Texas Lacy Dog

tx_cowgirl

Honored Member
Staff member
What the heck is a Lacy?? The little known Texas Lacy has been around for about 200 years. Although no one is entirely sure, traditional wisdom, as well as Lacy family history, holds that these gorgeous dogs were initially crosses between Greyhounds, scent hounds, and coyotes. They were started by the Lacy brothers in the Texas Hill Country.. These dogs are not recognized by the AKC, and quite frankly, Lacy breeders aren't interested in becoming recognized by any large-scale multi-breed registeries. The vast majority of Lacy breeders have extremely strict breeding standards in order to preserve what the breed was intended for. Of course, there are those who are just out to make some money, just as with any breed. There are several registeries, but the first association to register Lacys is the Texas Lacy Game Dog Association. According to the several breeders I have spoken with, there are two other registeries in particular who were started by breeders exiled from the TLGDA after evidence of inbreeding was found. (The names of those separate registeries have since slipped my mind, but I'm looking.)
The Lacy Game Dog filled the needs of colonial ranchers for over a century in the southwestern United States. At one time, the Lacy breed came near extinction with the rise of all-terrain vehicles being used for ranchwork rather than dogs. Its rediscovery as a versatile hunting companion has created a huge rise in Lacy popularity. Lacys are the most common breed of choice used by United States Trappers.

So what is a Lacy good for? Like the Border Collie, these dogs are amazingly versatile. Agile, intelligent, and driven, these dogs can excel at virtually any sport. They are excellent stock dogs, with a love of herding that makes them an excellent part of any ranch staff. These dogs also have an unbelievable sense of smell, and are very commonly used for tracking. As for hunting uses, they can track, tree a raccoon, retrieve waterfowl...virtually anything you ask of them. They are often used for hog hunting, a sport I personally do not agree with, but they are very good at it. (It's the way the hogs are hunted that bothers me, but that's another subject.) Again I must compare them to the Border Collie in that they are workaholics. These dogs need a job to do, and if you give it to them, they will give you 110+% every time. They are wonderful family dogs, highly trainable, and high energy, but sensitive.

So what does a Lacy look like?
Typically, Lacys are a slate blue, often with white paws or chest. They can also be tricolor(blue with tan points), red, and yellow. Their eyes are unique--they are always a distinctive bright orange to yellow color, like that of a coyote.

Since discovering this breed about a year and a half ago, I'm absolutely smitten. I've found a breeder who takes immaculate care of her dogs and has strict requirements for potential puppy owners. I've been approved and will be getting a puppy from her spring litter if everything goes as planned.

Some of my Favorite Lacy Sites:
Lacydog.com
Truebluelacys.org

(More editing to come)
 

fickla

Experienced Member
wow, I had no idea you wanted a Lacy! I've never seen on in real life but they sound like very intense dogs! are you counting down the days yet?
 

tx_cowgirl

Honored Member
Staff member
Yep. ^^ I was planning a BC, but the bitch I was wanting a puppy from started showing signs that she was losing her hearing. The breeder of course doesn't want to pass that on, so she's not going to breed her. Then I fell for one at a shelter 7 hours away that needed a lot of work but otherwise was just what I was looking for. He changed fosters a couple times and then the shelter completely stopped answering my responses. The shelter manager told me I was a perfect fit for him, but then wouldn't return my emails or phone calls. He had escaped a foster before(came in feral, was so timid he made Zeke look like a social butterfly...had looots of fears to work out), so I'm kind of wondering if he escaped another foster and they didn't get him back this time. The first time they had to trap him. Anywho...I'm a bowhunter, and I found out about bloodtrailing about 4 years ago and have wanted a dog for it ever since. Mud has an awful sense of smell, and Zeke doesn't have the self-control yet to be trusted completely off-leash and quiet. The breeder I found trains all of her dogs for bloodtrailing and is willing to help if I need it. I've always had an interest in Lacys but didn't start doing the research until a year or so ago. When I started researching, I was hooked. Perfect blood trail dog. I still want another BC one of these days, but for what I'm wanting right now I'll be thrilled with a Lacy. They are such an interesting breed.
Lol, not counting down the days just yet, but definitely excited. Already trying to plan out my training process through puppyhood. Believe it or not, this will be the first puppy of my own that I've raised with the knowledge I have now. When I got Z, I did the basics and a few advanced tricks, but nothing really on body awareness or coordination or anything like that. I've also been reading Linda Tellington-Jones' "Getting in TTouch With Your Puppy" and will be incoorporating that into my puppy's raising as well. Already have a favorite name, provided it fits him....if not, then back to the drawing board. Been price checking and size checking on crates. Bought a Kong Binkie about 3 months ago, lol, just because it was toooo cute. So he's already got at least one toy, haha! Need to buy the book the breeder recommended to me, already found it on Amazon and have it on my wish list. Already told my trainer I want a private and a group class because I want to do something modeled after Silvia Trkman's puppy classes(ever watched those vids?? Wow!), as well as loooots of body awareness tricks and things of that nature. The group class, however, will of course be more basics and socialization, with not near as much body awareness. I'll be getting the puppy at 8 weeks.

Lol, can you tell I've spent a lot of time thinking about this?
 

tx_cowgirl

Honored Member
Staff member
They do seem like great dogs. ^^

Unfortunately, since this post, some things have come up that kind of killed my chances of getting another dog for a while. For the dog's sake, it's just not good timing for me. I don't have the time to devote to a pup right now, so it wouldn't be fair to a pup of any breed for me to get one and not be able to give him the training/socialization/time he would need.
But I still want a Lacy one day. I'm thinking once I graduate college (RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!), then I'll get another dog, either BC or Lacy or who knows what. Lol.
 
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