Blue Lacy Dogs

Breed Type: Working dog

Weight: 30-50 pounds (13-23 kg)

Height: 18-23 inches (46-58 cm)

Coat Type: Short, Smooth and tight coat

 

Blue Lacy is an elegant breed of working dogs, which also stands as the State dog of Texas. It was developed by the Lacy Brothers; hence, derived its name from them. Also known as Lacy Game Dog, Texas Blue Lacy and Lacy Hog Dog; it is famous by the nickname ‘Lucy’ across Texas. The dog was developed by breeding English Shepherd (or perhaps coyote), Greyhound, and wolf and has been honored as ‘a true Texas breed’. Blue Lacy dog shows immense endurance and strength through its lightly built, but well-proportioned body. It is also a strong, determined dog that can control an entire unruly herd of livestock alone. The dog also makes up a great family pet, as it loves children immensely and develops a strong bond with the family. In this article, we bring you details on the Blue Lacy dog breed.

 

Blue Lacy dog has derived its name from the Lacy brothers - Frank, George, Ewin, and Harry Lacy, who played a great role in its origin. The brothers settled in Texas and developed a dog by breeding English Shepherd (or coyote), Greyhound, and wolf, which would have natural herding properties to work on their free-roaming hogs. It was on March 15, 2005, in the 79^th Legislature of the State of Texas, that Representative Joaquin Castro forwarded the proposal to make Blue Lacy the state dog of Texas. The objective behind the proposal was to recognize the contribution of the breeders of the dog to the State of Texas as well as to honor Lacy as a Texas original. On June 18, 2005, Governor Rick Perry signed the legislation making Blue Lacy the official state dog of Texas. In 2008, there was a proposal to change the Texas A&M University mascot, from Reveille VII (a collie), to the Lacy. However, it was not successful.

 

Blue Lacy is a medium sized dog, with a balanced and powerful body structure. The dog has a medium sized head, moderately long skull and a muzzle that is slightly shorter than the skull. The well-muscled, arched neck, set well on the muscular shoulders, allows the dog to carry its head with pride. Blue Lacy has beautiful round eyes with colors that range from rich brown to bright yellow color and are both alert and bright. The jaws are strong, with evenly spaced teeth exhibiting a scissor bite. The overall build of the breed helps it to portray dexterity, speed and immense stamina. It has moderately tucked up loins and comes up in three permissible color varieties; blue (shades of gray, from light silver to dark charcoal), red (from light cream to rust) and tri (blue base, red markings, and white color appearing on the brisket or from chin to groin).

 

Blue Lacy is a tough and energetic working dog that needs challenging tasks to keep it fit, both mentally and physically. It has strong work ethics and hence, demonstrates great strength, agility and speed. The breed needs regular exercises, along with long walks or opportunity to run. It is bold, alert and brave, with a drive to be territorial and protect its property, thus making it an ideal watchdog. Blue Lacy dog makes an excellent pet companion and loves the family members. It has too much energy and drive for children. The dog needs a calm and strong leader, who defines rules. Since the breed was developed for professional hunters, it can easily stand tough terrain and hard working conditions. The dog is very intelligent and quickly learns various tasks during training.

 

Blue Lacy is a tough and healthy dog, with a life span of around 16 years. The dog can, however, suffer from skin problems and food allergies. In addition, a rare hereditary disease, known as color dilution alopecia, and hair loss can also occur.

Since Blue Lacy dog has short hair, low maintenance of the coat is required. In other words, it requires minimal grooming.