The American Eskimo originated in the United States during the 1800's. Despite their name, eskimos had nothing to do with the development of the breed. Rather, it was German immigrants that can be thanked for the American Eskimo, as the breed's precursor, the German Spitz, was brought to the region by the Germans. During the 19th century, the German Spitz was a popular performance dog, traveling with circuses, wild west shows, and more. During World War I, the breed's name was changed to American Spitz to avoid any prejudice it might face with "German" in its name.