A second take on the Eurasier dog breed history
By: Diana R
The Eurasier dog breed is part of the Spitz family and was born in Germany about 40 years ago. This story began during the 1950’s, (in Weinheim, Germany) with the person responsible for its creation, Julius Wipfel, who wanted to produce the perfect family breed of dog. His idea started to materialize in 1960 when he decided which traits this breed would have. He wanted a family dog of the Spitz-type with a calm and steady temperament, attractive, yet command respect, and would come in wide a range of colors. It would also be a very adaptable dog breed to different lifestyles, ranging from urban to countryside conditions.
Mr. Wipfel started his journey by mating German Wolf-Spitz dogs with Chow Chows. The first national club (EKW - Eurasier Klub Weinheim) for the new breed was born with the offspring of this union, and the breed was named Wolf-Chow. The Wolf-Chow dog came very close to Wipfel’s goals; it was a dog of medium size, hardy enough to survive outdoors yet perfect as a family indoors pet, and it did not require much maintenance. It had a low hunting drive which meant less of a tendency to roam, and was good with both children and other pets. It was also a good watchdog, loyal to his family and easy to train because of his willingness to please.
Overall, this dog had all the things Wipfel wanted, however, initial close breeding between offspring brought up a number of health problems in the Wolf-Chow. The only way to improve the breed’s health was to introduce new genetic material from another breed. After many discussions, Wipfel and his collaborators picked the Samoyed as the perfect candidate. This introduction occurred in 1972 which is also the year when the breed was renamed Eurasier. The international dog club, FCI, recognized the Eurasier shortly after.
Today’s global Eurasier population is located primarily in Europe, mostly in Germany, and their numbers are estimated at about 8000 specimens. FCI member countries recognize the Eurasier breed and many have national clubs. Germany alone has three national clubs. They are: the EKW, the ZG (Zuchtgemeinschaft fuer Eurasier) and the KZG (Kynologische Zuchtgemeinschaft). The North American continent in inhabited by roughly 350 Eurasier dogs. The AKC does not currently recognize Eurasiers, however the Canadian Kennel Club does.
