meet the... Blue Lacy

Head

• General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type is moderately large in size and proportionately to the rest of the body. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles. The head is of sufficient bone and muscle to denote strength and power. The topskull is broad and equal in width (measured across the top of the skull in front of the ears) as long, giving the head breadth. A median furrow, starting at the stop and disappearing toward the occiput, may be accentuated by well-developed temporal muscles, although the temporal muscles should never be overly prominent. The head and skull should never appear overly narrow or lacking in substance. The head is flat to slightly arched when viewed in profile.
• Expression: Confident, intelligent, alert, intense, and expressive.
• Stop: The stop is somewhat definite.
• Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is between 4:5 and 1:1, with the topskull being equal to or just longer than the muzzle.
  The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel or may be just slightly convergent.
• Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. The upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak.
• Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws. They are often well-pigmented according to the coat and may be black, dark brown, or blue. They may also be dark gray in diluted dogs.
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, or self-colored, according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened.
• Cheeks: The cheeks are well-developed and well-muscled. They add breadth to the face and head. The cheeks should not appear flat or chiseled.
• Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level, scissor, or reverse-scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work are not to be penalized.
• Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and ranging from gray, bright yellow, orange, green, or amber to medium brown. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
• Ears: Medium in size, set high on the skull, and drop. The ears are broad across the base. Preferable ear carriage results in an inner edge that lies close to the head. The ears should never be long, pendulous, semi-erect, or fully erect.

Body and Tail

• General Description: Compact, solid, deep, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined but capable of stamina, agility, and power. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
• Neck: Moderate length allows for good head carriage. It is powerfully muscled with a good arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
• Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed.
• Topline: Level from withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, flat, level, or slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached.
• Croup: Broad, powerful, and gently sloped.
• Underline: A slight to moderate tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
• Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
• Tail: Set low or neither high nor low on the croup, always as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level but never tucked. Tails are naturally long and never surgically docked short. The tail tip should extend to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be sabered, sickled, pump-handled, straight, or gently curved.

Forequarters and Hindquarters

• Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are fairly long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
• Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
• Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of moderate (yet sturdy) bone, and parallel to one another.
  Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
• Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
• Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are fairly long and equal in length, with strong and moderate (yet sturdy) bone. They are well-muscled.
  Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
  Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
• Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
• Stifle Joint: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
• Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Toes may be webbed. Single or double dewclaws may be present.

Coat

• Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
• Coat Type: The coat is short, smooth, and close to the body throughout. The texture is rough to fine and glossy. The undercoat is dense and soft. The coat may be slightly longer on the neck, forming a light ruff, and on the tail, forming a light brush, although a smooth tail is equally acceptable.
• Coat Color or Pattern: The name “Blue Lacy” does not describe the permissible color combinations. Instead, it refers to the blue gene found throughout the Lacy breed. Lacy Dogs can be any of the following varieties:
  
  Standard Color Varieties (all standard color varieties should have a blue-based nose and eye rims).
  Blue: Any shade ranging from Charcoal (nearly black), gunmetal blue, to grey-blue to silvery blue
  Red: Includes shades from tan to dark red
  Cream: Off-white
  Blue and Tan: Any shade of blue with red points or markings.
  All with or without minimal white-to-white trim.
  Tri-Colors- Any blue shade with red points or markings and minimal white-to-white trim.
  
  Nonstandard Color Variety: Liver, Isabella, silver, any standard blue-based or nonstandard color in the fawn, saddle, creeping tan, or agouti pattern. All with or without minimal white markings or white trim.

Movement

Smooth, effortless, efficient, and energetic, the characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.

Temperament

The Blue Lacy is still primarily utilized as a working dog to this day. They are bred to be exceptional hunters, herders, and catch dogs, and consequently, they tend to be highly driven to perform these duties, which can become problematic if matched to non-working or non-hunting families that do not allow the breed to exercise its natural instincts, drives, and energy. Lacy Dogs are loyal, even-tempered, and predictable when properly matched to suitable homes. They are known to bond strongly with their families, becoming especially fond of their children. They can be aloof toward strangers, and they also have a tendency to become territorial and protective of property. Early obedience training, socialization, and a regular job are necessary for this breed, or behavioral problems could arise. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.

Faults

All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.