The goal of True Blue Lacys dot com

When I began researching Lacys in 2006, there was very little information about the breed online. I now know even that was primarily a PR campaign, focused on promoting Lacys as the State Dog of Texas to sell more puppies. Though I've worked with several organizations and publications to address those issues, I felt it was time to create my own space. True Blue Lacys is a place for me to independently share what I've experienced and learned along the way. I hope people looking to educate themselves on this unique breed will find the site honest and helpful. But in the end, all I can do is tell my story, and post pictures of my dog, because she really is the prettiest Lacy in the world, don't you think?

Julie and Sadie

Story of a pet Lacy Dog in the city

When I first discovered Lacys, everything I heard and read said they were perfect. Smart, athletic, loyal, loving and beautiful... who could ask for anything more? They needed an active owner, but as someone that liked to jog and hike every day, supposedly I fit the bill. The breed profiles said they were suitable for apartments, so even though I lived in downtown Austin without a yard, I was told that wouldn't be a problem. I contacted a breeder, went to visit the litter and came back for a little blue female two weeks later.

We had a few rocky moments in the beginning but things seemed OK. I was writing my graduate thesis, so I was home a lot and we took at least two walks a day. We went to the dog park several times a week. I socialized her with strangers and she would sit politely for treats from little kids. We did have trouble in puppy class, she would growl and snap at other pups for the smallest transgression, and she would even bow up to big dogs if she wanted something they had. Her dominant personality bothered me, but I corrected her for all these things and was told by her breeder and other owners this was normal for the breed.

At about 7 months old, Sadie's adult drive kicked in and she became increasingly difficult to handle. She started having real fights with other dogs, not just snapping. She often drew blood. And I was horrified by her sudden change around children. Despite her early socialization, she started to see kids as some kind of prey. She would literally try to bay them, barking and circling them, reaching in to nip, just like a dog working hogs or cattle. She also became very protective of me and my belongings. I lived with two roommates and she wouldn't let them near my bedroom. One time, a dog came up behind me when I was sitting on the ground at the park, and she lunged to attack. I reflexively put my arm up and still have the scars.

I didn't know it at the time, but all of this was merely her genetics shinning through. Without an appropriate outlet for her drive, her behavior became increasingly dangerous. I tried exercising her more, but at one point we were going for 12 mile bike rides and there was no change. I took her to several trainers and no one could help. Of course what she really needed was a job.

The final straw came when, in a three week period, she bit two people. Both were because they tried to stop a dog fight. One had to go to the hospital. The other was my roommate, and they told me to get rid of the dog or move out. I was devastated. My active pet, the one that people said would be so perfect, was a frightening nightmare.

All this time I was begging and pleading for help. I got a few passive suggestions, but nothing that worked. Until one day I posted that I had to get rid of Sadie. The breeder said she couldn't take her and the association I belonged to at the time ignored me. Finally a very kind hog hunter stepped up with the one solution I hadn't tried. He said he could train her to be a hog dog for a month or two while I found a new place to live. Despite being a vegetarian that was staunchly against hunting, I agreed, because I had no other options.

Sadie has now been hog hunting for two years and absolutely loves it. Whenever she sees her cut collar, she starts running laps, eager to get on a big boar. After the worst of her dog aggression subsided, we started training for agility, another activity she excels at. Sadie still has some lingering problems, but with a lot of exercise and consistent training I can keep her stable. I can actually keep her, period, and that is the only thing that really matters.

So for all those who want to justify selling and buying pet Lacys... Even though some Lacys are watered down enough to make it in suburbia, what about those that aren't? Can you handle a situation that ends in multiple bites and great heart ache? As a pet owner, are you willing to do whatever it takes, including rearranging your life, to keep this dog? As a breeder, are you willing to take the dog back if the owner can't handle it and find a more suitable home? Or will this unfortunate dog contribute to the growing population of Lacys in shelters? Before you buy or sell a Lacy as a pet, please think about it.

Blue Lacy pet