Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog
Article originally published: 3/12/21
Article updated: 3/14/25
My husband and I have owned American Eskimo dogs (also called a Spitz) for many, many years. Our first Eskie, Vegas, lived about 16 years and we learned a ton about the breed from him. Our first dog, Joey, was an Eskie mix, from the Kentucky Humane Society, and he is the reason we fell in love with the breed.
They are sweet and smart dogs that are FULL OF ENERGY! Many end up in being turned in to rescue groups because many owners don’t understand that they do shed (a lot) and they don’t know how to deal with their high energy levels.
We hope that by reading this article, we help you understand that while this breed does need maintenance and lots of play time, they are sweet and loving and well worth putting in a little time and effort.
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog + Tips, Tricks and Lots of Cute Pics
If you are considering getting an Eskie (or just curious about the breed), we wanted to share some of the grooming knowledge we’ve gained over the last 20 years with anyone interested.
Our first grooming fact may come as a surprise. American Eskimo dogs don’t need much grooming. They stay white naturally. We get numerous comments from strangers complimenting them on how white they are and how we must bathe them often.
Fun fact: We hardly ever bathe them!
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog + Tips, Tricks and Lots of Cute Pics
In our current suburban home environment of Sanibel, Island Florida, we only bathe them about every 5 months or so. When we lived in Louisville, KY, we were in more of an urban environment and had to bathe them a little more often, but still not as often as you’d think.
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog + Tips, Tricks and Lots of Cute Pics
In this popular YouTube video we created (below), we give many tips and tricks for DIY grooming of an American Eskimo dog.
If you don’t have time to watch the video, keep reading below for more of our tips and tricks.
In the video below, we are bathing both of our eskies together in the attempts to train Johnny Cash to take a bath as well as Minnie Pearl! Follow our journey with these two on our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden too!
Minnie Pearl in a hat I made for her
We purchased this slicker brush via Amazon, and now use it to do our weekly brushings. We use it on our Maine Coon cats’ long fur as well. Our only fur baby that actually enjoyed a long brushing session is our former Maine Coon boy, Ross. Our other fur babies like to be brushed, but we have to keep their brushing sessions to under 10 minutes or else they get annoyed. Minnie Pearl also loves being brushed with my Unbrush, as it never pulls her hair.
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog + Tips, Tricks and Lots of Cute Pics
Because our Eskies are still young, it sometimes takes both my husband and myself to hold them while I brush them. They’d rather be playing than being brushed!
We vacuum daily (we currently use this Pet Dyson which is well worth every penny!) to keep the fur they shed under control. They “blow” a coat about two times a year but definitely shed a tiny bit every day.
Our Eskies at the beach
Dirt seems to fall off of American Eskimo fur. They are nicknamed “dry clean dogs” because if they go out in a yard and get all muddy, the dirt falls off their fur after drying. We’ve experienced this time and time again as they do not steer clear of dirt!
Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash
Eskies have a powder-like coating on their skin that acts a barrier to protect their sensitive skin AND it helps keep them clean. They also tend to stay smelling clean too! They rarely smell like “dog'“.
The cutest brother and sister!
Many people have their American Eskimo dogs shaved (we suppose to help keep their homes clear of the fur they shed), but this is not necessary. Shaving them is actually not recommended. Their fur keeps them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We have never shaved ours down and they’ve always been super healthy and comfortable. We give them ice chips on warm days, per our vet’s recommendation, to cool them down quicker (if necessary) and to give them extra hydration.
Minnie Pearl smiling
Years ago, we had our first Eskie’s groomed by a professional groomer a couple of times. After seeing how it looked (a very simple sanitary trim), I purchased a Conair pet grooming kit and did it myself. I watched lots of videos and gave them a trim. I was very, very careful and had my husband help hold them while I did it.
Ready for their bath
I used the clippers to trim their rear end fur. It gets long and can attract ummm…how should I say it….”hanger-ons” that sometimes get stuck after they potty. I shape it up with the clippers first, then with a pair of scissors.
Baby Johnny Cash
I also sometimes have to cut mats out of their fur. This usually happens around their collar area. The collar causes mats, but we have to keep one on them, so it’s just something I deal with.
We brush their teeth with this pet toothbrush and toothpaste two times a week. We also now give them a Whimzees dental chew every night after dinner.
Minnie Pearl in a bow I made for her
We have had problems with our Eskie’s having allergies (leg licking and runny eyes) as they aged. This usually ended up being fixed with a food change (which we did gradually so their tummies didn’t get upset) and by using a prescription shampoo. Sometimes it required a trip to our vet for some extra education and medicine.
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog + Tips, Tricks and Lots of Cute Pics
We like to use a colloidal oatmeal based shampoo and a small amount of pet conditioner. We currently use a local store brand, but there are many of these types of pet shampoos and conditioners on the market that may work for your dog.
If you aren’t familiar with colloidal oatmeal, it’s a great ingredient for humans and pet skin allergies. I once had a bad reaction to a facial and the esthetician gave me some ground up colloidal oatmeal to mix with water to use as a soothing face mask. It worked wonderfully!
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog + Tips, Tricks and Lots of Cute Pics
We trim their nails only every once in a while, as their nails naturally trim themselves with their daily walks. We usually have to trim their “thumb” nail every couple of months. Our our former Eskie’s, we had to use large nail clippers but on our Mini American Eskimo dogs, we use cat nail trimmers.
My husband trims their nails while I hold them (as I am not very good at nail trimming on our dogs). I’ve cut too high on their nail causing them to bleed (I felt so terrible about it!), so he does it now. It’s good to keep some styptic powder or a stick on hand in the event you cut too high on their quick.
Nail trimming is something worth taking your pet to your vet’s office and allowing them to do it if you aren’t comfortable with it.
How to Groom an American Eskimo Dog + Tips, Tricks and Lots of Cute Pics
That’s all our tips and tricks for now! We hope this was a helpful article. If you have any questions or comments, leave us a comment below!
Here’s one more video! It’s a short one that shows one of my numerous training sessions I did (and still do) with Minnie Pearl. American Eskimo dogs love to learn and can get bored if you don’t keep them stimulated.
If you loved this article, then we know you’ll love this one too: How to Make an Elevated Dog Wash Station
Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.