Woman Couldn’t Find a Perfect Dog, So She Invented a New Breed

Nevena Nacic
by Nevena Nacic
LaruelleSphotography

Disappointed by the inability to find a perfect canine companion, a Florida woman took matters into her own hands, setting out to create her own breed of wolfdog


Viki Spencer from Palm Bay, Florida, decided to develop a new dog breed - one that combines the stunning appearance of a wolf with the temperament of a loving and mellow family dog. 


The first litter of American Blue Bay shepherds was born in 2011, the same year Spencer started developing the new breed. However, everything began in 1994, around the time Spencer started working with wolfdogs. 


After developing a huge fondness for the wolfdogs she cared for she decided to use them as a foundation stock for her new breed. 


Speaking to Newsweek, Spencer said: “I worked with my wolfdogs trying to produce the sweetest, friendliest, and wolfiest-looking dogs that I could.”  Years of selective breeding produced a Southern Breeze bloodline, which possessed all these traits. 


Thanks to a blue-coated wolfdog named Sterling, Spencer developed her first litter of Southern Breeze blue coat wolfdogs. 


In the next phase of the breeding program, Spencer added German shepherds to the mix. She hoped to reinforce the wolf-like appearance and retain the dog’s loyal and loving nature. 


Spencer selectively bred and carefully analyzed each potential breeding dog for strengths and weaknesses in order to create a breed that combines the best traits of German shepherds and wolfdogs. “I wanted to develop this new breed because I wanted something myself that I couldn’t find in any breed of dog,” explained Spencer. 


Over the years, she continued to refine Blue Bay shepherds by breeding dogs selected based on their individual potential and how they suited each other. Talking about her new breed, Spencer explained: “Wolfdogs have been around for many years as well, but I think most people just wanted to breed them to get the look of a wolf and just didn’t have a specific vision or goal for anything else.”


On the other hand, Spencer’s focus was on creating a majestic canine that possessed the “superior intelligence and beauty” of a wolf, and the trainability and desire to please a German shepherd. 


This breeding program created a large-sized dog with a wolf-like appearance and a blue or slate gray-colored coat. These new wolfdogs have light-colored eyes and well-built athletic bodies that showcase their wolf ancestry. 


According to Spencer, her dogs are much larger than the average canine. Male Blue Bay shepherds typically weigh 105 pounds, while females are slightly smaller and weigh up to 85 pounds. 


The beauty of the wolf can’t be surpassed by any other breed but looks only go so far. I found that the wolf and wolfdogs were an animal that had almost everything you could want, but the timid nature that was necessary for them to survive in the wild does not serve them well in the human world,” said Spencer.


Spencer claims that her dogs could make wonderful pets thanks to their eager to please and trainable natures, and good looks. 


This breed is still in developmental stages and Spencer is the only breeder of Blue Bay shepherds in the world. She hopes that her Blue Bay shepherds will join households around the world as loyal and loving pets after the breed’s development is fully completed. 


I honestly believe that I have been blessed in this venture,” Spencer added. “The Blue Bays right from the first litter on the ground have met and exceeded all expectations. And I just don’t think that can happen by luck.”


Nevena Nacic
Nevena Nacic

Nevena is a freelance writer and a proud mom of Teo, a 17-year-old poodle, and Bob, a rescued grey tabby cat. Since childhood, she had a habit of picking up strays and bringing them home (luckily, her parents didn't know how to say NO). When she's not writing for her fellow pet parents, Nevena can be found watching Teo sleep. To her defense, that's not as creepy as it sounds!

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