You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘blue lacy’ tag.
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the working dog community, the NLDA will be sponsoring a canine Search and Rescue team through the Greater Houston Search Dogs organization.
SAR teams provide search and rescue services to law enforcement, fire departments and other public safety agencies free of charge. Specialized canine teams, composed of certified handlers and canines, require extensive training, maintenance and equipment in order to deploy safely and successfully.
Volunteer handlers are not paid for their time or service and they are responsible for the entire cost of training, maintenance and equipment for their canine partners.
A portion of the proceeds from this fundraiser will directly support a canine SAR team.
From now until the Working Dog Field Day on May 11th, 2013, tickets may be purchased by using the secure checkout on our webpage or over the phone by calling (214) 679-1801 until 4 pm the day of the event. Tickets will also be available at the Working Dog Field Day at Reveille Peak Ranch on Saturday, May 11th from 9 am until 4 pm.
>>———-> Click Here to Use Secure Checkout
You need not be present to win.
There will be 2 different raffle pools containing prizes; Lucky Dog and Texas Adventures. Your name and number of tickets will go in to the drawing for those prizes. A ticket will be drawn for each prize in the pool.
The Lucky Dog Raffle – 5 Winners – Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20
One 45 quart Yeti Cooler – $329 Value
One Tri-Tronics Sport Basic G3 Collar – $219 Value
One Mud River Dog Handler’s Bag – $44 Value
One Subscription to Extreme Hog Hunter Magazine (formally Bayed Solid) – $27.50 Value
2 Cable Leads from Wild Boar USA – $23 Value
Texas Adventure Raffle – 3 Winners – Tickets are $10 each
One Texas Mesquite Custom STIC knife – $100 Value
One guided striper fishing trip on Lake Buchanan for 2 (lodging not included) – $500 Value
One Whitetail Doe hunt on a private ranch near Mason, Texas – bow or rifle (lodging available) – $250 Value.
And please take the time to check out the many Friends of the NLDA who have so generously donated prizes for this worthy cause: Tri-Tronics, Wild Boar USA, Extreme Hog Hunter, Mud River and Gun Dog Supply.com.
If you want to hunt lions and bears, you have to find lions and bears…and in the vast rugged West, that is often easier said than done. For decades, dogs have helped hunters and ranchers locate, track, and tree game in a variety of conditions. Traditionally a roll fulfilled by hounds, Lacys, cur dogs and similar breeds are gaining popularity as effective tree dogs because of their intelligence and versatility.
A mountain lion is generally quick to tree. Photo by Cory Davidson.
“You can go catch a lion Monday, check traps on Tuesday and push cows around on Wednesday,” says Cory Davidson of Central Nevada. Multi purpose dogs are ideal for ranchers. A dog capable of tracking a variety of predators is instrumental in keeping livestock safe from coyotes and big cats. Cory hunts with a mixed pack of hounds and one Lacy. He admires the speed of a Lacy dog and believes they hunt harder…even though the hounds possess a cold nose for picking up the oldest tracks.
Lions, bears, and small game such as racoons and squirrels resort to climbing trees or ledges for safety. Once the dogs have located a track and found the quarry, their job is to push it up a tree and surround the base, baying to keep the animal from fleeing. Dogs that bay consistently and maintain respect for the cat or bear are more effective at holding the animal and less likely to be wounded or killed.
A multi purpose dog does require a bit more time to train. It’s easier to train a pup from experienced dogs than to start from scratch.
Since Lacys are so intelligent, they are easy to teach to track and tree. Most hunters start puppies on drags where a line is tied to a lion pelt (or whichever type of animal you intend to hunt) and drug through the woods. As with blood tracking, a good tracker must be conditioned to track. This means nurturing the desire to hunt and locate prey by keeping it fun and rewarding for the dog. There are few things more fun and exciting to a bay dog than a critter in a cage. A live animal can be trapped and a put it into a cage for the dog to bay and chase across the ground. Though not often thought of as a treeing breed, Lacys can be taught to tree very easily by suspending a caged animal from a tree where the dog has to opportunity to approach the tree and become excited about the prize in the top.
Teaching a lacy to tree is easy!
Lacys and cur dogs are well-balanced breeds, adaptable to various types of hunting and terrain. Their agility, speed, and a baying style that is unrelenting make them good choices for hunting predators in rough country. Although not specifically bred for treeing abilities, they are intelligent enough to learn to tree very quickly and can become proficient in trailing and treeing bear, cougar and bobcat when hunted in packs.
Host Babe Winkelman and Pro archer Mike Wheeler share their archery adventures for trophy whitetail bucks in Kansas. A lacy dog makes an appearance as the outfitter’s trusty tracking dog.
Blood trailing workshop
The NLDA was once again in attendance at the LSBA 38TH Annual Awards Banquet on June 23, 2012 at the Brazos County Expo Complex.
The Blood Trailing Workshop covered topics such as Training techniques, mental conditioning, and Laying artificial trails. Participants were given the opportunity to work their dogs on an actual blood trail and visit the NLDA booth for information on memberships, the National Lacy Dog Registry, events, prizes, and merchandise.
Other events included snake avoidance, photo contest, special demonstrations, silent auction, and a 3D shoot.
We would like to thank the LSBA for providing us with a great venue and opportunity to reach out to the working & hunting dog community.
Blood trailing workshop
Chris Merworth and Daisy
- NLDA at the Lone Star Bowhunters Association Expo
Fred works with Slate
About 2 dozen people and dogs gathered for the NLDA’s first tracking challenge and field day event of 2012.
The weather was nearly perfect for the weekend’s events. After the trials, participants were able to enjoy a delicious lunch and share stories.
Other events included snake avoidance training, trapping, and hog baying.
As always, new friends were made and the bar was set for future NLDA tracking events. We are grateful to everyone who joined us. The success of the NLDA depends upon the gracious support of the working dog community. We strive to provide activities for skilled dogs and their owners to partake in and be recognized for exceptional performance.
Results of the tracking challenge:
Junior Tracker
1st – Ron Jones & Allison
Score 93.0
Time 1m 56s
2nd – Arnie Alexander & Slate
Score 75.0
Time 6m 37s
3rd – Jimmy Brooks & Gracy
Score 67.0
Time 6m 47s
Senior Tracker
1st – Jamie Wilhelm & Rein
Score 100
Time 3m 13s
2nd – Robby Leek & Colt
Score 58
Time 12m 26s
Master Tracker
1st – Ron Jones & Allison
Score 92
Time 4m 02s
2nd – Betty Leek & Lucy
Score 90
Time 7m 33s
3rd – Marty Thomas & Bagley
Score 82
Time 6m 30s
4th- Jim Rogers & Stormy
Score 72
Time 12m 20s
5th- Robby Leek & Ben
Score 72
Time 13m 06s
Lucy and 2nd place Ribbon for the Master Trail
2012 Lacy Dog calendars are here! Thanks to everyone who submitted images for our consideration. It was difficult to choose 12 pictures out of all the great entries we received. Get your copy today at the National Lacy Dog Association online store! NLDA Calendars and cards make great gifts for the holidays!
Don’t let disease-carrying ticks bug you this Summer.
This is the time of year when dog owners start asking lots of questions about flea and tick control.
Having lived in the Midwest for awhile with two active lacy dogs I can attest that ticks are an epidemic up here. Every morning after we’ve been outside, I pick all of the ticks I see off the dogs. After our evening walk I, once again, thoroughly pick ticks off the dogs and then the couch and no matter how many I get there is always at least one more.
Spot treatments, sprays, baths…these products are toxic and they don’t seem to reduce the amount of ticks I see every day. Spot treatments like Frontline claim to kill ticks that crawl on your dog within 12-24 hours but by the time the pesticides have done their job, the tick has already had a chance to bite and begin feeding on your dog. So while it seems these products prevent ticks from reproducing in the house or kennel, they do little to prevent the transfer of tick borne diseases.
As far as repellents for dogs, natural methods include external application of food grade-diatomaceous earth, cedarcide, and powdered sulfur. DE works mechanically by scratching away the insect’s exoskeleton but it is reportedly more useful as a yard or kennel treatment since it isn’t necessarily fast acting and the sulfur method has a really unpleasant scent to humans.
The use of Cedarcide, derived from cedar tree oil, seems to be growing in popularity among pet owners and families with young children. Cedarcide is available is many forms to make treatment easy and effective. Visit The Cedarcide Store at http://www.cedarcidestore.com for a list of products.
I read where Consumer Reports recently tested insect repellents for humans and in their test, two Deet-free products worked as well as Deet-based products.
And the top 5 were:
Off Deep Woods Sportsmen II
Cutter Backwoods Unscented
Off FamilyCare Smooth & Dry
3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent 8
Repel Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus
The Repel product is simply Lemon Eucalyptus oil which, though it has a slightly greasy feel, smells delightfully like citronella. After a little research I found that, for years, people have been using lemon eucalyptus essential oil mixed with olive oil or some other inert base as mosquito and tick repellent. I sprayed some of the Repel brand on the dogs and, after a romp in the grassy field behind the house, I searched and found….no ticks! Surly it can’t work that well! There’s always at least one tick!
The only problem I have encountered with the spray is the dogs apparently hate the smell and will try like mad to rub it off, often rubbing it right into the carpet or couch cushions. At least it seems the oil-based product is sticky enough to stay on their coat.
With the dry conditions back in Texas I hope most of you enjoy a mostly tick and flea free summer but remember, dog owners do have alternative choices when it comes to pest prevention.
The National Lacy Dog Association would like to thank the Lone Star Bowhunter’s Association for allowing us to take an active role in the LSBA 37th Annual Awards Banquet at Pedrotti’s Ranch in Helotes, Texas.
The Blood Trailing Workshop was a huge success. Several dog/handler teams participated in the program which was designed to develop the tracking dog’s problem solving skills in wounded game recovery. Attendees were also able to ask questions and share stories and experiences throughout the day.
We also gave away some nice prizes in the charity raffle, including a two-dog E-collar system from Dogtra and an Innotek Invisible fence system donated by TexasBloodTrackers.com.
The banquet was a wonderful opportunity for the NLDA to educate the public about blood tracking, work with hunters and a variety of dog breeds, and catch up with old friends.
Thank you,
Courtney Farris
A well-bred Lacy Dog is more than a piece of paper. Though pedigrees will give y
ou important insights into a dog’s lineage, registration does not guarantee a puppy will look or work like a Lacy Dog. When picking out a puppy, these are the things a buyer should expect from an ethical Lacy breeder.
1.) Breeding for working ability. An ethical breeder will be able to show you their Lacys at work. If that is not geographically possible, they will have videos or numerous photos available for potential buyers. If you want a true working Lacy, you should only buy a puppy out of working parents. Though pet breeders will occasionally produce a good hunting or herding dog, the odds are against it.
2.) Breeding to standard. In addition to being proven working dogs, breeding stock should fit the conformation standard. It is important that the dogs are the right size, ideally 18 to 21 inch and 30 to 50 pounds, so they can perform the jobs they were created for in the Texas brush and heat. Dogs should not look like hounds (long ears or drooping lips) nor should they look like pit bulls (pricked ears or a squat build). Ethical breeders will only use standard dogs in their breeding program.
3.) Breeding for temperament. Lacys are tough working dogs. They should be driven, gritty and capable of getting the job done. Many are protective of their property and people. They also have a strong pack instinct and will correct other dogs. But truly aggressive dogs should never be bred. Dogs who bite people or wantonly attack other dogs have no place in a breeding program.
4.) Places puppies in working homes. Lacys can make great companions, but they are not meant to be purely pets. Ethical breeders not only breed working stock, they sell to working homes. If you don’t have a real job for a Lacy, you should look at another breed.
5.) Emphasizes health and proper care. Ethical breeders only cross healthy dogs from healthy lines. They keep their dogs in a clean and healthy environment. They either feed a raw diet or quality dog food. They give their dogs the best care possible. And they will encourage potential owners to do the same.
All ethical breeders will welcome you to their home and kennel. They will let you meet the parents and prove their working ability. They will also require you prove yourself worthy of a Lacy Dog. It is vital to the preservation of the breed and the happiness of each dog that they end up in the right environment.
To ensure litters are placed in working homes, the average cost of a registered Lacy pup from NLDA breeders is $350 to $550. Prices do vary, but breeders who charge substantially more than that or who produce several litters a year are in it for profit, not to preserve and improve the breed. If you have any questions about litters, bloodlines or breeders, please send us an email.
Trapper Jimmy Brooks
For the second year in a row, the National Lacy Dog Association was a Bonus Sponsor for the TDHA Hunt For The Hungry. The hunt was a huge success, bringing in 29,176 pounds of meat to feed needy Texans. We also had four NLDA members hunt with their Lacys as part of Team Pork Stars. Mike and Kas Brooks, DJ Middleton and Steve Williams caught an impressive 813 pounds of pork, earning them tenth place out of 68 teams.
The NLDA also took an active role in the Lone Star Hunting & Working Dog Expo. Our booth served as place for members to met while giving us the opportunity to educate the public on Lacy Dogs. Two members were also asked to give presentations in their area of expertise. President Jimmy Brooks put on a trapping demonstrations while Director Betty Leek held an informative seminar on raw feeding.
Thank you to all who supported these events. We hope to see everyone next year in Hallettsville for the 2011 Lone Star Expo and Hunt for the Hungry!
Listening to the experts during the cur dog herding demonstration
Robby Leek's Colt on cattle for the first time
Sadie, owned by Julie Neumann, learning to work cows
Betty Leek's Lucy and her son Brent Boswell's Blue
Lucy shows off her herding skills
