Stella is indeed lovely and well-loved, to be sure. With only the best intentions ('cuz I love white dogs), I offer the following excerpt taken from the website of the Vancouver Association of American Eskimo Dogs.
Don't shave your Eskie. All Eskies have very fair skin that is not meant to be exposed to the sun. Sun burn and skin problems can occur. Often after exposure to the sun, the pigmentation in the skin will change and areas that were previously pink skinned will turn black, just like an Eskies nose. An Eskie has a double coat of hair. An inner thick coat that protects the skin and a longer outer coat that crowns the body. An Eskie's hair acts as a temperature regulator. It keeps him both warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Dogs do not have sweat glands. They cool off by panting. You can thin out the inner coat, clip the outer coat, but never shave your Eskie for health reasons. Some Eskies get follicle arrest - that is, their hair does not grow back in the area that has been shaved.
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