Among the oldest dog breeds, American Eskimo belongs to the group of northern sled dogs that descended from the peat dog, a breed that lived among the New Stone Age lake dwellers. Remains of these dogs, dating back 6000 years, have been found in the Soviet Union, Finland, Lapland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The strong hunting instinct of most Nordic breeds has been replaced in the American Eskimo by a guarding ability.