Blue Bay Shepherd: the child of wolves and German Shepherds’ has arrived

The Blue Bay Shepherd originated from the extremely rare blue-colored Old German Shepherd and the equally rare blue-colored wolf. According to enthusiasts, despite retaining its wolf-like appearance, it performs exceptionally well as a companion animal. The breed is still under development and is not recognized by any dog breed registry organization.

Externally, an extremely charming, beautiful creature, and moreover, exotic, attracting attention thanks to its appearance. Trends spread rapidly, so we consider it important to talk about the Blue Bay Shepherd breed already.

Blue Bay Shepherd is no longer a hybrid

Blue Bay Shepherd has been under development for about two decades, which is not a long time for a breed. The only confirmed breeder is Vicki Spencer from Southern Breeze Ranch. The goal is to create dogs with the health and stunning appearance of wolves, combined with the loyalty and obedient nature of German Shepherds.

Spencer deemed it important for this dog to be unique not only in terms of its internal qualities but also in terms of its external characteristics. Therefore, she envisioned distinctive blue fur and light eyes. She found the blue shade among the Eastern Timber Wolves. (It seems that, for now, this shade only appears among them in the wolf community.) After years of searching, she found a breeder in France who bred Old German Shepherds. Among them, she discovered the long-forgotten blue color. (Old German Shepherds have a different build and coat than German Shepherds. They are larger, more robust, and their fur is also longer.)

From the breeding, the lady selected dogs that were friendlier and did not exhibit a strong guardian-protective instinct, as she wanted to breed friendly and more manageable dogs. It’s also important to know that in breeding, only F6 generation dogs are bred, which are considered dogs, not wolf-dog hybrids. Some Blue Bays have a wolf content of 12-16%, but the breeder aims to keep this number at 6%. The first litter of Blue Bay Shepherds was born in 2011.

The external characteristics and health of the Blue Bay Shepherd

Height is currently not determined but is around an average of 76 cm. Males can weigh up to 58 kg, while females can be around 45 kg. Eyes can be yellow or amber, possibly with a greenish tint. Nose is dark in color, and the coat is blue or slate gray.

The Blue Bay Shepherd’s distinctive bluish-gray color is caused by the D locus gene, which dilutes black pigment. In wolf-dog hybrids, the higher the wolf content, the more their coat fades with age, turning gray or silver. However, the Blue Bay retains its blue color throughout its life. Daily grooming is necessary for them.

The breeder rightly places external appearance in the background during breeding. If the dog shows the expected internal qualities but looks more like a German Shepherd, it doesn’t exclude them from the breeding program. This is the only way to ensure the desired temperament.

The expected average lifespan of the breed is not yet determined in this early stage. Based on current experience, cancer and gastric torsion rarely occur in them, while hypopituitarism and epilepsy occur in moderate amounts. They are relatively often affected by hip dysplasia, a disease common to large breeds, and degenerative myelopathy, typical in German Shepherds. In general, they appear healthy, but the small gene pool and breeding for a specific color may pose challenges in the future.

The internal characteristics of the Blue Bay Shepherd

The breed is still in the early stages, so the temperament of individuals can vary. Nevertheless, it can be generally stated that the Blue Bay is an active, friendly, intelligent, and affectionate dog. Not a working dog, it can be kept in an apartment with proper exercise. Human-centered, it values companionship and always likes to be close to its owner.

Training should be taken seriously, as it may exhibit an intense prey drive. However, due to the variation in temperament among individuals, it’s currently uncertain how trainable Blue Bays are! Properly socialized specimens seem to get along well with other dogs and strangers. Due to their size, they are not currently recommended for households with children. Their selling price is currently around $2000-$3500.

Conclusion

As far as the currently available information allows us to judge, it is definitely an interesting breed full of possibilities. However, it would be a mistake to deny – as indicated in the above – that certain concerns have arisen, which can naturally arise in the breeding of other breeds as well. What also poses a problem in terms of the relevance of information is that, for now, there is only a single breeder in the world. For the time being, we strongly discourage acquiring such a dog, especially at such a price! It is worth choosing a breed – if you want a purebred dog – that comes from controlled conditions, from a reputable breeder.