming:

The Grand Bleu’s short coat is conveniently low maintenance too so you aren't going to be spending anything on professional grooming. Give him a brush twice a week to remove loose hairs and to keep his coat silky and shiny.

Their long ears should be checked regularly for a build up of wax and dirt. Dampness can also be a problem if he loves to go swimming. You can buy special ear-cleaning-for-dog products. Never probe deep in the ears as you can damage them. Rather get advice from your vet or professional groomers on how to keep the inside of his ears clean and free from infection.

Diet:

An energetic hunting scentdog like this requires high quality food with some raw meat added in from time to time. He must always have access to fresh, cool water.

Feeding

Your American Eskimo Dog needs a high quality food so they will not get overweight. Make sure you know how much is appropriate for your particular dog and her specific age. The puppies should be fed twice a day but adults only once.

Health issues

As previously mentioned the American Eskimo Dog is prone to eye issue such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy or (PRA) – this disease is inherited and used to cause blindness as the rods in the retina died. New medical discoveries mean this is no longer a hopeless disease. Their eyes are also susceptible to other issues so make sure you check them and the tear ducts regularly.

Like so many other breeds the American Eskimo is also susceptible to hip dysplasia and a moving patella in the knee. For this reason watch their weight. They can also be very allergic.

Exercise and games

This small dog has more energy than his size can handle. He needs a lot of exercise and a place to run. If he will become hyperactive and destructive. They are prone to disturbing behaviors such as spinning (spinning in circles) when they don’t get enough exercise. The American Eskimo Dog is smart and agile, Play games like catch or agility. They are also great at herding, competitive obedience or detection.