Eurasier: Characteristics, Exercise, Health

Group: Companion Dogs

About Eurasier

Origin of the Breed The Eurasier dog, till now a comparably young breed, had been developed in Germany in the 1960s. Julius Wipfel had developed the breed. He set about in his venture with Charlotte Baldamus and a small group of enthusiasts. The main breeds combining whose qualities the new breed was created were the Keeshond (Wolfspitz) and the Chow-Chow. Later on the Samoyed breed was also involved. The “Wolf-Chow” was the product of the initial combination of the breeds Wolfspitz and Chow-Chow.

Then after twelve years this breed was crossed with a Samoyed to give rise to the Eurasier. The breed was recognized by the FCI in 1973.

Description of the Dog

The Eurasier is a medium-sized dog with an overall wolf-like appearance. Its body is balanced and well constructed. It looks somewhat like the Spitz with raised ears. The different colors in which the Eurasier comes are- black, black and tan, red, fawn and wolf-gray. They may even come in some other variations of colors other than pure white, white patches and liver color.

The dog has a characteristic thick undercoat and medium-long, loosely lying guard hair over its body. The dog has got a short coat on the muzzle, face, ears and front legs. Even the tail, the back of the front legs and the hind legs are covered with long hair.

The wolf like look of the dog is reflected especially in the head. Here there are medium sized upright triangular-shaped ears and medium-sized deep-set eyes and a taper extending down the muzzle to the nose.

Height

Adult male dogs have heights of 20-24 inches while fully-grown female dogs have heights of 16-18 inches.

Weight

Weights of male dogs lie between 50 and 70 pounds while that of female dogs lie between 40 and 60 pounds.

Personality

Temperament of the Dog

The Eurasier is calm and quiet, even-tempered and friendly. This makes an excellent companion dog. It is very watchful and alert and affectionate and loyal towards the family to which it belongs.

Though the dog is very close and expressive to its owner and the owner’s family yet it stays reserved with strangers and acts shyly when persons unknown to it come in as guests to the home. However, the dog is never timid. It is also never aggressive. It is important that the dogs are socialized well with other dogs and people at an early age.

Eurasier dogs bond strongly with all the members of the owner’s family and it has a hard time being boarded. They will certainly not like it if they are left alone in a kennel outside the house. The dogs get along well with children provided the children are well behaved and familiarized with the dog. They do make good watchdogs though not really good guard dogs.

The dogs are intelligent and quick at learning. They respond well to training. However, the dogs need be given consistent training from a very young age. An understanding of the breed is important in order to properly go about with training them. Ruthless disciplining methods will bear no fruit with these dogs. Soft, firm reprimands yield better success at begetting results. The dogs excel at agility.

Activity Level

Exercise requirement

Eurasier dogs need a good amount of exercise daily. Taking the dogs out for long walks or jogs everyday and allowing them to run around freely in an enclosed area will take care of their everyday-exercising needs.

Living Conditions

The dogs need to be made a part of the family. It is not a good idea to keep them in a kennel outside the home or chained up or confined at a particular place like a yard or a crate. This may lead to the dog pining and becoming depressed. The dog enjoys pursuing activities like agility etc. and should be placed in an environment where it can carry out such activities to its heart’s content.

Grooming

Grooming needs for the Eurasier dog is moderate. The dog has got a soft, luxurious coat of medium-length. This requires regular brushing particularly during the times when seasonal shedding of coat occurs.

Health Problems

Eurasier dogs are generally looked upon as a healthy and robust breed. However, there are a number of health issues that may arise with these dogs including hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, patella luxation and distichiasis- a condition of the eyes. However, with the adoption of strict health testing procedures such issues can be kept at a minimum.

Life Expectancy: 11-15 years.