The Eurasier is a medium-sized dog with a thick, medium-long coat that can come in a variety of colors. Confident, calm, and well-balanced, he is loyal to the entire family, but reserved towards strangers. He must live in close contact with his family, as he is not suited to be kept in kennels or tied up outside.
Like all dogs, Eurasiers should be fed only with high quality food. They can be picky eaters and do not eat big amounts of food. Instead, Eurasiers enjoy a variety of foods and changing their diet will help them avoid becoming bored with one type of food. Though picky, it is feasible to introduce them to different types of food. Each dog has his or her individual preferences. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.
To keep them clean and happy, Eurasiers need a once-a-week to bi-weekly thorough combing/brushing with body checks for burrs or pests; a cleaning of their eyes, ears and a check of their pads; and occasional nail clippings, if needed (especially their dewclaws).They have little body odor and require infrequent bathing. Typically, Eurasiers shed their entire undercoat once or twice a year for a period of about 3 weeks. During undercoat shedding periods, daily combings/brushings are required to minimize picking up “wool” balls from around the house. If Eurasiers are spayed or neutered their coats can become much thicker, longer and harder to manage.
Eurasiers should have good daily walks and active play with other dogs. Off-leash walks are preferred once trained and reliable to recall. Some Eurasiers like to swim and others enjoy agility or obedience. Some also work as therapy dogs. While they are calm in the house, they are active and energetic while outside.
Eurasiers were bred to be robust and sturdy. In general, they are a healthy breed. Breeding is subject to thorough testing to minimize health problems. Diseases that can occur in the breed are hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, distichiasis, thyroid conditions, EPI, and gastric torsion. The parent club requires health testing of all breeding dogs prior to mating and encourages testing of offspring to gain as much health information as possible on the breed.
Julius Wipfel, who resided in Germany, searched to find a successor to his black, Spitz-type dog which was very intelligent and independent. He wished for a dog that would show the adaptability and social behavior of dog’s ancestor, the wolf, and a dog that would be a wonderful family pet. Wipfel and other dog enthusiasts started the long journey of trying to develop a family-oriented breed. Strict breeding plans and guided breeding resulted in the first litter of “Wolf-Chow” puppies through the cross-breeding of a Chow Chow and a Wolfspitz. Then, in 1972, a Samoyed was crossed in to introduce its friendly nature and their offspring was named “Eurasier” to reflect the breed’s European and Asian heritage. In 1973, the German Kennel Club and the Federation Cynologique International acknowledged the breed. The standard was re-written in 1994.