The Eurasier is an interesting breed, a spitz originating in Germany. This purebred one derives its lineage from the Asian and European Spitz species. Besides its cute appearance, the breed also has a fantastic personality. It is loyal, calm, and amicable to its family.
Contrastingly, the Eurasier poses a dignified and reserved demeanor with strangers. If you are looking for a companion breed, the Eurasier is a good choice. They also love being surrounded by people and detest solitary living. This breed is also popular by a host of other names like a Eurasian dog and Eurasian.
[wpdatatable id=99]History of the Eurasier Dog
The Eurasier isn’t an ancient breed, as it originated in 1960. The credit for its development goes to German breeder Julius Wipfel. He was looking for a dog that could carry on the lineage of his black spitz-kind breed that was independent with an intelligent mind. Mr. Wipfel wasn’t alone in his endeavor. He was joined by Charlotte Baldamus, alongside a group of dog enthusiasts. The aim was to create a breed that suited the stature of a perfect family dog.
He began mixing the Wolfspitz and the Chow Chow to put his thoughts into action. The aim was to create a dog that would inherit the positive traits of both breeds. The first litter produced from this crossbreeding was the Wolf-chow puppies. Later in 1972, a third breed, the Samoyed, was introduced into the breeding program. The Samoyed’s friendliness was the main reason breeders included it in the Eurasier’s breeding program. It also led to a name change. The breed was later known as the Eurasier, reflecting its European and Asian origin. In 1994, the Eurasian clubs of German revised the existing version and eventually published it.
The breed gained acknowledgment from the Federation Cynologique International and German Kennel Club in 1973. The Eurasier gained recognition from other breed clubs like the Canadian Kennel Club in 1995 in the working group. It has been in the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club from 2010 until now.
Some unethical breeders attempt to pass a Keeshond-Chow Chow mix for a Eurasier. It may be because of the similarity between the two. Coming to its popularity, this one is rare globally. There are not more than 9000 of them left in the world.
More About the Eurasier
The Eurasier has a pleasant disposition and an appealing physical stature. Read on to know more about its personality’s varying traits and how it looks.
Appearance
The Eurasier has that typical spitz-like appearance. It is characterized by a wolf-like face and triangular-shaped prick ears, rounded near the tip. The dog is of medium size with a well-balanced body. They even have a medium-sized nose and a balanced muzzle that taper towards their nose. These dogs even have a hairy tail, a high set, and tapering near the tip.
Size
Their size varies from large to medium. The males weigh around 48-66 pounds. The females are slightly smaller, weighing about 40 to 57 pounds. The males measure around 20 to 23 inches in size. The females are 19 to 22 inches.
Personality and Temperament
Their temperament, the Eurasier, is gentle, calm, loyal, and friendly. But, these traits are confined only to their kith and kin. Towards strangers, they behave differently altogether. You will find them reserved and alert towards someone whom they aren’t familiar with.
These are the dogs that love staying with their family always. So only get the Eurasier home if you have ample time to give them. Mind it. They wouldn’t do well when kept in a crate or a secluded room for a long. They take their intelligence and dignified nature from the Samoyed and the Chow Chow. Because of their pleasant and intelligent nature, this breed qualifies as a great therapy and assistance dog.
Health Problems
Overall they are a healthy breed as the Wolf Spitz, Chow Chow, and Samoyed play a significant role in their development. These dogs may inherit the health problems of their ancestors. Some of their common health issues have been described in detail below.
Hip Dysplasia
Like most other big and medium dogs, hip dysplasia is common in this breed too. The symptoms are prominent when they are 1-2 years of age. That is why Eurasier breeders are advised to get their canines tested for this condition. If they are detected with hip dysplasia, it is advisable to refrain from breeding them. It doesn’t mean puppies born to parents without hip dysplasia won’t have the condition. The pedigree of either one or both dogs could possess the bad gene that causes the resultant puppies to inherit the condition.
Patellar Luxation
When your dog has patellar luxation, he may skip a step while running or walking. Your dog may even run using three legs instead of four. The symptoms of this condition may be visible when the dogs are 4-6 months of age.
Thyroid Conditions
According to a study, the Eurasier is at an increased risk of suffering from hypothyroidism. The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) data validates this claim further. Around 30% of the Eurasier tested for hypothyroidism displayed abnormal values. In comparison, 14% tested positive for autoimmune thyroiditis.
Gastric Torsion
Your Eurasier may suffer from this life-threatening condition. The common symptoms include a distended abdomen, excessive drooling, panting, breathing difficulties, and restlessness. Take your dog to the vet immediately when you notice these signs. The slightest delay may prove fatal for your dog.
Some preventive measures you may implement include feeding your dog in small amounts. You should also give him around 60-90 minutes of rest post each meal.
Eye Problems
These dogs may suffer from several eye problems, one being distichiasis. Here, one could spot the growth of eyelashes from the dog’s eyelid margin instead of the eyelid skin. The condition is mostly hereditary. So breeders are often advised to get their dogs checked for this condition. They must acquire a certificate from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation. It will confirm that their dogs have healthy eyes.
Care
They are moderately active, and according to most owners, they are a lazy breed indeed. Yet they need moderate exercise for their physical and mental well-being. A part of their exercise regime may include a 30-minute walk twice a day or one long walk for about an hour. Besides this, you could also engage them in games within a fenced yard or a garden. They also enjoy swimming, so that could be an additional exercise option. These athletic dogs also do well in agility, flyball, herding, and obedience.
These clean dogs don’t have the typical doggy odor. So bathing them on occasions when they get dirty would be enough. You should also regularly clean their eyes and ears to avoid infections. Brush their teeth three to four times a week. Trim your dog’s nails whenever it gets long.
Feeding
Like any other breed, high-quality dog food is also a mandate for Eurasier, whether homemade or store-bought. They would like it if there is a change in the food you give them. Else they might find mealtime a little monotonous. Suppose you give your dog a combination of homemade and commercially manufactured food.
You would do well to consult your vet before doing so. Before adding anything new to your dog’s diet, knowing what he is allergic to is important.
Coat Color and Grooming
These dogs come in various colors like black, dark brown or black color, red, wolf gray, and fawn. The color combinations, more or less everything is allowed sans liver, all-white, and white patches. The color of their tongue is pink or purple with markings of black. They even have markings of black in the area surrounding their mouth.
They have a double coat – a soft, thick, and short undercoat, and a medium-length outer coat which is rough and fluffy. So, grooming them isn’t a big deal. You’ll have to brush them once or twice weekly to remove dead hairs. However, yearly or bi-yearly, the Eurasier may shed its undercoat for around three weeks on average.
During that time, brush the Eurasier frequently, perhaps daily, to clean off all the loose and dead hairs. If your Eurasier is neutered or spayed, his coat may become long and thick. It makes the coat difficult to manage. Using a long pinned brush would help eliminate the debris and loose hair. A slicker brush would be a good option to create a fluff on their tail.
Children and Other Pets
These dogs have a pleasing and calm temperament. It makes them good for older and younger children as well. Parents should also teach their kids to approach dogs. It would help prevent any untoward incident.
The Eurasier gets along with dogs and even cats only if brought up with them or socialized well. However, if the dog or cat is unknown to them, they wouldn’t display friendliness right away. They would take time to know them and then warm up though they aren’t aggressive. Nor do they possess an increased prey drive. So, smaller pets are also safe when kept with the Eurasier in the same household.
Training
The Eurasier is intelligent, loyal, and obedient and also has an even temperament. It makes it easy for owners to train these dogs. Start training right from the beginning, their puppy days; the sooner, the better. But, they are independent at times. So, it would help if you were firm but diplomatic. Also, remember that your Eurasier tends to get bored easily. Hence, ensure that you make the training interesting and not repetitive.
Socialize them well since their puppy days. Exposing them to different people and situations since their childhood will help the Eurasier in differentiating the good from the bad. It will help the dogs to get along well with people and pets.
Conclusion
So, to sum it up, the Eurasier is an amazing breed, fitting the bill of a great companion. With proper training, the Eurasier would grow into a fabulous house pet that one can ask for.
FAQs
No, the Eurasier is a low-shedding breed. However, these dogs shed their whole undercoat for about three weeks once or twice a year.
The Eurasier is rare. So it is quite expensive. The puppies would cost around
$2000 to $2500 on average.
Yes, they are fit to dwell in apartments. The Eurasier isn’t that high on energy and will thrive well in condos or apartments.
Hi, I’m Walter,
I live in Oklahoma City, USA, and have extensive dog caring and grooming expertise. In addition, I provide dog training tips and tricks through my blogs in Canine Weekly. I have a Dog Behavior and Training diploma and have previously worked as a Dog Trainer at ROC Animal Training and Behavior and Tip Top K9 of OKC Dog Training.
Apart from writing on Canine Weekly, I share my views on Twitter and Linkedin.