The Lycan Shepherd is a hybrid dog you have probably never seen. This is because they are a completely new dog. Well, they are actually still being developed. And it’s not just a simple cross, this is a combination of different types of breeds.
This stunning breed is a mix between Blue Bay Shepherds, working-line German Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois. The perfect combination of family and working dogs, huh? And, breeders are working on this mix for a specific reason.
They want to create a dog with superior intelligence, a dog that looks like a wolf dog, with a dependable disposition. One thing is for sure with the Lycan Shepherd, they will get a lot of attention! Not just for their stunning looks, but for their cleverness too.
We don’t want think that there are a lot of people who would be able to resist the Lycan Shepherd good manners, high intelligence and wolfish appearance. So if you got curious too, keep on reading to find out more.
Lycan Shepherd History
As already mentioned the Lycan Shepherd is still in its early stages of development. This means we don’t have a lot of information about them, and what we do know is based on the parent breeds traits. Right now this mix has still unpredictable characteristics. Meaning they can have any combination of traits their parent breeds have.
This is a new hybrid dog, in fact, one of the newest out there! The Lycan Shep was first introduced in 2017. That’s when a Youtube channel posted a video of a 4-week-old first-generation Lycan puppy.
To be honest, the video doesn’t show much, but it was enough for the video to go viral and the world to fall in love with them. The video is still available to watch, so make sure to take a look. But you have to know that the first generation, or also called F1 Lycan Shepherd will be a bit different than the other generations after him.
The person who is behind this mix is a former animal warden. He wanted to create a dog that is smarter and healthier than any other dog! And people went absolutely crazy after they got a first look at this adorable hybrid dog. But it’s still way too early to have any specific information about these rare and unique puppies.
Why develop a new breed?
The creator, Vicki Spencer, calls this process of developing a completely new breed the “Lycan Shepherd Project”. And as already mentioned his goal is to create a superior dog.
By now we haven’t seen the full potential of the Lycan Shep. The rare breed hasn’t been perfected yet. But the main goals with this Shepherd dog were:
- to have an athletic body. a strong physique
- be loyal and protective of their family, guarding and defensive
- to be highly intelligent, to have that problem-solving ability of a wolf.
Basically, he wants to make a dog that is easy to train, but with a good temperament and looks like a wolf. Of course, he also wants this dog to have a great personality and don’t have many health issues.
This is also the reason why he is using three dog breeds, and not just two like breeders usually do. By combining more than two dogs, breeders get some of the most rare breeds that fascinate the whole dog world.
How will they look? How big do Lycan Shepherds get?
So, how is this new breed supposed to look like? We don’t know. There is no standard, and so far every generation has looked differently. It’s tricky to say that with any crossbreed, especially of its a combination of three dogs. Basically, they could look like each parent breed.
For example, the first generation of the Lycan Shepherd had soft brown fur with a black hue to it. the second-generation puppy had a very thick and dense coat that was completely black. Another puppy from the second generation has a blue coat. The third-generation puppy has a brown-greyish coat. So you can’t even predict the color of their coat.
We don’t even know which color their eyes will be. The possible colors are blue, brown, black, or silver-grey. The possibilities are endless! But a lot of them have light eyes. These give them a bit of a Husky appearance, emphasizing that wolfish appearance.
When it comes to body size and body ratio, this varies as well. The Lyca Shepherd can be between 20 and 35 inches tall and have an average weight of 40 to 80 pounds. And this is as far as we know. Even though we don’t know how tall or heavy they’ll exactly be, we do know for sure that they will be large dogs! They will be giants. But pretty gentle giants.
What will the Lycan Shepherd be like?
The Lycan Shepherd will be a large, strong, intimidating dog. So, does that mean they will be aggressive too? Not at all! According to the breeder, these dogs will be far from that, so far he has recorded the following traits:
- playful
- kind
- friendly
- loyal
- social
- loving
- affectionate
- not aggressive
- calm
- caring
- protective
But, because they are still a work in progress some of these traits might change.
Another great trait the breeder has noticed in this breed is that they are easy to train and that they have a lot of energy. This means they need around 90 minutes to two hours of exercise daily. They love any kind of physical activity, hikes, long runs or walks, play sessions, games of fetch, or Frisbee. You name it! As long as they get to be active, they’ll enjoy everything.
But, it’s also very important to train them from early on. So, training and early socialization are a must for the Lycan Shepherd. Make sure you start slow and supervise your dog whenever he is around strangers. Either people or dogs, but especially kids. Don’t leave your kids unsupervised with any dogs, because both untrained dogs and little kids can be pretty unpredictable.
PRO TIP: If you want them to trust you, never punish them! Instead, use positive reinforcement when training your Lycan Shep. That means a lot of verbal praise, but also lots of treats as well. Make the training process fun and enjoyable for the both of you.
Where to buy one
The Lycan Shepherd isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club or any other kennel club. But this is completely normal. It’s a new breed and it usually takes up to 40 years for a dog to get recognized as a purebred. But, that shouldn’t stop you from getting one! It basically just means that your dog can’t take part in dog shows.
Now, you’ll read online that a Lycan Shepherd puppy costs between 3000 and 5000 dollars. I know, this is a lot. But we’re talking about a very rare dog here. Also, when you’re buying a dog, you shouldn’t be looking for a bargain. A great deal would be a dog between these prices, that’s sold by a reputable breeder and from a healthy bloodline.
Another great thing to do would be to do some genetic testing. That way you could check your dog for genetic diseases such as hip dysplasia. Even though these working dogs are pretty robust, they can still get sick.
Also, keep in mind that these are the first generations of the Lycan that are being sold. Usually, the first few generations aren’t available for purchase. According to the breeder, he will start selling soon. He even informs potential buyers through his videos when and how they can buy a puppy. Sometimes it won’t say “first generation” on the advertisement. But you can look for descriptions such as F1 Lycan Shepherd.
In addition to that, we also have to warn you right away. There are many scammers out there that will sell you another breed of dog or crossbreed saying it’s the Lycan Shepherd. It could be a black German Shepherd or another dog with similar characteristics. So be aware of that too!
Are they good pets?
Judging by what we’ve seen and read about this breed we can say they make amazing pets! If you know how to treat them. Don’t let their wolfish appearance fool you — they too love affection.
These dogs are very active and intelligent. Personality wise, the German Shepherd genes really come through. So they are perfect for active families. But only for families that will have a lot of time to train them and take care of them. If you live in a small apartment in a busy city, and you aren’t ever home — this definitely isn’t the dog for you.
They are not really suited for first-time dog owners too. This breed will be too much for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience with dogs and dog training. The Lycan Shepherd needs someone who is experienced and knows what they are doing. This is the case for any of the wolf dogs out there.
These dogs are very alert too, and their appearance can be quite intimidating to some people. That’s why they also make great guard dogs. There working dogs would also be a great fit for the police or military. They really are a versatile dog breed and could be happy in many different households. They might not be the perfect pet for busy people, or people that have small kids. Just because they wouldn’t have enough time to take care of all the needs the Lycan Shepherd has.
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