Lycan Shepherd is a dog breed that is a cross between a German Shepherd, a Belgian Malinois, and a Blue Bay Shepherd. They take their name “Lycan” owing to the lycanthrope resemblance. According to folklore, a lycanthrope is a werewolf, which can shift into a complete wolf or a creature with wolf-like characteristics.
“Lycan” takes its origin from the Greek word Lykos, which means ‘wolf.’ The term Shepherd was given as Lycan Shepherds are a mix of German Shepherds and Blue Bay Shepherds. Lycan Shepherds are a somewhat unusual hybrid dog breed that has only existed for two generations. This dog breed is currently in its early stages of development.
Lycan Shepherd is, nevertheless, cross-bred for its superior intelligence, wolf-like looks, and obedience. The breed is expected to have tremendous problem-solving ability, a wolfish appearance with black coats, bright eyes, and massive heads, and be as loyal as its German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois ancestors.
There are just a few Lycan shepherds in the world. They came from a single breeder, who indicated in 2017 that they were not yet accessible to the general public and would not be for several years. It’s unclear how long it will take until this breed is generally accessible, as it looks to be in its first or second generation.
Agility, herding, companion dogs, guard dogs, military dogs
Intelligent, companion dogs
Complication in breeding
No
No
No
Litter size
6 – 8 puppies
6 – 10 puppies
Yet to know
Life span
9 – 13 years
12 – 14 years
Yet to know
Other names
Alsatian, Deutscher Schaeferhund
Malinois, Chien De Berger Belge, Mechelaar, Mechelse Herder, Mechelse Scheper, Pastor Belga Malinois
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Lycan Shepherd Personality
Lycan Shepherds preserve their Blue Bay Shepherd parents’ wolf-like looks. They’re big dogs with thick black hair, lean, muscular frames, narrow faces, and upright ears. Lycan Shepherd’s eyes come in various colors, including blue, brown, black, and silver-gray. Lycan Shepherd may grow between 20 and 35 inches tall (51cm-89cm) and weigh 40 and 80 pounds.
All three parent breeds of Lycan Shepherds are highly tolerant of coldness. Hence, Lycan Shepherd inherits the same trait besides his thick double coat. However, we are less sure of his heat tolerance. Nevertheless, do not leave your dog in extreme temperatures for a long time to avoid skin issues and allergies.
Belgian Malinois and Blue Bay Shepherd bark moderately while German Shepherds bark and howl. Inheriting from their parent breeds, Lycan Shepherds are protective dogs, and so they will bark, looking at the strangers.
Friendliness Overview
Affection level
Medium
Family-friendly
High
Kid-friendly
Low to medium
Pet-friendly
Medium
Stranger-friendly
Low to medium
Adaptability Overview
Good for apartment living
Low to medium
Good for new owners
Low to medium
Sensitivity level
Medium to high
Tolerates being alone
Unknown
Cold-tolerance
High
Heat-tolerance
Low to medium
Lycan Shepherd Temperament
When it comes to Lycan shepherds, predicting a breed-wide norm for personality is challenging. This is because it is a newer breed that is continually developing. Lycan Shepherds will most likely acquire numerous urges like fight, defense, and prey from his German shepherd ancestors’ working line. If you’re thinking about getting a Lycan, you should think about the personalities of the three dog breeds that make up the Lycan Shepherd lineage. Consider the following scenario:
German Shepherds are devoted to their owners and work hard. They are excellent guard and service dogs. They are lively and accept their duty as working dogs, as they are shepherding dogs. This is why police dogs, military dogs, search and rescue dogs, and seeing-eye dogs are regularly utilized.
German shepherds are clever and obedient. However, they have excessive energy and need to be kept busy, or else they’ll become restless.
Blue Bay Shepherds have many characteristics familiar with German Shepherds, but owing to their DNA, they also exhibit wolf-like characteristics. In addition, they can have unpredictable personalities and be violent and shy in some circumstances.
If properly raised and trained, Blue Bay Shepherds make terrific companions and are more affectionate and attentive than their German predecessors.
Belgian Malinois are self-assured watchdogs who are protective of their owners. They are highly energetic and require a lot of physical activity. Although they don’t bark as often as German Shepherds, they have protective barking tendencies.
To sum it up, Lycan Shepherd is:
Friendly
Playful
Loyal
Protective
Caring
Affectionate
Trustworthy
Problem-solving
Social
Lycan Shepherd Training
Since the parent breeds are excellent at training, Lycan Shepherds are equally intelligent and highly trainable with a few challenges.
Blue Bay, German, and Malinois dogs are all bright and like to be cognitively stimulated, yet they may be headstrong and unpredictable.
To train a Lycan Shepherd:
Be resistant to unpredictability.
Stay physically fit as they are high-energy dogs.
Maintain a controlled household.
Like every dog, Lycan Shepherds need early socialization. So, introduce him to people and other pets when young. This ensures that your puppy grows up to be a well-behaved dog.
Training Overview
Easy to train
Low to medium
Intelligence
High
Prey drive
High
Mouthiness tendencies
Unknown
Barking and Howling tendencies
Medium
Wanderlust tendencies
Medium to high
Lycan Shepherd Exercise Needs
Based on their parent breeds, Lycan shepherds require a lot of activity to stay happy and healthy. It’s worth mentioning that simple strolls may not be sufficient. Lycan Shepherds are working breeds developed to do specific tasks that cannot be overstated. Similarly, Lycan Shepherds will most likely require something to keep them occupied and interested. Given their physical and mental abilities, they may be well-suited to agility training.
Exercise Needs Overview
Energy level
Medium to high
Exercise needs
High
Intensity
Unknown
Playfulness
Medium to high
Lycan Shepherd Grooming
Weekly brushing, occasional bathing, and routine grooming such as cutting their nails, cleaning their eyes and ears are all required of Lycan Shepherd. They are moderate shedders. Hence, they will require additional brushing to keep away matting. Inheriting the German Shepherd coat, Lycan Shepherds shed a lot and are unsuitable for allergic people. Regular grooming is a must for a smooth and shiny coat.
Grooming Overview
Amount of shedding
Medium
Easy to groom
Medium
Drooling tendencies
Low to medium
Lycan Shepherd Health
Generally, mixed breeds are healthier. However, Lycan Shepherd can have health issues that are common to his parent breeds.
Health Overview
General health
Medium
Weight gain tendencies
Unknown
Size
Large
Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is a common bone ailment that affects gigantic breed dogs, although it can also affect smaller breeds.
Elbow Dysplasia: This is a heritable disease common to large-sized dog breeds. It’s caused by different growth rates of the three bones that make up the dog’s elbow, causing joint loosening. This can lead to painful lameness. Your vet may recommend medication to control the pain or even surgery to correct the problem.
Allergies: Few German Shepherds and their mixed breeds suffer from various allergies, differing from contact allergies to food allergies. Allergies in dogs are similar to those in humans. If your dog is scratching, licking at their paws, or rubbing their face a lot, suspect that they have an allergy and take them to the vet.
Arthritis: This condition, which is most frequent in older dogs, can affect the legs, hips, back, and other body areas, making daily activities uncomfortable. However, as a dog owner, you can watch for signs of arthritis in dogs. So, if your dog is diagnosed, you may discuss treatment options with your veterinarian.
Lumbosacral Syndrome: Clinical indications are caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal and pressure on the nerves exiting the spine. A constricted spinal canal can be caused by arthritis, an intervertebral disc herniation, a disc infection, trauma, a congenital abnormality, or a spinal malignancy. Arthritic degeneration and intervertebral disc herniation are the most prevalent causes.
Bloating: Also known as Gastric Dilatation Volvulus, bloating is a condition in which a dog’s stomach twists when it fills with gas, food, or liquids. GDV appears out of nowhere and can progress swiftly. There is always a situation that requires immediate attention.
Eye issues: Lycan shepherds may have eye issues like cataracts. However, it is not yet sure if Lycan Shepherds can be affected with severe optical disorders.
Von Willebrand’s Disease: The most prevalent hereditary bleeding problem in dogs is Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD). It’s caused by a lack of a specific protein that helps platelets (blood cells that aid with clotting) adhere together and form clots to close damaged blood arteries. Von Willebrand factor is the name of the missing protein (vWF).
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency: The inability to generate enough pancreatic enzymes to digest lipids, carbs and proteins is known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). This problem in digestion promotes inadequate nutrition absorption, resulting in weight loss notwithstanding a normal or increased appetite.
Degenerative Myelopathy: Degenerative myelopathy (DM), commonly known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy (CDRM), is a spinal cord illness that causes weakening and paralysis in the hind limbs. Degeneration of the white matter of the spinal cord causes the symptoms.
Lycan Shepherd Diet and Nutrition
Lycan shepherds require 2-3 cups of high-quality food divided into two meals every day. In addition, Lycan shepherds may benefit from joint-protecting vitamin supplements because of the parent breeds’ proclivity for joint issues. Allow your Lycan Shepherds to drink water at constant breaks.
Lycan Shepherd Living Conditions
Lycan Shepherds need a huge backyard to play and roam freely. If not let out, he can be aggressive, and may get behavioral issues. For a new pet owner, a professional trainer is essential.
Adding Lycan Shepherd to Your Family
Things to remember before adding Lycan Shepherd to your family
Lycan Shepherd is not in the market to purchase. However, while adding a Lycan Shepherd to your family, you must buy from a reputable breeder in the coming years. Additionally, due to the dog’s rarity, there might be various complications, conditions, training, grooming, feeding procedures that need proper assessment.
Cost of a Lycan Shepherd puppy
Due to its rarity, the price of Lycan Shepherds is not known.
The breeder wasn’t selling these dogs to the general public as of 2017. However, the price will undoubtedly be high if and when he does. There are chances that the breed would cost around $3000 – $5000.
