Eurasier

Breed Profile

Relatively new to North America, the Eurasier was developed approximately 45 years ago in Germany where he is known as the “ideal house dog”. The goal in the development of the breed was to create a medium-sized, distinctive Spitz type dog with beautiful colours, Chow Chow males were crossed with German Wolfspitz females (similar to the Keeshond but larger) and given the name “Wolf-Chow”. Later, a female of these breedings was crossed with a male Samoyed creating what is now known as the Eurasier. The breed was officially recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club in June, 1995.

The Eurasier is highly intelligent, alert, and quick-witted. He bonds very strongly with his family and is excellent with children. He also makes a good watchdog due to his reservations and distrust of strangers. He will bark an alarm only when necessary and, when provoked, can emit a deep, wolf-like growl. However, he generally avoids conflict and has few aggressive tendencies.

He has a medium-length coat that is soft, straight, abundant and luxurious. Colours range from red, fawn, wolf grey, sable and black. He has a bushy tail that curls proudly over his back and his dark, almond-shaped eyes show his expression of intelligence. He may also have a blue-black tongue inherited from his Chow Chow ancestors.

The life expectancy of the Eurasier is from 12 to 15 years.
 

A word of caution for those interested in the Eurasier breed: Unfortunately, when the breed was first recognized as the “Eurasier”, the name was not legally protected. This has opened the door to unethical breeders simply crossing a Chow Chow with a Keeshond and selling the pups as “Eurasiers”. Purebred Eurasiers are the result of more than 40 years of carefully crossing the Chow Chow, German Wolfspitz and Samoyed. If you are looking for a Eurasier puppy, take care to ask questions and verify that the breeder is in fact responsible and reputable.

Health Issues

If you are considering the adoption of a Eurasier puppy, or any breed, it is very important to be selective in choosing a responsible and reputable breeder. Ensure that the prospective puppy’s parents have all health clearances. Breeding of any dog should not be done until after they have been proven to be free of evidence of significant hereditary diseases. (For more information on selecting a breeder, see the articles on the General Information page.)

Additional Health Resources:

• Health and Nutrition — Growing section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website which includes information on several health and nutrition related issues.
• Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) — Providing a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy dogs. CHIC is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
• AKC Canine Health Foundation — Working towards developing scientific advances in canine health.
• OFA – Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)
• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)
• Ontario Veterinary College (OVC)
• University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHip)
• HealthGene — HealthGene Corporation is the leading provider of veterinary DNA diagnostic services in Canada.
• Labgenvet — Laboratory of Veterinary Genetics is a Canadian diagnostic laboratory that offers a comprehensive service of DNA tests for veterinary genetic diseases.

Breed Standards

• CKC Breed Standard
• UKC Breed Standard
• The Kennel Club Breed Standard
• FCI Standard No. 291 – Eurasian

Grooming Information

• Grooming — This section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website includes tips, articles and information covering all aspects of dog grooming along with a listing of Groomers from across Canada.

Training Resources

The Eurasier has an overwhelming desire to please which makes him very easy to train. He responds best to soft reprimand as he is extremely sensitive to harsh words or discipline.

• Training — For training information, see this growing section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website for tips, articles, as well as listings of training centres across Canada.

Additional Information

• A History of the Eurasier Breed — From the United States Eurasier Club
• Eurasier Yahoo Discussion Forum — A general Eurasier enthusiasts’ forum.
• Clubs, Sports & Activities — For information on the many sports and activities you can get involved in with your dog.
• Working Dogs — The Working Dogs section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website provides information and listings of organizations that are involved in various dog jobs, such as Guide Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police Dogs, Protection Dogs, and much more.

*NOTE 1: CHIC – The Canine Health Information Center “is a database of consolidated health screening results from multiple sources. Co-sponsored by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Health Foundation, CHIC works with parent clubs to identify health screening protocols appropriate for individual breeds. Dogs tested in accordance with the parent club established requirements, that have their results registered and made available in the public domain are issued CHIC numbers.” To learn more, visit: www.caninehealthinfo.org

*NOTE 2: The Fédération Cynologique International (FCI) is the World Canine Organization, which includes 91 members and contract partners (one member per country) that each issue their own pedigrees and train their own judges. The FCI recognizes 344 breeds, with each being the “property” of a specific country. The “owner” countries write the standards of these breeds in co-operation with the Standards and Scientific Commissions of the FCI, and the translation and updating are carried out by the FCI. The FCI is not a breed registry nor does it issue pedigrees.