Elo Breed Guide

Dog Breed:

Elo

Breed Group:

Not yet recognized by the AKC

Characteristics:

Happy, loyal, obedient, friendly, and even-tempered.

Height:

18-24 inches

Weight:

26-45 pounds

Life Span:

Not yet recorded

Coat Colors:

White front and any color behind

Area of Origin:

Germany

Best For:

Family homes/ All ages of owners/Patient owners who can wait for a puppy

Adult Food:

Best Dog Food for Elos

Puppy Food:

Best Puppy Food for Elos

Friendliness

Intelligence

Good for First-Time Owners

Good with Children

Easy to Train

Exercise Requirements

Ease of Grooming

Amount of Shedding

Amount of Drooling

Tendency to Bark

So, this breed is a little different from many others. It’s a very new breed, only being developed in the 1980s, and it’s not yet recognized by Kennel Club organizations around the world. In fact, the name Elo is actually a trademark that has been registered by the founder of the breed.

If you’ve set your heart on an Elo joining your family, you’ll need to be patient as there are few breeders and long waiting lists for a puppy. You should be aware as well, that at present, all breeders are based in Europe and not in the US.

Part of the demand for the Elo is down to the great care which breeders take in checking the health and temperament of their dogs before they are bred. This then means that there is a higher likelihood of the pups being healthy and having an exceptional nature.

The Elo is a new dog breed that was first developed in the 1980s in Germany. The breeders aimed to create a small family dog who had a great temperament and minimal desire to hunt.

The breeder, Heinz Szobries, owned both a Eurasian and an Old English Sheepdog (also known as a Bobtail). He noticed that despite living in the same family home, they each had their own very different temperaments, with some good points and some not so good. The Eurasian, for example, reacted very strongly to any fearful situation while the Old English was very resilient.

Heinz decided to create the new breed by crossing examples of the two breeds, but then he was unable to find a suitable Eurasian. So, instead, he bred a Chow Chow, which is a close relative of the Eurasian, to an Old English Sheepdog female.

The name ‘Elo,’ which is the shortened version of the original name, Eloschaboro, comes from letters of each of the three breeds, Eurasia, Bobtail, and Chow-Chow. As a protected trademark in Germany, only the founders can agree to dogs being bred and being given this name.

To expand the genetic basis of the breed, Samoyeds and Dalmatians were also added to the breeding program. A few years after starting their project, there would occasionally be a smaller dog within the litter. They decided to continue breeding a smaller line of the dogs and so they mated the Elo to Pekingese and Japanese Spitz dogs. These then became known as the Klein-Elo.

For this breed, the focus is on temperament rather than a standardized appearance. This then means that there is quite a variation in sizing. Both the male and female Elo measures between 21 and 27 inches and weigh up to 77 pounds.

For the smaller version, the Klein-Elo measures up to 20 inches at their shoulder and they weigh up to around 33 pounds.

This is a breed that is all about stability in temperament. Breeders carefully plan the mating’s of their dogs to achieve a well-balanced child-friendly family dog. They also aim for a resilient dog and one who has a high threshold of stimulation. This means that they quickly bounce back after being surprised and can cope with busy and hectic environments without becoming over-aroused.

The breeders also select for a low prey drive so that the dog is not continually looking for opportunities to chase or hunt. They breed tends not to bark too much, and they are confident enough to cope being left alone for a few hours without becoming distressed.

The Elo can adapt to both city and country living, and though they enjoy long walks and the chance to take part in dog sports, though they don’t become difficult to live with if these don’t feature regularly.

Before dogs can be bred from, they must pass a temperament test. Amongst other things it checks each dog for their level of aggression, hunting instinct, and anxiety.

The breeders of the Elo have set high standards for their dogs to be considered suitable for breeding from. This doesn’t always guarantee that puppies will be free from genetic conditions, but it dramatically increases the chances of a healthy pup.

The following are some of the conditions which are tested for:

• Hip Dysplasia, which causes a malformation of the hip joints. The two joint-forming bones, the socket, and the femoral head do not match properly, and this can result in pain and lameness for affected dogs.
• Eye Test to check for the presence of several genetically-based conditions.
• Elbow Dysplasia is a catch-all term for conditions that affect the elbow joint.

The Elo has two different types of coat, rough-haired, which is similar to the Old English Sheepdog and then a smooth-haired version that has less fur on the face. Both types of coat are easy to care for, requiring just a weekly brush to keep them free of dirt and loose hair.

Breeders and owners often talk about how easy it is to train the Elo. As with all breeds of dog, attending a good puppy socialization class and then ongoing training will help to ensure that your Elo is a well-mannered member of the family.

There are Elos competing in various dog sports, and there are several Klein Elos successfully competing in agility.

With one of the key features of the breeding being to reduce hunting instinct, the Elo has less prey drive than many other types of dogs. However, that doesn’t mean to say they will never be tempted to take chase. Training a great recall and focus will ensure that you can call your Elo back to you when needed.

For both mental and physical stimulation, the Elo needs to get out for a walk every day. While they lack the intensity of many breeds, they still enjoy the chance to run and go for long treks. Planning in an hour of exercise every day will ensure that your Elo is getting their needs met.

The Elo will be up for a game whenever you have the opportunity but is not the type of dog to constantly pester you for attention. This then makes it essential that you put time aside to ensure they do get lots of interaction with you.

Due to the very low numbers of Elo’s and that they are not a recognized breed with the American Kennel Club, there are, at present, no rescue groups within the US.

For further information, do take a look at the Elo website, which can be found at https://ezfg.de/.