Eurasier

Care and housing tips for the Eurasier

What demands do these four-legged friends with abundant coats pose in terms of grooming? And what should interested parties pay attention to before a Eurasier enters their home?

Regular brushing is obligatory

Although the fur looks abundant, it is generally low-maintenance. Nevertheless, you should thoroughly brush your pet at least once a week. This should be done more frequently during the moulting period. This doesn’t just prevent little knots from matting in the fur, but also excess dog hair in your home.

In contrast, you shouldn’t shear or trim your dog’s fur. The abundant coat acts like an air conditioner and protects both from the heat and the cold. Shearing would destroy the texture of the fur.

In order to make the warm seasons more bearable for your dog, you can generously comb out its undercoat. If in doubt, ask experienced owners or your trusted dog groomer for advice.

Read here: Tips for grooming dogs.

What has to be considered with housing?

The Eurasier fits well both with families and singletons. It’s helpful if you have prior experience with dogs and like to do a lot with your canine friend.

The Eurasier will feel at ease in a spacious city apartment, but it does also need plenty of outdoor exercise. However, it won’t demand any major sporting endeavours on your behalf.

This dog breed gets on well with children. As with all family dogs, however, small children should never be left unsupervised with them. Also teach them to be respectful and always give the dog sufficient opportunities to retreat.

If there are already cats living in your home, the Eurasier can usually adapt well to felines. This is even easier if it has already been able to encounter them with the breeder.

You should consider when planning holidays that this dog breed forms a close bond with its owners. So how about a hiking holiday in temperate climates, for instance?

© redsnakeskin

Activity for the Eurasier

The Eurasier likes spending time with its family. It needs and appreciates long daily walks in the great outdoors whatever the weather. In addition, this breed is suited to types of dog sports that are less dependent on speed and blind obedience.

Tracking work like man-trailing is ideal. The dog learns to concentrate, whilst it can act on its need to put its nose to the test. Make sure that your Eurasier doesn’t train close to game tracks.

With clicker training, you can also make your dog happy, tire it out and strengthen your bond.

Typical diseases for Eurasiers

Responsible Eurasier breeders set great store by the health of the breed. This means that they get the parent animals tested for hip and elbow dysplasia before deploying them for breeding. Dogs with epilepsy, entropion, luxating patella, malpositioned teeth or shortened tails are not deployed either.

Apart from the danger of a high level of inbreeding, which scrupulous Eurasier breeders can control, Eurasiers are in principle a robust breed. Make sure your Eurasier maintains a healthy weight, does sufficient exercise and receives a high-quality dog food. This way, it can reach up to 15 years of age.

Find out everything about feeding in our Dog Food section.

The emergence of the Eurasier

Breeding started with the invention of a ‘Keeschow’. Find out here what the renowned ethologist Konrad Lorenz had to do with this and where Eurasier breeding stands today.

Eurasier breeding started in the 1960s, more precisely in the small town Weinheim in Baden-Württemberg. Julius Wipfel wanted to combine the characteristics of a straightforward Keeshond with those of the Chow Chow, a more primal dog. This resulted in the Keeschow.

Primal dog breeds newly combined

This idea was very much to the taste of Konrad Lorenz, who had worked with German Shepherd/Chow Chow hybrids. He distinguished between utility dogs that subordinate to people and headstrong Nordic-type dogs. His ideal was to combine the benefits of both types.

This was also the goal of the new Keeschow breeder: In 1972, Lorenz adopted the Keeschow female Babette (Nanette vom Jägerhof) and later became an honorary member of the Eurasier breeding community, which still exists to this day.

But it wasn’t just the Keeschow: Samoyeds were also paired in 1972. One year later, the Eurasier was recognised as a new independent dog breed by the FCI and the German VDH.

Where do I find an Eurasier?

In the spirit of the founder, reputable breeders focus on planned Eurasier breeding. This means that interested parties register with a Eurasier association.

The association in question then finds a home for the puppy, whereby colour and gender preferences can be taken into account. All associated breeders only breed as many dogs as there are interested parties.

The Weinheim Eurasier Club (Eurasier Klub Sitz Weinheim, EKW) was initiated by Julius Wipfel, the founder. A puppy homed by this association costs 1,500 euros. The Eurasier breeding community also offers a central puppy placement service.

The Eurasier Cynological Breeding Community (Kynologische Zuchtgemeinschaft Eurasier, KZG) is a further port of call. These three associations are affiliated with the VDH and FCI and occasionally rehome animals in need. Additionally, the Swiss Eurasier Club is the right port of call for Switzerland and the Eurasier Club Austria for Austria.

There are more associations in German-speaking countries, although none are affiliated with the FCI. If you want an original Eurasier, you should solely contact one of the named associations.

Alternative breeds

Eurasiers have many of their ancestors’ characteristics. As a result, interested dog lovers can often be keen on the Keeshond or Samoyed too. On the other hand, the Chow Chow is more headstrong in terms of behaviour and requires more grooming too.

Registered as a brand, the Elo is a mix of Old English Sheepdog, Chow Chow and Eurasier, although it is not recognised as a breed by either the VDH or the FCI.