Elo Dog Breed - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Elo breed was first developed in 1987 in Germany by breeders Marita and Heinz Szobries. They crossed Eurasiers, Old English Sheepdogs (also known as Bobtails), and Chow Chows to create this unique breed. Later, they added Samoyed and Dalmatian to expand the gene pool. According to a German genetic study, the Elo dog is 48% Eurasier, 23% Bobtail, and 10% Chow Chow.

2) Name
Originally, the breed was named Eloschaboro, but it was later shortened to Elo. The name was created from the original three breeds that created Elo: Eurasier, Bobtail, and Chow.

3) Companion
The Elo dog was bred to be the perfect companion pet. They have an obedient, playful, cheerful, and friendly temperament. This breed is generally very trustworthy and has a low prey drive, which is why they can be socialized to live with other dogs or other pets in the household. They can also make great gentle and playful partners for kids. However, it's important to never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. The Elo is quite intelligent and eager to please, which makes them easy to train. They can learn all the basic obedience commands quickly and easily.

4) Exercise
The Elo is not completely hyperactive breed, but they do require daily exercise to stay healthy and happy. They will need longer walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime, or fun training sessions. The Elo likes to roam and run off-leash, so it's important to let them do so from time to time. However, this should only be done in well-known and fenced areas or if your dog obeys the come command perfectly. Overall, the Elo will need at least one hour of daily physical and mental exercise, but they can handle much much more than that.

5) Coat
The Elo breed comes in two coat types: smooth-haired and wire-haired. The smooth-haired Elo resembles the Eurasier, while the wire-haired Elo looks similar to the Bobtail. Both coat types have medium-length fur and are thick, double-layered, and weather-resistant. The Elo breed comes in various colors, including red, brown, grey, or black, often with white spots on the chest and belly.

6) Maintenance
The Elo sheds quite a bit, so it's essential to brush their coat regularly, especially during shedding season. Daily brushing helps to minimize shedding and keep the coat in the best possible condition. It also redistributes natural oils throughout the coat and prevents the undercoat from becoming matted. Elo dogs do not require frequent bathing, as they tend to stay clean on their own. However, just like with any other dog breed you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails, and teeth and clip or clean them if needed.

7) Size
The Elo is a medium-sized dog, with a height ranging from 46-60 cm (18-24 inches) and a weight between 22-35 kg (48-77 lbs). Females are typically slightly smaller than males.

8) Small Elo
During the 1990s, a smaller variety of Elo dog was created by crossing the normal-sized Elo with small Spitzes, Japanese Spitzes, or Pekingese. This was in response to the growing popularity of small companion pets. You can see the size of small Elo on the screen right now. The Small Elo has a similar character to the original Elo breed.

9) Rarity
The Elo breed is still relatively rare, mainly bred in their home country of Germany. However, they are gradually spreading to neighboring countries. The Elo breed has been trademarked, meaning that only licensed breeders are authorized to breed them. As of 2022, there were approximately 160 kennels breeding Elo dogs, mainly in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium or Czech Republic.

​10) Health
Despite being a relatively young breed, the Elo boasts an impressively low coefficient of inbreeding. This is achieved through careful breeding practices that involve crossing Elo with foundation breeds like the Eurasier, thereby improving the gene pool. As a result, the Elo is a robust and healthy breed that is not prone to many health issues. However, like all dogs, they may occasionally experience joint and bone problems, eye issues, distichiasis, allergies, or infections. Nevertheless, overall, the Elo is a remarkably healthy dog.​