Anything involving the word “Lycan” can drum up visions of werewolves or tales of wolves- particularly in Europe. The name of this stunning new breed, “the Lycan Shepherd,” is chosen because of the most striking deliberate features of this breed- its wolf-like appearance.
A handful of generations exist, and information is constantly being collected about the breed. Such information assists dog lovers who might be in the market for such an interesting brand of canine, and this is what you’ll find here in this article.
What Is A Lycan Shepherd?
Lycan Shepherd is a hybrid dog created by mixing Blue Bay Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherd. The Lycan was bred with the aim of creating a breed with a larger brain to body size ratio, long-legged wolf structure, with superior problem-solving and working ability of a German Shepherd.
The Lycan Shepherd is immediately recognizable due to its wolf-like appearance. The breed is still in development by Gargoyle Kennels, located in Michigan.
It should be noted that the German Shepherds used to create this breed are working line German Shepherd dogs, which is the original version of the breed.
Lycan Shepherd Size And Weight
The Lycan Shepherd is considered to be a large breed. Though three breeds have been put together to create the breed, they’re all considered large, which makes size more easily consistent or predictable as the breed progresses.
The Lycan Shepherd can weigh between 40-80 pounds and can stand anywhere between 20-35 inches tall at the shoulder. Again, as stated a few times already, this is a brand-new breed- only 3 generations old. The range in numbers concerning body size will narrow as time goes on.
They are being bred to have large heads compared to their bodies, which will support a larger brain. This head-to-body ratio is a pattern taken after the wolf, which is the reason given to explain their intelligence advantage over other canines.
Like the wolf, the Lycan Shepherd has long legs and may tend to have smaller ears when compared to a wolf’s appearance.
Lycan Shepherd Coats
Lycan Shepherd coat color can vary, and it is yet to be seen which will become the more dominant or common. But there are many coat color possibilities possible due to the nature of the three parenting breeds.
The one breed (the Blue Bay Shepherd) has the most consistent coat, often being within a range of gray to black, whereas the other two (German Shepherd and Malinois) have a greater variety of colors and color patterns.a
So far, there have been Lycan Shepherds who have had brown fur with a dark hue, pure black coats, blue coats, and a combination of brown and gray. Regardless of the color, the Lycan Shepherd has a thick double coat that does shed, and they do throw their coat at least once per year.
What is the Lycan Shepherd Project?
Gargoyle Kennels spearheaded the Lycan Shepherd project with aims to create a modern-day working breed balancing traits that yield a companion dog capable of being a worker or home defender. The history of this new dog breed only goes back a handful of years and is still in its early stages of development.
The three purebred dogs chosen to create the Lycan Shepherd were picked to exploit superior intelligence, size, athleticism, loyalty, and wolfish appearance. Their hearty coat of fur makes them adaptable to cold weather but is not exaggerated enough to hinder them when it’s warm.
Being a new, rare breed, time will be necessary to work out genetic diversity that will sway some behaviors and traits over others and create a dependable disposition.
Any of the breeds used to create the Lycan Shepherd would never be considered good choices for first-time dog owners, and it would make sense to apply that to this new breed as well.
Working dogs, huge working dogs, are better served by experienced dog owners, as their training and exercise demands will be better understood. Lack of understanding these breeds and their training necessities can reap dogs who behave closer to wild animals than well-behaved pets.
Kennel Club Recognition
Time and breeding success will need to pass to catch the attention of groups such as the American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club, It isn’t uncommon for breeds to take anywhere from 30 years or more to be included in such organizations.
Needless to say, we’ll be seeing the Lycan Shepherd in the pages of the AKC website anytime soon.
About Gargoyle Kennels
Gargoyle Kennels is Located in the United States and is led by former animal warden Deloni Denham, the original breeder of these pups. Assisting him in creating the Lycan Shepherd are his experiences with other breeding projects (Renaissance Bulldog project, for example), and he has 30 years of experience in canine breeding.
Gargoyle Kennels remains the best place to get more information about this breed, being the single breeder controlling this project.
You can watch YouTube videos of Deloni taking his first, and second-generation Lycan Shepherds for walks out in the Michigan woodlands through his YouTube Channel called 1st508th Airborne. Check It Out Below:
Lycan Shepherd Video
Lycan Shepherd Parent Breeds
- American Blue Bay Shepherd– The American Blue Bay Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog developed by Vicki Spencer, a breeder in Palm Bay. This breed is a combination of two breeds and first is the rare Blue German Shepherd (a genetic variation of the European German Shepherd), and the second is an equally rare Blue Wolf Dog. Blue Bays are currently not recognized by AKC, though developed for about two decades.
- German Shepherds– German Shepherds have been among the most popular breeds for decades. They have been utilized for their smarts, size, and loyalty as police, service, and guard dogs and have even entered the companion arena. These loyal dogs are built to be on the go and are packed with a lot of energy. They spent much of their existence at the top of their class in the working dog category.
- Belgian Malinois- The Belgian Malinois is a working dog who has proven itself to be a tireless worker, having knocked the German Shepherd off of its throne within the past several decades in this category. They have a very high energy level and are eager to exhaust this energy through accomplishing tasks, chasing down perpetrators while in service, or exercise-based activities when off the clock. The Malinois has been utilized as military dogs and police dogs and is called into play wherever speed, power, and agility are required in a K9 unit.
Lycan Shepherd Temperament
The goal of this breed is to extract all of the best of each parenting breed’s temperament. But it’s still too soon to determine whether or not there will be unpredictable characteristics at play for the long term.
As far as the current samples exist, they have been shown to have high intelligence and a good temperament. They do show similar characteristics to their parenting breeds in many ways.
For example, they are quick to respond to commands like the Malinois and are smart enough to work out complex problems, much like the Blue Bay Shepherd, and are affectionately loyal to their owners to a similar extent found with the German Shepherd.
So far, owners have described their Lycans as playful, friendly, protective, caring, affectionate, and trustworthy. When appropriately socialized, these dogs have no problem with other dogs and leave themselves open for a friendly “hello” by passerby dogs when at the dog park.
Like any working-class breed of dog, particularly those who are large enough to be potentially dangerous, close attention needs to be taken regarding training and socialization. A strong prey drive is a part of the genetic makeup in each parenting breed, though some individuals portray it more so than others within each breed.
Some extra care or consideration needs to be taken when introducing such a breed to small children. To date, there have been no issues of the Lycan Shepherd attacking or harming anyone- be it a small animal, child, or otherwise, and the opposite is reported.
However, it’s only been around for a few years, so the temperamental precautions are based on the history of its parentage.
Lycan Shepherd Breed Health Problems
Creating a healthy breed that suffers from the least health problems is a major focus of any reputable breeder, and the Lycan Shepherd is no different.
The fact is, the breed is too new to tell exactly what to expect health-wise. But one could expect that some common health issues typical to the parental dog breeds could be passed along.
Health issues like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, arthritis, and a few other inherent conditions with large dogs are possible.
Training A Lycan Shepherd
The Lycan Shepherd is an incredibly intelligent breed that’s trainable and eager to obey commands quickly. With this breed, positive reinforcement is a critical way to train.
Yes, other forms of training may be successful to a degree, but with this breed, harsh training styles will reap a dog who will have obedience but without trust. This lack of trust can lead to problems in the future.
Training methods through positive means will train this breed faster and simultaneously form a solid affectionate bond with its owners. A great deal of socialization with people and animals of all sizes starting as early as possible will be an essential part of molding your dog into a safer, more neighborly dog.
Because these dogs are packed with energy, a good amount of training and socialization can be performed through daily exercise activities and playtime. A dog who is well exercised will be calmer and easier to keep on task while training.
Where to Buy Lycan Shepherd Puppies
There is no list of reputable breeders available to find a Lycan Shepherd dog near you. At this time, there is only one place you can go to get your hands on one, and that is at Gargoyle Kennels.
Lycan Shepherd Cost
At this time, you can purchase a Lycan Shepherd puppy for about $3,000 – $5,000. Though this looks steep on the surface, bear in mind that this is an incredibly rare breed- at least for now.
Some even consider it to be a designer breed. This is an average price range when you view the pricing through that lens.
Final Thoughts
This breed has only been recently introduced to the dog world and is quickly gaining traction. The Lycan Shepherd dog breed is so new to the scene that data is still being gathered from the still-thriving introductory litters.
There isn’t much information regarding lifespan or other metrics that require us to look back to gauge, and there’s a good reason- none of them have been around long enough to give us any form of measure.
These large-sized wolf-like dogs are expected to grow in popularity quickly, AKC registration or not. They are an extremely attractive option for those who love the look of wolves, but some wisdom needs to be applied regarding whether or not it would be the right choice for you and your family.
First-time dog owners should take great care in weighing out the costs of extensive training (for the dog and themselves) ahead of time to prevent problems in the future. But as aforementioned, this might not be the dog for you if you are not accustomed to life with a high-energy working breed.
Someone with years of experience would be more properly suited to handle a Lycan Shepherd. This is an incredibly intelligent dog breed that can handle tasks ranging from a guide dog to a guard dog, having no problems handling anything else in between.
Without a doubt, this is an appealing dog in the eyes of canine lovers, and it’s exciting to see what the future holds for the Lycan Shepherd breed.