Eurasier

The Eurasier could be considered one of the first ‘designer’ breeds, created by German professor Julius Wipfel in the 1940’s, who hoped to invent the perfect Spitz breed. To achieve his goal, Wipfel crossed the Chow Chow with the German Spitz, and then crossed the offspring with the Samoyed. The resultant dogs were then refined by a process of selective breeding to fix in desired traits and remove undesirable ones.

The dogs Wipfel used were the best available examples of both Asian and European types of Spitz breeds, so he used a hybrid of the two words to come up with ‘Eurasier’ as a breed name.

Now very popular in Germany as a pet and companion breed, the Eurasier is somewhat easier to live with than other Spitz-types, but still retains many of the classic Spitz characteristics.

First recognised by the FCI in 1973, and by the Kennel Club in the UK in 2003.

The Eurasier is generally a healthy breed. They can be prone to hereditary issues like hip dysplasia in dogs, elbow dysplasia and dog patellar luxation. They could also be prone to Distichiasis – an uncomfortable eye condition where they have a double row of eyelashes.

Ideal Eurasier owners are prepared for dealing with lots of dog grooming, lots of vacuuming, like the central heating set quite low, and have boundless energy. Although this is one of the easier spitz types, ‘easier’ is a relative term, so prior experience with the harder to motivate, more independent breed types such as terriers, hounds or other spitz breeds would be an advantage.  

Two hours or more of exercise, daily, no matter what horrible weather the skies throw at you. The exception however is when it is warm – they are not built to cope with exercising in the heat. On hot days, entertain your Eurasier dog with puzzle toys, water-based games and keep them calm and cool.

The rest of the year keep your Eurasier dog breed interested and motivated by mixing up what you do and where you go with a variety of interesting walks, training, dog games and fun.

You won’t need a huge home but the Eurasier does shed quite a lot of hair and can pick up a lot of water and mud so hard floors that are easily vacuumed and mopped will be a bonus. A secure garden for dogs is important as these agile pooches can jump, dig and climb their way to the excitement and thrills of the outside world if giving the opportunity.

Best suited to the leafy suburbs or country home, their watchful and slightly suspicious nature around strangers makes urban living very stressful for them.
 

The Eurasier dog needs to have a balanced diet including all the main nutrient groups and a constant supply of fresh water. It's also important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed your pet at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of their particular food.

Groom the Eurasier every other day, with a really deep groom once a week. During moulting season, you’ll need to up that to grooming daily, and then add in time for the vacuuming too! The double coat can mat to the skin if not groomed thoroughly, and can easily hide minor injuries and dog parasites. Check paw pads, limb feathering, ears and eyes daily and ensure that your Eurasier is clean under their tail as this is another area where unpleasant tangles can occur.

Eurasiers enjoy dog training and are easier to train than many Spitz types, however – this doesn’t make them training junkies, happy to perform repetitive behaviours just for the sake of it! You’ll need to work hard to motivate the Eurasier dog breed with a variety of food rewards and toys used in inventive ways. If you do, you’ll be rewarded well with a happy, keen partner in whatever activity you care to take part in.

The Eurasier is, depending on the skill of the trainer, easily capable of doing well at Agility, Flyball, Scent games, Heelwork to Music and much more.

Whatever you decide to do with your Eurasier dog breed, focus on teaching a solid recall and work hard on dog socialisation and habituation around other animals, particularly livestock.
 

Although said to be good with children, the Eurasier is a sharp, clever breed, easily capable of knocking small children over and requires a fair amount of time spent on exercise and grooming. Better suited with older children or those with a lot of time to dedicate to the dog as a hobby rather than simply a pet.

While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them. Read our guide on introducing dogs and children for more information.

• The Eurasier dog breed comes in a wide variety of colours, and everything except large white patching, pure white or merle colouration is permitted.
• Due to their Chow ancestry, the Eurasier often has the same unusual blue tongue, or blue/black markings on the tongue.