Do a google. They are highly valued by cattle ranchers.

I've never heard of an American blue lacy dog, but that doesn't mean anything. I do think it would be helpful to know what the "general" temperament for the breed was, but then again, each dog is an individual.

I found this: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bluelacy.htm but you've probably already seen it.

I've always admired border collies. They are the top of the line when it comes to doggy intelligence. That said, they can become bored easily, which can lead to distructive behavior. I read about one who knew how to open the refrigerator door and helped himself to what he needed when the urge hit him. :-)

While I still admire border collies, I wouldn't have one because I know I couldn't handle one. I've also read (and again each dog is an individual) that because of their intelligence, border collies are more independent and not always as affectionate as other breeds.

Good luck to you!

Years ago I was very involved in raising, training and showing Basenjis all over the US so am still interested in all kinds of dogs, but had never heard of blue lacy dogs. I too looked them up on google and found lots of stuff. In temperament they sound a lot like a Border Collie -- they need a job or they are not happy; by that I mean an all day job or they can become restless and very hard to handle. Sounds like this is what the family offering him has found to be the case.

From the internet:

"Blue Lacys are wonderful dogs, but they are not the perfect fit for every family. This working breed requires a lot of time and dedication in order to maintain the proper mental and physical condition. Jobs they excel at include herding cattle, blood trailing game, running trap lines and hunting hogs. Modern activities like hiking, jogging and competition trials may be appropriate substitutes for traditional work. Without a job, Blue Lacys can become bored and search for things to do. Common behavior problems include acting overly protective of you or your property, herding other animals, or displaying excessive anxiety. Blue Lacys are huge people dogs, and not to be left at home all week in a back yard while you're at work. We can not stress enough the importance of socialization for your Blue Lacy as a puppy. Ethical breeders will only place dogs in homes prepared to respect and fulfill their Blue Lacys heritage. It is important to educate yourself before bringing an American Blue Lacy into your home."

We all want an intelligent dog, but an intelligent working dog seldom makes the best family pet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Am. Blue Lacy Dogs on google ...

yea, i've been to all the websites, and read up as much
as i could

we're not ready for a dog yet, as we still have the east side of the property to fence in, but working on it as
we can

the owner of the lacy told daniel she could wait a few
months, if we needed more time to get ready, but i'd
hate to know the dog was in a place where he wasn't happy,
just waiting on us to finish a fenceline

however, regardless of lacy, or border collie, we agree
we need to finish the fence

here's what we're looking for in a dog, and maby someone
can make some recomendation

i'd like a dog thats good with children, happy, smart, and
loyal

i'm not overly interested in a "guard dog" breed, no german
shephards, no dobbies, no rottwhilers (sp) and the like

also, don't care for little yappy dogs either,

back in the day, we had golden retrievers when i was
a young girl, great dogs, but not a big fan of brushing
stickers out of their fur every day

thoughts?

tesa

Dogs come in so many forms, that it is impossible to recommend to someone else.

The number one fave right now, though, nation wide, is Lab. Pick your color.

I have always had poodles, in recent years (30 yrs. or so), as they fit well with me. However, there have not been any two, that were genuinely alike, in temperament, or behavior. They are just like people, in that they are very different, from one to another. (Sometimes they are too darned much like people.)

I suspect that other breeds can be similar, from dog to dog. So, you may never know what you are gonna get, til you get them.

I can share, that some of the traits are discernible very early on, so if you can spend any time with a pup, before making a decision, you may find that valuable.

Thumbs up for poodles. Most people think they are "yappy sissy" dogs. Not so.
They were originally bred for hunting.
I have one that weighs 10 lbs and is one tough little guy. He is a great watch dog. He is a real people dog.
As with any dog, it is how you raisethem . Very intelligent and loving dogs.
As Rick said, almost human.

He's keepin' an eye out for ya'.

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Another poodle admirer here! Maybe it is because of the way they are groomed for dog shows that many people believe they are 'sissy' dogs, but there is a reason why they were the most popular dog breed in America for years. They have been judged by experts to be second only to Border collies in intelligence. Originally bred in Germany as water dog retrievers they have been used as circus dogs for the last couple of hundred years which served to nail down their inate intelligence, trainability, and responsivness. Not only that, but one guy used a team of Standard poodles as competition sled dogs and they were right up there with the breeds traditionally used as sled dogs. So yes, one tough dog in three sizes; standard, miniature, and toy.

As with many pure breeds with their popularity came indiscriminate breeding and maybe there are some poodles that are yappy and high strung, but that has not been my experience with them. They are ever alert so nothing seems to escape their attention. They study everything you do with great interest as if they might be asked to do it some time.

Most dogs are intelligent in many ways, but not particularly trainable. The Basenjis I raised were of this catagory. I had Basenjis that learned to open the refrigerator, unlock the screens on windows, climb ten foot fences, roll down car windows to escape, pretend to see something outside so another dog would come running and then take their bone or spot on the sofa, and on and on, but would come if you called them only if they saw value in it. Cat like in many ways their owners dearly loved them as they had such cute clever personalities. The males loved puppies and would often get in the whelping box and lay down with them, lick them, and act like they wanted to nurse them.

Anyway, I've rambled on way too long. As Lou said it is impossible to recommend a breed as all breeds have their good points. In many cases I would recommend a mixed breed as having been in the pure bred dog 'arena' for years it was observed that many pure bred dogs have been bred and in-bred (breeding of close relatives, mother to son,etc.) for extremes in conformation, and to be alert in the show ring (leading to a high strung personality) rather than for good temperament, good health, trainability and intelligence. Dogs bred for work, hunting, etc. and not for the show ring competition would be not be in that catagory.

I'm showing my bias here, but half poodles are usually wonderful dogs. I've had them too. You can usually spot them by a certain look in their dark brown eyes and a fuzzy coat. But keeping a poodle groomed is one downside to the breed, and for you Tesa, living in the country as you do it would be hard to keep the burrs, seeds and such out of their coats.

If I were you I'd put out the word to everybody you know that you are looking for a small personable dog and someone will offer one to you. You might watch the shelters closely also. But know that small dogs go fast.

Kathy, I loved the picture of that one little eye watching everything. Can I show off my new angel fur baby? He's just a teen-ager in dog age. I've only had him about three weeks and he's learned to come, sit, and stay; fetch and return, (not perfectly yet, but most of the time) and now is learning the shake hands.

Happy dog hunting!

What would we do without dogs??? I love ALL of them.
Roselee, you have made some wonderful points ... wish breeders would be responsible and not just be "out for the money".

well, daniel came home last night, and she had told her
family that she had found a new home, for "blue" and
the children were very upset, so she sat them down,
and told them what needed to happen for the dog to stay,
and i think the kids are gonna try and be better dog
owners

i, for one have never been an advocate of buying your
children pets, you know darn good and well who's gonna
be taking care of that animal! her kids are young, not
teenagers, but i think daniel said maby 6 and 8, or 10

anyway, i appreciate everyones input, i've really tried
to research, and pick a dog that will meet our needs, instead of just going to the shelter and picking just
any cute thing i see (which would be hard anyway)

i went to the animal planet website, and they have a
questionair you can fill out and it matches breeds with
your answers

australian shepherd came up, and so did border collie

i think we're gonna stick with those two, as i try and
read up more, and wait

i really feel when the time is right, the right pet
will come along

we're not really ready, as the fence isn't finished yet,
but like i said, if the right dog were to come about, i'd
take him/her, regardless of the fence situation, i'd
just have to keep them inside 'till the fence was finished,
unless they were on leash

i just thought the overall way things happened, was interesting, with us talking about that breed, and then
someone offering us one

and ya never know, the lady said if her kids don't step
up the the plate, and start taking care of him, they are
gonna find him a new home, and daniel said, don't give him
to anyone else, 'till you get back intouch with me, she
said she would

thanks again for all the input

tesa

Another poodle-lover here. Kathy & Roselee, your poodles are adorable. I lost my "Chancey" to congestive heart failure last July. He was an 11 y/o black miniature poodle and he, too, was no sissy. He was also the most even tempered dog I've ever had. The kids could do anything with him and he was totally laid back about it.

I still have my schnauzer (a stray that wandered up), and I'd like to get another dog but my vet said it wasn't a good idea as the schnauzer is older and might not adjust well. Plus, I don't think she'd share me.

As to purebred versus mutts, as much as I like poodles & schnauzers, I think mutts are often better genetically.

There are a ton of purebred dogs that have congenital defects--from hip dysplasia, to retinal detachment, to the inability to whelp their own puppies (English Bulldogs often have this problem) to liver shunts.

My schnauzer had a liver shunt and almost died from it. We had it corrected surgically.--Very, very expensive with a 30% mortality rate for the surgery. We swore we'd never pay more than $600.00 in vet bills on a dog (10 years ago), but we used our entire income tax check to pay for her surgery. We didn't even think twice about it. You can't put dollar signs on love.

We've always had poodles in the past. Love 'em... last one went down at age 19 years. That was so hard on hubby he swore no more dogs. Since then we've had almost 10 years of grand babies spending their time with me instead of daycare so I didn't push at all for another dog.

The grand babies are older now, and not here as much so I'm ready for a dog. Hubby still isn't.. but last November he finally relented and I went to OKC to get Nikki. She's a 2 yo yellow lab, short sleek haired not fluffy.

I had decided hubby didn't need another poodle, that WE needed something totally different this time. Boy did we get totally different! :)

Just be sure you pick the right dog for you and be honest about what you're willing to put into it time and energy wise.