Vulhund

Vulhund as a group all have a carnivoran-like face, with a mix of wolf and lion features. They have heavily pigmented skin and a mane, as well as an unusual double-ankle.   War hounds, the oldest breed, are quite massive, with black skin and bone quills in its mane. They're highly aggressive, and can be difficult to train.   Bearmen have thick, sun-resistant fur all over their body. They're smaller than war hounds, but still generally over 6'. Most have soft fur without bone quills.   Weasels are the smallest breed, averaging around 4'. As the name implies, they have a long body with short limbs. Working weasels lack manes, but designer breeds are more common amongst weasels than other vulhund. They're also generally less aggressive, making them more popular as pets.

Vulhund are capable of reproducing through their blood, just like any other vampire, but this often results in unintended consequences, such as unpredictable behaviour or crippling growth disorders. Instead, they're generally bred through sexual reproduction.

Breeding vulhund is a tricky and dangerous business, best left to the experts. Gestation lasts 7-12 months, depending on the size of the vulhund. Baby vulhund are only capable of consuming blood, and are born with rather sharp teeth. It is best to seperate them from the mother at birth, as consuming vampire blood has a chance to age-lock them. Vulhund reach puberty at 12-14 years of age, and reach their full size at about 17 years. Most vulhund are age-locked at 17-20 years, but there is a market for eternal puppies.

Vulhund do best in a vampire's home; they're psychologically built to love vampire masters, and enjoy being given attention and commands, much like dogs.  In urban areas, SEP (Somebody Else's Problem) collars can be used to take them outside without worry of humans noticing them.  Stray vulhund tend to do rather poorly, due to their difficulty in finding proper shelter and propensity for skin problems when not properly washed.

Vulhund are Vampires, and require blood to maintain good health, although they can sustain themselves on flesh. Since they're not sapient, they are immune to Blood Retardation, making animal blood a common condiment for the bodies they eat.

The Tremere family responsible for the creation of vulhund keep their methods secret. There are many rumors, going from literal Ekon-dog hybrids, to advanced thaumaturgy being used to blend the blood of vampires and Weres.

Vulhund were originally created as war dogs in the Ægisson invasion of the British Isles in the 870's, but have since been bred to fulfil a wide variety of uses. Some are used to guard homes, and are capable of engaging threats in sunlight. Some are used for digging tunnels, and some are used for tracking. Recently, non-working breeds have been created for cool and fashionable looks.

Vulhund have a very sharp sense of smell, even better than other Vampires. Their rotating ears also grant better directional hearing.