The Lacy Dog or Blue Lacy Dog is a breed of working dog that originated in the U.S. state of 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 recognized, breeding populations are being established across the United States , Canada , and most recently in Europe .
18-630: 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 and 64 cm (18 and 25 in) and weight between 14 and 23 kg (30 and 50 lb)—but it
36-559: A simple test is now available to find whether a dog carries a defective MDR1 , a multi-drug resistance gene. Some owners report cases of cryptorchidism , umbilical hernia , and lotus syndrome , plus deafness and cataracts in old age. Silken Windhounds were founded and developed in Austin, Texas , by Francie Stull, a successful breeder of show and performance American Kennel Club Borzoi and Deerhounds , using her favored Borzoi and Lurcher bloodlines. The first Silken Windhound litter
54-860: 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. During recent years, Lacy dogs have also become recognized for their tracking skills, and are used to locate "lost" game animals. They are also used by United States trappers for save and chasing operations. Lacys are generally healthy dogs. Developed for generations to meet
72-403: Is also important in jumping, as the shoulder must rotate back for the horse to bring its foreleg parallel to the ground, which will then raise the animal's knees upward and get the lower part of the forelegs out of the way. Therefore, the withers have a direct impact on one of the most important points of conformation : the shoulder. In dogs , the height of the withers is often used to determine
90-656: 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. The coat should be short, smooth and tight. An excessively long or rough coat is a disqualification. Lacys shed, but require minimal grooming. Blue Lacy Dogs 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. The Lacy
108-529: The Silken Windhound , was well underway. Withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped . In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle are often measured to the top of the hips. The term (pronounced / ˈ w ɪ ð . ər z / ) derives from Old English wither ("against'), because
126-738: The NAKC, IABCA, and NCA, as part of the hound group. In Slovenia , Silkens are an accepted part of the Slovenian Kennel Club, member of the FCI , also in the hound group. Silken Windhounds also participate in sighthound performance sports, competing alongside other sighthounds in Finnish lure coursing and straight racing events. The ISWS has established straight and oval track racing programs that enable Silkens to compete and win points towards performance titles. In late 2009, Silken Windhounds were accepted as
144-1425: The dog's jump height in various dog sports . It is also often a determining factor in whether the dog conforms to the show-quality standards for its breed . Silken Windhound The Silken Windhound is an American breed of sighthound . Like most sighthounds, Silkens are noted coursers . Silken Windhounds are graceful, small- to medium-sized sighthounds with silky coats of middling length. Silken coat colors can range from white to black, with brilliant brindles and solid red in between. They can be spotted, tuxedo-marked or solid-colored. Silken Windhounds are affectionate and playful, and are good dogs for families with children. Due to their friendliness, they are not good guard dogs but are easily housebroken and can be trained to live with smaller household pets. Silkens particularly like agility , therapy , flyball , and obedience . Silken Windhounds are intelligent and easily trained using rewards and affection in short, positive sessions. They will work eagerly and form strong relationships with their owners if treated well. Like many sighthounds , Silken Windhounds can slip out of buckle collars , so most owners favor semi-slip collars . Silken Windhounds typically live into their middle to late teens . Bone and joint ailments like hip dysplasia and bloat are rare. Some individual Silken Windhounds are sensitive to ivermectin and related drugs;
162-726: The family and their dogs as significant figures in Texas history. On March 15, 2005, Representative Joaquin Castro filed House Concurrent Resolution No. 108, proposing the blue Lacy as the State Dog of Texas. This legislation was proposed to recognize the original breeders, the Lacy family, and their contribution to the State of Texas as well as to honor the Lacy Dog as a Texas original. House Concurrent Resolution No. 108
180-404: The horse are considered in evaluating conformation. Generally, a horse should have well-defined withers, as they are considered an important attachment point for the muscles of the torso. Withers of medium height are preferred, as high withers make it difficult to fit a saddle and are often associated with a narrow chest, and low withers (known as "mutton withers") do not provide a ridge to help keep
198-465: The horse's head does, the withers are used as the measuring point for the height of a horse. Horses are sometimes measured in hands – one hand is 4 inches (10.2 cm). Horse heights are extremely variable, from small pony breeds to large draft breeds. The height at the withers of an average thoroughbred is 163 centimetres (16.0 hands; 5 ft 4 in), and ponies are up to 147 centimetres (14.2 hands; 4 ft 10 in). The withers of
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#1733084466192216-552: The requirements of ranchers and hunters , they are sturdy enough to withstand tough terrain, difficult working conditions, and both hot and cold weather by Texan standards. However, skin problems and food allergies can occur. Color dilution alopecia is very rare but has occurred in Lacys. The Lacy dog was named after the Lacy brothers (Ewin, Frank, Harry, and George), ranchers from Kentucky that moved to Burnet County, Texas in 1858 and brought their ranching dogs with them. The lacy dog
234-401: The saddle in place. More importantly, the dorsal spinal processes provide an attachment for the muscles that support the shoulder and neck. Horses do not have a clavicle , so the shoulder can freely rotate backwards. If the vertebrae of the withers are long front-to-back, the shoulder is freer to move backwards. This allows for an increase of stride length. thus increasing the horse's speed. It
252-409: The withers are the part of a draft animal that pushes against a load . The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the 3rd through 11th thoracic vertebrae , which are unusually long in this area. Most horses have 18 thoracic vertebrae. The processes at the withers can be more than 30 centimetres (12 in) long. Since they do not move relative to the ground as
270-504: Was adopted by the Texas House of Representatives on May 15, 2005, and by the Senate ten days later on May 25, 2005. Governor Rick Perry signed the legislation adopting the Lacy as "the official State Dog Breed of Texas" on June 18, 2005. At the time, the legislation claimed that the blue lacy was “the only dog breed to have originated in this state,” however the development of another Texas breed,
288-497: Was not until 2005 that it was officially recognized as the state dog. 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
306-513: Was said to be a mixture between greyhounds, scenthounds, and coyotes. They were bred to handle multiple tasks on the ranch such as herding cattle and free-roaming hog, tracking and treeing small game, and hunting deer and feral hogs. This led to the local nickname of the “lacy hog dog”. The Lacy family also donated pink granite from the ranch’s quarry on Granite Mountain to build the Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas , marking
324-611: Was whelped in 1985 and a breed club , the International Silken Windhound Society, was formed in 1999. In early 2011, Silken Windhounds were recognized by the United Kennel Club . Silkens are now in 24 countries as well. The Silken Windhound studbooks closed in 2000, with minimal sanctioned outcrossing to foundational breeds being monitored to improve health and lower COI. Silken Windhounds participate in performance sports and showings worldwide, including
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