The Lacy Dog or Blue Lacy Dog is a breed of
working dog that originated in Texas in the mid-19th century. The Lacy was
first recognized in 2001 by the Texas Senate. In Senate Resolution No. 436, the
77th Legislature honored the Lacy as "a true Texas breed". In June
2005, Governor Rick Perry signed the legislation adopting the Blue Lacy as
"the official State Dog Breed of Texas". As expected, the vast
majority of Lacy dogs are found in Texas. However, as the breed becomes more
well recognized, there are breeding populations being established across the
United States, Canada, and most recently in Europe.
Description
Appearance
Lacy
dogs are strong and fast, lightly built but proportional within the
height-to-weight ratio. Height at the withers is from 43 to 56 cm (17 to 22
in). Dependent on height and general conditioning, weight should be
approximately 11 to 20 kg (25 to 45 lb) for females and 16 to 25 kg (35 to 55
lb) for males. The standards listed in the Texas House Concurrent Resolution
No. 108 are slightly different: height between 46 to 64 cm (18 to 25 in),
weight between 14 to 23 kg (30 to 50 lb) but it was not until 2005 that it was
officially recognized as the state dog.
Color
Though
they are often called "blue" Lacys, there are three permissible color
varieties of the Lacy. "Blues" are any shade of gray from light
silver to dark charcoal. "Reds" range from light cream to rust. The
"Tri" combines a blue base with distinct red markings as appropriate
for trim, and white which may appear on the brisket and stretch from chin to
groin. White may also be present on one or more paws. Excessive white is discouraged,
and markings on the face or above mid-line are a disqualifying fault. Their
eyes are sharp and alert, ranging in color from bright yellow to rich amber.
Coat
The
coat should be short, smooth and tight. An excessively long or rough coat is a
disqualification. Lacys shed, but require minimal grooming.
Temperament
Blue
Lacy Dogs in general are intelligent, intense, active, and alert. Developed to
be both hunting and herding dogs, they display great drive and determination to
work with big game and control difficult livestock. Young dogs may have too
much energy and drive for small children. They are easy to train, learning new
skills quickly.
Activities
The
Lacy is a working breed, and does much better when given a job, which allows
them to burn off excessive energy. Work they excel at includes herding
livestock, blood trailing or tracking, treeing game, running trap lines, and
hunting wild hogs. Modern activities like agility that stress intelligence,
passion, speed and nimbleness may be appropriate substitutes for traditional
work. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive
herding tests. Lacys generally exhibit herding instincts, and can be trained to
compete in stock dog trials, or hog bays.[8] During recent years, Lacy dogs
have also become recognized for their great tracking skills, and sought after
to be used to locate "lost" game animals.
Health
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