United States Eurasier Club

There are currently less than 20 Eurasier breeders in North America. Most, but not all of them, are reputable. Do Internet searches, talk to several breeders, get references from homes that have their pups, talk to other Eurasier owners and take your time on making a decision—you will find you typically have to wait to add a Eurasier to your family—“all good things come in time.” (The USEC has some member breeders listed on their website.) Please refer to the Breeder Section of this webpage for more detailed information regarding Eurasier breeders.

Eurasiers are very adaptable. They fit into all types of families and lifestyles. They are fine in apartments of sufficient size, in single-dwelling homes, on farms or ranches. They fit where we fit.

The Eurasier was developed to be an ideal companion dog and when raised with love and compassion and stability, they are. Eurasiers love and need to be with their family, no matter what their family is doing. Eurasiers learn to fit into all family activities.

When properly introduced and exposed to children, Eurasiers are generally very tolerant, gentle and affectionate with them. You will find that their actions change according to who they are interacting with. With babies, small children and the elderly, they are gentle. With older children and adults, Eurasiers love to play, chase, wrestle and roughhouse. As with all animals, children should not be left alone with any pet and should be taught to treat them with kindness and respect.

The Eurasier is focused on its entire family, even its extended family and those it knows as friends. It is not a "one person dog" but is social and gets along well with all people it knows. As with all dogs, the one who feeds them and walks them the most will probably be a bit more of a “favorite”.

Yes. Eurasiers are charmers and generally get along well with domesticated pets. They will chase what runs because they love a good game of chase, so introduce Eurasiers to other family pets where a game of chase doesn’t ensue. A well-rounded puppy will be exposed to cats and small pets early on by its breeder to further support a Eurasier’s natural tendencies to love all animals, big and small.

Yes. Eurasiers are generally good with other dogs, especially those that love to play too. Eurasiers are typically non-confrontational and will normally back away when confronted by another dog. Normally they are not aggressors and only defend themselves when they have no other choice.

When Eurasiers are properly cared for (e.g. they have enough exercise and discipline and time with their owners), they are not usually destructive and do not tend to damage the household or its goods. Eurasiers can be active but they are careful and will try to avoid knocking, moving, breaking or even messing things up. However, that doesn’t include their toys or, when pups, fine lingerie, socks and an occasional shoe. Eurasiers are typically very bonded to their family. Sometimes when they do not have family contact, they will “punish” their owners by being more destructive than normal.

Eurasiers are calm, even tempered, poised, and confident; and they command respect. Although they are basically non-aggressive, good-natured and friendly, they can be reserved toward strangers. This reserved quality can be largely overcome with proper socialization that begins with the breeder. They are especially loyal to their family, willing to please and easy to train. They are intelligent, gentle, loving, and very playful but they are also independent and able to entertain themselves with play, sleep and watchfulness over their home and property. The Eurasier is a sensitive dog that does not require harsh reprisals; rather, gentle affection, love and understanding provide its incentive to learn. The Eurasier is a very social dog that must be included as part of the family. For its character to best develop, this breed should not be isolated from its family, and must not be kept in the back yard, kenneled or otherwise separated from the family. Typically Eurasiers are non-confrontational and will only defend themselves when they absolutely need to.

Males and females are very similar in most respects but, as in all species, there are differences between males and females in their temperaments. For Eurasiers, those differences are so subtle that the differences between two individuals (even female/female or male/male) may be greater than the male/female differences. However, in general, males tend to mature more slowly than females so training may go more slowly, and males may be a little more willful and challenging. Eurasier owners do find that males tend to be more affectionate and love to be closer to their humans. If you own an intact Eurasier you might have to watch out for dominant male dogs that could start an altercation for no reason with your Eurasier male. Such incidents would be highly unlikely with females. Both sexes even when they are left intact tend to tend to be non-confrontational with other dogs.

Yes, they enjoy their own physical abilities, they are agile, love to chase and be chased, and enjoy play with people, other dogs, toys and all sorts of physical fun. They don’t typically enjoy tedious retrieving games.

No, they are generally non-aggressive and avoid conflicts. Yet, during play, they can be very physical, rough, and appear aggressive to the uninitiated. They have a tendency to make a lot of growling noises when they play, and some people misinterpret the noise as aggression. It is not. Normally Eurasiers will back down when confronted by another dog and will only defend themselves when they absolutely have no other choice.

The Eurasier makes an excellent watchdog but is not a good guard dog. They are naturally protective and watchful over their property, and will bark and challenge strangers but their challenge is not backed by any real aggression and they will not attack. Since Eurasiers are so bonded with their family, it is likely that they would protect them against an intruder or other danger.

Eurasiers are very sensitive to their family’s tone and situations and you must always keep that in mind. They can be finicky eaters too. They cannot be left alone for long periods of time – it hurts their spirit because they miss their humans deeply.

Eurasiers should have a good walk, active play with other dogs, or some usual daily physical activity to keep them healthy and well satisfied. An off-leash walk is preferred once trained and reliable to recall. A good chew can be a satisfying way for a Eurasier to entertain themselves and exercise their mouth muscles.

No. Generally, for their size, Eurasiers are relatively light eaters, and can seem to be picky or reluctant to eat. They eat in a controlled manner, not typically subject to overeating, and take food by hand in a very delicate manner—they are soft-mouthed.

Considering the beauty and richness of their coat, they are relatively low maintenance. A once-a-week to bi-weekly combing/brushing with body checks for burrs or pests, a daily cleaning of their eyes, ears and a check of their pads, occasional nail clippings if they are not active (especially their dewclaws) is all that is needed to keep them clean, and generally healthy. They have little body odor and require infrequent bathing.

Typically Eurasiers shed their 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. Otherwise, the weekly to bi-weekly combings/brushings are sufficient to keep their coats nice and minimize hair loss around the house.

They prefer slightly cooler temperatures than we do but they manage just fine in hot weather. In hot and humid weather, they do find nice, cool locations to be the most comfortable just as we do: shade, cool tile, and well ventilated or breezy spots. Eurasier do LOVE snow! Some owners in warmer climates take their Eurasiers to mountains or other places with snow so that their dogs can enjoy the snow!

Some Eurasiers really enjoy playing in water and swimming and some do not like water at all. They are not water dogs per se but they are not anti-water dogs either. It seems that some Eurasiers inherently take directly to water and love to jump in and get wet, and then you will also see that some just stay to the edge of water areas. Even between littermates, you will even see the differences between the ones who like the rain whereas there are some who do not like rain/water at all, and prefer to forego a walk if it means getting wet!

Generally, they will bark for a reason but usually are not incessant barkers.

No. The Eurasier may have a pink, a blue-black or a speckled pink and blue-black tongue.

While you can leave a puppy or an older Eurasier by itself for a few hours as is sometimes necessary, this should not be a routine practice. Arrangements should be made to ensure the puppy is protected from dangers in the home (use a crate, X-pen, or gates for this purpose, as long as the pup is not left too long, since at a young age they must relieve themselves regularly). Also, Eurasiers tend to be very intelligent and puppies and adults can be “escape artists”. That is another reason to not leave pups for long durations alone. While an older Eurasier is capable and independent, the older Eurasier’s protection should also be assured and arrangements made for them to be checked after a few hours. Normally adult Eurasiers can be left in total freedom within their house while their owners are gone for short durations without any problems. The house should still be “dog proofed” and assured safe for the adult dog.

Eurasiers were bred to be a robust and sturdy breed. In general, they are a healthy breed. Breeding is subject to thorough testing for a few health conditions that this breed tends towards so that those health problems are minimized. Normally Eurasiers have the following tested prior to breeding: patella, elbows, hips, eyes, and thyroid.

Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, patella luxation, thyroid conditions, a couple of non-essential missing teeth and distichiasis (double rows of eye lashes), are breed health problem tendencies that are minimized by thorough testing of both the bitch and the stud. Reputable breeders do this testing after the Eurasier has reached adulthood, and prior to breeding, therefore, these health problem tendencies are minimized. Reputable breeders will also inform puppy owners of all potential likelihoods in their new pups and health concerns to watch for based upon the pup’s ancestry. Reputable breeders will also provide copies of official health test results to all puppy owners, and should give full access to the parents’ health records prior to any mating.

The average lifespan of a Eurasier is 14 wonderful years.