How To recognize Blue Bay Shepherds?

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People have been fascinated by wolves for thousands of years, so the idea behind creating the Blue Bay Shepherd doesn’t surprise us. This is a new breed whose development started in the early 2000s, and the foundation litter was born in 2011.

The Blue Bay is still a relatively unknown breed, but their stunning wolf-like appearance and a much milder character than those of other wolf-like breeds make them increasingly appealing to more and more wannabe owners. These dogs are new, so getting unbiased information about them would be the first step towards getting one. We spoke to different people involved in the breeding program, and this is what we found out about them.

What is a Blue Bay Shepherd?

The Blue Bay Shepherd is a dog breed whose foundation are Wolfdogs and pureblooded German Shepherds. This breed is the project of one breeder, Vicki Spencer. She loved wolf-like dogs since she was a child and decided to create what she considered an ideal dog.

In her writing, she claimed that several breeds were involved and bred into the developing breed. According to Blue Bay Shepherd owners, some of those breeds are the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky. Mrs. Spencer never said precisely what breeds were involved and at what stage, but from what we could find, the result is astonishing.

Do you love wolf-like breeds? Check out the comparison of these two breeds: Malamute vs. Husky - What Is Your Choice?

Photo by: bluewolfriver

The Blue Bay Shepherds have insanely good looks, especially if you love wolf-like dogs. They have the distinct “blue” color they inherited from their blue, longhaired German Shepherd ancestors. Unlike other wolfdogs, owners and breed enthusiasts claim that these dogs have very mild and friendly characters.

What kind of a pet is the Blue Bay?

When it comes to such new and modern breeds, the character can be unknown and questionable. It can be controlled when one person is in charge of the breeding process, and so far, these dogs seem to have friendly, affectionate characters.

We spoke to Zachary, from Chesterfield, Virginia, and we asked him what kind of pets these dogs are.

He said,

“Extremely loving, kind, and gentle. The creator’s vision was somewhat like the dire wolf project in the late 1900s. She wanted to create a smart and obedient breed, kind, gentle, and loving, but also retained the beautiful look of the majestic wolf.  Her dogs are 15-20 years in the making, all come with certificates to prove the line, and are mainly German Shepherd. The wolf genes are ranging from 0-19%, just enough to retain the look.”

Wolfdogs can be hard to live with, and they are certainly not for everyone. Are Blue Bays anything like that?

“No, nothing like that. My girl Stella is non-violent, not destructive, nor protective, just kind, gentle, goofy, smart, and cuddly dog.”

We were pretty amazed at that point, so we started digging a bit deeper to find out more about them.

Blue Bays are based on German Shepherds. You can learn everything there is to know about them here: Full Profile of the German Shepherd.

How much of a wolf do these dogs have?

The breed’s development is still not finished, so the exact percentage varies from litter to litter. Mrs. Spencer mentioned that ideally, Blue Bay Shepherds should have between 6% and 42% wolf DNA.

The foundation litter born in 2011 was already remotely related to the grey wolf. It was the F6 generation, which means that six generations divided them from the last introduction of the wild animal into the breed.

Photo by: blueberryshepherd

She is determined to remove her dogs from the stigma that comes with wolfdogs. She mentioned that she is creating a companion breed with all the wolf’s appeal but a mild, obedient German Shepherd character. The main problem of all wolfdogs is that the ownership can be restricted. Some states have strict programs that don’t allow wolfdogs, which means that the Blue Bay Shepherds need a solid plan that will allow them to retain their looks but navigate the law and restrictions.

What should a Blue Bay Shepherd look like?

The Blue Bay Shepherd, by all means, should be a stunning dog. They should be massive and rather large. The largest male specimens have reached 100 pounds, and the females can reach a 85-95 pound mark.

If you love dogs that look like wolves, check out this article: Czechoslovakian Wolfdog From A Different Perspective.

There are a few things Mrs. Spencer wanted to achieve when it comes to the looks of the Blue Bay Shepherd, and those things are:

• Size
• Upright ears
• Straight backs
• “Blue” color
• Light eyes

Needless to say, she did achieve precisely that, and the result is a gorgeous, impressive, wolf-like dog.

Photo by: sabrewoof

Defining the BBS color

The terminology and definition of colors are somewhat different in cynology. When it comes to defining the color “blue,” it is not exactly what the general public would define as blue. It is not the color of the sky; it is rather a slate-greyish color that often fades as the dog matures.

Cynology colors can be confusing, and many people never heard about some of them. To make this easier to understand, check out this article: Most Popular Dog Colors.

The blue color is a dilution of the black color, and it gives the appearance of blue. Different breeds have different blue-colored dogs, and colors are differently defined in other breeds. It might seem overly complicated, and many people agree with you.

Key characteristics of the Blue Bay Shepherds

Before getting any dog breed, it is crucial that you understand exactly what their temperaments are and how they will act in different environments. Again, when it comes to such a new breed, this part can be relatively tricky. Dog’s character and temperament can vary from dog to dog, even within a single breed. Unfortunately, there are many unknowns about Blue Bay Shepherds that can only get discovered when enough dogs are produced and studied.

Some owners claim that they are incredibly gentle and loving, and others say they are not for the easily-scared owners. It is a large breed, so it is safe to assume that it needs a skillful owner to handle them. Here are seven key characteristics every future Blue Bay Shepherd owner will want to know;

Health problems

One of the biggest issues with any designer or a new breed is their health. German Shepherds are known for their hip problems, so the question is has Mrs. Spencer managed to get rid of the bad health traits that could potentially affect the Blue Bay Shepherd.

Some health issues are already known, and it looks like the BB Shepherd is prone to some problems that affect the German Shepherds and the wolfdogs. Those problems are;

• Hip dysplasia
• Joint issues
• Gastric dilatation-volvulus (Bloat)
• Inbreeding depression

The Blue Bay Shepherd is not a unique experiment; there have been other designer breeds bred by clubs or individuals whose goal was to create a wolf-like dog with the temperament of the German Shepherd. Check out some of these designer breeds;

• King Shepherd
• Lycan Shepherd
• Burbon Shepherd
• Shiloh Shepherd

Photo by: Ana Fuentes

Getting a Blue Bay Shepherd puppy

If you are an experienced owner capable of handling such a breed, you will probably start looking for options and ways to get a Blue Bay Shepherd puppy. This is the tricky part. There is only one breeder of certified Blue Bay Shepherds in the world, and that is Mrs. Vicki Spencer from Florida.

People are interested in getting her dogs, and we certainly understand the appeal, but the truth is that getting one of these dogs can be very hard. There are long waiting lists, and you may have to be involved in the further development of the breed (which is not necessarily a bad thing). Then there is the question of the price. Your average Blue Bay Shepherd puppy will cost from $3.000 - $3.200. That is a lot of money, considering that such a large dog can eat a lot and still has questionable health.

One additional thing you will have to check before getting a Blue Bay Shepherd puppy is your state and local laws. Wolf-hybrids are heavily regulated, and some places restrict ownership. Although technically, they are not direct wolf-hybrids, some states might place them in that category.

All in all, it is a beautiful breed that will appeal to a lot of future owners. We will watch the development with great interest.

Cover Photo by: sabrewoof

World Dog Finder team