News from the Zuchtgemeinschaft für Eurasier e.V.

Dr. Erik Zimen (1941 - 2003)

On Monday, May 19, 2003, Dr. Erik Zimen died, his family was with him. We have lost a worldwide known and acknowledged expert for the species wolf and family dog.  It is mostly due to Erik Zimen that the wolf is now being protected worldwide. For the benefit of dogs, he fought against malformation, inhumane breeding practices and excessive refinement through breeding, and by doing so he pushed many of those old prejudices and errors from their pedestal. 

The Zuchtgemeinschaft für Eurasier was - due to the connection with Dr. Schmidt - in direct contact with Dr. Zimen especially in the eighties.  From the very early days, it was Dr. Zimen, who recognised the significance of the still young breed Eurasier. He described the Eurasiers in those days as "very beautiful animals, independent and yet affectionate and attached to the family home, watchful, without being aggressive, and without any desire to hunt: a really ideal family dog of medium size". His important advice "to give first priority to the pleasant character traits and not to concentrate exclusively on certain features of appearance (e.g. coat or colour)" became one of our most important priorities in breeding and continues to contribute to the successful breeding of our Eurasiers.

His way of thinking and his expertise will live on in the Zuchtgemeinschaft für Eurasier.

Zuchtgemeinschaft für Eurasier e.V. 

Zuchtgemeinschaft für Eurasier e.V. :     http://www.eurasier-online.de