Dog Fighting

Thanks to Dianne Jessup from www.workingpitbull.com for this information.

The following information is provided to educate and inform the public about the true horrors associated with dog fighting.  Rios' Pit Bull Kingdom intends to discourage the public from participating in dog fighting.

The following are random samples of ACTUAL dog fight busts, and the character and activities of the people involved. Quite different from the fiction spun by pro-dog fighters... TOLEDO, Ohio — Deputies looking for marijuana plants found a dog-fighting operation, stolen cars and two alligators on a farm outside the city. Otha Lawrence Jones, Jr., 29, of Toledo was charged with five felony counts of dog-fighting, sheriff's Lt. Donald Atkinson said Friday. Mr. Jones also was charged with a weapons violation. During a routine helicopter search on Thursday, Lucas County sheriff's deputies saw marijuana plants on the farm. After landing to take a closer look, deputies discovered a building with 10 pit bulls inside, Lt. Atkinson said. Additional charges could be filed.                                          Another "happy warrior" as pro-dog fighters                      like to call these victims of their stupidity.   Inside the old greenhouse, on the back acre at a private home, was a crowd of roughly 75 — all male, mostly white, mostly what Bobby calls a redneck bunch. They drank beer, smoked dope, maybe did a few lines of cocaine. "Two guys in monkey suits were the coke men," Bobby said of a pair of drug dealers in fancy clothes. "And some guy was selling that date-rape drug" — a bag of five pills for $50. Drugs flourish in the dog-fighting culture, in part because dealers often keep vicious dogs for protection, in part because of a general party atmosphere around the ring. It also may have something to do with the amount of cash on hand. Last summer, animal cruelty officers in Palm Beach County had their biggest dog-fighting bust ever — 60 arrests, 12 dogs, $89,000 in cash and an unspecified amount of drugs seized in a suburban neighborhood in West Palm Beach. Naples Daily News   Two men try and force young dogs to fight. They just can't wait to watch "the fun".    Police seize drug paraphernalia and a stolen firearm from site of arrests. In addition to four pit bulls, Fort Walton Beach police officers seized a stolen firearm and drug paraphernalia from a townhouse on Hollywood Boulevard where a group of men were arrested on dogfighting charges Tuesday night. "This was a textbook dogfighting case," said Dee Thompson, executive director of the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society. "When you find people who are dogfighting, the guns and drugs are usually there, too. They all seem to go hand in hand." Shomari Nnander Minter-Smith, 22, faces the most serious charges in connection with the raid of his home at 421 N.W. Hollywood Blvd. Minter-Smith, who had been living in unit F of the building, was charged with fighting or baiting animals, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. Northwest Florida Daily News   Even a minor "roll" can result in severe tissue damage.   ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. -- Investigators will meet with Hillsborough police on Monday to decide what charges should be filed against a father and son accused of operating a dogfighting ring. Animal control officers say they have broken up a dog-fighting ring in Orange County. Laura Walters of the Animal Protection Society said the scars and injuries on one dog's body tell a story of countless dogfights and unspeakable abuse. "He's got scars all over his body and face and he's missing teeth," she said. "His leg is unusable, and he has a large wound that's infected." The dog is one of 11 pit bulls, including three puppies, who are believed to be part of a dogfighting ring in Orange County. Walters said they were living in deplorable conditions. "There was no food. One dog had a loaf of moldy bread in front of him that he wouldn't eat," she said. "The puppies were shivering and shaking." Investigators plan to charge Jerry Lee Compton Sr. and his son, Jerry Lee Compton Jr., with animal cruelty. The dogs were seized from the Compton house in Hillsborough on Friday. Jerry Lee Compton Sr. denies the dogs were abused. He said his son is a breeder.  WAKE COUNTY, N.C. -- Investigators call dogfighting a breeding ground for gambling, drugs, violence and bloody entertainment. WRAL investigates the underground culture and how dogfighting costs taxpayers and family pets. Although it is a felony in North Carolina to train dogs to fight, most offenders get little or no jail time. Last year, Lee County deputies found a fighting pit, training equipment and over 100 dogs at Gaston Williamson's home. Williams walked with only probation, maintaining to this day that he is just a breeder. Check most shelters around the state and you will see the scars of dogfighting. The animals are marked for death, whether killed in the ring or euthanized because they are raised too violent to adopt. "There's a major expense of tax dollars that go with this," said Dicke Sloop, Wake County Animal Control director. Sloop serves on a statewide task force that is trying to break up the fights. She believes the problem goes far beyond two bloodied dogs. Take last fall's arrest of Samson Pruitt in Wake County, for example. Taxpayers shelled out $27,000 to house 91 confiscated pit bulls for one month. Most of the dogs were were eventually put to death. Along with evidence of dogfighting, detectives found drugs and social workers removed two children from the home. I have yet to be aware of a dog fighting case which did not involve the lowest form of criminals and showcase the complete lack of regard for the dog's care as shown above. Examples are far too many to list here.   This is the hind leg of a pit bull seized in a fighting bust. The animal's skin has been literally torn away.How pro-dog fighting authors can claim watching this being done is fun remains a mystery to me. There is no denying that the pit bull reigns supreme as a fighting dog when raised and encouraged to this occupation, and there is no denying that selection of the dogs for the traits which make him a BULLdog make him the tough, honest, gritty dog we love today. Because of this, the challenge to today's breeders is to find ways to replicate the rigors of baiting sports in legal and humane ways. Dog fighters insist this cannot be done, but the simple truth is that it can and is being done by those who care enough to do it. Dog fighters argue that dog fighting is not cruel - that the dogs enjoy the opportunity to scrap. Perhaps some dogs do, yet the legions of mangled rejects who find their way into shelters and rescues, dogs hung from trees, set on fire in the street, and otherwise tortured or destroyed for their unwillingness to fight, testify that many pit bulls would prefer to live in peace. The dog fighters and their hangers-on argue that those who oppose fighting use examples of street punks, not "real deal dog men" when describing the mentality of those who keep fighting dogs and conditions in which they are kept. I thought it would be fair to simply use the words of the "real deal dogmen" themselves and let THEM describe dog fighting as it exists today. Fair enough?   On the "fairness" of dog fighting, and the judgment of those involved: "A Virginia dogman coerced his owner (who was very new to the dogs) into putting five dogs on the pup - three one after the other in the morning and two more eight hours later when the dog was sore and swollen - and the last two were three time winners. The pup off Bandit (blinded in one eye, one back leg broken and his head, chest, both shoulders and both stifles badly damaged) finally quit, coming across and standing parallel with the dog on his last scratch. " The Complete Gamedog" by Ed and Chris Faron. On the "care" fighting dogs receive in the custody of "real dogmen"... "We bred Bandit to our Piranha bitch, a double granddaughter of Gr. Ch. Nigerino; we lost track of some of these pups, but the two best ones in the litter each froze to death on different yards in separate incidents - that's just how luck goes sometimes!" The Complete Gamedog" by Ed and Chris Faron. On the "concern" for their dogs, and the types of homes these pups are dumped into:  "We put this young dog on an extremely hard-biting chest dog that later went on to beat a good dog in 23 minutes. That young dog held the other dog out and danced around for about 15 minutes - looking back we realize how much of a puppy he really was at the time, he didn't show any real aggression and acted as if it was all a game? At 15 minutes the match dog got in his chest and shoulders and hurt him real bad, he might have even broken his shoulder (the pup was on 3 legs immediately) and at 18 minutes the pup stood the line. We gave him away as a pet and were patting ourselves on the back about how smart we were to have found out he was a cur right away instead of feeding him until he was two years old, or older. ... Since leaving our yard, the dog we gave away had gotten his leg badly broken while running loose (and was permanently cripples as a result) was kept half-starved and full of worms, and had been rolled many times, the last time at 35 pounds (his bottom match weight would have been about 37 -38 pounds) into a dog 25 pounds bigger. He stopped the dog from the bottom in half an hour making game, stumbling scratches while reportedly completely destroyed. We immediately tried to get the dog back only to find that he had been traded to a second person for drugs, then sold to a third person." The Complete Gamedog" by Ed and Chris Faron. Of a "favorite" dog they "loved". They sat and watched her get destroyed. Some "sport", eh? "She was so physically busted up that it was necessary to take the kennel crate apart to get her out of it. We spent the next hour or so desperately trying to save he, but nothing we did helped. Sadie had destroyed her face so badly that her sinuses were crushed, her whole face was pulsing up and down as she breather and air was bubbling out of the holes on her muzzle and around her eyes. The last thing Jolene did before loosing consciousness entirely was thrown up an incredible amount of blood." The Complete Gamedog" by Ed and Chris Faron.                                                           Think Before You Act. Don't Fight Dog's.

Arrests Made For Dog Fighting

Man arrested on dogfighting charges; 18 pit bulls seized

25 April 2003
WESTTOWN, N.Y. -- The publisher of an underground dogfighting magazine was charged with animal cruelty and dogfighting felonies, officials said.
James Fricchione's home was raided Wednesday by agents from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, police and animal handlers from the Humane Society of the United States.

Investigators found 18 pit bulls at the residence, about 55 miles northwest of New York City, most of which had signs of injuries consistent with those inflicted in dog fights, Orange County Assistant District Attorney Dave Hoovler said. Fricchione faces up to six years in prison if convicted of all counts.

Humane Society officials said Fricchione, 33, published the "Sporting Dog Journal," an underground magazine that networks known and suspected dogfighters.

Police also seized equipment used to train dogs to fight as well as other paraphernalia, Hoovler said.

Fricchione, who was released on $10,000 bail, had an unlisted phone number and couldn't be reached for comment.

Police are also investigating dogfighting suspects in Virginia and Georgia in connection with Fricchione's arrest, Hoovler said.

Old Time Dog Man- David Tant is pending dog fighting charges

Charleston, SC -- Authorities are not surprised that the dog-fighting world is abuzz over the upcoming trial of accused "dogman" David Tant, who prosecutors say is the country's No. 2 breeder of fighting pit bulls.

After all, the courtroom matchup has all the makings of a fierce, high-stakes battle, the sort that dog fighters would enjoy.

It's truly a life or death drama for dozens of pit bulls whose fate likely rests on the verdict.

And it's a crucial, stage-setting effort for state officials bent on removing the illegal blood sport from South Carolina.

If recent discussions on Internet sites catering to dog fighters and breeders are any indication, there's plenty of concern inside the sport's secret society, according to Eric Sakach, director of the Humane Society of the United State's West Coast regional office and one of the country's top experts on animal fighting.

"There's a lot of stuff on the message boards these days," Sakach said. "They are reminding the other men in the game to keep their yards clean. That's code speak to get rid of any evidence."

Media coverage of the case recently prompted Circuit Judge Markley Dennis to order Tant's trial moved from Charleston County to Greenwood County.

The trial, which begins Monday, is generating keen interest in the legal and law enforcement communities, too, because it's the first trial for state Attorney General Henry McMaster's statewide dog-fighting task force.

McMaster said the privately funded task force faces an entrenched enemy that has proliferated in a climate of social tolerance. "We have a cultural problem. Some people may have an inkling not to view dog fighting as so severe as to require substantial penalties," the attorney general said. "Dog fighting is a blight on South Carolina, and we need to end it."

AN ENDEMIC PHENOMENON

Dog fighters in South Carolina and other states have long relied on the absence of public outcry and the relative inexperience of police and prosecutors on animal fighting issues.

As a result, past cases have not triggered big sentences, McMaster said. "Judges have tended to be lenient because there hasn't been a concerted effort to present evidence and highlight the inhumanity involved."

Beginning with the Tant trial, the task force hopes to change that. The outcome could set the tone for the task force's other dog-fighting cases, Charleston attorney and task force member Sandy Senn said. "It's got a lot of pressure on it because it's got a lot of eyes on it," Senn said.

Already, task force prosecutor William Frick must juggle about 15 dog-fighting cases, ranging from suspected professionals such as Tant to owners accused of fighting their dogs in impromptu street battles. "This takes up a good bit of time because it's just so widespread," Frick said.

In addition to Frick, the task force employs a full-time State Law Enforcement Division agent and a broad network of animal cruelty experts that offer advice.

Senn heads the $100,000 per year fund-raising effort that pays the SLED agent's salary. A quirk in state law prohibits the task force from paying the prosecutor's salary with those same funds, but McMaster said the legislature is expected to resolve that issue next year.

The task force is racking up defendants because local solicitors are eager to tap into the group's expertise and resources and offer their cases to the state.

The effort has even exposed dog fighting in other states. On a routine traffic stop in October, Dillon County authorities discovered three severely injured pit bulls inside an SUV.

"It was pretty clear they had been in a dog fight," Frick said. The investigation revealed that the dogs had fought in New York that weekend and the owners were returning to Texas along I-95 when they were pulled over.

Several of the cases also turned up drugs, which McMaster said happens frequently in dog-fighting arrests. The promise of illegal weapons and stacks of cash from fight wagers also offers incentive for law enforcement to target dog fighting, he said.

But so far, one aspect of the crackdown has produced only headaches and sadness: Each arrest lands more and more ferocious dogs in crowded, under-funded animal shelters.

CUSTODY BATTLE

Task force cases already account for the seizure of more than 160 pit bulls.

That number includes 47 pit bulls seized from Tant.

Charleston County authorities intended to euthanize the dogs after it was awarded custody of them in April. Most dog experts agree that dogs bred for fighting can't be retrained not to be vicious toward other dogs.

Tant's attorneys appealed the custody decision and stopped the county from putting the dogs to sleep.

Today, the dogs remain at the John Ancrum SPCA, where they've been since Tant's arrest seven months ago. Their care already has cost the county more than $110,000.

Finding and maintaining separate pens for nearly 50 non-adoptable dogs has been difficult for the shelter, SPCA board president Charles Karesh said. "The animals are getting a little bit more aggressive as time goes on," Karesh said. "It's an employee and animal safety issue."

It's not a problem unique to Charleston County, Frick said. Other shelters around the state have been strained recently by a sudden influx of dogs that were seized in raids on suspected fighting operations.

The task force is looking at ways to tweak a state law that says seized animals must be kept alive after a criminal indictment has been handed down.

McMaster said the state also needs a forfeiture law that would allow authorities to seize property associated with dog-fighting operations. Proceeds from such forfeitures could enable the task force to become self-funding.

When shelters are forced to raise the animals, all sorts of unforeseen problems arise.

Some of the dogs taken from Tant gave birth to puppies after they arrived at the shelter. Shelter officials declined to say how many were born but that most were born with illnesses and only two survived. Some animal rights advocates have argued that the puppies should be spared because they haven't been exposed to fighting.

Karesh said those people haven't witnessed first hand the pervasiveness of the fighting gene that is passed down through generations of strict breeding.

Pressed for space, the shelter initially kept some of the pups together in the same dog runs. "They were going after each other pretty viciously," Karesh said, and had to be separated just like the adult dogs.

The custody issue also has consequences for caregivers. Some of the shelter's staff has undergone counseling to deal with emotional stress brought on by prolonged care of dogs whose future is uncertain, Karesh said.

Senn, who argued the task force's case at the custody hearing, said she has intentionally avoided visiting the dogs at the shelter to avoid an emotional attachment. "Because I know their fate," she said.

Following a recent approved visit to the shelter, Tant claimed that some of his dogs were not receiving proper care. He said some were underweight and others were overweight, suggesting to him that those dogs were being penned together and fighting over meals.

Karesh said none of the pit bulls had serious encounters and that the dogs are getting the best care of their lives. Still, he's hopeful that the trial resolves the custody battle.

If Tant is convicted, the county will attempt to follow through with its plans to euthanize the dogs. If he's found not guilty, Tant could gain legal leverage in his efforts to get the dogs back.

That's precisely the reason he and his attorneys have fought to keep the dogs alive.

Frick said the custody issue raises troubling legal questions about the rights of the accused versus the humane treatment of the dogs and their threat to society.

Tant is innocent until proven guilty, Frick said. "If we euthanized the dogs before that's determined, we might be skipping a step in the process."
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part two -- 'OLD-TIME DOG MAN'

Authorities have said that Tant's history in dog fighting dates back to the 1960s and that his dogs' bloodlines are revered around the world.

The task force will attempt to prove these arguments by laying out a stream of evidence seized from Tant's breeding operation near Ravenel and a separate home in North Charleston.

The state showed its hand to some extent at the April custody hearing. Prosecutors introduced treadmills, cattle prods, weapons, underground dog-fighting magazines, remnants of a dog-fighting ring and a framed photo of a champion fighting dog named "Yellow."

Dog-fighting investigators and a veterinarian testified that the dogs' injuries and scaring were tell tale signs of fighting.

Prosecutors also rolled out reams of documents, including a paper titled "Defense Plan," which was described as Tant's list of excuses in the event he got caught. The list included using the dogs to hunt for wild boar and in weight pulling competitions.

Tant maintains his innocence.

Reached by telephone, Tant declined to comment on the trial. "I am 100 percent innocent and I want my dogs back," he said.

Tant's attorney, Dale Cobb, declined to comment. Cobb took the case after Tant parted ways with his previous attorneys following a disagreement over legal tactics.

He and his attorneys have said he is a reformed dog fighter turned legal dog breeder. They have conceded that Tant was involved in dog fighting before 2001 but that he left the sport behind after testifying before a federal grand jury as a government witness. In exchange for his sealed testimony, Tant was given immunity from prosecution for any previous involvement in dog fighting.

Breeding dogs is not a crime.

"They call me an old-time dog man. I guess that's true," Tant told The Post and Courier in April. "When I started out, it was a misdemeanor. It was like getting a speeding ticket."

Today, a dog-fighting conviction is a felony carrying a $5,000 fine or five years in prison. Tant faces 41 counts.

Tant is also charged with assault and battery with intent to kill stemming from a shooting on his property that led to the discovery of his breeding operation.

A land surveyor was shot, though not seriously, by what authorities described as a "directional mine."

The homemade device blasted the surveyor with pellets after he wandered onto Tant's County Line Road property and came into contact with a tripwire.

The assault and battery charge carries a possible 20-year sentence.

Dog-fighting insiders will be paying close attention to any punishment handed down for Tant, Sakach said. Anyone who had previous dealings with Tant may have reason for concern.

The state's evidence includes Tant's telephone list and a document titled "Action Plan," which prosecutors described as Tant's to-do list if arrested.

The list included making a deal with the police or becoming a police informant.

"If he's convicted, message boards will heat up again about his sentence," Sakach said. "If it's perceived as light, people will say he made a deal and turned in others."

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NEW HAMPSHIRE HANDS DOWN ITS FIRST FELONY CONVICTION FOR DOGFIGHTING

16 August 2002
In a precedent-setting case, New Hampshire recently handed down its first felony convictions for training fighting animals. Christopher Devito of Newton, who was arrested last January after law enforcement officials removed 43 pit bulls from his property along with dogfighting paraphernalia, pled guilty to nearly two dozen counts of felony animal-fighting.
The New England Regional Office (NERO) had been in close contact with law enforcement and courtroom officials throughout the case. Our office provided expertise on the brutality of animal fighting—a sadistic contest in which two animals are placed in a pit to battle each other, often to the death. Equally outraged citizens throughout the region sent numerous letters to the Rockingham County Courthouse, as well as a petition with more than 3,000 signatures asking for the maximum sentence.

The HSUS and other animal advocates had hoped for a trial, but Devito pled guilty to 23 of the 37 counts of felony animal-fighting against him, and the remaining 14 counts were dropped as part of the plea bargain. He will serve two to five years in state prison and is responsible for reimbursing the town of Newton $63,000 for the care of the 43 pit bulls. In addition, he is prohibited from ever owning animals again.

Although this sentence sends a strong message that dogfighting in New Hampshire will not be ignored, it also points to the need for stronger penalties for animal abusers. The NERO looks forward to working with the New Hampshire SPCA (one of the lead agencies in investigating the case), the district attorney, and other interested parties to improve and refine New Hampshire's animal welfare laws. We will also continue to push for the investigation and prosecution of illegal animal fighting.
 

Pit Bulls Seized in Monroe County
Sept. 2005

London Township, MI -- Animal cruelty investigators in Monroe County have seized 17 pit bulls. Officials say the dogs were abused and may have been part of a large dog-fighting operation.

The pits were taken Sunday night behind a home on Plank Road in London Township. Tucked away in wooded backyard are a bunch of blue, 35-gallon plastic barrels. Animal cruelty investigators say the barrels were homes for 17 pit bulls.

Agents found the dogs Sunday in rainy and muddy conditions. "That wasn't even anchored to the ground in order for the dog to get into it with the wet and the mud. The barrels were moving around. The dogs couldn't even get in. When they did get in, they could hardly turn around," said Linda Benson of the Monroe County Animal Control.

All of the dogs were confiscated and are now staying in kennels as possible evidence. Detectives say scarring and bite marks could be indicators of illegal dog-fighting.

Agents also found treadmills, weighted collars and medications which may have been used to train the pit bulls. "The various items that we observed there made the whole situation questionable," said Benson.

But Harriet Crawford, who has been caring for the dogs while the owner is in prison, says there were no injuries on the pit bulls until after animal control took them away.

"They're lying. There was no proof of no dog fights. When they took those dogs from here, there wasn't a mark on them and I wish I had the pictures to show you. If I would have known any of this was going to happen, I would have taken a picture of every last one of them," said Crawford.

Crawford also says she gave the dogs rice, potatoes, dog food and water every day for the past two weeks. She admits the barrels are not ideal for the dogs, but it was the best she could do.

"Well, that's all we could do, you know, we bought houses for them. We was trying to get more, but like I said, it's coming out of our pocket and I know I don't look rich, not at all, but I do care for the animals... I do," said Crawford.

Monroe County detectives, along with Animal Control, continue to investigate. Charges are pending.

Crawford moved out of that Monroe County home today. Michigan law requires licenses for all dogs older than four months. None of the dogs seized on Sunday had a license.


[Most of their housing was heavy quality built and roofed construction even if solid barrels do guard against wind and rain, no mention to that, or how wild dogs live, or hurricanes as reasons for all the rain; Or that they were being fed so much they couldn't eat it all. Why not allow the right to spend money getting them licensed and fix housing. If they are found 'running at large' you get so many days to get the license.]
 

Owner said to be dognapper
Man faces charges after stealing his pit bull from Animal Control.

by Alicia Gallegos
Tribune staff writer

A sign on the back gate of a home in the 200 block of Village Way in South Bend bears a warning for visitors. Animal Control officials say between 12 and 15 pit bulls have been taken from the home because of dogfighting concerns. South Bend Animal Control officials have been to this home in the 200 block of Village Way six times in the last year because of dogfighting concerns. The 30-year-old resident is currently in jail for allegedly stealing his impounded pit bull last week from Animal Control.

SOUTH BEND -- The man was no stranger to Animal Care and Control officials.

Staff had been keeping close watch on 30-year-old Timothy Watson (black) and his home for months because of lingering dogfighting concerns, according to Director of Code Enforcement Catherine Toppel.

Still, Animal Control employees were shocked last week when the suspected dogfighter allegedly stole his impounded pregnant pit bull from an Animal Control yard.

"She's a very pregnant female, and we just let her outside to relax," Toppel said. "The dog disappeared at the same time (the suspect) was at the shelter."

The owner first called the shelter asking about visiting his dog and was given permission to visit the animal in an enclosure behind a locked gate, according to a court affidavit.

A short time later, animal officials found the gate pried open and the pit bull missing, the affidavit said.

Police obtained a search warrant for Watson's home in the 200 block of South Village Way, but the man and the dog were not inside. However, an officer noticed a car matching the suspect's description drive past the house as the search was being conducted.

Police followed the car and pulled it over after a brief pursuit near Olive and Orange streets, reports said. Inside the car, police found the pit bull along with a gun.

"We were jumping for joy," Toppel said of the discovery. "That was wonderful news."

The tiger-striped pit bull was taken back to the shelter and is in good health, officials said.

Watson was charged Friday on multiple counts, including criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor; carrying a handgun without a license, a class A misdemeanor; and resisting law enforcement and obstruction of justice, both class D felonies.

Without the quick action by Animal Control and police, Toppel said, the dog's puppies would likely have been sold and possibly trained to fight.

The mother canine was one of three dogs taken from the man's home Sept. 1 because of suspected dogfighting and are only the latest batch rescued from the residence.

"We just assume they're purchasing more or breeding more," she said. "More dogs just show up at the property."

A risky business

Animal Control has been to Watson's west side home six times in the last year and a-half, and seized between 12 and 15 pit bulls, officials say.

In the Sept. 1 case, officials took the animals because they were not licensed and later found that the dogs had heavy scarring, including an old infection on one dog's neck.

Another group of dogs was taken from the home earlier this summer, Toppel said, along with items related to dogfighting.

Prosecutors anticipate filing felony dogfighting charges against the suspect for the older case sometime this week, according to Catherine Wilson, director of media relations at the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office.

Neighbors say Watson moved to their Village Way neighborhood a little more than a year ago, and since then his canines have been a constant.

"It's been a headache for me," said Rose Ann Andrysiak, who has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years.

Andrysiak said her next-door neighbor goes out of town often, leaving multiple dogs alone.

"He left two dogs here, (and) he didn't leave enough food," she said, adding that she threw some lunch meat over the fence.

Another time, a male dog dug a hole under the suspect's fence and Andrysiak found the animal near her door barking madly.

"It scared the life out of me," she said.

Members of Nicole Martin's family have encountered Watson's pit bulls before and say for the most part they're friendly.

"They come out here a lot," Martin said.

Although the dogs have been affectionate to the Martins' two small children, their reaction to the family's beagle is another story.

"As soon as we take the dog out, they wanted to attack him," she said.

About a year ago, Martin said they called animal officials after witnessing a dogfight between two of Watson's pit bulls when one got loose.

Since then, the family doesn't take chances.

"We keep our beagle inside," she said.

An increasing area issue

In the South Bend area, dogfighting may be more common that some might think.

"It's really probably one of the fastest-growing animal problems in our area," said Eric Durcinka, executive director of the Humane Society of St. Joseph County.

Durcinka -- who has spent six years researching and speaking on the subject -- said a mix of reasons contribute to the dilemma. One explanation is South Bend is close to large cities like Detroit and Chicago but retains its rural areas.

"We have houses in the county that have 20 to 30 of these dogs," he said.

In the city, most dogfighting incidents are isolated, Toppel said, and the problem is not as severe.

The increasing problem fits with a growing trend nationally as well, according to AP reports.

More than 100 Web sites sell pit bull training gear, and about a dozen dogfighting magazines publish regularly, up from three in the 1980s.

The FBI keeps no statistics on the activity, but authorities estimate -- from breeders' advertisements, magazine subscription lists and previous arrests -- that at least 40,000 people in the United States breed or own pit bulls for fighting, according to AP reports.

Because of the growing problem locally, an ordinance was proposed just this month that may require pit bull breeders to pay $100 apiece to license puppies, according to past Tribune reports.

Owners also would be required to keep the animals in "six-sided" cages -- cages that have tops and bottoms as well as sides -- and would have to post "dangerous dog" signs in front of their homes.

The measure could get a public hearing later this year.

Although dogfighting paraphernalia such as treadmills and heavy chains can be easy to find, the actual brawls are not, Durcinka said.

"It's almost impossible to come across the actual fights in progress," he said.

The future appears bright for the pregnant pit bull's puppies due soon. Animal Control is in the process of contacting rescue agencies, and the pups will be raised normally, Toppel said.

Gameness

Gameness - The exact definition of "gameness" varies greatly depending upon whom you ask. However, most true pit bull fanciers can agree that this is the single most important trait the APBT possesses, and without gameness, the dog is just a shell of what it should be. In the most general sense of the term, gameness can be described as "an unwillingness to give up, even under the most difficult of circumstances and despite the threat of injury or death." True pit bull breeders strive to preserve this trait in their dogs and insist that the only way to preserve "real" gameness is in the fighting pit. However, modern society and humane attitudes dictate that we look to other ways to preserve the trait of gameness of this breed. Faniciers/breeders would do well to come together and unite in common agreement as to what can be done LEGALLY to preserve this most noble of breeds before it is too late and the true working pit bulldog is just a memory of the past. (It should be noted that gameness does NOT equal dog-aggression.) Gameness Copied From High Ouput Kennels Gameness in APBT's is a canine virtue that is most akin to the human virtue of unflagging courage. It is a determination to master any situation and never back down out of fear. It was developed in pit bulls by many generations of selective breeding. It is what allows a pit bull to keep fighting non-stop for two or more hours, in spite of broken bones, torn muscles, blood loss, dehydration, and exhaustion. But it is also valued by APBT owners who would never think of fighting their dogs. It is manifested in the can-do attitude of pit bulls toward any type of challenge, whether agility competitions or protecting their family against an armed attacker, etc.. Generally speaking, a game dog is an emotionally stable, easy-going dog, especially good with kids. Gameness should not be confused with aggressiveness. There are plenty of aggressive dogs that are not game, and there are game pit bulls who are not aggressive toward other types of dogs. Aggressiveness will propel a dog into a fight but will only sustain him for the first few minutes. Gameness, on the other hand, will not necessarily make a dog fight-happy; but if the dog has no other choice but to fight, a game dog will fight until it wins or dies trying, and will keep going as long as necessary. Gameness is an inner quality of pit bulls. There is no way you can tell by looking at a pit bull whether it is deeply game or not. The only test--and for many years the main criterion for selecting a dog for breeding purposes--is actually fighting the dog to see how it stands up to other dogs that have likewise already proven their gameness in the pit. Dogs that are emotionally unstable, or that fear-bite human beings are generally not game. If you want a nice pit, you're generally better off getting one that has been game-bred. These dogs represent the truest exemplars of all the best qualities in the breed. Of course not all pit bulls are equally game. there is a range in the variation in the *DEGREE* of gameness among individual pit bulls. If you plotted a distribution graph, you would get a classic bell curve, with a handful of dogs exhibiting dead gameness, another handful of dogs who are afraid of their own shadow, and the bulk of the dogs concentrated around the average in between these two extremes. If you then plotted the bell curves of gameness for other breeds, you would find that there is little overlap between the APBT's bell curve and those of all the rest. Until about 20 years ago, there were only a small handful of dedicated breeders who maintained this breed, and I would guess that nearly all of these breeders bred for gameness and game-tested their dogs in order to choose the ones to be bred. During all that time, you never heard of pit bulls mauling 5-year old kids. It was only when the breed became immensely popular in the 1980s--i.e., when lots of ignoramuses suddenly became backyard breeders--that you began to read stories about man-eating pit bulls. These monster dogs were not "fighting dogs," but just the opposite. The scrupulous criteria that old-time breeders had used for selecting or culling dogs in breeding programs were thrown out the window--along with plain common sense. The backyard breeders didn't know the difference between gameness and aggressiveness. Many of them didn't grasp the fact that a champion fighting dog is born, not made; so they tried to make their dogs into "fighting dogs." How?abuse, teasing, "practice" on non-fighting dogs, etc.--all sorts of things that knowledgeable pit enthusiasts would find cruel and abhorrent--and counterproductive as preparation for pit contests. I read a story not long ago that was enough to turn my stomach; it was about the arrest of an 18-year old kid in Philadelphia on charges of animal abuse; he was keeping his wretched pit bull isolated in a tiny feces-covered kennel. The dog's only contact with the outside world was when this jerk would "feed" it live cats and dogs that he had stolen from neighbors s' homes. He thought he was preparing the dog to be a good fighter. Needless to say, it is this sort of person, rather than the old-time dedicated breeders, that the public--thanks to the mass media--associates with the breed. Speaking of the mass media, I wouldn't be surprised if this particular jerk got his bizarre ideas about schooling a pit dog from watching the sort of distorted, sensationalistic news coverage that purports to "expose" what pit fighting is all about. In the hands of ignorant breeders, the gentle, affectionate qualities that were so crucial to the old-time breeders also went out the window. You began to see idiotic ads in the classified section announcing "Pit bull pups for sale. Big-boned. Big heads. Excellent attack dogs. No papers. $250" From the old-time breeders' point of view, the gentle qualities were an absolutely indispensable safety precaution to be bred into a fighting dog, since no dog could be fought if it couldn't be safely handled by its owner during a pit contest. These breeders bred for a type that was extremely easy-going and docile around people and would NEVER think of biting a friendly hand, even amid the fury of a fight. A well-bred pit bull is so reliable in this respect that even if he is badly hurt in an automobile accident and is in extreme pain, he won't snap at his owner who tries to pick him up--unlike most dogs in that situation. Well-bred pit bulls are like labs in that they will never try to dominate their owners through threats, such as growling or baring teeth or snapping. Sure, they will try to dominate you--by outsmarting you, by doing something sneaky to get their way when they know you're not looking. But it is a very rare pit bull that will growl when you pick up his food dish or reach into his mouth to take a bone away. The analogy to labs is fitting because both of these breeds were selectively bred for tasks that demanded an extreme level of generosity toward people. Can you imagine a lab that snarled when you tried to take the duck from his mouth? Such a dog would have been culled from a serious performance-based breeding program. Likewise, any APBT that showed the least sign of aggression toward people was culled as unsuitable for breeding. Whether true or not, it was an article of faith among old-time breeders that a human-aggressive dog simply could not be dead game. In any case, such a dog would have been unsuitable for fighting purposes: no one would volunteer to be its handler or to referee the match. As a result of this careful breeding history, the APBT is an extremely easy-going, human-loving dog. The American Canine Temperament Testing Association is an organization that titles dogs for passing its temperament test. The test consists of putting the dog into a series of unexpected situations, some involving strangers. The dog fails the test if it shows any signs of unprovoked aggression or panic around people. Of all dogs that take the test, 77% on average pass. But among pit bulls who take the test, 95% on average pass--one of the highest passing rates of all breeds.One wonderful thing about APBTs is that they have an uncanny ability to size up a potentially threatening situation correctly and decide whether or not it is actually something to get agitated over. This is related to their fearlessness and unphasability.Pit bulls will generally excel in activities that require sustained determination and that test their bodies' ability to endure pain and exhaustion to an extreme. But the fact is that there are very few activities that will test a dog's gameness to its limits, or that will provide a basis for comparing one dog's degree of gameness to another's. For example, wild boar hunting, in spite of the high level of risk to the dog involved, doesn't really test the limits of a dog's gameness. The tangle between boar and dog is fast, furious, and generally quite short (compared with a pit contest). Athletic ability, agility, explosive power, strength of bite, and smarts are of a higher priority here than gameness, which never really has a chance to come into play in so brief an encounter. The dog will either take the boar down or be killed before the depth of his gameness can make much of a difference. Several larger breeds of dogs--American Bulldogs and Argentine Dogos--seem to be at least equally adept at boar hunting as pit bulls. But this doesn't make them as game as pit bulls.Just because a game disposition will aid a dog in excelling at many different activities--such as agility competition, flyball races, tree-climbing, etc.--doesn't mean that these activities are sufficient tests for gameness. Gameness is multi-dimensional; the above activities do not stress all of these dimensions simultaneously to their extreme limits . Gameness is, in positive terms, a happy eagerness to pursue a challenge; but it is also, in negative terms, the stubborn refusal to heed the cries of the nervous system to stop struggling and and to flee the situation that is causing so much pain. None of the activities above can fully assess this second dimension. Unfortunately,the only activity that really tests the full extent of a dog's gameness is pit contests. It's a pity that this is the case. Personally, I don't much like the idea of dog fighting, especially when money is involved and takes precedence over the well-being of the dogs. If I knew of another method--say, a DNA test--which could determine gameness, I'd be happily promoting that method right now. But genetic research has a long way to go before it could provide such a test. And with slightly more important concerns, such as preventing cancer, I don't expect many research dollars to flow into DNA game -testing. As a result, I'm left in the rather hypocritical position of celebrating a canine virtue that is only made possible by a human vice. So be it. I still prefer game dogs. Why would anyone be interested in knowing exactly how game their dogs are?" Breeders only want to choose the very best examples of the breed in their breeding programs. If you breed APBTs without regard for their degree of gameness, their gameness will gradually be lost with each succeeding generation. This is essentially what has occurred with Am Staffs and Staff Bulls, which for many generations have been selectively bred for appearance rather than for the invisible inner quality of gameness. (Furthermore, I should add, less than scrupulous selection of all these breeds also risks the loss of the breed's excellent disposition toward people.) In order to maintain a high degree of the desired qualities, a breeder must carefully select only those dogs that have them in the highest degree. Gameness was an extremely difficult trait to develop; it took more than a century of tiny, incremental improvements through selective breeding to produce today's APBT. Though achieved only with great difficulty, gameness is easily lost, sometimes even in the hands of good breeders. If you mate two grand champions, you will be lucky if just one or two of the pups is of the same quality as the parents.Traditionallyy, the job of breeders was to identify these offspring and use only them to continue the breeding program. Sometimes it's the case that two great dogs will not produce any offspring who are their equals.The presence of gameness in a dog has nothing to do with making the dog fight. Fighting a dog obviously will not improve the genes it was born with. But if you were a breeder interested in *maintaining* the gameness of your line, well, that's a different story.

What exactly is "gameness"?

[The following is an exchange that occured on bulldog-l between Scott Bradwell and Wilf LeBlanc. The passages offset with ">"'s are questions posed by Wilf.]

Gameness in APBT's is a canine virtue that is most akin to the human virtue of unflagging courage. It is a determination to master any situation and never back down out of fear. It was developed in pit bulls by many generations of selective breeding. It is what allows a pit bull to keep fighting non-stop for two or more hours, in spite of broken bones, torn muscles, blood loss, dehydration, and exhaustion. But it is also valued by APBT owners who would never think of fighting their dogs. It is manifested in the can-do attitude of pit bulls toward any type of challenge, whether agility competitions, climbing up trees, or protecting their family against an armed attacker, etc. (Yes, check out Richard Stratton's books for photos of pit bulls actually climbing up the trunk of a big tree in order to nestle in the branches 15 feet off the ground.)

Generally speaking, a game dog is an emotionally stable, easy-going dog, especially good with kids. Gameness should not be confused with aggressiveness. There are plenty of aggressive dogs that are not game, and there are game pit bulls who are not aggressive toward other types of dogs. Aggressiveness will propell a dog into a fight but will only sustain him for the first few minutes. Gameness, on the other hand, will not necessarily make a dog fight-happy; but if the dog has no other choice but to fight, a game dog will fight until it wins or dies trying, and will keep going as long as necessary. Gameness is an inner quality of pit bulls. There is no way you can tell by looking at a pit bull whether it is deeply game or not. The only test--and for many years the main criterion for selecting a dog for breeding purposes--is actually fighting the dog to see how it stands up to other dogs that have likewise already proven their gameness in the pit. Dogs that are emotionally unstable, or that fear-bite human beings are generally not game. If you want a nice pit, you're generally better off getting one that has been game-bred. These dogs represent the truest exemplars of all the best qualities in the breed. Your questions about my post on the nature of "gameness" posed a couple of very good questions that I would like to try to answer.

      > If it is indeed the case that the only way that you     > can be sure that your dog is truly "game" is to have     > a fight to (almost) the death, what is really the     > point of having a game dog ?

Many APBT owners like myself have no interest whatever in fighting our dogs, yet we appreciate the quality of gameness in our breed. I am quite content to know that just about any APBT, even one with only mediocre gameness as far as APBT's go, is still going to be far more game--that is, far more courageous and determined to succeed against any challenge he may confront--than the gamest individuals of just about any other breed. Thus, without ever having to match your dog against another, you can be confident that your dog is game simply by virtue of the fact of being an American Pit Bull Terrier. Of course not all pit bulls are equally game. It has been pointed out in a previous posts that there is a range in the variation in the *DEGREE* of gameness among individual pit bulls. If you plotted a distribution graph, you would get a classic bell curve, with a handful of dogs exhibiting dead gameness, another handful of dogs who are afraid of their own shadow, and the bulk of the dogs concentrated around the average in between these two extremes. If you then plotted the bell curves of gameness for other breeds, you would find that there is little overlap between the APBT's bell curve and those of all the rest. Your second question, Wilf, relates to whether the degree of a particular pit bull's gameness can be assessed by some test other than fighting; I'll return to this question below.

All dog owners think there is something unique and superlative about their own dog's breed. Gameness is what I, as an APBT chauvanist, think is so special about pit bulls. Actually, let me modify that. What I love best about my own dog is how cute and cuddly and friendly she is with everyone. She's a dog I am proud to bring anywhere. She makes everyone laugh with her insane kissing compulsion. But these two qualities are not unrelated. As I mentioned in my prvious post, gameness seems to go hand in hand with a lovable, outgoing, licky disposition toward people. I have to say that I don't know and don't really care exactly *how* game my dog is relative to others of her breed. I imagine she's no great shakes, since her parents were weight-pullers, not fighters, and you'd have to go back to her great-grandparents to find dogs that were game-tested. But I can tell you that she is known, among more than a few neighborhood dog owners, as "the friendliest dog in Hyde Park." She is beside herself with happiness--literally leaping up and down for joy--whenever a passerby so much as smiles at her. It's important for people to understand the paradoxical truth that she, like all the other nice, human-loving pit bulls out there, is the way she is BECAUSE OF--NOT IN SPITE OF--her breed's history of selective breeding for fighting purposes.

Until about 15 years ago, there were only a small handful of dedicated breeders who maintained this breed, and I would guess that nearly all of these breeders bred for gameness and game-tested their dogs in order to choose the ones to be bred. During all that time, you never heard of pit bulls mauling 5-year old kids. It was only when the breed became immensely popular in the 1980s--i.e., when lots of ignoramuses suddenly became backyard breeders--that you began to read stories (at least some of them must have been true) about man-eating pit bulls. These monster dogs were not "fighting dogs," but just the opposite. The scrupulous criteria that old-time breeders had used for selecting or culling dogs in breeding programs were thrown out the window--along with plain common sense. The backyard breeders didn't know the difference between gameness and aggressiveness. Many of them didn't grasp the fact that a champion fighting dog is born, not made; so they tried to make their dogs into "fighting dogs." How?

Through abuse, teasing, "practice" on non-fighting dogs, etc.--all sorts of things that knowledgeable pit enthusiasts would find cruel and abhorrent--and counterproductive as preparation for pit contests. I read a story not long ago that was enough to turn my stomach; it was about the arrest of an 18-year old kid in Philadelphia on charges of animal abuse; he was keeping his wretched pit bull isolated in a tiny feces-covered kennel. The dog's only contact with the outside world was when this jerk would "feed" it live cats and dogs that he had stolen from neighobrs' homes. He thought he was preparing the dog to be a good fighter. Needless to say, it is this sort of person, rather than the old-time dedicated breeders, that the public--thanks to the mass media--associates with the breed. Speaking of the mass media, I wouldn't be surprised if this particular jerk got his bizarre ideas about schooling a pit dog from watching the sort of distorted, sensationalistic news coverage that purports to "expose" what pit fighting is all about.

In the hands of ignorant breeders, the gentle, affectionate qualities that were so crucial to the old-time breeders also went out the window. You began to see idiotic ads in the classified section announcing "Pitbull pups for sale. Big-boned. Big heads. Excellent attack dogs. No papers. $250" From the old-time breeders' point of view, the gentle qualities were an absolutely indispensable safety precaution to be bred into a fighting dog, since no dog could be fought if it couldn't be safely handled by its owner during a pit contest. These breeders bred for a type that was extremely easy-going and docile around people and would NEVER think of biting a friendly hand, even amid the fury of a fight. A well-bred pit bull is so reliable in this respect that even if he is badly hurt in an automobile accident and is in extreme pain, he won't snap at his owner who tries to pick him up--unlike most dogs in that situation. Well-bred pit bulls are like labs in that they will never try to dominate their owners through threats, such as growling or baring teeth or snapping. Sure, they will try to dominate you--by outsmarting you, by doing something sneaky to get their way when they know you're not looking. But it is a very rare pit bull that will growl when you pick up his food dish or reach into his mouth to take a bone away. The analogy to labs is fitting because both of these breeds were selectively bred for tasks that demanded an extreme level of generosity toward people. Can you imagine a lab that snarled when you tried to take the duck from his mouth? Such a dog would have been culled from a serious performance-based breeding program. Likewise, any APBT that showed the least sign of aggression toward people was culled as unsuitable for breeding. Whether true or not, it was an article of faith among old-time breeders that a human-aggressive dog simply could not be dead game. In any case, such a dog would have been unsuitable for fighting purposes: no one would volunteer to be its handler or to referee the match. As a result of this careful breeding history, the APBT is an extremely easy-going, human-loving dog.

This isn't just a personal, impressionistic perspective of mine. The American Canine Temperament Testing Association is an organization that titles dogs for passing its temperament test. The test consists of putting the dog into a series of unexpected situations, some involving strangers. The dog fails the test if it shows any signs of unprovoked aggression or panic around people. Of all dogs that take the test, 77% on average pass. But among pit bulls who take the test, 95% on average pass--one of the highest passing rates of all breeds.

One wonderful thing about APBTs is that they have an uncanny ability to size up a potentially threatening situation correctly and decide whether or not it is actually something to get agitated over. This is related to their fearlessness and unphasability. Let me relate three stories about my dog Ruby that illustrate this point. (Please note: I'm definitely not claiming that Ruby is exceptionally game; all I'm saying is that she has a typical pit bull personality). This past summer, my wife had Ruby out in the back yard of our apartment building. Out of nowhere a little kid about 6 years old came charging at Ruby, swinging a big plastic sword over his head and screaming. He was pretending to be a Ninja turtle. Before my wife could cut him off, he ran right up to Ruby and whacked her right in the middle of the back with his sword. Ruby responded as she always does to the approach of little kids: celebratory dancing. She thought it was all a big game, just like tag. She was prancing up and down and straining at the leash to get close enough to lick the kid's face. A similar event occured this summer when my wife and I went out, with Ruby, to visit her brother in Portland, OR. My brother-in-law has an 8-year old kid, Ben, who is clinically diagnosed as suffering hyperactive/attention-deficit disorder. He's a nice kid but completely out of control. He acts impulsively without thinking of the consequences of his actions. He and Ruby fell in love instantly, but we vowed not to let him be alone with Ruby unsupervised. Not that we didn't trust Ruby, we didn't trust Ben. Well, one day the two of them somehow got out alone in the back yard. I was walking up the stairs inside the house when I glanced out the back window and, to my amazement, I saw Ben hauling off and repeatedly slugging Ruby in the face! I yelled out the window for him to stop it, and he did. But the incredible thing was Ruby's reaction: she was jumping up and down for joy as if getting punched in the face was the funnest game on earth. There was nothing Ben could do to her that she would see as threatening. She followed Ben right in the back door of the house. My brother-in-law sent Ben to his room for punishment. Ruby knew something was wrong. She stood outside the closed door of Ben's room, crying forlornly for her buddy to come back out and play. I told my brother-in-law, "Ben's lucky that the dog he decided to torment was a pit bull, and not a cocker spaniel or bichon. Otherwise, he might be missing a limb!"

On the other hand, Ruby has growled only once in her life, and it was in an appropriate context. We live in the south side of Chicago, which has one of the highest crime rates in the country. 5 of the 9 apartment units in our building have been burglarized in the last two years; a foreign grad student was held up at gunpoint in the foyer of our building last year. There have been 4 fatal shootings in a three-block radius of our apartment since we moved in two years ago. You can hear gunfire most nights. So we're always a little anxious when we go out after dark, even just to take Ruby out to pee. Well, one night my wife took Ruby down to pee at about midnight. My wife noticed a guy walking down the other side of the street muttering to himself and shadow-boxing the air. He seemed to be drunk or on drugs. When he saw my wife, he crossed the street, still shadow-boxing and muttering, and approached her. Ruby didn't like the looks of this one bit. Her hair went up on her back, her whole body began shaking, and when this guy got within about 15 feet, she began to snarl in a deep, menacing tone. The guy backed off, muttering, "Whoa, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull," and crossed back over to the other side of the street and continued on his way, no doubt looking for an easier victim. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Ruby actually had it in her to be protective; we had always thought she was just too goofy and too overly trusting of strangers to act the way she did.

   > If gameness manifests itself as climbing trees,     > (etc etc) then aren't all these legitimate tests for gameness?

Pit bulls will generally excel in activities that require sustained determination and that test their bodies' ability to endure pain and exhaustion to an extreme. But the fact is that there are very few activities that will test a dog's gameness to its limits, or that will provide a basis for comparing one dog's degree of gameness to another's. For example, wild boar hunting, in spite of the high level of risk to the dog involved, doesn't really test the limits of a dog's gameness. The tangle between boar and dog is fast, furious, and generally quite short (compared with a pit contest). Athletic ability, agility, explosive power, strength of bite, and smarts are of a higher priority here than gameness, which never really has a chance to come into play in so brief an encounter. The dog will either take the boar down or be killed before the depth of his gameness can make much of a difference. Several larger breeds of dogs--American Bulldogs and Argentine Dogos--seem to be at least equally adept at boar hunting as pit bulls. But this doesn't make them as game as pit bulls.

Just because a game disposition will aid a dog in excelling at many different activities--such as agility competition, flyball races, tree-climbing, etc.--doesn't mean that these activities are sufficient tests for gameness. Gameness is multi-dimensional; the above activities do not stress all of these dimensions simultaneously to their extreme limits . Gameness is, in positive terms, a happy eagerness to pursue a challenge; but it is also, in negative terms, the stubborn refusal to heed the cries of the nervous system to stop struggling and and to flee the situation that is causing so much pain. None of the activities above can fully assess this second dimension. Unfortunately,the only activity that really tests the full extent of a dog's gameness is pit contests. It's a pity that this is the case. Personally, I don't much like the idea of dog fighting, especially when money is involved and takes precedence over the well-being of the dogs. If I knew of another method--say, a DNA test--which could determine gameness, I'd be happily promoting that method right now. But genetic research has a long way to go before it could provide such a test. And with slightly more imporant concerns, such as preventing cancer, I don't expect many research dollars to flow into DNA game -testing. As a result, I'm left in the rather hypocritical position of celebrating a canine virtue that is only made possible by a human vice. So be it. I still prefer game dogs.

I said at the beginning of the post that I am uninterested in finding out just how game my own dog is. You might ask, "Why would anyone be interested in knowing exactly how game their dogs are?" Well, I'm not a breeder. Understandably, breeders only want to choose the very best exemplars of the breed in their breeding programs. If you breed APBTs without regard for their degree of gameness, their gameness will gradually be lost with each succeeding generation. This is essentially what has occurred with Am Staffs and Staffy Bulls, which for many generations have been selectively bred for appearance rather than for the invisible inner quality of gameness. (Furthermore, I should add, less than scrupulous selection of all these breeds also risks the loss of the breed's excellent dispostion toward people.) In order to maintain a high degree of the desired qualities, a breeder must carefully select only those dogs that have them in the highest degree. Gameness was an extremely difficult trait to develop; it took more than a century of tiny, incremental improvements through selective breeding to produce today's APBT. Though achieved only with great difficulty, gameness is easily lost, sometimes even in the hands of good breeders. If you mate two grand champions, you will be lucky if just one or two of the pups is of the same quality as the parents. Traditonally, the job of breeders was to identify these offspring and use only them to continue the breeding program. Sometimes it's the case that two great dogs will not produce any offspring who are their equals.

You are right, Wilf, in the sense that the presence of gameness in a dog has nothing to do with making the dog fight. Fighting a dog obviously will not improve the genes it was born with. But if you were a breeder interested in *maintaining* the gameness of your line, well, that's a different story.

                                     The Color of Gameness

                                        by Richard F. Stratton

It is hard to believe now, but I do remember as a youngster how I couldn't quite understand the more experienced pit dog men's preoccupation with gameness. I was more impressed by flash, agility, and talent. My thought was, " Give me the talented dog and let the other guy have the dead game dog!" Now, I know that I am getting old, because I worry about the younger Bulldog men being so preoccupied with barnstormers and not giving sufficient commitment to gameness. There is consolation in the fact that, if these young guys stick around long enough, they, too, will come to appreciate gameness.

I'm going to have more to say in a later article about the nature of gameness and just why it has always been deemed so important by the experienced pit dog man and is even treasured by people who simply want a Bulldog as a pet. For this issue, I simply wanted to discuss color.

Almost all dog men develop a preference for a favorite color in their favorite breed; however, that preference is always quite changeable–depending on what color their most recent favorite dog was. There are some misconceptions, too, about certain dog men favoring a particular color. For example, most people think that Bob Wallace had a particular predilection for red, red-nosed dogs. As a matter of fact, he did greatly admire the Old Family Red Nose line, as his original strain was partly founded on it. But his greatest all-time dogs were Searcy Jeff, Toney, Pistol Pete, Hillbilly, and Madame Queen–all of them brindle dogs. Only King Cotton, who was white, and Curly, who was red and red-nosed, deviated from the brindle pattern among his all-time great ones, so, although Bob certainly appreciated the red ones, he liked the brindles, too, because so many of his good dogs had been that color. One of the last dogs I got from him was Wallace's Star, a black-faced brindle female.

In addition to the fact that dog men develop a preference for a certain coloration, some of them develop a prejudice against a given hue. One pit dog man, who probably just as soon wouldn't be named, swore up and down that he never saw a game red nosed dog in his life. Now his favorite stud dog, and possibly all-time favorite dog, is a red-nosed dog.

I have heard dog men claim that only certain colors within certain strains were game. Some genetic traits can be linked like that, but I think gameness is far too complex a trait to be linked to a specific color. One dog man, who liked black dogs, even cited some scientific evidence which linked a dark eye to the "fast-twitch" type of muscle cell. Examples to support the speculation were the cheetah, a very fast animal, with a black stripe running through the eye, and certain other fast predators. I was unimpressed by that part of the evidence, as I was familiar with many predatory animals, some of them of the ambush type, who all had that line through the eye. To me, it always seemed that the line through the eye was an adaptation toward camouflaging the eye. Prey animals are very much aware of eyes, and it helps predators to have their eyes partly concealed or made to look smaller. Still we have had plenty of good black dogs, including one of my all time favorites, Grand Champion Hope.

At the other end of the spectrum, that most knowledgeable of dog men and a very valued friend, the late Howard Heinzl, never cared for black dogs, and he insisted that black was not a Bulldog coloration. Believe me, I never argued with him, but black is depicted in extremely old pictures of Bulldogs, and, besides, black can come from other colors, from buckskin crossed with cinnamon red, for just one combination. Some of Howard's favorite dogs were white, as some of his best had come that way. His Polly and Dutchess were examples of that. Also, Howard's favorite all-time dog man was John P. Colby, and old "J.P.'s" favorites had been his Pincher and Galtie, two white dogs with black spots.

As for Tudor, he liked any color, as long as the dog was a good one. The only exceptions were the red, red-nosed dogs. Not that he couldn't appreciate them, but he didn't like the color. He admitted that Centipede was truly a great dog but lamented what a shame it was that he was one of those "yellow-eyed, red-nosed dogs." Even Lightner, perhaps the single person most responsible for the emergence of the red-nosed line, told me he never liked the looks of them and got rid of them because of that and because of the fact that they were running too big. How ironic then that this very coloration became a badge of distinction during the era of Wallace and Hemphill and O'Neal, not to mention Jim Williams, and remains so unto this day!

As for me, I know I have the reputation of liking the Old Family Red Nose dogs, and I do as a strain, but they are not my exclusive favorites. I think some of the prettiest dogs are the tawny red colored dogs. If they are well built, this coloration makes them look like young mountain lions. I also have a particular preference for pied dogs, like Dibo's grandsire, Gimp, and Jimmy Boots, not to mention my own Hoover dog, who was a beautiful animal in his youth. Now, like me, he is beginning to lose his beauty!

When I was a mere thirteen years old, I studied the Armitage and Colby books, and I developed favorite dogs in each, and they were almost always brindle. Galvin's Pup was a particular favorite, and he is still my ideal of what a Bulldog should look like. Brindle has always been a traditional Bulldog coloration, even though some other breeds carry it (and they may very well have gotten it from crosses with Bulldogs), but it is usually not appealing to the general public. The point is, though, that there are different types of brindles, with different hues and shades. I prefer the gun-metal grey type of brindle, with a black face–but, surely, even the general public would like the looks of Galvin's Pup!

In the final analysis, though, it isn't the color that counts. You have to be around these dogs a while to realize that gameness is their essence. That is what you build upon; everything else is gravy. So, as for color, I think we can safely say that they come game in all colors. For that reason, I don't care about the color. Just color mine game.

                                        A Scratch in Time

                                        by Richard F. Stratton


I have to admit it. I'm not that much of a fan of pit contests. This may surprise some readers, as I have, many times, ardently defended pit dog men and ridiculed their castigators as ignoramuses who had no idea of that very thing that they criticized. The point is that my main interest has been in the kind of animal which has been produced by the countless generations of the contesting of dogs against each other. Still, I am a great student of every aspect of the game. But, if I simply had my dogs and some sort of "game-o-meter," I could live without the contests, particularly since the authorities apparently have serious crime under such complete control that they have made even attending such a pit contest a felony in most states!

I have noticed that movie makers now occasionally like to put a pit dog fight in a scene to portray a particular location as especially tough and to underline the depravity of the characters, too, I suppose. These scenes nearly always show lots of blood and have the sound effects of horrific growlings. How disappointing it would be to the average person to see the real thing, in which there is often little in the way of blood, and, more often than not, absolutely no growling. Not much of a spectacle really, unless you are quite familiar with every aspect of the game. (The same statement would be true, to some degree, when speaking of nearly any sport.)

Of course, to the devotees of the sport, there is simply nothing more exciting. In fact, I know some proponents who seriously believe that one reason the activity is suppressed by law is because if the general public got a taste of it, other lucrative sports would be doomed! Well, of course, I don't believe that for a moment, but it illustrates the point that the game is interesting enough that it can breed a fanatical interest in otherwise normal people.

Just one interesting aspect to the contests is the scratch. It is a moment of excitement, for most contests end when one dog fails to make his scratch. Almost every scratch has a bet riding on it, as there is nearly always some one in the crowd who wants to place anywhere from one dollar to a hundred that a dog will or will not scratch.

For those not versed in the finer points of dogfighting, let me explain that a scratch consists of a handler releasing his dog to cross the pit to make contact with his opponent. Normally, the scratching begins when the handlers are able to handle their dogs free of holds after a turn has been called on one of the dogs. The dog that the turn was called on has to scratch first, but after that, the dogs scratch in turn. Alternatively, a handler may ask for an out-of-holds count if both dogs are free of holds for a given time, ranging from ten to sixty seconds. In that case, the down dog has to scratch first. A third possibility is that the handlers had a coin toss before the match, agreeing that if there have been no turns at the hour mark they will begin scratching the dogs anyway. The one who loses the toss has to scratch first, and the idea behind this rule deviation is to get the dogs scratching early and hopefully have a shorter contest in the hope of not losing either dog.

Now an interesting point is that, while most Bulldogs run their scratches, some walk them, and some shoot across at unbelievable speed. Many people assume, incorrectly, that the faster the scratch, the gamer the dog. Some great dogs, including Wallace's Talking Boy, Mason's Hog, and Reddick's Peterbilt were dogs that simply walked their scratches. But, at the two hour mark, even after taking a beating, they were still coming across. In some cases, these "walking dogs" will begin to run their scratches in the latter stages of the match, but this is unusual. If they walk in the beginning, they usually walk in the later stages, too. One of the reasons dog men often doubt the gameness of slow scratching dogs is because a sign that a dog is getting ready to quit is when his scratches start slowing down.

Although I intend to argue that, everything else being equal, a hard scratching dog has the advantage, I should point out that the slow scratchers have their adherents among pit dog men. For one thing, they can make money off those at pit side who want to bet on the scratches. But from a purely practical standpoint, the fans of the slow scratching dog would point out that such dogs are normally quiet in their corners and, thus, get a chance to rest. Another advantage is that slow scratchers receive a good opportunity to assess their opponent on the way over and can pick their spots, and, at times, even seem to have formulated a strategy before making contact.

Doubtless, there is some merit to those arguments, but this is what the truly hard scratching dog has going for him. For one thing, he wears his opponent out in the corner hitting him so hard. In fact, his opponent often gets a double hit, because he receives the impact of the scratching dog and then is driven back into the boards of the pit corner. A dog's handler, when faced with a hard scratching dog, is inclined to release his dog early so that he at least is not smashed back into the corner of the pit. A smart dog learns to side step these hard charging artists and grab an ear, or something, from the side, but he has to be released before the other dog reaches him in order to do that. In any case, the opponent of a hard scratcher is at a disadvantage, as his owner is always releasing him early, and sometimes those hard scratchers will charge across at full speed but stop just a few inches away. But he never gets put to that test if the other dog's handler keeps releasing him early, and it is only good tactics to do so.

Certainly, it could never be argued that the hard scratchers are gamer than the slow-scratching ones. But everyone likes the spectacle of a hard scratcher, as some scratches are truly spectacular. Although a match is often extolled for having had no turns and, thus, no scratches, they can also be praised by detailing how many scratches each dog made. To many pit dog men, the exciting part of the match is when the scratching has begun. In fact, I recall one such fancier saying that if there was a line of chorus girls on one side and pit dogs scratching on the other, he would be at the side where the dogs were doing the scratching.

We may not all be quite that fanatical, but I think anyone who has ever seen a pit contest would agree that the scratches were an integral and exciting part of it.

The Name of the Game
By - Richard F. Stratton
From the Grand Champ

As I mentioned before in an earlier article, I know that I am getting old now, because I am getting so that I sound just like the old-time dog men that used to puzzle me so much in my youth. Dogs that impressed me in my youth because of their agility or punishing power were often looked upon with a jaundiced eye by some of the old timers. I kept wondering what they knew that I didn't. Well, there were a few things, to be sure.
For one thing, they knew that it took a game dog to win. Old John P. Colby had a statement in his advertisements to the effect that it was easy enough to get good fighting dogs, but it took a game one to win. Few dog men have had the status among dog men that "J.P." did, and he knew what he was talking about. I would only modify what he said to "almost always." There are almost no absolute statements that can stand, And that is the case with Colby's statement, too.
If a dog can punish hard enough, he doesn't have to be truly game to win. If he is enough dog that he can keep another dog down and kill him in short order, then he doesn't have to be game to win. Dogs like this are extremely rare, however.
Another reason that dog men liked the game dogs was that it was, more than anything else, the very essence of the Bulldog breed. It was the thing which enabled a thirty-pound Bulldog to whip an eighty-pound German Shepherd. Further, I think that it seemed like something special to Bulldog men. That is, they considered it an almost spiritual trait.
These old timers had. learned fiom long experience that it was no fun to have a dog almost
completely disable his opponent and then lose by quitting. There was something particularly galling about a dog refusing to scratch to an opponent, simply because his opponent still had fire in his eye and enthusiasm for the contest-even though he had been taking a beating for the entire time. On the other hand, there was something extra sweet about going up against a notoriously hard biting dog with one that simply could not be stopped while he was still alive and winning. Truth to tell, most of the dog men would rather have lost with a game dog than won with one which was obviously lacking in that respect. And the game dog nearly always has the crowd on his side. There is something
about attaining a win by seemingly sheer will that strikes a responsive chord, not only in dog men, but in people in general. An example of such a win occurred over a decade ago when Sorrells' Dugan, a son of Wallace's Talking Boy (also called Sorrells' Hard Rock), won over a barnstorming dog named Cannon. In the first fifteen minutes, Cannon had Dugan incapacitated in both shoulders and had him down, looking for all the world as though he was about to kill him right there in very short order. But Dugan always had a hold
some place to neutralize, to some extent, his opponent. Slowly but surely, the tide began to turn, as Dugan began to get the use of one of his front legs. Finally, the Cannon dog, exasperated at being unable to put his opponent away and at the ever-increasing turning of the tide, stood in his comer and took the count. This match took place back in the old convention days, and it had the crowd on its feet during the last part of the contest, applauding wildly, and some of them were crying unashamedly. Pete Sparks once emphasized the importance of gameness when a group was debating establishing
two trophies, one for the traditional best dog in show and one for the gamest dog in the show. Pete snorted at this idea, saying, "The gamest dog in the show is the best dog in the show." In view of the fact that it is mainly the older, experienced dog men who appreciate gameness, it obviously takes a while to truly appreciate it. Still, let's face facts. The Bulldog is superior to other breeds in areas other than gameness. That is, he is generally more athletic, has more stamina, has more biting power, etc. And gameness is not
absolute either. The gamest dog in the world can be made to quit, given the right circumstances. I think most experienced dog men believe that.
And I must admit that some old timers became a little extreme in their adherence to gameness. It was said, for example, that the Farmer Brothers would cull out a hard biting dog for the simple reason that they didn't believe that hard bite and gameness went together. It doesn't very often, but when it does, you really have something! (You can see how the Farmer Brothers attitude was another example of absolutist thinking.) Old timers suspect that all talented dogs are lacking in gameness, because no dog ever comes
along to find out if the dog can take what it dishes out. Everybody felt the same way about Searcy Jeff, so Bob Wallace game tested him against four different dogs in turn, and he took it all and begged for more. We are going through an era now in which dog men are primarily interested in dogs which have bone crushing ability. One of the problems with that view is that many a finesse type dog has beaten some of those hard biters by simply holding them out and not giving them a chance to do any real damage biting. That is a dangerous game, because all it takes is one time to do real damage. And each time the
hard biter gets to the finesse fighter, he slows him down enough that it makes it easier for it to happenagain. Still, the finesse type of dogs probably win more against the hard biters than the other way around. Of course, some of the finesse dogs occasionally come with some jaw power, too. That is what is known as the full package! The truth is that it is tough to beat a dog with gameness and good air. It is my fervent hope that people will not flock to breed to those barnstormers unless they have proven their gameness, too. We would not want the Bulldog, renown for his gameness above all other animals, to lose that trait which has taken countless generations and countless centuries to establish.

The Match Overview

By Michael Burr

 Again, the authors wish to emphasize that by including this overview we are NOT promoting dog fighting. Matching two dogs in combat is illegal in all of the U.S. and a felony on most parts. This overview is the result of a post that was made to rpb and by reading some of the older works in the "References" section of this FAQ. Neither of the authors has fought dogs nor has either author seen an organized dog fight. We feel that this overview is accurate but it should be treated as hearsay as that is what it is. It is included here so that the reader can better understand just what the APBT is and what he has been traditionaly bred for. This also gives a more accurate, balanced account of what the traditional pit match was really like. If you think you might be offended by the material written here, by all means, skip this section. You have been warned.

In order to understand what happens in one of these contests one must first understand the origin of the dog and individuals who originally pit one dog against another. There is a lot of speculation on this issue but the overal consensus among 'professional' dog fighters is that it was a way to find out which dog was the toughest. Throughout history, men have fought one another in caged contests, with gloves, without gloves, with rules, without rules, etc...the tough man was worshiped and to be emulated in the days when it was more accepted by society. So, how did they define tough?

One aspect of being tough was gameness. Two men would duke it out and if one of them quit the dual was over. Even if the man who quit was physically stronger he was not considered to be tougher. In other instances it was not only who was stronger physically but who was smarter and in yet others it was physical. So, we now have three components of a fight, physical, mental and gameness, or heart! The heart is that intangible men worshiped back then, the gameness to never quit until there was nothing left.

These men also expected the same of their dogs. The dog that would quit in a fight was no longer kept for breeding. As a result there was an evolution that took place where the dogs would continue to fight even while taking a beating. Now, gameness is not sufficient when faced with a stronger and larger opponent so other things began to evolve such as strength of bite, agility, and various other things like fighting style, yes, style. As men learned more and more they began to selectively breed for one characteristic over another to the point that only game, athletic, hard biting winners were bred. These dogs tended to be small since they were typically matched in buildings, basements etc...most ranged from as little as 15 pounds all the way up to 45 or 50 pounds. The reason for this was simple. It's easier to physically pick up a small dog in the heat of battle than a large one. So, what prevents the person who is handling the dog from being bitten? Well, that is part of the evolution and something else that I will explain in a moment. First let's examine being in a 16 by 16 foot square pit trying to grab a dog that is the middle of a major battle. What prevents the dog from biting the handler? Well, it's because over the many many years breeders selectively bred only those dogs that would NOT bite the handler. But, there was something else they were doing and didn't know it. It had to do with the most fundamental instinct of all. The survival instinct. The old timers believed that a mean, vicious dog was never really game! Period! A man biter was put to death immediately. That is how strong their feelings were.

To better understand this we need to examine the survival instinct as it applies to Wolves in the wild, and in order for that to happen we need a scenario that commonly occurs in the wild. Let's say that a pack of wolves has just killed a deer and is in the process of eating. Since the dogs are very hungry they just start tearing away at the carcass and eventually there will be a piece of meat that two males, (just for argument sake), will want. Well of course there will be a conflict when that happens, right? The first thing one wolf will do is to start something called "threat display", by showing his teeth and raising the hair on his back to appear larger than he is. He might even growl to sound mean. This type of behavior is used so that he does not have to fight. The idea is intimidation first, then and only then will he actually fight. The reason for this is the ever present survival instincts. Being physically injured could potentially risk life itself, hence "threat display" You'll also notice that the fights the do happen are very short and almost never result in debilitating injuries. Again in the interest of surviving. All the slashing teeth, rearing up on the hind legs and so forth are variations on a theme. The aggressiveness is therefore considered threat display and as such is not, I repeat not a desirable trait when crafting a combat dog. Therefore, gameness and aggressiveness are not the same.

A game dog does:

NOT show his teeth.

NOT raise up on his hind legs.

NOT growl or make any noise other than maybe screaming or whimpering due to the intense desire for physical contact.

NOT show aggressiveness towards humans as this is yet again a manifestation of THREAT display.

So, for people to say that these dogs are people aggressive simply because they have seen action in the pit is not because they are stupid, just uninformed.

THE PIT CONTEST:

Now we're ready for what really happens in the pit. Let's examine the dimensions first. A pit is typically 16 feet by 16 feet square and about 2 1/2 to 3 feet high. The floor is usually a thick carpet and the walls are made of wood. In the real world of TOP dog fighters there are only a handful of individuals at one of these matches. There is a referee, a second for each dog, a handler for each dog and a time keeper. there is a "scratch" line drawn diagonally from one neutral corner of the pit to the other. A dog must cross that line to complete his scratch. There is normally a ten second time limit from the time a dog is released until it crosses the scratch line. If he does not cross the line in the alotted time then the other dog is declared the winner.

HOW A MATCH BEGINS:

At the beginning of the match, both dogs are faced into their respective corners by their handlers until the referee, also in the pit asks the contestants to face their dogs. At that time the two handlers turn 180 degrees and face each other. When that happens the dogs get sight of one another and start to get pretty excited. they both usually start trying to get away in order to go after the other dog. The referee asks the handlers to release their dogs and the match has begun. To the uninitiated it's a bit strange because once the dogs make contact in the middle of the pit there is almost not noise at all. No growling, no raised hair, no snapping. Just each dog trying to get a hold on the other. One might grab an ear or a shoulder and try to wrestle the opponent to the ground. Then, the dominant dog will shake his head to try and punish the other dog. As the match progresses, with only the sounds of breathing, the dogs will swap holds, (i.e., take turns grabbing each other).

THE TURN:

At some point in the match one of the dogs might have second thoughts about wanting to be there so will show some signs of this by doing certain things. One of those things that we look for is the tail tucking. A sure fire sign that a dog is thinking of not continuing. The most subtle sign but more reliable is when a dog physically turns his head and shoulders away from his opponent during combat. This is called a turn. It is up to the handler of the other dog to point it out to the referee. When that has been done the referee announces to the handlers that a turn has been called and that they should handle their dogs at the first opportunity. This opportunity comes when both dogs are not in hold, (i.e., biting each other). This is when each handler in unison will grab his dog by the nap of the neck and put a hand under the stifle area to pick his dog up. Each handler then returns to their respective corners, much like boxing. they must each face their dogs into the corner for 25 seconds and then upon hearing the referee say face your dogs, turn and face their dogs. The dog that turns first, must scratch first. So, the handler of the dog that was called for the turn must then release his dog first.

THE SCRATCH:    

 Okay, the dog that turned first must now go across the scratch line to prove that he still wants to dominate. If he doesn't cross the line in 10 seconds then he loses and the opponent is declared the winner. This is more often than not. Or, the losing dog will be too tired to complete the scratch on time. Again, this terminates the match. If a handler were to try to physically make his dog cross the line then again the match is over and the handler is called for a foul.

   PIT RULES

USED FOR CONTESTS DECIDING

  THE GAMER OF TWO DOGS

(GAME = PLUCKY, UNYIELDING IN MANNER,

  READY AND WILLING)

     Rule 1:  The principals shall select a referee who is

   familiar with the rules and who is satisfactory to both

   sides.  The referee will then appoint his Timekeeper.  Each

   handler will select a man to act as his chief second or

   cornerman, whose duties are to wash the opponent's dog, and

   to remain near this dog's corner as an observer.

   Rule 2:  Each handler is to furnish two clean towels and a

   suitable blanket, to be used by his opponent.  Either

   handler may demand that the opposing handler and his

   cornerman bare their arms to the elbows; also the handler

   may taste his opponent's dog's water before or after the

   contest (up until the referee has rendered his decision on

   the contest).

   Rule 3:  No water, sponges, towels or any other accessories

   are allowed in the pit at any time, except the referee who

   shall have in his possession an adequate breaking stick and

   a pencil; also a copy of these rules.  The pit shall not be

   less than 14 feet each way, whenever possible, with a

   canvas-covered floor, upon which has been painted or chalked

   on, 12.5 feet apart, and with a center-line half way between

   the scratch-lines.

   Rule 4:  The referee shall toss a coin to be called by the

   handlers.  The winner of the toss shall decide which dog

   shall be washed first and also have the choice of corners.

   Rule 5:  The dogs shall be washed at pit-side in warm

   water and some approved washing powders and then rinsed.

   The first dog to be washed shall be brought in and held in

   the tub by his handler and washed by the opposing cornerman.

   When pronounced clean by the referee, the dog shall be

   rinsed clean in a separate tub of warm water and toweled

   dry as possible, then wrapped in the blanket provided and

   carried to his appointed corner by his handler and accompanied

   by the man who washed him.  These are the only two persons

   allowed near this dog until the dogs are Let Go.  The other

   dog shall now be brought in and held in the tub by his handler

   and washed(in the same water) by the opposing cornerman.  When

   this dog is pronounced clean by the referee and rinsed clean

   and toweled dry, he shall then be carried to his corner by his

   handler and accompanied by the man who washed him.

   Rule 6:  The referee shall now ask "Are both corners ready?"

   If so, "Cornermen, out of the pit"..."Face your dogs"...

   "Let Go."  The timekeeper shall note the time and write it

   down for future reference.

   Rule 7:  Any dog who jumps the pit is automatically the loser

   of the contest and no scratches are necessary, and no dog is

   required or allowed to scratch to a dead dog.  The live dog

   is the winner.

   Rule 8:  Should either dog become fanged, the referee shall

   instruct the handlers to take hold of their dogs and try

   to hold them still so the handler can try to unfang his dog.

   If this isn't possible, the referee shall separate the dogs

   with the proper breaking stick and then unfang the dog using

   a pencil.  The referee will then order the handlers to set

   their dogs down near the center of the Pit and approximately

   two feet apart.  The referee will then order "Let Go."  This

   in no way constitutes a turn or a handle and has no bearing of

   the future scratches.

   Rule 9:  This is to be a fair scratch-in-turn contest until

   the dogs quit fighting, then rule 13 shall take over.  The

   first dog to turn must scratch first; thereafter they are to

   scratch alternately(regardless of which dog turns) until

   one dog fails to scratch and thereby loses the contest.

   Rule 10:  To be a fair turn, the dog accused of turning

   must turn his head and shoulders and his front feet away

   from the opponent and regardless of whether or not the

   dogs are otherwise touching.

   Rule 11:  The referee shall call all turns, although either

   handler may ask for a turn on either dog.  If the referee

   rules there has been a turn, he will instruct the handlers to

   "pick up free of holds" as soon as possible, and should

   either dog accidentally get a hold again, the handlers shall

   set the dogs down immediately and make a continued effort

   to pick up the dogs, free of holds.  When picked up, the

   dogs must be taken to their respective corners and faced

   away from their opponent.  The Timekeeper shall note the

   time and take up the count(not out loud) and also the

   referee shall notify the handler whose dog must scratch.

   Rule 12:  At 25 seconds, the Timekeeper shall call out

   "Get Ready."  At these instructions each handler must toe

   his scratch-line and face his dog toward his opponent with

   his dog's head and shoulders showing fair from between

   his handler's legs, and the dog's four feet on the canvas

   floor.  At the 30 seconds, the Timekeeper calls out "Let Go."

   and the handler whose dog must scratch must instantly

   take his hands away from all contact with his dog and also

   release all leg pressure from against the dog's body.

   And the dog must instantly start across and the handler

   must remain behind his scratch-line until his dog has

   completed his scratch or the referee has ruled upon it.

   There is no time limit on the time required to complete this

   scratch.  But, when released at the words "Let Go," the

   dog must start across at his opponent.  He may waver from

   direct line, fall down, crawl ... drag or push himself

   across, so long as he makes a continued effort and DOES

   NOT HESITATE OR STOP until he has reached out and touched

   his opponent.  The opposing handler may release his dog any

   time he sees fit after the order to "Let Go"; however, he

   must do so as soon as the dogs have touched each other.

   Rule 12A:  This is an alternate rule for those handlers who

   wish to have their dogs counted out in the corner.  It is

   the same in all respects as Rule 12, except that after 30

   seconds, when the Timekeeper calls out "Let Go," the

   referee shall count our loud, at as near one-second intervals

   as possible, ONE...TWO...TIME(three seconds), and the

   dog must be out of his corner and on his way before the referee

   calls "time," or lose.

   Rule 13:  If the dogs have apparently quit fighting,

   whether they are helpless, tired out or curred out, and

   regardless of whether both dogs are down or one dog is

   down and the other dog is standing over him, but neither

   dog has a hold, the referee shall ask it they are willing to

   scratch-it-out to a win or not.  If so, they shall proceed to do

   so, but if either handler is unwilling, then the referee shall

   instruct the Timekeeper to note the time and call time in

   two minutes.  If either dog breaks time, then nothing has

   changed, but if, at the end of the two minutes, the dogs are

   in the same relative positions and neither dog has a hold,

   the referee shall order the handlers to handle(PICK UP FREE

   OF HOLDS) their dogs.  When picked up, the dogs shall be

   taken to their corners and the corner procedure is the same

   as in a normally called turn and handle.  If there have been

   no previous turns or handles to establish the order

   of scratching, the dog who has been the longest without a

   hold(usually the down dog) to be scratched first, then,

   as soon as free of holds, the dogs shall be picked up and

   the other dog scratched.  Should one dog fail or refuse

   his scratch, then the dog who failed shall lose the contest.

   If both dogs fail to scratch, the referee shall call it a

   no contest, but should both dogs make their initial scratches,

   the handlers by mutual agreement may ask the referee for

   a draw decision.  The referee will then rule it a draw.

   Otherwise the contest shall continue, but in this manner:

   any time the dogs are not in holds and not fighting, the

   referee shall order the dogs to be handled and scratched

   alternately until one dog fails to scratch and thereby loses.

   No attention is paid to turns(after rule 13 is invoked)

   except as a possible chance to handle.

   THE REFEREE HAS FULL AUTHORITY AND HIS DECISION IF FINAL

   IN ALL MATTERS.

   Rule 14: Fouls that will be just cause for losing a contest:

   A. To leave the pit, with or without the dog before the referee

      has ruled.

   B. To receive anything from outside the pit, or allow anyone

      outside the pit to touch or assist the dog.

   C. To push, drum, throw or spank, or in any way assist a dog

      across his scratch-line, except by encouraging him by voice.

   D. To step across a scratch-line before the dog has completed

      his scratch or the referee has ruled on it.

   E. To stomp on the pit floor or kick the pit sides, yell at of

      give orders to the opponent's dog, or(in the referee's

      opinion) do anything to distract or interfere with either

      dog while scratching or fighting to affect the outcome

      of the contest.

   F. To interfere with the opposing handler or touch either dog

      until the referee gives an order to handle the dogs.

   G. To use a "Rub," "Poison," or "Hypo" o neither dog.

   Rule 15: If there should be any outside interference before

   the contest has been concluded, the referee has full authority

   to call it a "NO CONTEST" and shall name the time and place

   the contest is to be resumed and fought out to a referee's

   decision.(The same referee shall preside.)  Also, the referee

   shall insist that the dogs be washed and weighed(in the

   referee's presence), and the dogs shall weigh at the weights

   specified in the original articles of agreement, and to do

   this as many times as necessary to conclude the contest.

   VARIATIONS TO THE RULES(Cajun)

   Instead of rule number 12A in which a dog has three seconds

   to leave his corner, he us usually given ten seconds to

   cross to the other dog.

   A 30-second out-of-hold count is generally used, and the

   down dog must always scratch first(unless both dogs are

   down with neither in a position of advantage).

   The pit may be covered with carpeting rather than canvas

   (rule 3), the scratch lines may consist of some of the

   modern tapes, and the central line between the scratch

   line is often omitted.

Famous Matches

Battle of the Grand Champions

(Pictured is S.T.P.'s Gr Ch Buck)

I was conditioning Super Gnat's Gr.Ch. Ace for his 4th match when I received a call from S.T.P. He explained that his Gr.Ch. Buck was contracted into Ricky Jones and Gr.Ch. Sandman, at 48 lbs. Both dogs were exceptionally seasoned match dogs with similar styles and S.T.P. predicted that the match would be a long one. S.T.P. wanted me to provide the veterinary care after the match. I was honored that S.T.P. would trust my veterinary skills and I told him how to get to my house on his trip south to meet Rebel Kennels Gr.Ch. Sandman.

As a pup Buck was sold to a physician. He proved to be an unsatisfactory pet and was sold to the late Alan Waldman who matched and won with Buck in the low 50's. Fortunately for Buck, S.T.P. purchased the dog and campaigned him at his correct weight, 46 lbs. In S.T.P.'s hands, Buck demolished all of his competition, which included some highly regarded match dogs. Buck did not dazzle fanciers with ten-minute wins, but he had virtually no weakness as a match dog and always dominated his opponent, no matter what style.

Rebel Kennels Gr.Ch. Sandman was bred and raised by Ricky Jones from a Rascal/Jeep and Boomerang cross. Word had it that Ricky was able to take some of the unwanted dogs from some very good dogmen, and by sheer determination and good sense Ricky had bred bulldogs that could compete and win over the best in the country. Some of the best match dogs, at any weight, were either owned by Rebel Kennels, or were matched into Rebel Kennels.

My friend Peter from Holland wanted to learn more about conditioning so he stayed at Rebel Kennels conditioning match dogs. Peter owned St. B.'s Dylan and was already a noted conditioner prior to his trip to Ricky's place.

Two of the most dominant kennels using two of the foremost bloodlines were matched into each other. While Boomerang/Jeep/Rascal blood was dominating southern matches, blood through Boyles' Dirty Mary was just starting to establish itself in the south.

S.T.P.'s mini van pulled up in my driveway. He had been on the road for over seven hours and intended to make the remaining three-hour drive without resting. Buck was standing up in his sky kennel and had been doing that for the entire trip. Buck was let out of his kennel to empty out and rake up a bunch of leaves and dirt. He looked good with good muscle tone. As always, I asked about Buck's conditioning program. S.T.P. told me that Buck was worked on two different treadmills. One day he would work the free turning mill and the next day he would run a hard turning mill. By the peak day, (One week prior to the match), Buck had run for two hours at a good pace, on the easy turning treadmill. S.T.P. went over the plan we would follow when we arrived at the match site. Buck would have emptied out prior to arriving at the site and would stay in his sky kennel until the last possible moment, because he would go wild once he saw the pit.

We drove down and got a motel room where we could return after the match. Everyone was a little nervous about the match because Buck was going into a great dog owned by a good dogman.

We drove to the site and found out that Ricky and Sandman had been staying in the area for the past five days. Most of the dogmen favored Sandman and made no secret of their preference. Buck weighed in right on the weight and we were told that Sandman was also right on weight, but when Sandman was put on the scale he was 1 1/4 lbs. over the weight. S.T.P. played this situation perfectly, saying that he would take the forfeit and go home. Ricky started talking trash, saying that S.T.P. was scared and so on. Finally, Ricky said that he would give them odds in the betting. S.T.P. never intended to take the forfeit but he convinced Ricky that he was going to take the forfeit and go. After taking considerable verbal abuse, S.T.P. came back to the van grinning like a Cheshire cat. He had gotten everything he had wanted in the betting. The betting on both sides was brisk, fanciers from all over the world were betting on their favorite. Ricky was ready to cover huge side bets, which by far exceeded the original bet.

There were about 25 fanciers waiting for the match to start. My friend Peter from Holland was betting on Sandman, while I was betting on Buck. This was the first time we were not on the same side of the betting. The dogs were released and Sandman shot over like a rocket and got a good hold. When Sandman got to the stifle, Buck slowly and deliberately got him out. Ricky got all excited and said that Bucks stifle was broken. For the first 20 minutes Sandman was all over Buck, but then Buck started to dominate the action. Buck was a little stronger and had a little heavier. He was taking the match to Sandman, but neither could get much of a lead over the other.

Ricky's wife was holding their baby and was quite verbal as she yelled for Sandman to whip Buck. It was a credit to the spectators that none of them asked Ricky's wife to quit her monotonous and repetitive yelling for Sandman. The yelling went on for hours as the two Grand Champions battled on into the night.

Both dogs could hardly be held in their corner as they rocketed across on their scratches. About an hour and a half into the match Sandman got a good hold on Buck's neck. As Buck tried to twist out of this hold, Sandman held on and a stalemate ensued. Sandman would not release his hold and Buck could not get free, so the two Grand Champions were locked motionless and time dragged on. It seemed that both dogs were asleep. Buck started to vocalize his frustration at being unable to move. Ricky became even more excited, interpreting the noise as a sign of Buck wanting to quit. Nothing could be further from the truth as Buck finally extricated from the hold and resumed his dominance over Sandman. Ricky not only began to denigrate Buck but also S.T.P. At one point he said that he was going to kick Buck's ribs in because he was such a cur. I encouraged him to go ahead and do it since the foul would leave Buck the winner. I think that Ricky began to realize that Buck was going to beat his Sandman dog and this was his way of dealing with that possibility. No matter how many times and how many ways Ricky verbally abused Buck and S.T.P. he never let it bother him. S.T.P. stayed with his dog and ignored all the outside shenanigans. S.T.P. gave fanciers a good demonstration of coolness and decisiveness in a tough situation.

At the end Sandman began to falter and it was clear that Buck was going to win. At three hours and 17 minutes, Sandman didn't scratch. Buck's courtesy scratch was a running one and he slammed into Sandman. We hustled Buck into a nearby shed and I started an intravenous line. Buck received 10 cc's of Azium in about 800 mls of Ringers before he ripped the line out of his leg. In an adjacent shed, Ricky worked in an effort to save Sandman. I was told that he gave Sandman an injection of Epinephrine, which is often used by human rescue personnel. The shot of "Epi" as it is known to the members of the rescue squad, killed Sandman immediately. Buck would not be still so I stopped the IV, which had leaked into the surrounding tissue.

The level of euphoria was high as we drove back to the motel. We were all singing a 50's song playing on the radio. Even S.T.P., who is normally a reserved person, sang loudly as we drove through the night. We stayed at the motel that night, but I couldn't get a catheter sealed in Buck's veins. It wasn't until the next day that I did get a catheter in Buck's front leg and he continued to receive IV fluids. Buck also got a shot of Lasix to help him urinate all the fluid we were giving him.

Buck stayed at my house for two weeks after the match, recovering from his ordeal. At 5:00 AM every morning, Buck would start his scream/howl, which echoed throughout the house. When I walked him outside, Buck would try to lunge at the other dogs in my yard, even though he could hardly stand up. It was obvious that his spirit had not been broken in spite of the lengthy battle with Sandman.

I returned Buck to S.T.P. and the old warrior lived the good life, breeding bitches and eating good food until he died.

Barney Fife

Bullyson VS Benny Bob
TEXAS MAY 28, 1972

Maurice Carver VS. Rick Halliburton

Males at 53 lbs.

Cajun Rules

Floyd Boudreaux - Referee

This was the big one. Maurice Carver with Red Walling's "Bully Bon", a winner of two matches in short order. He would fight into a dog like a wildcat, barnstorming his opponent and never giving him a chance to get started. Rick Halliburton has come up with a son of "Bully Son", called "Benny Bob", that he got from C.J. Creel. Rick tested "Benny" with a 40 min. roll and he acted game, then later tested him with a hard biter and fast fighter. He still looked good, so he thought he had what it would take to win over "Bully Son".

Dogs meet hard in the center of the pit and "Bully" goes for the shoulder, but misses and gets a skin hold. "Benny" gets passed "Bully" into a stiffle and shakes but loses his hold. Dogs wrestle for holds and "Bully" gets into the stiffle of "Benny". "Benny" attempts to get "Bully" out, get himself a stiffle, and dogs swap it out, each with a stiffle hold. "Benny" comes out of the stiffle and get a nose hold. Dogs have been fighting for 5 minutes and it was easy to see, if "Bully" won this, it was not going to be by barnstorming "Benny".

The crowd was very excited, jumping and cheering their favorite on, and you guessed it, down came the bleachers, one by one, about 5 minutes apart. At 15 minutes the dogs are fighting even, one top then the other, swapping holds and taking each other out of holds. At 30 minutes, a turn is called on "Bully Son" and "Benny Bob" is taking over the fight, working one hold then another. A pick-up and "Bully" makes a good scratch. Another pick-up and "Benny" runs a fast scratch and works "Bully" over in his corner. "Bully" makes another scratch, then "Benny" makes another fast hard scratch. Maurice Carver, showing good sportsmanship, gives up the fight, making

Rick Halliburton and "Benny Bob" the winner in 43 minutes.

Deacon VS Bailey

Little Jim Marshall & Bert Sorrells vs. Don Alexander & W. Pool - males 35-36 lbs. - Cajun rules - Referee - R. Greenwood.

Marshall & Sorrells are allowed a pound for travelling to Arizona with Marshall's DEACON, a one time winner. Alexander & Pool have a black dog from B. L. Mayo's Kennel in Mississippi, called BAILEY. DEACON downs BAILEY with hold in the face and keeps him down for the first 5 minutes. DEACON switches to chest holds, BAILEY trying to fight the head buy can't get a decent hold. DEACON goes into the back end shaking out his holds hard. A turn is allowed on DEACON as he moves back to the rear end and he completes a hard scratch. A quick handle and BAILEY to scratch, he heads for the pit wall and the referee declares Marshall & Sorrell's DEACON, the winner in 20 minutes.

Eli Vintage Match Report

MARCH THRU MAY 1968
Sixth Match:
JACK SMITH VS. FLOYD BOUDREAUX
Males at 38 pounds.
Cajun Rules, Howard Tee, Referee
Pete Sparks, Timekeeper

Jack is using a red dog called Bozo said to have been bought by Sonny Sykes from Jerome Hernandez. Floyd is using a black which he calls Eli. The black gets the first hold as Bozo gets skin hold in throat. Black is getting into the throat of Bozo as Bozo works the ear trying for a shoulder. 50 to 25 bets being made. Bozo the favorite. Black is showing good and working for Bozo's throat. All the dog fighting in the previous match is being wrapped up in a ten-minute space of time in this fight. Black gets in Bozo's throat at 14, then Bozo throws one leg over the black's shoulder, gets an ear and throws the black dog. Bozo gets a shoulder and shakes and the black dog gets a mouth hold and gets him off. Black up at 15 and into the throat. The black comes up and the bets shift to even money as both dogs are working the shoulders and front legs. Bozo gets the nose and shakes at 21. Changes to a hind leg, gets stifle and shakes. Bozo is working front leg. Back to mouth fighting at 25-minute mark. Bets getting hard to get at even money as first one then the other gets on top and gets nose and mouth. The black acts as though he has shot his wad. Bozo has opened up the black's front leg and the black is weakening. Story is that the black has heartworms. 38 and a pick up, Bozo to scratch. Made determined scratch, gets a front leg and the black goes into Bozo's neck. 40 a pick up, black scratches hard. Bozo gets nape of neck and the black goes down. 54 a pick up, Bozo to scratch. Made determined scratch. 57 pick up with black to scratch. Trotted over and took hold, gets an ear and Bozo goes down. Bozo makes a good scratch at the one-hour mark. One minute later the black makes a good scratch and Smith gives up the fight. Black makes a good courtesy scratch. Eli is the winner in one hour and one minute.

Boudreaux' Eli is without question one of the most famous of modern dogs from the 60's era. He and his sons Eli Jr. (sire of Gr. Ch. Art.-grandsire of Chinaman, Stompanato, Crenshaw's Ch. Rascal etc.) and Bullyson (sire of Ch. Honeybunch, Midnight Cowboy and Chivo, Loposay's Buster etc.) were used to create lines of their own and those in turn have spawned even more good lines of bulldogs. There is hardly a line of good dogs today that cannot trace its lineage back to the Eli dog. He was a product of inbreeding on Boudreaux' old Blind Billy dog (Dibo X Minnie) with some Trahan's Rascal (Dibo's half brother) blood thrown in, both good Tudor/Corvino bred dogs. I believe Mr. Boudreaux is still producing some fine dogs and I have talked to dog men who wouldn't have one from anyone else. Mr. Boudreaux has been breeding these dogs for over 35 years and has produced some of the best ever to look through a collar. The perfect southern gentleman and devoted family man, he is a real credit to the dog game and an excellent role model for the aspiring young dog man .
(Ed.)

Hooten VS Corn

(pictured is Hooten's Ch Butcher Boy)

NORMAN HOOTEN vs. ROBERT CORN
Black VS Butcher Boy
MALES AT 57 LBS.

CAJUN RULES

FLOYD BOUDREAUX REFEREE

Robert Corn with a big black dog that is said to be off of "Bully Son". A very good looking black with white markings. Norman with his "Butcher Boy" dog, a winner of two matches, sire by Marshell’s "Joe" and out of Womack’s "Liz". "Butcher Boy" is the hardest scratching dog I have ever seen as I saw him knock one man out of the pit about five times scratching into him.Both of ese dogs are big, neither dog pull down fine and with this heat and as fast as these dogs fought, it is a wonder they fought 5 minuts., I don’t mean these dogs were not in good shape, as they both proved they were, they were just great big dogs and I am used to a 45 lb. dog being a big dog to me.

Dogs meet in the center like two "Mac Trucks", one throwing one then the other. At 10 mins. dogs have been fighting hard and fast like little dogs, fight mw around the head, with "Butcher Boy" pushing for chest and shoulders. At 11 mins., a turn called on "Butcher Boy" and a pick-up. He makes one of his fast hard scratches putting the black down, but the black comes up with a head hold and open’s an artery and "Butcher Boy" is bleeding bad. A pick-up and the black hesitates then makes a slow scratch. Another pickup and "Butcher Boy" makes a fast scratch.

At 18 mins., it’s the Black to and he takes the count, making Norman Hooten and "Butcher Boy" the winner. This was two good big hard biting dogs and was a fast exciting fight. This makes "Butcher Boy" a three time winner and he is now entitled for req. of Championship.

Irish Jerry's Gr Ch Wee Hunt 4th & 5th

Dave Devine x Irish Jerry - M37 Referee B. Davis.
Irish Jerry's Weehunt a a 3x winner of Carver breeding wins over Devine's red dog, who never really got started, picked up at 10 mins. Devine's red jumps the wall. Winner: Irish Jerry and Weehunt with his 4th.

Irish Jerry & Swet x Ray Carter - M38 - Referee Don Regal.
Carter's Redman and Irish Jerry's Weehunt, a 4x winner. Carter concedes at 52 minutes. Winner: Irish Jerry's Weehunt, his 5th win.

Longest Legitiment Matches Ever!!

B.C.'s Hunt v/s Ken & T.O.'s Tugger Males 32 1/2 Clyde M. Both dogs are a 1/2 lb light. Hunt is a 2x winner from a Carver and Mason Bloodline. Tugger from Bobby and Shawn, a 1x winner, Patrick's Tater and Faith/Red Jerry breeding. Tugger barnstorms Hunt in to a turn at 10. Two scratches each. Tugger has a quick mouth and holds Hunt out for 45. Hunt has it all even by Two Hours and 30 minutes. For the next two hours, they take turns on top, numerous flurries by each dog. At five hours and 30 they are handled with Tugger to go and he scratches and Hunt is picked up at 5:33 and tries to give a courtesy scratch but can't. Winner: Ken & T.O.'s Tugger. reprinted by the SDJ Jan-Feb 1984

Big Apple's Georgia Girl v/s Captain America & G-Tiger's Hooker Red Georgia Girl was bred, raised, and campaigned by Big Apple. She started at an early age and looked good enough to show. Hooker Red was purchased from Carl Crews. She was campaigned by G-Tiger. Both females were shown against each other breaking the longest legitimate female show ever reported to the Sporting Dog Journal at 4:40. Winner: Big Apple's Georgia Girl. reprinted by the SDJ July-August 2002 To view her pedigree: BIG APPLE'S GEORGIA GIRL

Big Apple's Georgia Girl v/s Captain America & G-Tiger's Hooker Red

Louis Kreiger’s Crip Vs Charles Lloyd Pilot
October 19,1881

For this Fight an advertisement was placed seeking the best fighting dog in the United States. Louis Kreiger, the owner of the white Imported male,Crip From the city of Louisville, advertised in the Police Gazette a Fight with his dog with a stake of $1000 dollars each by the two dog owners. This challenge was accepted by Charles Lloyd (Cockney Charly) From New York for his brindled male,Pilot, also an imported dog Thefighting waight for both dogs was 28 pounds. The fight took place on October 19,1881 on Garr,s Farmin Louisville Two hundred spectators paid the entrance fee of a dollar to see the fight in the big barn in which the pit was set up. The Old Cockney Charley marched though the crowd and offered 25 Dollars on Pilot!””$50 Dollars On Pilot! $100 Dollars On Pilot $3000 was bet, in addition to the $2000 dollars put up by the two dog owners. When we consider the value of this money in the year 1881, we can understand the chances and risks involved in dog fights. With good reson, the pit bull terrierwas called the million dollar breed. After the dog were washed clean and tasted ( Licked), and the rubbed dry, they appeared in the ring. This is taken from the original account::

Hughes , Chief of the Louisville Fire department, announced that at the request of the referee, the two dog handlers searched each other,s clothing, to satisfy themselves that nothing was hidden that could injure their own dog. When this examination was over, at 9:20 a.m the command was given to loose the dogs. Their covers and muzzles were quickly removed and the dogs were released.

Both growled deeply and with a wild charge crip rushed to pilot’s corner and attacked his opponent. He seized pilot by the nose, but the brindled do shook him off and seized him by the right front paw. Then pilot released his grip on crip’s foot to get a better grip on his throat. Crip was able to free himself and again seized pilot by the nose, but suddenly let go and gripped pilot on the back of the head and ear. And threw him to the ground. Lying on the ground, Pilot seized crip by the chest and threw himto the ground. Lying on the ground, Pilot seized Crip by the chest and applied a terrible bite. Because he could not get a proper hold here, however, he let go and gripped Crip by the left ear.Then Pilot again released his ear hold and put Crib’s left front foot between his molars. He closed his jaws more ans more tightly and the bones of crib,s leg crunched. This terrible pain seemed only to enrage the dog from Louisville even more, and with a tremendous effort with his ear hold he tossed Pilot to the ground five times in a row. Now Crip again seized Pilot by the nose, which consequently became his main point of attack, and again threw the dog from New York to the ground. Then he suddenly let go of Pilot’s nose and began to gnew on pilot’s on Pilot’s leg. With the fighting style that Crip now showed, he appeared to the people from Louisville to be the sure winner of the fight. But now it was Pilot’s turn to carry the fight , and the way in whitch he gwawed on Crib left leg was a terrible to see. Crib freed himself with a wild growl , before being sezed immediately in the same way again. With another try Crip again gained his freedom and for a full five minutes the dogs fought with various ear holds until finally pilot forced his way under Crip and slammed his head repeatedly against the floor of the pit. Crip now secured a hold on Pilot’s throat and although he now fought on only three legs he was able to throw his opponent to the ground. This again served only to incite Pilot. He threw down Crip with a throat hold and then sezed a hind leg. Crib countered by taking hold of Pilots leg. At this moment $1000 bet was placed on Crip to win. This was accepted immediately by Cockney Charley, Pilots owner. The fight had now lasted 42 minutes. Crib now succeeded in escaping from under his opponent, but the poor fighter,s courage had disappeared. He tured to the side of the pit and was ready to run out when he was seized again by the brindled dog and pulled back into the middle of the pit. At this moment Crib was a beaten dog , but Pilot was not yet satisfied with his victory. Rather , he was determined to kill his rival, now that he seemed to have the chance. Crib again turned to the side of the pit, and this time made it, with Pilot in hot pursuit. Now pilot seized the lower jaw of the Louisville Lapdog and refused to let go. By doing this he fouced the handlers to pick up the dogs together and return them to the ring. Pilot tossed Crip into the corner with an ear hold and held him securely there. Kreiger vigously fanned air to Crip with his hat, but this did not help the dog, which quickly lost its strength. From this moment on Pilot,s only goal was to try to shake the little remaining life out of Crib. The fight lasted exactly one hour and 25 minutes. Other than various severe bites on the head and shoulder, Pilot was only slightly injured.

PSYCHO vs. STORMER

PSYCHO vs. STORMER A match that took place in the mid 80's in Ireland. The agreed weight was 43lbs. Some £6,000.00 is claimed to have been staked on the match; being at the time the largest sum placed on such an event anywhere in the U.K. The match was reported in both publications covering such events; THE SPORTING DOG JOURNAL/U.S.A and (pictured is Ch Psycho) PIT BULL NEWS/U.K. Psycho was the first to weigh in; at forty one and a quarter lbs, followed by Stormer at forty two and a half lbs. Psycho was the slightly taller of the two ... ten minutes later handlers are in the pit, with their dogs ready-to go ...... the referee called ''pit'', and when released Psycho shot straight across to meet Stormer who turned away ... when Psycho hit him he went into battle in earnest! The turn had been called and soon as the dogs were out of holds, a pick-up was allowed. The atmosphere was electric ... the Irish supporters were convinced they were seeing a cur ... that Stormer would quit ... five minutes gone and both dogs were working hard, trying to gain the upper hand ; Psycho looking for the legs and chest, Stormer holding him out. At eleven minutes the dogs came loose; Psycho's handler got a handle on Psycho ... Stormer was to run his scratch, and he shot across the pit knocking the white dog into the corner. The English crowd cheered and on went the match ... another handle a few minutes later, and across went Psycho in fine style. Twenty minutes gone and Stormer is looking the the stronger dog. He had taken a chest hold and was shaking it out, while Psycho was working hard to get him off. By the half-hour mark it had become a scratching match ... both dogs had run three each.

(pictured is Ch Stormer) At the 33 minute mark Stormer ran his fourth, this time taking Psycho straight out of his handlers hands - straight into the pit wall; not doing too badly for a cur . Stormer was getting on top by the 40 minute mark, scratching harder than ever ... Psycho doing his best to even things up, coming to the top occasionally, but Stormer was doing the damage. At 48 minutes both dogs had run 6 each, Stormer had a muzzle hold and was working it hard ... Psycho had him off at 54 minutes and his handler got in for a handle with Psycho to go; On the command ''Pit'' Psycho hesitated momentarily before taking the fight straight to Stormer. There was a rousing cheer from his supporters, but the fight was now slipping away from him. Stormer had stepped up a gear and seemed to sense the end was near. From 55 minutes to the hour mark Stormer did it all, but Psycho never quit. At an hour and one minute Stormer ran his 8th scratch and was on a down dog as he hit and folded Psycho into his corner. At 1.03 a handle for Psycho to go is made, looking very tired his owner very sportingly picked him up, thereby conceding the match; it was won and lost in a very sporting manner, a shame that in the end one of these fine animals had to lose . After the match the referee, American Pit Bull breeder Boston Blackie, is reported to have said about Psycho ''If I was to have one of these, I'd have one out of him.''

Flanders Field Boys Rickey jr vs Looney Tunes 2Pack M42 Ref JP Rickey jr an Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier sired by Eastford's Rickey out of Flander Field's Beanie 2Pac an APBT Basically Eli/Snooty bred with a dash of Tonka, Sired by Nasty Boy's Sumo out of Bad Manners Combine's Sister X. (Pictured is Flanders Field Boys Rickey Jr) Rickey Jr takes the early lead but blows up at 10 with 2Pac showing a hard mouth and taking over. Rickey Jr trying all he can to keep him out by the ear! At 25 it's even with both turns in front, Rickey Jr gets more ahead after the 50 min mark. 2Pac makes a slow 7th at the hour mark and Rickey runs a hard one at 1Hour and 5 minutes. 2Pac is counted out on his next at the 1 Hour and 10 minutes mark! Winner: Flanders Field Boys "Rickey jr" 1hour and 10 minutes (1xW)

Tombstone VS Bullyson Jr

Mayfield using a red dog he calls Tombstone. Bobby Hall is using a son Bullyson, he calls Bullyson Jr. Dark brindle or black. The red dog gets a front leg and the black gets in stifle but ends up in a front leg hold. By the 10 minute mark the dogs have established a pattern, front legs and ear holds. The black tries for the stifle at 12 min. Black work for the throat but the red holds him out with ear hold. Red is in the throat at 15 min. Red has a bloody front leg. Black gets a hind foot at 20. Red has skin hold in neck. Black gets a front leg and shakes. Red stays in the throat. Mouth fighting att 22. Black gets in the troat at 25. Red goes down down, black on top. Red gets on his feet but the black slams him down again in a corner and bores into the throat. Red has a cheek hold.

Dogs are on their feet at 30 but the goes down more often. Red gets a foot and the black has an ear. Black is out of hold cathching breath at 31.

Red has a front foot hold. 100 to 80 being offered. Dogs trade stifle holds at 32. 34 and each has a hind foot. 36 black is down and breathing hard.

Red is working an ear. Red is down and the black has a front leg at 39. 40 red is down, black in the throat. Red comes up in a flurry of action, then goes down with the black shaking a leg. Red is being called “Toot”.

50 and dogs stil trading holds. 55 black is working a stifle.

Red is on his back but has a front leg. Black changes and comes back to the ear. From ear to nose. Dogs trade stifle holds at the hour mark. Red is down, stretched out. Black has a nose hold. 1:18 out of hold count started. Pickup, the red to go. Whent over hard to make a good schratch.

At 1:25 min, Bobby picks his dog up and calls it quits, to save his dog. The crowd cheered and Mayfield´s Tombstone the winner in one hour and 25 minutes.

Unknown dogs Dogs found on this Battle Ground page are believed to have been from another country or before the 1976 Welfare act. Any information pertaining to the idenity of the dogs are greatly appreciated.

Camay???

The following information is only for historical purposes. BRONXELLES KENNELS BRUSSELS BELGIUM in no way endorses or promotes dogfighting.

Barney Fife's Keep

Agree on a date with your opponent that gives you eight weeks to condition your dog.

Set a specific time of the day for the match. This should be the same time of day that you will be able to work your dog. If you rise early and will work your dog at six a.m. Then set the match time for 6.a.m. Dogs are creatures of habit and do well on a predictable schedule.

Agree on the amount of the wager. Half of this should be sent to the referee as the forfeit. Always get a cash or money order forfeit from your opponent unless you know them very well. Agree on the rules, referee, number of people per side and the meeting place immediately prior to the match. I like Cajun rules with a 10-30-30. This means there is a 10-second scratch count, 30 seconds in the corner between scratches and a 30-second out of hold count (bottom dog to scratch). Get a referee that knows the rules and is impartial because his decision is final. Go over the rules with the other handler and referee prior to the match. This eliminates arguments during the match.

Set up negotiations directly with the person you are matching into. Do not negotiate through 3rd parties, which causes misunderstandings.

If you are traveling to your opponent, try to get a weight or bet advantage to cover the disadvantage of traveling. Also set up a meeting spot no more than 15 minutes drive from the match site. This eliminates long bumpy drives to the site, which disrupt the match dog.

Match high ability hard biting dogs in cold weather this type of match dog exempts large amounts of energy and is more likely to "run hot" or become exhausted. A long-winded defensive can go in warmer temperatures like 70F. A dog can be matched at an air-conditioned site in hot weather.

It is best to set up private (ten per side) matches early in the morning. The early hour keeps many of the loud mouth troublemakers away from the match. These bums are the ones that start fights make bets they can't pay off and so on. Also few dog men are willing to get up early and work their dog, so you have an advantage if you worked your dog at this time of the day.

PIT WEIGHT

A dog's correct pit weight is that weight where he is at the lowest possible weight with no loss of strength or bite. It is one of the hardest things to learn in the game.

Feed and weigh your dog once per day. That means he goes 24 hours between meals. This way, your dog will be weighed with no feces in his bowels and will show his true weight. Your dog should have access to fresh watch at all times. Use a calibrated test weight to best your scales once or twice per week, so you know your scales are accurate.

It will take 20-30 days to determine your dog's correct pit weight. Decrease your dog's feed until his ribs are visible and his stomach is tucked up. The dog will be within 5 lbs. of his pit weight. Start the exercises and daily documentation of weight at this time.

Write down your dog's daily weight on a calendar as well us any work done that day. Walk your dog on a leash for 30 to 60 minutes per day. Gradually reduce this daily feed. Pay close attention to how your dog acts and how hard he pulls on these walks. This strength or the lack of it will determine when to stop reducing the dog's feed. When any loss of strength is noticed, quit reducing the feed. See if the dog's power return while maintaining the same volume of feed. If the strength returns, reduce the feed again and note the results on your calendar. Add food if your dog does not regain his power.

After 20-30 days your dog will fall on his correct weight. Experiment to see if the do can go a pound lower or higher and note the effect on your dog's strength. If there is any doubt about the correct weight, always go to the heavier half or pound.

BRINGING A DOG IN THE PIT RIGHT ON WEIGHT

Few fanciers except the most disciplined can bring a dog to the pit exactly on the agreed weight. However this can be done with dedication to the program outlined here.

You have been weighing your dog each day after walking him until he has defecated and urinated. This is before you work him. This daily weight is written on your calendar along with the daily exercises. As you approach match time, you need to know what your dog weighs at various times during the day. During the last week, weigh your dog three times per day. You will know what your dog weighs after eating, twelve hours after eating and twenty hours after eating. This way you will know if your dog is under, over, or right on the contracted weight no matter what time of the day he is weighed.

For example, your 45lb match dog would weigh 46 1/2 lbs. after eating, - 46 lbs. twelve hours later, -and 45 3/4 twenty hours after eating. He takes a dump and urinates and comes in at 45 lbs. If this dog weighed 45 1/2 lbs. twelve hours after eating, he'd probably weigh in at 44 1/2 lbs. or 1/2 lbs. under the contract weight.

In a situation like this you could feed a slice of wheat bread twelve hours after feeding and your dog would be exactly 45 lbs. at the weigh in.

The idea is to know if you need to feed your dog twelve hours prior to the match. You can only determine this if you know what your dog should weigh during the day.

If you are traveling by car to the match site, try to simulate this trip during the keep and note how far the travel effects your dog's weight. Some dogs gain weight because they are so relaxed, while others loose weight because they are nervous during the car ride. So put the dog in the car several times each week (in a sky kennel). Dogs are like humans- they do well when their schedule is predictable.

Be sure to have accurate scales and a 50 lb. certified test weight to prove that your scales are accurate. Check your scales with this test weight periodically. Sudden changes in temperature will change the accuracy of your scales as well as your dog's weight.

Always be sure to walk your dog so he has defecated and urinated prior to arriving at the match site. A dog will be too excited to empty out when he arrives at the site and will be over weight as a result.

If staying at a motel, I will walk my dog, weigh him, and drive to the match site (which is no more that 15 minutes by car). The dog will stay in the sky kennel until the weigh in, this way; he burns no energy until he steps in the pit.

If you arrive at the match site early, leave your dog in the sky kennel keeping him warm and comfortable. Do not let him shiver to keep warm, which wastes valuable energy. Bring extra blankets to wrap around the sky kennel if need be.

If your dog is completely empty but over weigh, do not attempt to work this weight off the dog. This will weaken your dog. If need be, pay the forfeit and go ahead with the match.

If your opponent is over weigh, encourage him to work off the extra weigh, which will weaken his dog. I will occasionally take the forfeit and go ahead with the match if the opponent is no more than 1/2 lb. over weight and my dog took the keep well.

Your dog should be defecating at the same time every day during the keep. He should have no problem emptying out on schedule just prior to the weigh in. If he won't dump, place a cotton tip applicator (Q-tip) up his rectum and he'll dump immediately.

It is twelve hours prior to the match and you have driven to a motel to sleep, expecting to match early the next morning. You weigh your dog (you know what he should weigh 12 hrs. before the weigh in) and he is 1/2 lb. under what he should weigh. Give him one slice of brown wheat bread and weigh again. If he is still under, give him another 1/2 to one slice and weigh again. Do not give any more food or water 12 hours prior to the weigh in.

If you are traveling it is good to bring your own water with you for your dog to drink. This way there is no possible reach in to a different water supply.

Follow this schedule closely and your will bring your dog in exactly on weight, well-rested and ready to go. This example involves using the 45-lb. match dog mentioned earlier. The match time is Saturday at 8:00am.

Feed wheat bread (one to two slices) to bring dog's weight up to what he normally weighs at 8pm each evening (46 lbs.)

I do not give my dog Azium (Dexamethazone) for several days prior to the show. I give one injection of Azium S.Q. (under the skin) 2-4 hours prior to the show. The dose varies with the size and style of the dog. The low ability dog gets a higher dose (4-mg) because he will probably win by out gaming or outlasting his opponent. Azium will cause a dog to urinate and can cause dehydration if used for more than 12 hours prior to the show.

I also do not use diuretics (drug that increases urination) to help a dog make his pit weight. Drugs of this group like Lasix dehydrate a dog, which will cause loss of strength and endurance. I never dehydrate my match dog. Even if your dog is lucky enough to win, he will be much more likely to die from low volume (hypovolemic) shock.

Make sure that your dog is in perfect health during the keep. He should be free of external parasites like fleas, ticks and ear mites. Clean your dog's ears with a Q-tip cotton swab. Ear mites cause discomfort and any offensive style dog should have absolutely clean ears.

The opponent of a hard mouth dog is certain to get on the ears in an effort to hold out your hard mouth dog. If those ears are inflamed due to ear mites, the pain caused by biting the ears will be severe.

Your match dog should also be free of internal parasites including tapeworms, which are transmitted by fleas. Use your local veterinarian to check stool samples for parasites and for any abnormality that develops during the keep. I use ivermectin liquid wormer to control hookworms, round worms, whipworms and heartworms. I prefer the cattle Ivermectin which comes in 30cc containers and can be injected (S.Q.) or given by mouth.

Droncit is the wormer of choice for tapeworms. The last worming check is given one week prior to the match (week seven).

The cattle Ivermection dose is 1/10 of a cc/ml per 20 lb. of body weight. So a 40 lb. dog would get .20 to .25 (1/4) cc of Ivermectin every thirty days.

Your match dog's living quarters should be clean and warm. Do not keep your dog near the other yard dogs. I try to isolate my match dog from any distractions so he can rest quietly after the work out.

It is important for the handler to spend as much time as possible with the match dog. Develop a strong handler0match dog bond, which will become significant during a hard match. Take your dog with you on drives into town and watch TV together.

Be careful when using anabolic steroids on bitches to keep them from come in heat. This can lead to an infected uterus or pyometra, which means that your bitch will never have puppies. Use 25 mg. every 2 weeks.

Do not use high doses of antibiotics just prior to the show. This will cause the normal intestinal bacteria to be killed resulting in diarrhea and weight loss. Keep a close eye on your match dog. If she seems slow or sluggish and she is not overworked, give a seven-day dose of amoxicillen. This is a good broad spectrum (kills most bacteria) type of antibiotic.

Again, I use one dose of Azium given S.Q. 2-4 hours prior to the show. Azium (Dexamethazone) helps prevent the tissue swelling that causes hypovolemic shock. For this reason, Azium can be very useful, particularly in dog's who rely on grameness to win, by outlasting their opponent. I always use 2 mg. of Azium on every dog. Dogs that are not high ability pit dogs get 4-6 mg. under the skin (S.Q.) two to four hours prior to the show.

If you want to use Anabolic Steroids, give injections of testosterone cypionate every two weeks. The final injection should be after the peak work out one-week prior the show. A good dose is 1/2-1 mg. per pound.

In addition to injections of Testosterone cypionate, give tablets of Anavar twice per day. Give one 2.5 mg. tablet in the morning and another in the evening. A large dog (48 lb. or larger) could take two tablets twice a day. Both of these anabolic steroids will increase power and aggressiveness without causing weight gain. I use a four week cycle when giving these drugs to my dogs.

Every day, your dog should be happy to see you and bursting with energy. If not, he is overtrained (stale) or is sick.

NUTRITION/FEEDING

I like to keep the feeding as simple as possible and do not use any of the powders sold to enhance performance.

Start with the best dry dog food you can buy. All of the best brands are good. I use Purina Pro Plan Performance dry dog food. I use corn oil as my fat source and brown wheat bread as the complex carbohydrate source. In addition I add 2-4 ounces of raw calves liver for the B vitamins and iron. These ingredients are inexpensive and effective.

A 45 lb. dog would get approximately 2-3 cups of dry Pro Plan Performance, 2-4 ounces of raw calf's liver, two slices of wheat bread with one tablespoon of corn oil poured on each slice of bread. This is fed once a day after the dog has cooled down from his work out. The feeding should be at the same time of day as the match. If the match is at 6am, then all meals are fed around that time.

NEVER feed simple sugars like candying, syrup or simulating products, they will cause the dog to fight hard for 10-20 minutes because of the high blood sugar level. After this time the sugar will be broken down causing the dog to loose his strength and energy. This is called a sugar high and sugars crash. STP's CH. Bonnie lost her 5th match into "Smiley and me" because of this mistake.

When you weigh your dog twelve hours prior to the match and he is lighter than expected, feed wheat bread to bring him up to the correct weight as previously mentioned. Carbohydrates like bread can be absorbed in twelve hours. It takes longer for fats to be absorbed, so no fat should be in the feed after, the last mains feeding 24 hours prior to the show.

When matching in cold weather, you can feed more carbohydrates than normal. The high carb feed will cause the dog to fight at a faster pace than normal and possibly "run hot". The cold temperature should make it easier for your dog to fight at a fast pace and not "run hot". In hot weather, decrease the amount of carbohydrate and use more fat in the diet. The fat is a less intense, long duration energy source, more suited for warm weather.

You can buy calves liver in a supermarket or from a butcher. Cut the liver into o2-4 ounce slices and wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze. Put one slice of liver out to thaw per day, so it will be ready at feeding time.

Do not let your match dog chew animal bones because it blunts their teeth and bone pieces become lodged in the dog's throat or intestines. Work them on the hide or give them large "rawhide bones" sold in stores.

This diet and the nutrient sources do not change during the keep. Any variation in diet can cause diarrhea, so avoid changing your feed at all cost.

EXERCISE IN THE KEEP

My keep places a priority on strength training which is different from many keeps which works strictly on endurance. This program will improve both strength and endurance. It will attempt to avoid "staleness" by utilizing a variety of exercises and plenty of rest days. The variety of exercise will keep the dog from getting bored and keep him trying to do his best work.

I divide the exercises into either strength or endurance training and alternate these routines, here are some examples:

STRENGTH TRAINING

*Walking the dog from a leash-leash walking

*Dog pulls a chain while you walk beside him -chain pulling

*Dog runs while pulling chains next to you, your car or bicycle.

ENDURANCE TRAINING

*Treadmill-cat mill-jenny-turn table
*Running from a leash next to your car or bicycle
*Dog sprints after Frisbee or softball
*Swimming

Fighting the hide (I don't classify hide working)

Strength training will give your dog the power to drive into his opponent and obtain the hold he wants. It also helps him dominate his opponent by shaking and overpowering him.

Always do strength training every other workout to allow muscles to recover and rebuild. After a strength work out, give the next day off or do endurance training. Think of strength training like weight lifting for humans, which will cause muscles damage if used on consecutive days. Different types of strength training develop different muscles even though the exercise seems similar.

An example would be a dog pulling chains and a dog dragging you while on a leash. The resistance the dog is pulling against is coming from different angles, resulting in the development of different muscles. So much the types of strength and endurance training are important not only to develop various muscles but also to keep the dog from getting bored.

Endurance training will keep your dog from getting tired during the match. A dog will quit due to exhaustion before they will quit due to punishment received from a hard biter. So obviously, endurance training is the base of a good keep. You will gradually increase your dog's endurance until the peak or maximum work portion, which is seven days before the match.

I recommend that your walk you be dog from a leash during the first two weeks of the keep. Start at ten to fifteen minutes per walk and work up to one hour per walk. This toughens up the dog's pads and tones his muscles. So you leash walk for a two week pre-keep and condition for a six-week total for a total of eight weeks.

I recommend writing down all conditioning information on a daily calendar. Information included would be daily weight, type of work and length of time. Do this work, any medication given (wormers/steroids/etc.) and any abnormalities noted.

I make up my own calendars on Xerox 14 x 17-copy paper. This documentation will be a valuable reference to note your dog's progress or to look back upon to see what keeps worked the best for which dog.

I have had success having my dogs pull chains using the following set up. The dogs wear a 2-inch wide collar. Attached to the collar is a 5-6 foot thick cotton or nylon rope. On one end is a heavy snap, which is clipped on the dog's collar. On the opposite end is a metal ring about 3 inches in diameter. Chains of recorded weight can be attached or removed from this ring.

* 10 lb. chain/12 lb. chain/5 lb. chain.

I purchased these materials at hardware stores.

I try to condition my dog to his style of fighting. For example I do interval training (short periods of intense work followed by rest on less intense work) on dogs that fight at a very fast pace. These barnstorming dogs need to get accustomed to this type of training (like 10-30 second wind sprints) other wise; they will run hot during the match. A good number of Zebo and Bullyson bred dogs that I conditioned, were able to barnstorm their opponents and then slow down and barnstorm again. The interval training prepared them for this type of fighting.

Wind sprints can be done on the treadmill, during roadwork or while pulling chains. Sprints are very hard on a dog's paws so make sure they are in good shape prior to sprinting your dog. Because dogs become tired of interval training I save it until later in the keep. Your dog's paws probably can not take the stress of interval training until late in the keep anyway.

All exercise and the length of workouts can be adjusted to suit the dog. For example, a dog might be so powerful that the weights listed for pulling, might not be enough to ensure good workouts. In this case, you would increase the weight of the chains. Some dogs will not pull chains, so use another exercise. Try to use exercise that the dog enjoys and eliminate those that the dog dislikes. Dogs should enjoy their workouts.

Never work a dog until he is exhausted. When the dog is tired and gasping for breath, he's had enough work. I like to stop the work out before this point. Give the dog a chance to walk around to cool off and give as much fresh water as he wants to drink.

I often combine different exercises in one workout. Try to go from one exercise to the next with a minimum of rest so the work out is continuous. Your dog will not get a rest during the match, so he should go through the work out in similar fashion.

Changing the types of workout as well as the location will help your dog to enjoy the work. Dogs enjoy variety in their exercises, just like we do. So do road works and chain pulling in different locations if possible.

The amount of work gradually increases until the peak workout which is one week prior to the show. Always give your dog a rest day after a hard workout so he can recover and get stronger. After the peak workout, the work dramatically decreases during that last week.

I like to have my dogs pull chains because it increases my dog's power. As a result, my dog have usually been stronger than their opponents have. Walking a dog from a leash also puts strength into a dog. However chain pulling is a more efficient use of this time. Dogs normally pull on the leash for the first 10-20 minutes and then walk beside the conditioner. A dog pulling chains pulls the weight during the entire walk. Offensive dogs use a lot of energy driving into an opponent and will tire quickly unless they are accustomed to this sort of stress. Chain pulling simulates this situation.

Do not run or chain pull a dog on asphalt roads. Use dirt roads or grass fields, which will keep your dog's paws intact. Never do strength training on consecutive days. This is like weight lifting for humans and will excessively tear down muscle. Alternate strength training with endurance training or rest days.

Lazy workers will work hard if worked along side another dog. I have used non bulldog pets and young unstarted bulldogs, which run loose while my match dog pulls chains. Several devastating dogs like McGee's "Panther" Mike's "Beast" and Super Gnat's "Smiley" put out maximum effort during workouts when worked with another dog.

No matter how lazy the dog, there is always some form of exercise that the dog will like. Tar Heel Matt's 2 x winner Gigit did not like to pull chains on a walk. However she loved to run her kennel chain fussing at other dogs. So I put Gigit on a huge 20-foot chain and timed her on my watch as she drug the chain all around, fussing at the other dogs. Gigit was only a 31 1/2-32 lb. bitch.

Some dogs would not work the hide. So I'd take a dog they despised and let that dog work the hide while my match dog watched this 20 feet away in the cab of my truck. After lavishly praising the dog on the hide, I'd let my match dog take a turn at hide working. Invariably they started to enjoy hide work.

I set the height of the hide by moving the nylon rope up or down. The knots in the rope get stuck in the snap. No metal is neat the dog's mouth. The height is set so the dog's front legs are off the ground while he is holding and fighting the hide. This forces the dog to work, using his neck, back and hind legs (just like in a match). A garage door spring gives the dog enough resistance, but stretches enough not to yank out a dog's teeth when he pulls back hard on the hide. The garage door spring can be attached to a tree limb or fastened to a ceiling beam in your basement.

HANDLING

The key to being a good handler is to stay near your dog and remain alert during the match. It is just that simple. Being able to leap around the pit does not ensure being a good handler.

If you were in a prizefight, you would want some company in the ordeal. Dogs are pack animals just like we are and benefit from having a friend nearby. Always stay near your dog and you will notice if he is fanged (bit through his lip by his K-9 teeth).

You have developed a strong bond with your dog because of all the time you spent together during the keep. This bond will enable you to reassure your dog and control the pace at which your dog fights. Always use the same words of encouragement during the match that you have used during the keep (i.e. good boy! etc.) Encourage your dog in an excited manner only if he has a deep (not a skin hold) hold on his opponent. Otherwise just stay where he can see you and talk in a calm, soothing voice.

Constantly encouraging your dog will cause him to fight at a very fast pace and he will fight himself off his feet in twenty minutes.

If your dog is fanged he can not bite hard because he is biting into his own lip every time he closes his mouth. Notice this immediately and inform the referee. The referee will verify that the dog is fanged and then attempt to unfang the dog while they are still in hold. If this can not be done, the referee will order the dog's separated and the handler will unfang his dog. I use a ballpoint pen, which I slide along the dog's gum and push down, freeing the entrapped lip. Once a dog has been fanged or had it's muscle bitten, it is more likely to get fanged again due to the swelling of the dog's lips. (If your dog gets fanged in rolls, he will get fanged in a match) Azium will help prevent a "lippy" dog from getting fanged because it controls swelling. Ask a knowledgeable friend to also watch for your dog getting fanged. With both of you looking, your dog will be less likely to have to fight, biting into his own lip.

When a dog turns its head away from it's opponent, it is a turn and should be pointed out to a referee. The referee will decide if a turn was committed and either recognize or not recognize it. If recognized, the handlers can handle their dogs when they are out of hold. Stay in position near your dog so a handle can be made once a turn has been recognized.

If you have a good scratching dog who is getting bit hard, you would call a turn on your own dog to get the scratching started. The same would be true if your dog's endurance was not good, and he could benefit from a 30-second rest in the corner.

Handling skills can be developed and practiced during rolls. You will learn how to crouch, set your feet and be ready to handle without bumping or tripping your dog. I handle by approaching the dog from the rear picking up his neck and chest with my left hand and lower body with my right hand. Grab the dog gently; lift with your legs and turn away from the other dog as you move toward the other dog. Continue to spin away from the other dog so your dog will not get bitten. This will embarrass the other handler. Never snatch your dog or grab him roughly. The motion should be smooth and gentle.

Face your dog in the corner, stand him up on all four legs and let him breathe as you check his lips and sponge him down. Do not crouch all over your dog; let him breath and talk positively to him.

If your opponent is scratching hard, release your dog so he won't get smashed in the corner. If your opponent is hesitating on his scratch, hold you're dog as still as possible. Any movement will encourage your opponent to complete his scratch.

I wear the same general color as my dog (light dog--light overalls; dark dog--dark clothes). After a long match, a dog will not be able to distinguish the opposing dog from the handler and will see one blob in the opposite corner. Bulldogs will generally not scratch to a human so there is an element of illusion here.

If possible, try to handle your dog when he feels good about the match. For example, if your dog's nose is getting chewed, try to wait until he gets out of it, and works his own hold before you handle.

Pay no attention to the crowd. Concentrate on your dog the entire time. If the match is not going well, do not get discouraged because your dog will read your feelings and get discouraged as well. Just stay where your dog can see you and gently encourage him. He will weather the storm and come back to win. However if you give up on your dog, he will give up too.

If your dog can not win, don't leave him down to take a killing; pick him up, because your wager is already lost. There's no sense in loosing a valuable dog as well.

If your dog is driving into his opponent, but can't get a good hold your can help your dog. When the opponent is driven into a corner by your dog, block the opponent's escape by cutting off the route the dog would normally use. Just get in the way and create an illusion to make the opponent's dog think he is trapped. Be prepared to move out of the way since you can not block or even touch the other dog. Try to create the illusion that the other dog is boxed in the corner.

Always be polite to the other handler. You will be able to get away with more rule bending that way. Always try to get the match over with as soon as possible, because the tide can change at any minute.

It's good to handle with a strategy in mind. Will your dog benefit from getting the scratching started? Or will he do better with no scratching at all? Is the best plan to try to get in some heavy shots very early in the match or is it best to outlast and outgame the other dog? This strategy determines how you handle.

When entering the pit after the weigh in, make sure that your dog sees his opponent and is ready to go. If your dog does not know what is happening, the opponent dog will rush a cross and get a damaging hold before your dog knows what hit him. I carry my dog across the pit wall and walk to center pit letting my dog see his opponent. Walking backwards, I move to my corner. I never face my dog in the corner until after the dogs are released.

If your opponent releases his dog before the referee's signal, wait until the last second and lift your dog straight up in the air. The opponent's dog will slam into the corner possibly breaking his teeth. This is at the start of a match and not during regular scratches.

Some handlers will release their hard biter early to gain an unfair advantage on your dog. You turn their attempt at cheating to your advantage.

Signed- Deputy Barney Fife

By Fat Bill

Training or condition a Pit Bull dog for show or for combat is an individual effort. Your success will depend upon the amount of time and effort you are willing to spend on your dog. This keep is based upon the idea that anyone can bring a dog up to, say, 50% of his potential for strength and endurance. A top amateur can train a dog to 75%, while a top professional can consistently show dogs at around 90% - or more of their potential. This method will take you step-by-step through a complete training cycle for a combat dog.

CONDITIONING

It is my theory that if dog A and dog B are equal in natural ability and gameness and dog A has been better prepared (conditioned) for his fight than dog B, then dog A should win the match; and he will 9 times out of 10. In this keep we will try to do everything possible to help our dog's chances of winning while not doing anything to hurt him in any way. I believe that, in training, if you do 10% or 15% more for your dog than your opponent does for his, then you will win-at least 4 times out of 5. 1 might add that it is the little things that count in the long run. You must follow the general formula of this keep, if you wish to see the maximum benefit and the best results.

SCHOOLING

Your dog has to learn to fight and even though he has a lot of natural desire he needs practice to make perfect. Start rolling him 10 minutes at a time at 15 or 16 months and then every 6 weeks thereafter. Every other time add 5 more minutes to the roll so that at 2 years he goes 25 minutes. By this time your dog will have enough experience to know for sure what's going on.

TESTING

There is only one good way to test your dog. At 26 or 27 months roll him into a dog bigger than him for 30 minutes then put a fresh dog on him for about 1 0 minutes and scratch them 4 or 5 times. If your dog acts good and scratches good through this then he is ready for a match.

FEEDING AND WEIGHT

It is best for the dog and easier on your pocket book to keep your dog within 3 or 4 pounds of his fighting weight all the time. Excess weight and fat just strain the heart and vascular system. If your dog is more than 3 pounds over match weight, then prior to the keep you should put him on a low fat, high protein diet. Weigh your dog each day just prior to feeding. Never try to take off more than one pound per week. Any more will weaken him. Your feed should consist of 1/4 to 1/2 pound of lean meat and cottage cheese and 1-1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of Purina protein dog feed once per day, depending on the size of the dog. Neck meat off of a bull is the best meat you can get. Always feed the meat in big pieces so it will take longer to pass through the dog. Quite often you can find an animal by-products factory in your area. These places pick up fresh, dead or crippled livestock from farmers, and you can buy fresh beef or horsemeat at around . 10 or.12 cents a pound. Never feed your dog more than he will eagerly eat. If for some reason he doesn't eat eagerly, take the feed away until his next scheduled feed -- this will bring his appetite around. Always weigh or measure the feed. No guesswork. If you weigh the meat and measure the dry feed, then as you weigh your dog each day, you can increase or decrease his feed to control his weight. Do not try to fight your dog too thin as it will weaken him. Always watch the dog's stool every day for any unusual signs such as blood or diarrhea. His stool will give you a daily indicator of his general health. Always keep fresh water available to the dog. Bottled mineral water is also very good for him. Allow your dog to cool out after working him before giving him any water.

Feeding at night is the best, as a general rule. Most matches are at night and it is important for your dog to be empty at the time of the match. No feed the last 24 hours before a match. No water the last 12 hours. Try to be as regular as possible about the time of feeding. In hot weather your dog will eat better at night when it is cool.

Give your dog a One-A-Day vitamin + Iron and one table spoon of Clovite conditioner in his feed each day.

Wash his feed bowl before you feed each day and give him fresh water every day.

WORK

Before you start the keep you should give your dog several days or even 2 or 3 weeks of 10 or 15 minutes workouts. Either roadwork or on a treadmill is fine. This will get him used to working and will toughen his feet. Always pay careful attention to his feet for cuts, bruises, or for wearing his pads thin. I like to paint his pads with Bonocain until they get tough. Bonocain is also good for any injuries to his pads.

Always avoid over-working your dog. If he gets overly tired or starts breathing rough and straining during a work out, stop and walk him until his breathing becomes normal and easy. As you gradually increase his work, your dog will get a little more exhausted, but he should take the amount of work in this keep with no difficulty. If the situation arises that he can't take the daily increases, give him the amount of work he can take for a few days. He will soon be ready to get back on schedule. Remember too, dogs have their bad days just like humans. If he doesn't act really eager during a workout, rest him that day. That will sharpen him back up.

Hand walking is one of the best ways to get your dog in top condition. It is a little harder on the trainer, but it really pays off in the pit. You cannot overwork your dog by walking him. if you have the time, up to 5 miles per day is ideal. Always walk your dog 1/2 mile before and after each workout. This is the least amount of walking you can get by with and still get top condition.

The amount of work called for in this keep will bring your dog to a peak of condition. But if your dog runs especially hard, you may have to give him a little less work. If you have a lazy dog, it will just take a lot of patience on your part. If you have a lazy dog, you can let him run after a cat one day and a chicken the next. Or you can experiment around and possibly find some other animal he likes especially well.

This work schedule is the most desirable but you should be flexible enough to fit it to each individual dog according to his ability. Remember, some dogs just have a lot more natural wind than others. This schedule is listed both in miles and in minutes on a treadmill. If you use a mill, it is very important that it runs free and doesn't make your do pull too hard.

FIRST WEEK:

Sunday - No work.

In the afternoon give him a 2 cc injection of Combiotic and 2 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia

Monday - 3 miles or 15 minutes

1/2 teaspoon B-15

Tuesday - 3 1/2 miles or 18 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15, 1 /2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 4 miles or 21 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Thursday - 4 1/2 miles or 24 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday 5 miles or 27 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15, 1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Saturday 5 1/2 miles or 30 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

SECOND WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Monday - 6 miles or 33 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Tuesday - 6 1/2 miles or 36 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 7 miles or 39 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Thursday - 7 1/2 miles or 42 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday - 8 miles or 45 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Saturday - 8 1/2 miles or 48 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

THIRD WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B-15

Monday - 9 miles or 51 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Tuesday - 9 1/2 miles or 54 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-1 5, 1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 10 miles or 57 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Thursday 10 1/2 miles or 1 hour

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday 11 miles or 1 hr. 3 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone

Saturday 11 1/2 miles or 1 hr. 6 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

FOURTH WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B-15, 2 cc Combiotic

Monday - 12 miles or 1 hr. 9 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Tuesday - 12 1/2 miles or I hr. 12 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-1 5. 1/2 cc male hormone, one 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 13 miles or I hr. 15 min.

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Thursday - 13 1/2 miles or 1 hr. 18 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday - 14 miles or 1 hr. 21 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Saturday - 14 1/2 miles or I hr. 24 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

FIFTH WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Monday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 27 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Tuesday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone

1/2 cc B-12 (This will be the last injection of B-12)

Wednesday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Thursday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-1 5

Friday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1 Tsp. B- 15, 1/2 cc male hormone

Saturday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1 Tsp. B-15

SIXTH WEEK


Sunday - Rest - 1 Tsp. B-15

Monday 10 miles or 1 hr.

Tuesday 10 miles or I hr.

Wednesday 5 miles or 30 minutes

Thursday Hand walk 3 miles

1 Tsp. B-15

Friday Hand walk 2 miles

1 Tsp. B-15, Approximately 24 hours before the match give 1

cc Male Hormone

Saturday - Rest and quiet

3 hours before the match give 1 Tsp. B-15

1 hour before the match insert a glycerin suppository in the dog's rectum to be sure he empties out. Hand walk slowly until time to wash your dog.

This keep is based on a Saturday night fight. If you fight on Friday, start one day earlier; for a Sunday fight, one day later.

IMPORTANT NOTES

If you must travel your dog over 100 miles, you should stop every 100:miles and hand walk your dog 8 or 1 0 minutes.

During the keep you should take your dog for a ride in the car once or twice each week, taking him for a longer ride each time. This will get your dog used to traveling and will make the ride to the match a lot easier on him.

If you have to travel over 300 miles, you should go a day early so your dog will get a one-day rest before the match.

Never try to match or condition a wormy dog. He must be free of parasites. If your dog has had Hookworms, it will be at least 3 months before he is fully recovered. Hookworms hurt both his blood count and his wind.

Vitamin B-1 2 will cause your dog to overheat if used the last 1 0 days before the match.

If you use a treadmill, always stay with him during his workouts. Don't go eat supper or watch TV. Remember anything can go wrong. Do not match your dog too light with this keep. It is better to match a pound heavier than a pound lighter. All injections are in the thigh muscle with a 1/2 inch 26 gauge needle. Shoot in the left leg on Tuesday and the right leg on Friday or vice versa. Always wash your opponent's dog to be sure you don't get your dog poisoned. Buy yourself a rule book and study it so you will know the rules well. During work outs, talk to your dog; praise him and encourage him, Pet him often. Remember, the more your dog likes you and trusts you, the longer and harder he will fight for you.

IN CONCLUSION

There are no great secrets in conditioning. Any dog fighter that does his own conditioning can tell you that the only secret is dedication.

Don Mayfield's Keep

When I first got into the dog game and worked my first dog I worked him with roadwork and walk. I showed up with a top conditioned dog and won in 1 hour, and 10 minutes. The next dog I worked was with a treadmill plus roadwork and walk. She too, was in good shape and won in 1hour and 15minutes, if I remember correctly. I lost with one the same day but it was not because of my conditioning.

The next thing I found out when working a dog is that they can be put in shape most anyway a person sees fit. Since I was working on a job most of the time, the next thing I started working on was an easy way to work a dog. I had seen everyone else's way of working a dog by now, but I had something else in mind. I wanted to work a dog like a wild dog would work if he had to hunt and kill his food, more so like the big cats do, or like an eagle. They make their kill when they are very thin with no fat whatsoever on them. This is the time when most wild animals kill for food. Their blood count is on a natural high and there is no fat to make them breathe hot. This is when they are their sharpest and make their kill. Their condition at the time of the kill will not return until they are ready for their next kill. In between times the wild will tend to get fat and slow and lazy and they will have miss after miss until they lose all their fat and get sharp, hunting and working their bodies into shape.

In my way of thing the cat mill was the machine I was looking for. Frank Fitzwater showed me his, he had a big wagon wheel on a hub with a 2x4 sticking out about 12 feet with a chain on it and another 2x4 in front of it with a box attached. Frank told me that it was a cat mill but nobody he knew would use one because they were afraid they would half kill their dog and that you could never get the dog to the pit in one piece.

At this time every dogman I had met worked his dog with a harness on them and myself, being a newcomer, also worked my dogs with a harness on them. Besides it looked good on a dog. A harness has it's own place for the dog. And the only place I found to use it is when taking a picture.

I liked the catmill I had seen a franks' but I could plainly see that it was very out-dated. I then went home and made one with 20 feet from the center of the track. I still nearly killed the first dog I worked on it even at 20 feet. I then dug out my track and put a bank three feet high on the outside of the track. This did the trick and when my dog would run hard on the mill he would run up on the bank. When he slowed down he would walk or trot in the bottom of the track. I also had a drain to keep the water out of the track.

This catmill had its downfalls but for ten years it had every top conditioner in the game asking me how I worked my dogs. The first ones were Leo Kinard and George Saddler, in fact they both asked me the same day. That was the day I won with the first dog I had ever worked on it. The match went 2 hrs. 16 min. with my dog scratching 27 times and never taking a deep breath or never off his feet. This same dog had won his last match when worked by his owner Frank Fitzwater but was labeled a cur, something Heinzl had bred to sale and make a little feed bill money. This dog had been tried when 2 ½ years old and would not fight. Frank bought this dog known as Fitzwaters' Goldie for 15.00, as they were going to kill the dog. When I won with Goldie he was over 7 years old. Goldie was the sire of the Zeke dog, which was the sire of the Indian's Bolio, the dog Pat Patrick stole.

I worked dogs on this catmill for 10 years and the trouble I had keeping feet under a dog, you would never believe. So, from then on I started looking for something that would out do the catmill.

I went a little to the treadmill until this welder friend of mine called maverick and myself built a catmill 57 feet from one side of the track to the other, with both sides of the mill 28 ½ feet from the center and both sides the same so the weight would be the same. Wit this mill I was able to improve my conditioning but I was still having trouble keeping feet under the dog. After trying many different things, I found the only thing to do would be to put something in the track like hay and let it rot. It made a good soft track. I was still having trouble keeping shoulders under my dogs and with this mill I was knocking out more than before. The mill is free wheeling and when a dog runs on it hard, then slows down the mill will keep on going fast and will go over the dog pulling the shoulders right out of joint thus, crippling them for a few days this is about the time I found out what a harness was good for so I went over to a good wide working collar. This time my dogs started showing up with a much stronger neck and a faster mouth. I was beginning to see more and more of what I was looking for. For a while I would quit using my common senses and I would walk my dog from two to five miles before I would work him. This took a lot of time, so something had to go. This is when I quit walking my dogs from two to five miles and started walking them about one mile with a 100 foot light weight rope and the dogs would walk about the same. I then started walking my dogs less and less until I got to where I'm at now. About 25 yards… I found that all the talk I had heard about walk your dog or he would not be in shape was about to become a thing of the past. With the catmill keep this is true.

At this time I had worked three dogs for one show. I then worked five dogs for one show, then six dogs, then six dogs again, with all the dogs showing up in top condition. Out of 20 dogs worked on my catmill only 3 lost. About this time, I started noticing a catmill in almost everyone's' yard. More and more people coming by and taking notes about the catmill and the keep I was using with it. I learned a lot from other people like George saddler. He told me to work a dog in the same way for 3 days before increasing his work again. By listening and understanding it helped me with my keep. Earl Tudor once told me that the best thing for a tired dog is rest, this too helped my keep. Later you will see how two small bits of advice from the two top conditioners ever in the dog game helped me with my keep, after I had understood what I had learned from them.

When you start working a dog for a match, you need 10 weeks of good work to have him ready and fit. You never go to a vet the entire keep you start out by worming your dog for whips and hooks, then 5 days later then worm his for tapes and rounds plus hooks. 5 days after that worm him again for whips and hooks, then 5 days later tapes and round plus hooks, this should have him clean. You will worm him one more time at 2 ½ weeks before the match, each time you worm the dog give him 3 cc. Combiotics and when you worm your dog make it after you have worked him then rest him the next day, giving him dry dog chow with castor oil (one ounce over his feed) and always have fresh water for him to drink.

Start your dog out slow on the mill with a coon in a small wire pin about 2 feet from the dog. We like to use coon because a coon is not scared of a dog and they enjoy the ride on the mill and like to tease the dog. Keep a milk jug in front of your dog letting it bounce just out of reach for the dog. The kind of jug I am talking about is a one-gallon plastic jug, tied with a good rope from the front arm where the coon is in the pin. Put this jug on the mill after you get your dog working 30minutes.

Have your dog on his pit weight; he should look on the side with no fat showing. His head should be full with no bones showing have your dogs feet in good shape by making a mixture of one part linseed oil, one part turpentine and one part burnt motor oil. With a paintbrush paint the feet every time you take the dog off the mill. Use corona ointment, or any good antiseptic lubricant in a salve form, then put this salve on the feet every time you put your dog on the mill and every day afterwards, even a few times a week when he is resting.

You should be up to 30 minutes now, jump your dog up 30 minutes every other day till you get him up to 6 hours. Give your dog a 30 min rub down every time you take him off the mill. The way a dog should be rubbed down is on a small table, a little over waist high. Stand behind the dog at the end of the table and start by rubbing the front legs down, from the shoulders down, then take your right hand going under the right side of the dog to the front of the left shoulder pulling back down the chest all the way back to the top right side of the top right stifle up high in the gut. Do the same with the other hand, going to the opposite side every other time. From they're down the back, from behind the ears to the tip of the tail, and down the side of the rib cage. This way the hair grows. The back legs are the next place to rub down. Rub down the way the hair grows, from the top to the bottom of the leg. You should give each area about 5 minutes. Last, come to the head. Turn the dog around; rub the head just like the rest of the body, the way the hair grows. Have a mixture of 1 pint water and two tablespoons of powdered ammonia alum, dip your fingers into the mixture and with wet fingers rub the inside of the lips and gums. Trying to get as much as possible on the inside of the top lip and gums with the dog swollen as little as possible. When you rub the outside of the top lip, rub from the nose to the ear with wet fingers using the alum mixture. When rubbing your dog, rub with the light weight of the hand, using baby oil every fourth day, getting the hands wet with oil then rubbing then dry, covering the dog in oil, keeping away from the eyes. Once a week pour about 3 cc's of hydrogen peroxide solution into each ear then let him shake his head do the same with rubbing alcohol. Make his last rub down with baby oil 5 days prior to the match. With his last rub down, two days prior to the match, stop the alum mixture. His work should also stop five days before the match. With his last week of work jumping up to 8 hours or even 10 hours, trying to have your dog tired 5 days in front of his match, and when I say tired I like to see them not wanting to run out of the dog house to meet you.

On the eleventh and ninth days before the match give them 2 cc's of combiotics and cut work in half. On the tenth and ninth day give first shot after work and on the eleventh day before the match. When the dog is up to about two hours take the plastic jug and let the rope out so the dog can reach it. Start this after the dog has been working about one hour, teasing the dog with it, trying to get the dog to take a hold of it, as when they take a hold it should not be close to the ground. The dog will then start shaking and backing up with the jug. You should talk to your dog for around a min or two just like you were talking to him in the pit, watching his eyes as he will watch yours. Then letting him start to tire, never letting any slack in the rope. The dog will start walking forward to keep him from losing the jug, (by now most dogs won't need a coon in front of them, just the jug) start letting your dog have 30 min of jug work every other day in his work, letting the jug bounce close to his nose so he may catch it a few times a work out. Working for at least 30 min and work up to about 1 hour with this jug in his mouth. End this work 5 days prior to the match.

The next work is to have your dog on a cable run from one tree limb to another if possible, about 300 feet apart, with a heavy chain of about 20 feet long and the cable 10 feet from the ground, after the 20 foot chain has been clamped with a rivot. Swivels should be at both ends of the chain, and a ring big enough for a 2 inch collar to go through, a good leather collar with baby oil put on it every week to keep it safe. Have this setup as close to the mill as possible about 7 to 8 feet would be perfect, but make sure that it is as close as they can get. Have a good house for your dog with a good shade where he can get cool air and fresh water under hi shade. His house should be far enough back that his chain will not hang on his house. Always have good bedding in his house and a cool shade for the hot days. Every other day from the jug work, take a coon tail on a short, light pole and work him up to 30 min after starting at 5 min a day. Keep the tail low to the ground with the dog at the end of his chain pulling out after the coon tail, with the heavy chain and cable pulling him back. Go from side to side making your dog move fast, then slow. Do this work for 15 min before his millwork and for 15 min after his millwork. Then work him up to 30 min before and after millwork. This work should be ended 6 days before the match.

The walk should never be any more than just far enough to get your dog to empty before each day's work and it will get shorter and shorter. When your dog empties get a stick and look through this dump. If you ever see blood on the outside wall, your dog will have whipworms. If it is blood running through the stool it is hookworms. If there are little white worms coming out of the stool, flat like, they are tapeworms. The stool should always be form never hard and never loose. After you check the stool, start walking your dog to the mill sending him on. Just like you would send a dog in a match. Always try to walk him as close to the mill so he may walk to the mill after he has empties. The feed should start with a good hi-protein dry feed about 2 cups at first with ¼ cup of wheat germ, ¼ a can mustard greens, a cup of corn bread, with vitamins of desiccated liver-tablets (7 ½ grains, start at 5 a day and work up to 15 a day) give one vitamin E (400iu) give one vitamin C (1000 milligrams) 4 papaya digestive aid, 1 iron with molasses. Try and have all your vitamins natural vitamins, you should add to your dry dog feed as much as need be. To hold you're dog at about 2 pounds over his pit-weight. Come off this vitamin E five days in front of the match. Add about 1/8 to ¼ a cup of water to his feed just enough to wet it, just before you feed.

Four weeks in front of the match start with his meat, good heavy beef like bull-neck, cut the meat into small chunks about ½ in square. Start with ½ lb and add up to 1/2 lb. To ¾ lb 5 days in front of the match. Always cut all the fat out of the meat. Use only red, lean meat. Sear the meat in as little as possible and pour this juice over the meat and mix. (Just so it will be wet going down, but dry when it gets to the stomach.

At least two times on your dogs;' rest day, get a big joint leg bone from the butcher, boil it in water for about 20 min, let it cool and cut your feed in half and give this bone after feeding. The next evening after feeding him ½ a feeding on his rest day, take the bone away from him. When feeding this bone always feed ½ feeding the day before the next day and give the bone that day. Then feed ½ feeding on the rest day. This bone should be fed, about 2 ½ weeks before the match.

The water should be put in front of the dog each morning, fresh and in a bucket. The first two weeks of work, walk your dog till he cools all the way after his work on the mill. After his rub down let him drink. After two weeks of work put the dog in front of his fresh water and let him drink as much as he wants to until 5 days before the match. Always feed dry so your dog will drink a lot of water. Always let him drink as soon as he comes off the mill after 2 weeks of work. Give one tablespoon of raw honey every three days over the feed.

This should bring everything up to 5 days in front of the match. In the next issue of pit pal I will explain the last week of keep. This will show you how to point a dog. The week that will let you know if you can do it or not.

For the first eight weeks give half a teaspoon of salt two times a week, make sure you give it in their feed two days in a row, then five days no salt, then two days salt. The last salt is to be given 14 days in front of the match.

To understand just what the salt will do to your temperament, go without salt in your food for 14 days, the eat salt over your food and drink lots of water for three days, your temperament will change from easy to get along with and very friendly to a short tempered, very grippe person the closer the fourteenth day comes around.

To understand what the salt will do to the blood is to understand what a high red-blood count is and what a low-red-blood count is. To know how to get a high red-blood count is to go without salt and your body will pull away from water and when your body pulls away from water it will start to dehydrate. Your blood will start to concentrate, as you will get a very high red-blood count. In order to get your red-blood count down low, eat salt for three days and drink a lot of water and you will see your red-blood count will go down as your body will take on water and once more you will have a smile on your face.

The reason for a high red-blood count is that the blood will be concentrated and that means more red-blood cells to go through the body to the lungs to cool off and back through the body to cool it off, so it will keep a dog from getting hot, as the hotter the body gets, the weaker it will get.

Another reason for a high red-blood count is the blood, when concentrated, the dog can get an artery cut and in just a few seconds the bleeding will stop because the blood is so pure it will seal, and stop the loss of blood.

So, to understand, this is a peak, that you must try and reach the last five days, is to understand what a person is talking about when he talks of drying a dog out. The last five days in front of the match your dog should be put into a crate and kept in a quiet, cool place (I keep mine in my bedroom). The water should be given to your dog by hand, and not left in front of him. He should have soft bedding in his crate, clean dry hay. He should weigh one and a half pounds to two pounds over his pit weight.

For the last 5 days the feed should start to change. Feed more red meat and less Purina high-protein and more wheat germ and cereal. Also, start cutting the mustard greens. The next to the last feeding should be not more than a half a cup of Purina high-protein, a half a cup of wheat germ cereal and a half a pound of red, lean meat. Cooked in no water. Should be seared on all sides, very rare, cut in one-inch cubes, with all vitamins.

The last feeding should be fed twenty-six hours before his match. Red, lean beef, cut in one-inch cubes with ¾ cup of wheat germ cereal with his vitamins. The meat should be seared in no water, very rare but, seared on all four sides with two tablespoons full of honey.

The dog should be walked four times a day for the first three of the last five days before the match. The first walk should be 30 min after daybreak. Walk two miles in a field with a fifteen-foot lead rope, so that the dog can walk slow and empty, taking his time. Then when starting back to the crate, walk behind him with a short lead rope of six to eight feet, letting him pull back to the crate, as you talk to him, sending him on. He should be walked the same, one hour before dark. He should be taken for a short walk of ½ mile between his first walk and his walk before dark. He should have his second short walk about two hours after dark. The last two days your dog should be walked the same four times, but no longer than ¼ of a mile in the morning and ¼ of a mile in the evening, before dark. The walk between the morning and the evening should be ¼ a mile, the same as the walk you take two hours after dark. But, on the day of the match, the dog should have his last ¼ of a mile walk one hour before his match. Five minutes before the match he should be given a very short walk to empty his kidneys. The walks the last two days, you should never send your dog on making him pull, try and have him save all the strength he can as he will need all of it at match time.

To understand the peak you are after from the feeding and the walking for the last five days is to understand the feed. The feed went from carbohydrates and protein to protein with just enough, so the dog will weigh in on weight, keeping the stool as firm as possible, as to much feed will make the stool loose and not enough feed will weaken him. To understand the reason for this walk is to understand fully the peak you are after. Have all the inners empty at match time.

To water a dog the last five days before the match you should give him water after his morning walk with a tablespoon full of honey in the water, letting the dog drink what you think he might need. To make weight, as he should be weighed after each walk and watered two times a day for the first two of the last five days before the match, the next two days water only one time a day making the last water 26 hours before the match. To understand the peak you are after when watering and feeding and weighing your dog after each walk, is to understand how much feed and water you put in your dog before the match, the last five days while he is resting take the water away from him slow letting his weight drop to right on pit weight. The day of the fight if your dog starts to drop under his weight, turn the hot water on in the shower, making the air very wet as the dog breathes the wet air his weight will go up, if your dog is loosing weight too slow you should turn on the air-conditioner so the air will be very dry, his weight will start to fall.

To understand condition and to see a body put into the best condition possible, is a thing of beauty. To put a body in this condition you have got to try and get as close to nature as you can, like we say about the eagle and the condition of his body, the eagle, scoring the blue skies, overlooking the land of the wild, his eyes open wide, looking for his prey as he feels the pain of hunger in his inners with his ears open wide he can hear the chatter of his mate, as she tries to content their offspring's, while they cry out from hunger. Then with the movement of an object from under the huge trees, he dives from instincts traveling at his top speed, turning his body from side to side, to miss the limbs of the huge trees sweeping down to killing a rabbit, as it sits very still with his ears cocked to hear the air being cut by an eagle. This is condition, this is survival the only way any living thing can put there bodies at there peak is to live by the law of the land your body must stay as close to it's peak or you will not survive to understand the meaning of the condition is to see every part of the body at it's peak. That is what you are after when you get a dog ready to fight for life or death.

Two small bits of advice from two of the top dog men in the dog game-increase the work and rest a tired dog. To understand this is to understand what a tired dog looks like when he is over worked and needs a day of rest.

Balkan Boy's Keep

FOREWORD

Training or condition a Pit Bull dog for show or for combat is an individual effort. Your success will depend upon the amount of time and effort you are willing to spend on your dog. This keep is based upon the idea that anyone can bring a dog up to, say, 50% of his potential for strength and endurance. A top amateur can train a dog to 75%, while a top professional can consistently show dogs at around 90% - or more of their potential. This method will take you step-by-step through a complete training cycle for a combat dog.

CONDITIONING

It is my theory that if dog A and dog B are equal in natural ability and gameness and dog A has been better prepared (conditioned) for his fight than dog B, then dog A should win the match; and he will 9 times out of 10. In this keep we will try to do everything possible to help our dog's chances of winning while not doing anything to hurt him in any way. I believe that, in training, if you do 10% or 15% more for your dog than your opponent does for his, then you will win-at least 4 times out of 5. 1 might add that it is the little things that count in the long run. You must follow the general formula of this keep, if you wish to see the maximum benefit and the best results.

SCHOOLING

Your dog has to learn to fight and even though he has a lot of natural desire he needs practice to make perfect. Start rolling him 10 minutes at a time at 15 or 16 months and then every 6 weeks thereafter. Every other time add 5 more minutes to the roll so that at 2 years he goes 25 minutes. By this time your dog will have enough experience to know for sure what's going on.

TESTING

There is only one good way to test your dog. At 26 or 27 months roll him into a dog bigger than him for 30 minutes then put a fresh dog on him for about 1 0 minutes and scratch them 4 or 5 times. If your dog acts good and scratches good through this then he is ready for a match.

FEEDING AND WEIGHT

It is best for the dog and easier on your pocket book to keep your dog within 3 or 4 pounds of his fighting weight all the time. Excess weight and fat just strain the heart and vascular system. If your dog is more than 3 pounds over match weight, then prior to the keep you should put him on a low fat, high protein diet. Weigh your dog each day just prior to feeding. Never try to take off more than one pound per week. Any more will weaken him. Your feed should consist of 1/4 to 1/2 pound of lean meat and cottage cheese and 1-1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of Purina protein dog feed once per day, depending on the size of the dog. Neck meat off of a bull is the best meat you can get. Always feed the meat in big pieces so it will take longer to pass through the dog. Quite often you can find an animal by-products factory in your area. These places pick up fresh, dead or crippled livestock from farmers, and you can buy fresh beef or horsemeat at around . 10 or.12 cents a pound. Never feed your dog more than he will eagerly eat. If for some reason he doesn't eat eagerly, take the feed away until his next scheduled feed -- this will bring his appetite around. Always weigh or measure the feed. No guesswork. If you weigh the meat and measure the dry feed, then as you weigh your dog each day, you can increase or decrease his feed to control his weight. Do not try to fight your dog too thin as it will weaken him. Always watch the dog's stool every day for any unusual signs such as blood or diarrhea. His stool will give you a daily indicator of his general health. Always keep fresh water available to the dog. Bottled mineral water is also very good for him. Allow your dog to cool out after working him before giving him any water.

Feeding at night is the best, as a general rule. Most matches are at night and it is important for your dog to be empty at the time of the match. No feed the last 24 hours before a match. No water the last 12 hours. Try to be as regular as possible about the time of feeding. In hot weather your dog will eat better at night when it is cool.

Give your dog a One-A-Day vitamin + Iron and one table spoon of Clovite conditioner in his feed each day.

Wash his feed bowl before you feed each day and give him fresh water every day.

WORK

Before you start the keep you should give your dog several days or even 2 or 3 weeks of 10 or 15 minutes workouts. Either roadwork or on a treadmill is fine. This will get him used to working and will toughen his feet. Always pay careful attention to his feet for cuts, bruises, or for wearing his pads thin. I like to paint his pads with Bonocain until they get tough. Bonocain is also good for any injuries to his pads.

Always avoid over-working your dog. If he gets overly tired or starts breathing rough and straining during a work out, stop and walk him until his breathing becomes normal and easy. As you gradually increase his work, your dog will get a little more exhausted, but he should take the amount of work in this keep with no difficulty. If the situation arises that he can't take the daily increases, give him the amount of work he can take for a few days. He will soon be ready to get back on schedule. Remember too, dogs have their bad days just like humans. If he doesn't act really eager during a workout, rest him that day. That will sharpen him back up.

Hand walking is one of the best ways to get your dog in top condition. It is a little harder on the trainer, but it really pays off in the pit. You cannot overwork your dog by walking him. if you have the time, up to 5 miles per day is ideal. Always walk your dog 1/2 mile before and after each workout. This is the least amount of walking you can get by with and still get top condition.

The amount of work called for in this keep will bring your dog to a peak of condition. But if your dog runs especially hard, you may have to give him a little less work. If you have a lazy dog, it will just take a lot of patience on your part. If you have a lazy dog, you can let him run after a cat one day and a chicken the next. Or you can experiment around and possibly find some other animal he likes especially well.

This work schedule is the most desirable but you should be flexible enough to fit it to each individual dog according to his ability. Remember, some dogs just have a lot more natural wind than others. This schedule is listed both in miles and in minutes on a treadmill. If you use a mill, it is very important that it runs free and doesn't make your do pull too hard.

FIRST WEEK:

Sunday - No work.

In the afternoon give him a 2 cc injection of Combiotic and 2 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia

Monday - 3 miles or 15 minutes

1/2 teaspoon B-15

Tuesday - 3 1/2 miles or 18 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15, 1 /2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 4 miles or 21 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Thursday - 4 1/2 miles or 24 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday 5 miles or 27 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15, 1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Saturday 5 1/2 miles or 30 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

SECOND WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Monday - 6 miles or 33 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Tuesday - 6 1/2 miles or 36 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 7 miles or 39 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Thursday - 7 1/2 miles or 42 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday - 8 miles or 45 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Saturday - 8 1/2 miles or 48 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

THIRD WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B-15

Monday - 9 miles or 51 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Tuesday - 9 1/2 miles or 54 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B-1 5, 1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 10 miles or 57 minutes

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Thursday 10 1/2 miles or 1 hour

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday 11 miles or 1 hr. 3 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone

Saturday 11 1/2 miles or 1 hr. 6 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

FOURTH WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B-15, 2 cc Combiotic

Monday - 12 miles or 1 hr. 9 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Tuesday - 12 1/2 miles or I hr. 12 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-1 5. 1/2 cc male hormone, one 1/2 cc B-12

Wednesday - 13 miles or I hr. 15 min.

1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Thursday - 13 1/2 miles or 1 hr. 18 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Friday - 14 miles or 1 hr. 21 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12

Saturday - 14 1/2 miles or I hr. 24 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

FIFTH WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B- 15

Monday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 27 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Tuesday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone

1/2 cc B-12 (This will be the last injection of B-12)

Wednesday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-15

Thursday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1/2 Tsp. B-1 5

Friday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1 Tsp. B- 15, 1/2 cc male hormone

Saturday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.

1 Tsp. B-15

SIXTH WEEK

Sunday - Rest - 1 Tsp. B-15

Monday 10 miles or 1 hr.

Tuesday 10 miles or I hr.

Wednesday 5 miles or 30 minutes

Thursday Hand walk 3 miles

1 Tsp. B-15

Friday Hand walk 2 miles

1 Tsp. B-15, Approximately 24 hours before the match give 1

cc Male Hormone

Saturday - Rest and quiet

3 hours before the match give 1 Tsp. B-15

1 hour before the match insert a glycerin suppository in the dog's rectum to be sure he empties out. Hand walk slowly until time to wash your dog.

This keep is based on a Saturday night fight. If you fight on Friday, start one day earlier; for a Sunday fight, one day later.

IMPORTANT NOTES

If you must travel your dog over 100 miles, you should stop every 100:miles and hand walk your dog 8 or 1 0 minutes.

During the keep you should take your dog for a ride in the car once or twice each week, taking him for a longer ride each time. This will get your dog used to traveling and will make the ride to the match a lot easier on him.

If you have to travel over 300 miles, you should go a day early so your dog will get a one-day rest before the match.

Never try to match or condition a wormy dog. He must be free of parasites. If your dog has had Hookworms, it will be at least 3 months before he is fully recovered. Hookworms hurt both his blood count and his wind.

Vitamin B-1 2 will cause your dog to overheat if used the last 1 0 days before the match.

If you use a treadmill, always stay with him during his workouts. Don't go eat supper or watch TV. Remember anything can go wrong. Do not match your dog too light with this keep. It is better to match a pound heavier than a pound lighter. All injections are in the thigh muscle with a 1/2 inch 26 gauge needle. Shoot in the left leg on Tuesday and the right leg on Friday or vice versa. Always wash your opponent's dog to be sure you don't get your dog poisoned. Buy yourself a rule book and study it so you will know the rules well. During work outs, talk to your dog; praise him and encourage him, Pet him often. Remember, the more your dog likes you and trusts you, the longer and harder he will fight for you.

IN CONCLUSION

There are no great secrets in conditioning. Any dog fighter that does his own conditioning can tell you that the only secret is dedication

Finkle Winkle's Keep

(Finkle Winkle's Ch Dolly is shown in the picture)


DURING THE YRS INVOLVED IN THIS GREAT BREED I WORKED MANY TIMES A DOG TO HIS TRUE WEIGHT AND BEST SHAPE POSSIBLE, AND I MADE MANY MISTAKES AS WELL, BUT I GUESS, WITH THE MISTAKES IN MIND, THE KEEP WHICH I'LL SHARE WITH YOU'LL, IS A PROVEN ONE, IN THE BEST SENSE OF THE WORD, SINCE THIS SIMPLE KEEP DELIVERED ME, MANY A WINNER, WHOS NOT SELDOM, WINNING OVER THE OTHER ENTRY DUE THEIR BETTER SHAPE.

FIRST YOU MUST WORM YOUR DOG, 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE PRE-KEEP START, CLIP HIS TOENAILS AND GIVE HIM A WARM BATH AND WASH HIM GOOD WITH JODIUMSCRUB.

GO TO THE VET AND LETS CHECK THE DOG GOOD OUT, LIVER/KIDNEYS/BLOOD/STOOL, LETS CHECK IT OUT GOOD, IF THE DOG IS HEALTHY, THE GREEN LIGHT IS ON, ITS TIME TO CONDITION YOUR DOG NOW.

CHANGE HIS DAILY FEED TO THE USE OF A DRY-FOOD, SPECIAL MADE FOR THE NEEDS OF CANINE SPORTING ANIMALS, I MYSELF, USE EUKANUBA PREMINIUM, WORKS GOOD FOR MY DOGS.GIVE THE DOG, EXEPT SHORTLY AFTER HIS DAILY WORKOUT, ALL THE FRESH WATER HE'LL DRINK, DAY AND NIGHT.

PRE-KEEP-SO SIMPLE, 1ST WEEK, 6 TIMES A WEEK-

· 1 HOUR HANDWALKING, ON A LONG LEASH, IN A GOOD HARNESS, WALK ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL, GRASS, DIRTROADS, HILLS.AFTER EVERY WORKOUT,
· A 20 MINUTES RUBDOWN,
· FEED AND WATERING AFTER THE RUBDOWN AND
· REST THE DOG, YES THAT'S ALL.
·

GIVE HIM ONE DAY OF NO WORK AT ALL, AND DON'T RUB HIM AS WELL, ON SUCH A RESTDAY, YOU'LL AD SOME LESS FOOD TO HIS FEEDPAN.

SECOND WEEK, SAME O SAMO, ONLY 1.5 HOURS OF WALKING NOW, THAT'S ALL.

NOW THE DOG IS USED ON SOME WORK, WATCH HIM CLOSELY DURING THE WHOLE PROGRESS, IF HE'S LOOKING SORE, TIRED ETC.DON'T HESISTATE TO REST HIM A EXTRA DAY.

WE GONNA START NOW WITH 2 WEEKS OF BUILDING UP THE DOG, TO MADE HIM READY TO STAND THE PRESSURE AND STRESS, WHILE WORKED THE 5TH AND HEAVIEST WEEK OF TRAINING.

3TH WEEK

· MONDAY-5 MINUTES OF TREADMILL, AFTER A HOUR OF HANDWALKING, AFTER THE MILLWORK, 15 MIN.OF HANDWALKING,
· TUESDAY-2 HRS HANDWALK,
· WENSDAY-10 MINUTES MILLWORK,
· THURSDAY- 2 HOURS OF HANDWALK,
· FRIDAY-15 MIN.MILLWORK.
· SATURDAY-RESTDAY,
· SUNDAY- WE'LL START AGAIN.
·

ADD IN THE 3TH WEEK, 25 GRAMS OF BOILED RICE AND 25 GRAMS OF BOILED MEAT TO HIS DAILY DRYFEED AND 2 MULTI-VITAMINE TABS. 4TH WEEK-SAME O SAMO, ONLY YOU'LL AD MORE TIME/WORK LIKE THIS, TREADMILL-20-25-30 MINUTES, AT THE HANDWALKING ONLY DAYS, 2.5 HOURS OF HANDWALKING, AD NOW 50 GR.RICE AND MEAT TO HIS FEEDPAN & THE 2 TABS.

5TH WEEK-THE MOST HEAVIEST WEEK, 3 HOURS HANDWALKING, EXEPT AT HIS MILLWORK DAYS, TREADMILL-35-40-45, SATURDAY-REST TILL SUNDAY, FEED STAYS THE SAME, IF LOOSING TOO MUCH WEIGHT, AD SOME EXTRA DRYFEED. (Regular his weight through the feed pan as well).

6TH AND LAST WEEK, 10 MINUTES MILL -1.5 HRS-HANDWALKING-5 MINUTES MILL-1 HOUR HANDWALKING--30 MINUTES HANDWALKING, THEN REST PRIOR TO THE MATCH, AT MATCHDAY WALK HIM/HER OUT, EVERY 3 HOUR, JUST TO URINATE AND TO RELIEVE HIMSELF GOOD. AT THE 14TH DAY OF TRAINING, THE DOG MUST BE A HALF KG.ABOVE HIS TRUE SHOWWEIGHT, KEEP HIM LIKE THAT DURING THE ENTIRE KEEP, THE 2 FIRST RESTDAYS, AT THE END OF THE 6TH WEEK, DON'T GIVE MEAT/RICE.

LAST MEAL: 24 HRS BEFORE THE EVENT, TAKE HIS WATER AWAY 12 HRS BEFORE, GIVE HIM A HALF LTR OF BOILED CHICKENBOUILLON AS HIS LAST DRINK 12 HRS BEFORE.LAST MEAL 50GRMEAT 50GR RICE DRYFEED, NO TABS.

I AVOID ALL BITEWORK, JUMPING, HANGING, ETC.ETC.ALSO STEROIDS I SKIPPED OUT OF A KEEP LIKE THIS SIMPLE ONE, I'LL USE-1CC DEXAMETHASON/AZIUM 48 HRS BEFORE-1CC 24 HOURS BEFORE 1CC 2HRS BEFORE, THIS KEEP BLESSED ME WITH 1HR+2 HR WINNERS.

Ken Allen & the A Team's Keep

FOREWORD
Training or condition a Pit Bull dog for show or for combat is an individual effort. Your success will depend upon the amount of time and effort you are willing to spend on your dog. This keep is based upon the idea that anyone can bring a dog up to, say, 50% of his potential for strength and endurance. A top amateur can train a dog to 75%, while a top professional can consistently show dogs at around 90% - or more of their potential. This method will take you step-by-step through a complete training cycle for a combat dog.

CONDITIONING
It is my theory that if dog A and dog B are equal in natural ability and gameness and dog A has been better prepared (conditioned) for his fight than dog B, then dog A should win the match; and he will 9 times out of 10. In this keep we will try to do everything possible to help our dog's chances of winning while not doing anything to hurt him in any way. I believe that, in training, if you do 10% or 15% more for your dog than your opponent does for his, then you will win-at least 4 times out of 5. 1 might add that it is the little things that count in the long run. You must follow the general formula of this keep, if you wish to see the maximum benefit and the best results.

SCHOOLING
Your dog has to learn to fight and even though he has a lot of natural desire he needs practice to make perfect. Start rolling him 10 minutes at a time at 15 or 16 months and then every 6 weeks thereafter. Every other time add 5 more minutes to the roll so that at 2 years he goes 25 minutes. By this time your dog will have enough experience to know for sure what's going on.

TESTING
There is only one good way to test your dog. At 26 or 27 months roll him into a dog bigger than him for 30 minutes then put a fresh dog on him for about 10 minutes and scratch them 4 or 5 times. If your dog acts good and scratches good through this then he is ready for a match.

FEEDING AND WEIGHT
It is best for the dog and easier on your pocket book to keep your dog within 3 or 4 pounds of his fighting weight all the time. Excess weight and fat just strain the heart and vascular system. If your dog is more than 3 pounds over match weight, then prior to the keep you should put him on a low fat, high protein diet. Weigh your dog each day just prior to feeding. Never try to take off more than one pound per week. Any more will weaken him. Your feed should consist of 1/4 to 1/2 pound of lean meat and cottage cheese and 1-1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of Purina protein dog feed once per day, depending on the size of the dog. Neck meat off of a bull is the best meat you can get. Always feed the meat in big pieces so it will take longer to pass through the dog. Quite often you can find an animal by-products factory in your area. These places pick up fresh, dead or crippled livestock from farmers, and you can buy fresh beef or horsemeat at around . 10 or.12 cents a pound. Never feed your dog more than he will eagerly eat. If for some reason he doesn't eat eagerly, take the feed away until his next scheduled feed -- this will bring his appetite around. Always weigh or measure the feed. No guesswork. If you weigh the meat and measure the dry feed, then as you weigh your dog each day, you can increase or decrease his feed to control his weight. Do not try to fight your dog too thin as it will weaken him. Always watch the dog's stool every day for any unusual signs such as blood or diarrhea. His stool will give you a daily indicator of his general health. Always keep fresh water available to the dog. Bottled mineral water is also very good for him. Allow your dog to cool out after working him before giving him any water.
Feeding at night is the best, as a general rule. Most matches are at night and it is important for your dog to be empty at the time of the match. No feed the last 24 hours before a match. No water the last 12 hours. Try to be as regular as possible about the time of feeding. In hot weather your dog will eat better at night when it is cool.
Give your dog a One-A-Day vitamin + Iron and one table spoon of Clovite conditioner in his feed each day. Wash his feed bowl before you feed each day and give him fresh water every day.

WORK
Before you start the keep you should give your dog several days or even 2 or 3 weeks of 10 or 15 minutes workouts. Either roadwork or on a treadmill is fine. This will get him used to working and will toughen his feet. Always pay careful attention to his feet for cuts, bruises, or for wearing his pads thin. I like to paint his pads with Bonocain until they get tough. Bonocain is also good for any injuries to his pads. Always avoid over-working your dog. If he gets overly tired or starts breathing rough and straining during a work out, stop and walk him until his breathing becomes normal and easy. As you gradually increase his work, your dog will get a little more exhausted, but he should take the amount of work in this keep with no difficulty. If the situation arises that he can't take the daily increases, give him the amount of work he can take for a few days. He will soon be ready to get back on schedule. Remember too, dogs have their bad days just like humans. If he doesn't act really eager during a workout, rest him that day. That will sharpen him back up.
Hand walking is one of the best ways to get your dog in top condition. It is a little harder on the trainer, but it really pays off in the pit. You cannot overwork your dog by walking him. if you have the time, up to 5 miles per day is ideal. Always walk your dog 1/2 mile before and after each workout. This is the least amount of walking you can get by with and still get top condition.
The amount of work called for in this keep will bring your dog to a peak of condition. But if your dog runs especially hard, you may have to give him a little less work. If you have a lazy dog, it will just take a lot of patience on your part. If you have a lazy dog, you can let him run after a cat one day and a chicken the next. Or you can experiment around and possibly find some other animal he likes especially well. This work schedule is the most desirable but you should be flexible enough to fit it to each individual dog according to his ability. Remember, some dogs just have a lot more natural wind than others. This schedule is listed both in miles and in minutes on a treadmill. If you use a mill, it is very important that it runs free and doesn't make your do pull too hard.

FIRST WEEK:
Sunday - No work.
In the afternoon give him a 2 cc injection of
Combiotic and 2 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia
Monday - 3 miles or 15 minutes
1/2 teaspoon B-15
Tuesday - 3 1/2 miles or 18 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15, 1 /2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12
Wednesday - 4 miles or 21 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B- 15
Thursday - 4 1/2 miles or 24 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Friday 5 miles or 27 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15, 1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12
Saturday 5 1/2 miles or 30 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B- 15


SECOND WEEK
Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B- 15
Monday - 6 miles or 33 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B- 15
Tuesday - 6 1/2 miles or 36 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12
Wednesday - 7 miles or 39 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Thursday - 7 1/2 miles or 42 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Friday - 8 miles or 45 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12
Saturday - 8 1/2 miles or 48 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15


THIRD WEEK
Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B-15
Monday - 9 miles or 51 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Tuesday - 9 1/2 miles or 54 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B-1 5, 1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12
Wednesday - 10 miles or 57 minutes
1/2 Tsp. B- 15
Thursday 10 1/2 miles or 1 hour
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Friday 11 miles or 1 hr. 3 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone
Saturday 11 1/2 miles or 1 hr. 6 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15


FOURTH WEEK
Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B-15, 2 cc Combiotic
Monday - 12 miles or 1 hr. 9 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Tuesday - 12 1/2 miles or I hr. 12 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-1 5. 1/2 cc male hormone, one 1/2 cc B-12
Wednesday - 13 miles or I hr. 15 min.
1/2 Tsp. B- 15
Thursday - 13 1/2 miles or 1 hr. 18 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Friday - 14 miles or 1 hr. 21 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone 1/2 cc B-12
Saturday - 14 1/2 miles or I hr. 24 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15


FIFTH WEEK
Sunday - Rest - 1/2 Tsp. B- 15
Monday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 27 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Tuesday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15,1/2 cc male hormone
1/2 cc B-12 (This will be the last injection of B-12)
Wednesday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-15
Thursday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.
1/2 Tsp. B-1 5
Friday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.
1 Tsp. B- 15, 1/2 cc male hormone
Saturday - 15 miles or 1 hr. 30 min.
1 Tsp. B-15


SIXTH WEEK
Sunday - Rest - 1 Tsp. B-15
Monday 10 miles or 1 hr.
Tuesday 10 miles or I hr.
Wednesday 5 miles or 30 minutes
Thursday Hand walk 3 miles
1 Tsp. B-15
Friday Hand walk 2 miles
1 Tsp. B-15, Approximately 24 hours before the match give 1cc Male Hormone
Saturday - Rest and quiet
3 hours before the match give 1 Tsp. B-15
1 hour before the match insert a glycerin suppository in the
dog's rectum to be sure he empties out. Hand walk slowly until time to wash your dog.
This keep is based on a Saturday night fight. If you fight on Friday, start one day earlier; for a Sunday fight, one day later.

IMPORTANT NOTES
If you must travel your dog over 100 miles, you should stop every 100:miles and hand walk your dog 8 or 1 0 minutes.
During the keep you should take your dog for a ride in the car once or twice each week, taking him for a longer ride each time. This will get your dog used to traveling and will make the ride to the match a lot easier on him.
If you have to travel over 300 miles, you should go a day early so your dog will get a one-day rest before the match.
Never try to match or condition a wormy dog. He must be free of parasites. If your dog has had Hookworms, it will be at least 3 months before he is fully recovered. Hookworms hurt both his blood count and his wind.
Vitamin B-1 2 will cause your dog to overheat if used the last 1 0 days before the match. If you use a treadmill, always stay with him during his workouts. Don't go eat supper or watch TV. Remember anything can go wrong. Do not match your dog too light with this keep. It is better to match a pound heavier than a pound lighter. All injections are in the thigh muscle with a 1/2 inch 26 gauge needle. Shoot in the left leg on Tuesday and the right leg on Friday or vice versa. Always wash your opponent's dog to be sure you don't get your dog poisoned. Buy yourself a rule book and study it so you will know the rules well. During work outs, talk to your dog; praise him and encourage him, Pet him often. Remember, the more your dog likes you and trusts you, the longer and harder he will fight for you.
IN CONCLUSION There are no great secrets in conditioning. Any dog fighter that does his own conditioning can tell you that the only secret is dedication.
Ken Allen & The A Team

Millmaker's Maximum Stress by Robert Lemm Jr

The biggest secret to success is that there is no secret to success. Relentless hard work and unwavering dedication to the task are the simple cornerstones of most every business success story. Don't look for the easy way to success, instead be willing to do what it takes even when it's hard. Conditioning a dog in preparation for the contest is not hard. Why make it hard work? Past history has proven itself. Most people don't know how easy it is to be successful in preparation for a contest. People sell conditioning programs, proclaiming a success of their writings. Every one should know that conditioning is exercising, raising the heart rate and recovery. Recovery, meaning allowing the body and primarily the brain to oxygen recover. A timely recovery is the most important stage of conditioning. Nobody ever, has incorporated such scheduling of maximum stress and recovery like I have to you all. The best-feed keep in the world becomes an average outing without a timely recovery. So as it stands everyone conditions dogs the same way, except some do it better than others. I chose a free conditioning technique, quick muscle flex over strength conditioning, tension resistance. A free turning treadmill, easy turning flying jenny or a bicycle is a free conditioning, a running "keep". No stress or strain to the body before the contest. That's why Floyd Boudreaux walks a dog so much to give his dog a timely recovery. Mr. Boudreaux knows if one dog needs more recovery time than another, you just have a longer day. You can never over recover a dog. Years of experience have given many men a great life with the dogs. A timely recovery with technique and feed keep is the trick to success. People who sell supplement nourishment can only increase the health of a dog to assist and allow you to get more condition in your dog. To strength condition your dog is to contest your dog heavy. To free condition your dog is to contest your dog lighter. To strength condition is to be stronger but to use very little of that strength in the contest because of all the quick muscle flex. That's to say that it's the wrong technique, because your dog is not at his true weight, so he cannot cool in a contest because of the contest being of fast twitch muscle exercise, not in preparation for the contest. It's a fact that not very many people know how to finish a dog to peak condition with a strength condition.

All the great dogs I've seen contest were free conditioned. Some without a timely recovery and still won. A few great dogs strength conditioned won, but all of the few had to have a timely recovery while being on bottom.

I chose the technique that conditions the body to utilize the most nutrition in a short time, a "running keep". The body will convert a vast amount of nutrients and fuels into energy at a low temperature for a long time. That technique used properly, with a schedule that allows the dog to respiratory recover sufficiently, every time he comes from maximum stress, will allow the dog to start the contest prepared to stay at maximum stress (m/s) for as long as it takes. No contest good for 30 minutes and fade and still win. I mean jump to m/s and at the end of the contest still have an above average heart rate. I'm happy because I did all I could do for that animal whether I win or lose. The words maximum stress expressed during conditioning means he will break stride to recover, because his heart rate has never been higher during the contest than any day during the entire "keep". Most likely never reach but 2/3, which will lengthen the time at m/s, and shorten the recovery time so he can get back to the business at hand with style and a fast pace. Technique, scheduling recovery, progressively resting is the correct way to prepare your dog for the contest. A free turning treadmill, easy pulling flying jenny, or a bicycle allows the dog to condition a very high heart rate without any stress, strain or tension. Your dog may get tired, but never get weak and stagger around, even if the contest goes more than an hour. The contest will tell the whole story. I missed it more times than I would like to remember. I hope to enlighten everyone so your dog won't falter, break stride with no choice in the matter. If at any time he slows down it is because his adversary is on the bottom trying to recover. I will tell everyone everything I know about conditioning maximum stress, so everyone can make adjustments to my schedule if needed. So after every contest you know if the dog needs more recovery time, extended progressive rest time, longer pre-keep at true weight, or the dog lighter, with a running keep you can never contest the dog heavy. When you can do that with confidence and performance you may not do as well as you did last time, but you won't do bad ever again. This way you have a chance to win 5x's, because you start each contest with reserve energy that most dogs use up because they were not prepared for the contest and had to take bottom to recover. If you retire your dog after 3 wins, you will never be able to improve your performance, so you can become a world-class competitor by winning 7x's, and stand next to my peers and I. My free conditioning keep, simple feed keep and 102 treadmills all over the world have won well over 1,000 contests.

FREE CONDITIONING
What to do, what to expect, in preparation and during conditioning, and in preparation for the contest.
Progressive work schedule

The book explains the respiratory recovery method for a contest. I've chosen a 15 minute session, check the heart rate, if the heart rate is the same or less than the day before take the dog for a 5 minute walk and add 5 minutes of work to the schedule. Do this day after day until you build a second 15-minute session. It takes two 15-minute sessions to reach a true maximum stress (M/S) with a rise in temperature. Continue to add five minutes of work until you get a bad recovery. A bad recovery means a higher heart rate than yesterday and yesterday was too much work. Now you know essentially how much work your dog can take. Continue to check his heart rate every day at 15 minutes in case you get a good recovery again so you can add another 5 minutes, looking for another bad recovery. Whether or not you are adding work or not, three days before the contest you cut that work in half. Two days before the contest cut the work in half again. You cannot achieve this properly with strength conditioning of any kind. You can purchase a heart monitor at the following address:
DAMARK
1-800-729-9000
7101 Winnetka Avenue North
PO BOX 9437
Minneapolis, MN 55440-9437

REST
The only rest your dog gets is the progressively decreasing his work on the 28th, 29th and the contest day, because your dog will take on fluid with rest as you know the meaning of rest without your dog's heart rate being a t maximum stress. Resting a dog any other way, you most likely will have to take away his water, use the needle, use a lighter dog and come to the contest with a wet dog that can't breath and have to take bottom. Most likely you can win, but you can never win 5x's because of what you did the last three days of rest. If your dog is at his true weight when you get a bad recovery your dog will continually get strong until rest days. If on 29th day he is heavy? Do the same amount of work you did on the 28th day. When your dog achieves a fixed time because of a bad recovery that day to the end of the keep, your dog will build a solid base of condition. It's called rest! At this part of the keep his respiration may fluctuate slightly from day to day. Marginal differences should be of no consequence. By this time you will know what a bad recovery is, and make any adjustments in work time. Understanding "maximum stress" plus ten days of pre-keep, and twenty-seven days of the keep only conditions your dog for the contest, three days correctly resting the dog is the only real preparation for the contest night and is equally important as the previous thirty-seven days of keep. Not enough rest or too much rest has the same effect on your dog. It allows maximum stress (energy deficiency) to show up in the contest sooner than you expected. I rest the dog with less and less mill work in the last three days of the keep, because the dog doesn't need much rest, if any at all. The dog needs to retain the rate of conversion at his true weight. I rest the dog just enough for the dog's body to store inside fat (quick burning energy) that is used and replaced daily under stressful conditions, and retains fluid at a rate that I control. This procedure allows my dog to breath freely throughout the contest, which results in no hot spots, they just keep kicking ass! That's why they all start fast, and keep their adversary at maximum stress with no chance for recovery with no choice in the matter. I really love to watch my dog smother the other dog.

PROGRESS WORK SCHEDULE
1. I get home from work.
2. I take my dog off the chain.
3. I walk my dog to empty out.
4. Put dog on treadmill, he should run as fast as he can, and I leave the room.
5. I can hear the noisy treadmill I build when the dog breaks stride. When he breaks stride, he should fall to a walk or a long stride to rest and recover because he's oxygen deficient. I come back into the room so he will stay at the rest mode. I usually sit down and write something for one of the magazines.
6. At the 10-minute mark I jump up leave the room, and he should break on top again. It is good for a dog to be able to break out on top with ease. It's called free conditioning.
7. When he breaks stride, down to a walk or a long stride to the rest mode, I come back into the room and sit down.
8. At the 15-minute mark I put my foot on the mill and check his heart rate. Every day of the keep and all the way through to your contest your dog will do this 15 minute session. Take his heart rate, take him off the mill and walk him out in the same place you emptied him out at the start of the day, for five minutes. After 10 days of pre-keep you should get a handle on the heart rate that prepares him for the progressive work schedule, with no stress or strain in preparation for hard work. As long as it takes to get your dog to his true weight before you start adding work. I've had dogs on a 15-minute schedule for a year with small amounts of simple feed keep.
9 Three more days of the same schedule of the Keep to insure an accurate heart rate.
10. On the 4th day of the Keep is the first day of progressive work schedule. If his heart rate is the same or less than the day before at the 15 minute mark you get to add 5 minutes of work after you take him for his 5 minute walk. He should break on top for a few minutes and break stride to rest. At the 5-minute mark, take him off the mill and walk him out for 20 minutes and put him up and feed him.
12. On the 5th day of the "keep" do the first 15-minute session and check his heart rate. If his heart rate is the same or less than yesterday add another 5 minutes to his work schedule.
13. On the 6th day of the "Keep" do the first 15-minute schedule, check his heart rate. If his heart rate is the same or less than yesterday, add another 5 minutes to his work schedule. Walk him out for 20 minutes, put him up and feed him.
12. On the 6th day of the keep do the first 15-minute session, check his heart rate. If his heart rate is the same or less than yesterday, add another 5 minutes to the schedule, which will make another complete 15 minute session, so you take him for his 20 minute walk, I cool my dog down with a water hose if the weather permits, (70 degrees F) or more. Only after completing his second 15-minute session, on the 6th day, will your dog begin to warm up.
13. Two 15-minute sessions is the foundation of this free conditioning program. Continually adding 5 minutes every day building another 15-minute session looking for a bad recovery.
A bad recovery means a higher heart rate than yesterday; meaning yesterday was too much work. It could take 3, 4, or 5, 15-minute sessions to get a bad recovery. When you get a bad recovery, you know how much work your dog can take. There are many variables to contend with if your treadmill is not free turning. Your dog has to gallop instead of running freely. Usually a dog will stop and stand after he comes down from the gallop on a hard pulling mill. The 10-day pre-keep will condition your dog to gallop the treadmill instead of preparation for increased work. When he gets to the contest he will experience a higher heart rate than you conditioned during the keep. The reason people can't see when a dog breaks stride on a hard pulling mill. It's because he doesn't get any rest on top tugging at a gallop and if he is in good enough shape to walk on a hard pulling mill after galloping for 10 minutes, he won't get any rest tugging at a walk, so you actually overwork your dog, starting with the first day on. You will actually condition your dog to run the treadmill instead of preparing him for the contest, and when the contest starts he's sure to take bottom to rest. Your dog will have to take bottom much sooner than expected. It's called too much work, not enough rest to recover. That's why when I come home from work I only walk for 5 minutes, so I can put him on the mill ice cold for 3 to 6 minutes on top, because he will start the contest ice cold. When he does warm up in the contest at Maximum Stress he will feel strong because you have prepared your dog for the contest every day. It's a feeling that he experienced every day of the keep. Hoping your adversary was conditioned with a different work schedule, most likely your adversary will experience uncharted territory with a higher heart rate than any day of his condition and not be able to recover. You win the contest and retain his reserve energy (life sustaining fat) that he didn't have to use up in a long contest with stress and strain.

K/D Prescription Dog Food
Any vet will have K/D Diet Dog Food, but it is prescription because of the cobalt in it. It's very important to use K/D Dog Food as filler, along with the feed sheet I sent you with my book. There's no way you can condition maximum stress using any other dog food. Not just because of no cobalt, because all others have so much animal fat and meat by-products, more fat. To condition maximum stress properly in preparation to peak condition, your dog ends up with life sustaining reserve energy which will be used after your dog comes down progressively from maximum stress. Only you will know how long he should stay at m/s because you worked him. Most people hate to see their dog get to m/s because shortly after, their dog will falter and have to take bottom to respiratory recover.

Conditioned maximum stress means to condition the heart to beat as many times per minute until your dog breaks stride to recover. When he breaks stride it's because his brain is oxygen deficient, breaking stride starts his recovery with no choice in the matter, as soon as the workload decreases.

In the contest, he should never reach a heart rate as high as any day on the mill. If you achieve that with technique and diet your dog will fall into his own schedule. When he becomes oxygen deficient, he will break stride to replenish the oxygen in his blood. During the contest it takes 4 ½ minutes at a very high heart rate for all of the blood to get back to the heart. But all the blood leaving the heart isn't equally distributed. Which is just fine for normal living.

When the contest starts, and the heart rate increases, the blood becomes more and more oxygen deficient, that's the beginning of maximum stress. When a dog falters, slows down, breaks stride it's because the brain is oxygen deficient more so then the body. As I've said before, the blood leaving the heart is not equally distributed. Under normal living conditions the body can and does absorb oxygen efficiently. By the time M/S is reached, meaning the highest conditioned heart rate, then and only then does the body temperature rise. Your job is to prepare your dog to delay that rise in temperature and oxygen deficiency correctly! To slow down the temperature rise, it takes the correct amount of (H2O) water no more, no less for that condition, so your dog can breathe. Your dog has to be at his true weight. Correctly free conditioned he will breathe. Also, free conditioning will automatically store life-sustaining fat (Bonus energy) but use up daily fat supplements as energy. Correctly administered allows the body to cool. Free conditioning can and does allow you to achieve this, more so than other techniques. Correctly done your dog will stay cooler, take longer to reach a true M/S, stay at M/S longer, and recover much sooner. It's like he never stopped contesting the whole contest. Your dog breaks on top, turns the heat up, may never reach M/S, recovers with energy to spare, and wins the contest while your adversary struggles through the whole ordeal. Not every on looker knows how you won. You, on the other hand, become a competitor with confidence, and can win 5x's with every dog you contest and there isn't any better feeling because there isn't any other way to win a contest. I like winning against bite, ability, gameness and any bloodline. My fight is with conditioning my dog, not with my adversary. My adversary reminds me every day that I need to pay attention to his recovery every time. His recovery every day will tell you how he will do battle with his condition when the blood becomes more and more oxygen deficient.

That's why you should prepare the blood with the right nutrients to achieve the correct blood count to absorb as much oxygen as possible. The higher average heart rate you condition the more oxygen in the blood your dog starts the contest with. At the same time you will condition the heart to pump more blood for a longer time. This shortens recovery time because of the great health and condition of your dog's heart rate. That condition occurs during the contest. In other words he never experiences uncharted territory and that's the key to conditioning a dog. You can't see that condition vividly if you didn't peak your dog, otherwise you win or lose the contest with energy to spare. You test the blood, not game test him every time.

You can not achieve this by strength conditioning your dog. You cannot achieve that doing strength and free conditioning both. Strength conditioning of any kind is not preparation for the contest. Meaning the entire contest consists of fast muscles twitch exercise that's how you win contests. Why any one would strength condition a dog to achieve a much higher heart rate the contest than they conditioned at home, meaning their dog will be oxygen deficient much sooner than yours. Whether you win or not I will bring the contest to you as long as I can. Also it doesn't make any difference which dog gets to M/S first. Most dogs that reach M/S first usually lose because it is not a conditioned m/s. A good to great free conditioned dog will reach m/s subsequently at the same time but with no stress involved with oxygen absorption, because he was freely conditioned at his true weight. A free conditioned dog progressively rested to raise the heart rate to perform at m/s because he will run cooler longer because it takes longer to raise the temperature than with other techniques or a combination of techniques. A great conditioning is to stay at M/S longer than your adversary. If he does, he may never heat up, reach M/S or break stride, or ever need to recover and that's what we hope to achieve. Never take a dog's water. And if you take away his water, you take from him his cooling. When progressively rested with water he won't retain any extra moisture when you condition the heart beat, not to speak of all the air moving in and out of his lungs for cooling. Your dog will cool forever. When you progressively cut back on work, he won't gain any weight match day all day. Of course, if you don't know how to finish a dog correctly you will end up testing his gameness instead of finishing your dog in preparation for the contest. You may win, you may lose. You need to change, unless you are happy with your performance in your last contest. I've never been that happy.

That's why the diet on the feed sheet is so simple, as long as you use canine K/D prescription dog food. Dogs that have bad kidneys and real old dogs are put on this diet to give them longevity in this world. No animal fat to heat your dog up. The best source of life sustaining fat that will be used up as the last energy source before he goes into mild shock or worse. A sufficient amount of recovery time every time he breaks stride builds life-sustaining fat. Too much work or not enough rest to recover uses up the reserve energy and you start the contest energy deficient. Yet he will look great and finish on the bottom. So in preparation for the contest you must get all your ducks in a row. If you need to feed cornflakes, fine, cornflakes won't hurt him. But, don't feed any leafy greens because of the high sulfur content, which is very hard on a dog's kidneys on a daily use. If you are looking for vitamin K; STOP. Because you have all you need with the correct diet and blood count. You can only put so much rain in a rain barrel. A conditioned heart rate means less moisture, means more air without taking away his water. Less fat means cooler dog at m/s means shorter recovery time means, you get to finish the contest with energy to spare, win, lose, or draw. At least you've done your part; the outcome is up to the dog. Choice of blood was yours; now your dog can prove to you with out any disadvantages to hinder his performance. You will be pleased with your choice. If you feed 2 cups of chemicals a day, you change his true weight. The dog doesn't cool correctly, and he will never recover from maximum stress and he will get to experience a higher heart rate during the contest than on any day of conditioning. You jinxed another one, even if you win. You won't win 5x's without change. My treadmills have stopped many dogs from getting their papers of championship, without earning them. Remember this, dusty chains could take away 40% of his air. I put the Gunner dog on the video because Gunner took the 20 count standing in the corner and lost. I conditioned him and won against a 3x winner in 43 minutes, and he never put all four feet on the canvas the entire contest.

CONDITION AND WEIGHT LOSS

Some men have had a problem with scheduled work increase. Most of you men are better dog men then you realize. Because of all the good groceries, vitamins, minerals, and a free conditioning, you may not get a bad recovery to indicate enough work, there fore overworking your dog. Continuing to add work looking for a bad recovery will eventually result in weight loss with a good recovery sometimes. Always remember it just doesn't take that much work to get a dog in condition whether or not he can bite, fight, or whatever. The bloodline was your choice.

The first step would be to increase his feed, but as work is increased still looking for a bad recovery your dog may start losing weight again. It's not uncommon for a dog to be well conditioned with just three, fifteen-minute sessions. Walk him for an hour before you put him up. If your dog works hard, for the three sessions, just walk out the rest of the increased schedule. The book is not fool proof; some people can break the horn off an anvil looking too far ahead for stress and strain.

With the running keep, the first fifteen minute session your dog will look weak, stagger around and may not even lift his leg to empty out when you take him off the mill. That's normal because he is still ice cool, even though his tongue is hanging out of his mouth. He should never sweat off his tongue in the first session but, after his second fifteen minute session you will notice that your dog won't stagger and recover much quicker, very few dogs sweat off their tongue with two sessions. Although his tongue will still be hanging out, because that is an efficient expression of cooling, not necessarily that he is hot, fatigue, from stress and strain.

My book demands a response of some kind, from your dog or from you if you have any problems. There have been many people making comments and not one of theses people read my book. Most of the time I write for the people that bought my book. If someone else can learn something from that, good. It is galling, that any response would keep people from change, and not write an alternative note in detail. The truth is that the objectivity is anything but an objection and represents just another part of an attack on dog men. My book has become revitalized in the last year because of what I write in the magazines. It has undertaken new efforts to make the truth known about what to do for your dog. The enemies have become increasingly strident in their counter attacks. As my book undergoes resurgence, the attacks on the book have taken on a new urgency and viciousness. The biased and unfair in refusing to tell the whole story like "PETA" the biggest dick heads among the Humaniacts. And seemed intent on perpetuating the myth that I am an active dog fighter, how stupid can someone be. Others think I'm taking advantage of dog men for a mere $40.00. The truth is that most strength conditioning keeps prevailing can never be improved because of the sale of a low cost junk mill, pulling weights and too much unworthy chemicals. The fact is that more often, conveniently overlook the fact that they can't and never will condition maximum stress in preparation for the contest. How do you condition maximum stress? Raise the heart rate and recover, raise the heart and recover, over and over and over, the book tells how many over's to do and look for the heart rate to be more than yesterday, simple. I understand that many people think that I'm single minded about conditioning a dog. But, no more than others that strength condition dogs or use a combination of strength and free conditioning, and because they won, their way was the right way, but he didn't meet a free conditioned dog.

Single minded, could be called an opinion, a flying jenny is free conditioning like an easy turning treadmill. In other words, a running keep, a bicycle does very well for your dog and yourself to be totally prepared.

Whatever your opinion is about conditioning, there is one thing we all have in common, that is trying to condition "maximum stress" in our own way or opinion from past experience. Open your eyes before you give your opinion.

I know you'll have fought many dogs because I've read your names in all the magazines for as long as I can remember. Hard pulling treadmill, a treadmill with plastic boards condition their dogs to work the mill every day, not in preparation for the contest, as far as taking the same dog and condition one time strength and the next time free. There are a lot of variables to consider. The free conditioned time, I work the dog, he could weigh 2 lbs. lighter than when I strength conditioned him. Also I may run the risk of stress and strain throughout the keep. And who is to say that the dog 2 lbs. Lighter, most likely longer and taller because of a free conditioning is NOT as strong as his shorter adversary, at the same weight, not to speak of coordination, balance, speed to the holt, movement, great angles, and what's more important is that a higher conditioned heart rate that no dog will produce during the contest unless needed. Of course, it's only an opinion that 102 treadmills have proven a thousand times. I wouldn't tell anyone anything to harm their dog; apparently no one has found anything to improve it. The respiratory recovery method in my book is; raise the heart rate and rest. If you and everyone else will do this with a free technique I feel I have helped everyone. You will condition maximum stress in preparation for the contest, and that process will end up being your keep. I can't tell you how much I enjoy answering people who say the right things in a way that they expect the same respect in a rebuttal. Thank you for your direction. All the input from people has allowed me to explain things, so ya'll can understand better. Just add it to your keep, what harm can it do? Use a bike for two sessions like the video shows you on the mill. That will get him to his true weight. Now he can cool correctly

I'm not selling a $200.00 "Keep". I'm telling you what happens with anybody's keep, so I don't incorporate any of it, feed keep or technique. That produced the book and the 2-hour tape on a free turning mill, flying jenny or a 10-speed bike. I sold 600 books for forty dollars a pop. A lot of young men are in great shape to handle a dog in a contest because their heart rate has been conditioned like their dogs, especially hog hunters that have to be "Johnny on the spot" when the hounds strike first. Because a bulldog will get killed quickly, helping out his buddies. You will witness, one 15-minute session on an old Carver "combine mill", reconditioned by the "Millmaker". Also a session of pre keep too on my 42 foot Flying Jenny with at 24 inch banked wall a greyhound can run 40 miles per hour on. I will tell you why Tuffy, Art, Dolomite, and all the rest of Stinson/Glover dogs were above average. This video is like no other video.

When you people go to buy a puppy only a few people get a good one. You choose a conditioning program and the technique to condition "maximum stress". If I don't know how to condition a dog, where does that put you on the food chain? The video will prove without a doubt that choice of technique to recovery with a schedule produced by your dog. If your dog is conditioned and can recover on his feet you prepared your dog for the contest, and got a shot at winning. That's why there isn't one champion in any of the magazines that is really any better champion than another. Is the whole dog game, a crapshoot, of course not? Doesn't anyone want to be a world champ instead of settling on an unproven champion like all the rest? What about you magazine dog fighters that never have a champion? Why do you people keep fighting dogs? Take one dog and try for four time at least you are above average. Ya'll don't need a yard full of dogs. You can bet all the money you want and scream and holler! But you need to be a gentleman and a sportsman.

Notes from the Millmaker

It's all on the video. The correct recovery time during conditioning every dog is what wins fights. How to recover because a free conditioned dog will produce his own schedule at maximum stress to recover. Not schedule a dog's work every day for him, and guessing the amount of recovery, your dog can never recover on his feet during the contest. You may have to take bottom. That's why so many people's dogs have to take bottom in the contest. Your dog should never take bottom to recover, just because the majority of the dogs do this. My dogs did, until I changed something. People see no reason to change techniques to be able to recover on his feet or what to change because they won. People call me for help. I explain the progressive work schedule that each dog produces. Even if their dog has to take bottom they tell me about the performance when and how long they were on bottom. So we can schedule more recovery time. We can't schedule time at maximum stress, some things dogs are gamier than others and work harder and still recover. Dogs that over work themselves that way are put on a fixed work schedule (3-15 minute sessions) until three days before the contest when you progressively cut his work. Always rest a free conditioned dog by progressively decreasing his work. The dog won't take on moisture and take away his air. He will however, burn more fat as primary energy and heat up if you took away his cooling.

It's the same thing when all the other mill makers compare their" junk mills" to mine. My treadmill doesn't have to be elevated more than 1 inch. The boards don't come off the belt because they are plastic, or rub blisters on the sides of their feet because it pulls so hard trying to keep it turning. Your dog can't recover on his feet, so how can he recover in the contest? That condition has never been contested. Don't even think their mills can turn over a minimum of three times, but they say they do. Treadmill belts with plastic boards are so heavy some will turn over three times, it's called strength conditioning. How could a dog recover? Don't buy a mill your dog can't recover on. So this is it buy my book, video, or call me. 1-281-331-3269, E-mail boblemm@swbell.net or see my website at http:/home.swbell.net/boblemm/ I handled a dog for Stinson that quit between my legs to make Rocky a 3x winner. Both done on my mills.

Notes from the Millmaker

What I say about all you people who think you have a different way to be good at something. As a breeder or dog man you people cut your own throats because you sell puppies. You people do what you want because you can. So you sell puppies and kill your personal best. That's why so many people have "cheapened" a champion with all the puppies that are sold to people that know less than they do? Most people hurt their dog's kidneys so bad that they have a hard time making "champion " much less a 5x or 7x winner. When someone gets to 5x's they can see from their performance the error of their ways. They might want to start over with a new dog of better stamina, most likely an out-crossed dog. You people need to change something in a way that helps your dog prepare for the next contest, that is not a frivolous statement. If your dog reaches maximum stress in the contest he wasn't prepared. If there are no broken bones or didn't get your pipes drained, but went into mild shock, he wasn't prepared. So what is there to remember? Technique versus kidneys, maximum stress verses recovery, you verses the world.

Any questions call 1-281-331-3269. Please no nut cases there is only one way to condition maximum stress. "Let your dog do it freely". I have seen some great dogs in my lifetime. Back when Texas and Louisiana had the majority of dogs in the world, and a few good dog men everywhere else. Now there are dogs everywhere and they have no one to tell them how to be recognized as a true competitor, they are just there doing it half way and quitting after 3x's. I write to help you become a true competitor. There is one thing for sure. You may think you are above average among your peers because of Jack Kelly's "Journal", but "my peers" and I will be remembered for what ya'll aren't. Because ya'll fought a lot of dogs, instead of fighting a gentleman and a sport, open your eyes, it's easier, costs less and a lot more enjoyable when you show up with a winner every time. You have to prove it or walk away a looser and start over again. The odds are with you; you win more times with an experienced dog. Your dog can be conditioned with less work for the same performance and end the contest with reserve energy to start the prekeep like he did in his first outing. If and when the individual does win 4x's or more, he can look back and know that his last performance might not have been his personal best, but he will never have a bad night again. When you do win 5x's call me, "we can really talk dogs" especially if you lose the fifth contest. You know a few years of trying with the dogs on your yard becoming winners, out-crossing to winning dogs. You don't just carry on the names on the pedigrees. Breeding winners you leave out the bad. Breeding pedigrees, you bring along the bad with you. You carry on physical confirmation with stamina. When people breed to dogs because of names on paper that aren't winners they lessen the chances of producing a dog of quality. For every dog bred that way that becomes famous, a hundred didn't make it. Yet people still continue to do it. Try to incest winners of one blood, to retain recessive genetics, to breed to increased winners of another bloodline. Condition a roll all that weak stamina shit. Pick out as many game ones of both litters. Breed those two litters together; producing out crossed dogs called "the mule" "the work horse" of the breed. Sometimes you can buy dog pay a fee to breed to produce the "mule" the out cross with stamina. Work with another yard like Stinson/Glover did after working as many dogs as I have, and 102 treadmills working over a 1,000 dogs and talking and helping most of them. I asked questions of breeders because of the many stamina problems of all dogs during conditioning. The differences I found with maximum stress to recovery and recovery was because of breeding. I couldn't have come up with the truth if 1,000 or more winners were using the wrong technique, feed keep, in preparation for the contest. I wish I could condition everyone of ya'lls dogs for their first contest, to find out what their true weight is, so I can add work looking for a bad recovery. Hand them to you to go and find 5 dogs to contest to find out that because I found his true contesting weight, that all 5 contests were with "mallard ducks". There's only one reason out of three reasons that you can lose. Shock, because of bone breakage, get your pipes drained, or the blood in his veins...you just can't make the mistake of letting the blood in his veins be the reason you lost because you left him down too long after one or both of the first 2 reasons you could lose from. If you make that mistake, "you're not a gentleman or a sportsman, you're stupid and inhumane." Just as soon as your dog falters, breaks stride, can't defend himself, tell your opponent you will pick your dog up if he will give you a rematch. If he agrees, pick your dog up, if he said no, pick your dog up before he uses up all of his reserve energy and never be the dog he was ever again.

"Seen Through the Eyes of the Millmaker"

P.S. All through the 70's I competed against people that had my mills. Three different shows had every dog was worked on my treadmills. My treadmills made all the dogs look like they were running in heavy traffic.

Notes from the Millmaker

WHAT IS A GOOD DOG?

HOW SHOULD HE PERFORM?

The best kind of dog to condition is a dog that will run a free turning mill as fast as he can for as long as he can, before he breaks stride or slows down. From that exhibition of energy I look for "maximum stress" on the first day of the prekeep and the dog does that for ten days. Fifteen minutes a day is not in the least harmful to a healthy dog. You can keep your dog at that schedule for 6 months. It does prepare him so when I start to add work day after day, I will enjoy seeing "maximum stress" fade away and stress and strain is no more never to show up in my face again. Unless there is a health problem, or a feed keep problem where as the respiratory recovery method stops me from adding to a problem by over working the dog. Most likely you get a bad recovery. If there is no problem I am free to chase after maximum stress. By continually adding work day after day, hoping I get to the one-hour mark before I get a bad heart rate, more heartbeats than yesterday. No bad recovery means somebody's going to have a hard time winning and they can bring "Billy Bear", my fight is against maximum stress. My job is conditioning my dog well enough to drive the other dog into maximum stress first and if my dog is in great shape he will continue to apply aggression to win because he can recover on his feet. Now, how do I prove it to everyone? Simple, I condition my dog to burn a vast amount of carbohydrates for a long period of time day after day, also use up a vast amount of calories. Also, "bonus energy" from stored conditioned body fat, hoping the contest doesn't go over an hour, so my dog won't have to convert life-sustaining body fat into energy. Because that's all the energy my dog has left. All great dog men do all of that very well. The only difference between the greats is the traffic they run in. If your dog has to take bottom you missed it again, and only you should know why that happened. Everyone that calls me always asks, what about strength training during the keep? And I always say, I'm doing just that. The dogs I condition don't pull sleds or win a prize for shaking a hide the hardest, and loosens up his hip sockets. There is no way to strength condition a dog for the contest and that dog not get to maximum stress before my dog does. Every time I see a dog get hot and reach maximum stress early in the contest, I know it is the fault of technique. Like a hard pulling treadmill or, worse yet, carrying or pulling weights, or 40 feet of chain. When a dog like that meets up with a free conditioned dog he usually loses. And if he wins, that means the other dog was in worse shape, most likely strength conditioned also. Don't let muscle heads tell you that pulling weights, or jerking on a spring-loaded hide is good for your dog in a contest. Muscle heads never catch on, they think that my dog is going to let their dog bite and shake him like he does that spring loaded hide.

Just a few thoughts to the people who bought my book. Also, dogs that have to contest on carpet will automatically dig their toenails in the carpet and lunge forward. A free conditioned dog doesn't have time to plant his feet, he's running to fast, and can run fast all night and not get caught. The strength-conditioned dog has no choice in the matter. That's why they won't be any more great combat dogs like Tuffy and Jeep until you contest your dogs on a tarpaulin canvas. Tuffy went on offense and bit hard. Jeep went on offence and didn't bite hard.

Stinson/Glover and company had Tuffy right and I know. James Crenshaw had Jeep right; it's a guessing game with James whenever I saw his dogs fight. I know how he did it! I don't know how he scheduled a dog to work. No dog will ever be a better-earned R.O.M. and surely if they haven't won 3x's like Frisco.

"Seen Through the Eyes of the Millmaker"

Notes from the Millmaker

People unnecessarily use their reserve energy because of the pit rules, being misunderstood. Reasons for that is, because people don't understand what the Cajun Rules are for, and what they mean. That meaning hurts both dogs, winners and losers. For the winner possibly using up his reserve energy he needs to use in a contest or save his life if he is contested into a dog conditioned as well as he is. Either dog can not foul his adversary. But either handler can foul either dog and the other handler or all three. That has happened in almost every contest I have witnessed since 1993. It would seem that since there are so many of you great dog men at this time, that none of you people would want to lengthen a fight or stress their dogs any more than necessary to win or forget where you were 20 minutes ago. Great or poor dog men are the same. They started their apprenticeship thinking they know what the rules are for and what they mean. So when they referee a contest they think and do what they know and saw. Enough about all that for now. Ya'll need to know the beginning of the rules, and it's not that far back from today.

Around 19?? A man named Gaboon Trahan was the chief of police in Lafayette for 20 years. Mr. Trahan provided a place for the greatest dog men in the world to contest their dogs twice a year. Any one from out of town had a place to stay at Gabon's motel and most didn't have to pay for it. Everyone invited was a gentleman and a sport, at least when they were at that outing. Everyone knew if they didn't that Mr. Trahan might shoot them. Now days there are so many people not being a gentleman and sport that there aren't enough people knowing what is right, that there is no restraint that can be applied to change things. I have a poster and a letter to tell all the contestants where the money went, who got what amount. This poster has names and weights of a 14-contest convention. Some of them and others asked Gaboon Trahan to write a set of rules that would make it fair for both dogs and handlers to produce a winner in any contest. Just as they have been for, God only knows, how long. The first thing Mr. Trahan said, "I need some help from Roland Fontaneaux and Jimmy Wimberly."" There wasn't anyone in the world that knew more about contesting two dogs or men than Roland and Jimmy, October 27, 1958. I was 16 years old.

A lot of these men were better competitors than the few names ya'll know. Now there wouldn't be any reason anyone couldn't or not know how someone would referee a contest, because they knew the meaning of the rules. Everyone thinking, competing toward a common goal. By now you all think that's what you do in the year of 1998. But, first I need to tell you where they are, where they are going, and where they hope to be as a competitor. The majority are competitors contesting their dogs, looking for a dog that might be good enough to win three contests. No big rush to achieve that accomplishment, it could happen any time. To win three was to be a good average dog man that wasn't inexperienced, and apprentice-ship is over. To win three contests with one dog to day doesn't mean the same thing. Only the very few now days go on to win four or more. Today the good average competitor wins three and retires their dog, starts selling puppies to anyone and may advertise, in one magazine or all. The days of old didn't have to advertise. To be above average would be to win four or five. That would be above normal all from being a competitor. In 1998 winning three is to be famous, instant puppy factory, worldwide magazines fame, money by the few average. The majority breeding to dogs with name on papers of winners three generations back. Losing the concept of breeding to winners, mostly because they aren't of the days of old, will never be a competitor not knowing that names on paper are not what produces individuals as the few. Now let's talk about 1998 and the misunderstanding of the rules. That doesn't change the outcome of any of the contests, but is just not right.

I went to the mountains to watch Pitdog try to win 7 with a dog named C-C , because if she won 7, Pitdog would be of the few in the world that achieved that honor. If it were easy there would be more people get there. Now days somebody beats three mallard ducks and they quit! If it's mallard ducks for three, why not five or seven ducks? Because they don't know they are just average. Pitdog caught on right away as a world-class competitor. C-C wins 5-xs and he's above average. Tells me he's looking for 7-xs, he did it and now is world class but tells me maybe 8-xs. He did and he lost. That's because he didn't want any puppies out of Frisco's trash blood. Frisco never won a contest, so he can pass on some bad along with the good. Like I said before, I went to tell Pitdog that he and I were the only 2 dog men there that night that had conditioned and won 7xs'. He, I and others have done it with a treadmill that I built. Pitdog has two certificates of merit (C.O.M.) For C-C. 5xs is above average and 7xs is world class. It's not that it is so hard to do; it is because his tail never got fluffy trying to be a competitor. Pitdog will get both (C.O.M.) When I read this in this magazine. I'm sure there will be many more to come. Pitdog is my friend, he did all the work, I answered any and all questions with my opinion of what I thought it would take to condition and win. He did some things I said, and he did some things he thought were right. Never the less he raised the heart rate so high every day in conditioning that not only C-C but all of his champions and 4x winners and 1x and 2x winners never experienced a greater heart rate in the contest than they did every day of their conditioning and he will keep on winning until his competitors change something. As a result none of them had to take bottom and get up to win. If they quit they quit on their feet or he picked them up to fight another day because he is if nothing else, a gentleman and a sport when contesting his dogs. Talking trash pit side doesn't change a dog's conditioning. It keeps his adversary from changing.

Now about the meaning of the rules. One article, one rule! Handling from the bottom is a I did "Doc" right for his 4th 2:39, Ridley's dog couldn't swim fast enough to beat the 20 count. We won the money, but we didn't beat him!

Don't say it isn't, just because you don't understand the meaning of why you need to call an honest turn. When a turn is called and confirmed by the referee both handlers and referee work together to give the turning dog a chance to quit, or we would be just like Hard Copy said we are. Play by the rules, the referee gave both handlers an order not to be disobeyed. If a handler won't handle his dog, you tell the referee he won't handle his dog. If I'm that referee and a handler slow plays two handles, I will foul him out. He loses because he doesn't want to allow the turning dog to have a chance to quit. As the referee that is why I was chosen to insure either dog and both handlers a fair way to win and lose. When I referee a fight, I tell both handlers," Cajun Rules, gentlemen." Gaboon Trahan doesn't care if you want a 10 count to scratch, 20 seconds in the corner, 20 seconds out of hold, and I don't care either!!! But, if I said "Cajun Rules" by God you better not foul like some stupid magazine dog fighter. Now say I was the referee of the fight that a handler handled his dog from the bottom. If he succeeded or not I would tell him if he does that again he will foul out and lose. Why anyone would handle from the bottom because most likely the bottom dog is the one that turned and is eventually going to quit? That's a good habit to teach your dog! Every time he's out of hold he knows he'll get a rest in the corner. This dog can never be a 5x winner because the conditioner is and will game check his dog every contest because he doesn't know how to keep his dog off the bottom. So he can win and leave the contest with reserve energy to start the next prekeep. You failed to condition him well enough to defend himself long enough to keep him from turning, much less handling him from the bottom while he is out of the hold. You want to lengthen the fight, or foul yourself out instead of winning by the rule that a man must handle his dog or lose. What if I was the referee and I thought everyone knew the rules. That handler made a second handle from the bottom. I say you lose. Everybody there would pull out their guns and kill me. That's why I won't referee a fight unless it's between people that are on that 14-match convention 40 years ago, or both handlers agree to let me referee by Cajun Rules. My decision is final, or the best dog wins. Maybe people will look at the animals right to be treated fairly. There are more great dogs today than there are gentlemen and sports. In the days of old there were gentlemen and sports because of the meaning of the rules. None of you can find out that meaning except in the "AGDT".

"Seen Through The Eyes Of The Millmaker"

P.S. I hope the editor will let me write more about being a true competitor and stories about the many dogs with C.O.M.'s from The Millmaker. Plus one rule at a time. A true sport has learned something today.

Notes from the Millmaker

Conditioning

The Difference in Techniques Is in Winning or Losing Just because you win all your contests doesn't mean you conditioned your dog properly, or got 100% from your dog. That's why I write so much about conditioning maximum stress. Because I know when you finally get to watch your dog perform at m/s at the hour mark, from a free conditioning. You will have to move up to a more formidable opponent because of confidence. Nobody explains more about conditioning and feed keep than I do. What can someone write about that I forget?

It would seem to me that people that sell "keeps" would tell you more about how to condition maximum stress besides some weak minded work schedule and most likely the wrong technique that over works a dog and is not preparation for the contest. There is no skin off their ass if your dog loses. They already have your money. You get to read the entire keep before you by something from me. The choice is yours. How can anyone change if they don't change techniques? It's like people who build treadmills. If they can't build a free turning mill, and most can't, they can only talk about how strong a dog should be, "what a crock". Never in my lifetime have I ever seen a fight where strength condition won a fight. Except when both dogs were strength conditioned. They dig their toenails in the carpet and push each other around all night. Fight on canvas like in the old days and see how long they fight on their feet. People that build hard pulling mills have no choice but to profess strength conditioning.

If the tape doesn't come back around three times, you don't have any choice either. When strength condition meets free condition, the strength-conditioned dog can never catch up with the free conditioned dog. Unless you brought a "mallard duck" and still the duck may win. I've had my hands on some of the best dogs in the world. My hands are on every dog that is conditioned like I said. Too much difference to be a copycat. I can even tell you the best work schedule for a hard pulling mill, carpet mill, heavy flying jenny, and it's all free for the asking.

I want to see you men win. I don't know why Jack Kelly would put Barney Fife's liver keep, right across from my article on condition. Kelly knows that liver doesn't have enough fat in it, so the body can't assimilate the strength. Mixing fat 50/50 with it doesn't work either. So many protein sources and Jack Kelly's adding more problems to people that don't need any problems for what they know. I'm the only one that has helped people open their eyes to people that prescribe 2 cups of chemicals a day, when a tablespoon of the same stuff is too much in preparation for the contest. If you feed the prescribed amount of chemicals and strength condition, slow muscle twitch tension resistance exercise. You pump excess H2O into his muscles. Your dog will not be at his correct weight so he can't cool correctly. You end up contesting against a taller and longer adversary that can cool sufficiently to beat you. If you feed the prescribed amount of any chemicals and free condition a dog you pump all his cooling on the ground. So it's not a technique problem, it's a chemical problem that will keep your dog from his true weight. I always bet on the skinny dog, at least he can finish the fight. What about scheduled work? Every good dog man knows that a dog can and will schedule his own work that's why they have an eye for conditioning. They saw what they needed to do every time, technique and work. Why look closely at your dog 's work? You just feed something out of a can that's going to win the contest? Everybody's not feeding two cups a day. The one's that use the tablespoon full, will not tell their competitors about my book, website, or 2 hour video, much less my treadmills. All of my competitive mill builders sell more treadmills than they have conditioned dogs for a contest. I have to sell a lot more mills before I get even.

Won against "Belle Star" a 5x winner, great dog, 7 years old. They picked her up at the 1:39 mark. If GatorLou had had my mill to work on, "Belle Star" would have on her 6th at 7 years old. Just think like the Millmaker.... 2 great females, win 10x's out of 11x's, and my treadmill won the 11th contest. This treadmill was the first I built in 1971. Dracula was the first champion made on it in 1972. Bubba continued to racehorses for his Dad. I helped with his dogs 24 years later. He helped me with my daughter's rodeo horse win the All Around Buckle and Saddle in 1995. She came back in 1996 to win Reserve Champion, meaning 2nd Place. What goes around comes around. Dogs and horses were conditioned the same as my children, on the recovery method from maximum stress.

Notes from the Millmaker

Many Reasons Why You're Dog Gets Hot

You Can Not Feed Cups Full of Chemicals

In my 30 years as a dog man I have contributed some of the most prestigious publications on treadmills, free conditioning and feed keep. I have written about the findings of the true weight of your dog; and is the main reason why your dog gets hot during the contest. I prove to you the many mistakes you make preparing your dog.

I found that most people got away from a natural feed keep to reading something off a can label. Not knowing that chemicals speed up the metabolism so fast the body takes on too much water weight. It does one of two things because of your choice of technique. It dumps all their cooling on the ground or pumps all their cooling into their muscles. In both cases your dog will falter in the contest. All that information given to you about chemicals from people that never worked a dog in their life or contested that dog, obviously they are wrong and obviously can't change anything to help you. Just like the tobacco companies did with nicotine. Sure I use chemicals, I would be a fool not to, but in moderation from experience. Any large amount of chemicals used, you may lose the contest, but you can't blame them because they stand behind F.D.A. approval even if you feed ten times the prescribed amount. You loose your money and time spent and the loss of a good dog because you game tested him instead of conditioning him to recover on his feet no matter what happens in the contest.

Your conditioning and feed keep program game tested your dog, instead of your dog's adversary. You start the contest with two strikes against you. I go to watch fights all over the world. I've found out that men that know about technique, maximum stress and recovery can beat anybody with any bloodline. The rest of the people are simply foundered, because of marketing rhetoric in magazines. There is no way any of us can prove that it harms your dog. The rhetoric I speak of prevents your dog from starting the conditioning at his true weigh, but what mistake or how many mistakes do you make? If he's not at his true weight, "How can he cool in the contest?" The harm to your dog is that all chemicals are weight gainers. Since the body is 97% water weight, you should never use large amounts of chemicals during the raising of a dog.

Like all Americans eat too much and they feed their dogs too much. Every dog on your yard should have a narrow waist on them, including your brood-bitches. How? Exercising! Don't you love your dog? Don't you want to win? Or do you have too many dogs on your yard. Oh! I see you don't know enough to care. If you don't change, you can't learn to be a good dog man. Stinson, Grover, and company never had more than 15 dogs on 3 yards. All our dogs were ready to contest or were pregnant. We were always happy and never waiting for anything to be impatient. Now you can get to the work at hand. Vitamin and mineral supplements are one thing but a cup full of any power is foolish. I've never wrote much on feed keep because you feed a dog the same thing you feed a human. Plus cobalt found in prescription K/D dog food I use as a filler only, and an excess amounts of fat that a dog needs but clean fat. My video will show you techniques, recovery and a work schedule your dog will produce himself. Looking for changes so you can make the few good decisions because of minimal stress and strain at this time. Does your dog get hot? Most people's dogs that get hot read this and think, nobody has ever told them how to condition maximum stress in preparation for a contest correctly. What it takes is; #1 oxygen for breathing and recovery, #2 H2O for (Cooling), #3 (Free) technique to get to his true weight, fast twitch muscle exercise, (running keep), To condition the body to convert a vast amount of energy at a low temperature for a long time.

Oxygen versus rate of oxygen absorption and time to recovery excess H2O no weight that isn't cooling. During prekeep, never get your dog too hot with too much work like strength conditioning. Meaning wrong techniques too much stress and strain. The stress and strain is for the contest to create cooling and raise the temperature higher and higher to use more fuel. Movement of the legs cools the dog, too much H2O as body weight, and not enough H2O for cooling doesn't contest your dog at his true weight.

In other words the dog is not yet ready to cool correctly. The body is 97% water weight. Until you get your dog at his true weight so he can cool, you can not start adding work.

The video will show you the prekeep to produce his true weight. You can not guess a dog's weight then and only then can you add work and nourishment to condition your dog in preparation for the contest. I'm not your competitor, so I can tell you how to be competitive and enjoy contesting your dog in the hot summer with a hell-la-va advantage to make your adversary look like a mallard duck, not get hot and have to take bottom, recover on his feet, you win the contest. If you strength condition you pump H2O into his muscles, using too many chemicals pumps even more H2O into the muscles. Now you have no air and the dog heats up, your dog is shorter in height and shorter in length big disadvantage have to take bottom to recover with no choice in the matter. If you free condition your dog and use too much chemicals you pump all your cooling on the ground. Always remember that what you read on a can label is the absolute truth but the amount is what retains H2O, incorrect weight, or dumps cooling on ground, choice of technique is the only way to achieve condition properly.

The book is $40.00, the video is $50.00, and my treadmills are $1500.00. The website http:/home.swbell.net/boblemm//. E-mail address is boblemm@swbell.net

The video explains the facts while you watch the schedule on a free turning treadmill and a flying jenny. Or you can use a 10-speed bike to achieve the same results.

I use 1 tablespoon of Metabolic II for a dog up to 40 lbs., 1-½ tablespoons for 45 lbs., and 2 tablespoons for 50 pounds. I also use 1 teaspoon of Carboplex for 40 lbs., 1 ½ for 45 lbs., 2 for 50 lbs. Metabol II and Carboplex are comparable, made by Champion. Comparable because you can't over vitamin and mineralize your dog and not control his weight, high or low, therefore, not cooling correctly. Call Bob Fritz (APRL). Bob sells Champion Products.

You just let your dogs produce their own work schedule and break stride. So you will know how much recovery time your dog will get to recover at that weight. Ending up controlling his weight with increased diet with increasing work to maintain his true contest weight. Therefore cool correctly so when you start his progressive work schedule the body can be conditioned with as little stress and strain as possible. Once you learn to control his true weight, you can condition maximum stress (a very high heart rate) at its lowest temperature to be cooled. Anything other than a simple clean feed keep will keep you from his true weight and fail to cool correctly. Therefore leaving the contest with less reserve energy to start the next contest from ground zero again. Done correctly, the fight will be shorter, less stress and strain on your dog. The majority of people that win 3x's and retrieve their dogs because they don't have any confidence, they want to sell puppies. Don't want to take the chance to be one of the best.

There are too many champions! To win 3x's with one dog is to be average, to win 5x's is to be above average, to win 6 and 7x's is to be world class. I believe in the saying "Misery loves company". The below average and a......... passing along puppies by below average people with unproven dogs. Never put your fights in the magazines. Wait until you win 3x's. That way people can challenge you for your 4th. No way will the majority of people do that. Mainly because of conditioning, make money, likes the large majority sets standards, their tails get fluffy, excuses are an yard full of dogs to fight and never become above average with a 3x winner.

I never saw Willie fight, Bill owned 2 of my treadmills, "Billy the Kid" could really condition a dog with no help from me.

Every man that buys my treadmill tries to win 5x's. I want to write that certificate of merit for 5x's. I will give all the help to someone that I can. Hopping you will try to be the best dog man you can. If you never make it you will stand next to my peers and I as a good dog man. At least you won't be in the magazines as a puppy peddler and magazine dog fighters that admit to the world that they are dog fighters. I can fade the heat, as long as I don't step over the pit wall with a dog in my arms, referee a match, make machines, they can't get me for the RECO Act, and I can help you condition your dogs, sell my book, video and treadmills. If you people continually advertise your accomplishment they have your names and addresses. Ya'll are a target for reprisal and definitely can be charged with the "RECO Act", meaning (organized crime), because of the phone conversation. The only way to prove your dogs are above average and that you can condition well enough to win 5x's is to prove it. Even if you use a flying Jenny or a bicycle and win 5x's I will send you a Certificate of Merit, because of technique and diet Stinson won her 4th against Bobby Hall, gave it up 23 minutes. I did her 5th both times were on my mill.

Notes from the Millmaker

Free Conditioning Comparing Treadmills, Flying Jennies, and The People that Use Them.

Both need sufficient Recovery, All People Don't In the past few years I have written as much as I could to help as many people, pertaining to conditioning, feed keep, health and welfare of your dog. It's amazing how many people take offence just because it's contrary to the way they think mainly because of the majority setting sub-standard practices. Anything I write about isn't written in stone. I've found out talking to people, that the only difference in feed keep, is the amounts of the essentials or brand names, choice of technique and amount of work someone thinks their dog needs to prepare it for the contest.

In defense of my treadmill and my 42 foot flying Jenny with a 24" banked wall that a 70-pound Greyhound can run 40 M.P.H. on. Don Mayfield said my Jenny was to small, yet a 70 pound Greyhound can't run 40 m.p.h. on Danny Burton's 60 foot in diameter Jenny, Mayfield's is about the same and puts 6 hours or more of work. Mayfield said that when a flying Jenny man like himself, Danny Burton and Jimmy Jobe meets a treadmill keep they lose. "What a crock". NO, Don Mayfield. You can't defend your hard pulling piece of Jenny junk. When I put the picture of my Jenny in the magazine. I could have written this article before he wrote all that rhetoric and lies. Case in point, point of fact; Burton lost to Dolomite. Burton lost to Bully, Mayfield lost to Ruby, Jobs lost to Art and Mayfield lost to the Millmaker. All of the above were worked on treadmills I built 25 years ago. I wish I could put all the latest Certificates of Merit on this web page. But I can't.

I worked Ronnie for his first two times, the only time I ever matched into George and Buddie, I bet every penny I had. Can you believe I traveled with a dog 1 1/2 pounds light all the way to Ft Worth, set him face to face with a 2x winner, and a borrowed dog at that to look and see Don Mayfield across the pit in Buddies corner. Well, it didn't look too good for the out-of-town boys. Well, the fight started, and Ronnie spent the 1st five minutes on his back trying to find something to bite. He was even singing a little song. After every person from Ft worth tried to make a bet with Jim, that is, before Ronnie started his opera again. from that point on, he only bit your dog three times. 1st between his eyes, when he got up and stayed there for three minutes, from there to the front shoulder for ten minutes. That's when the only person that wanted to bet was Jim, because between the eyes of that 2x winner, it looked like someone had stacked up some matchsticks. Well, that's when I found out everyone was going to call him bad Ronnie from that day on, win or lose. His 3rd bite was to the neck and I thought he was doing so well in the shoulder. Ronnie had other things on his mind. Like the things Robert Lemm said was going to happen to him if he didn't stay around to see who won. At the 27-minute mark your dog was cold-stone dead, in which I told the referee so. The referee asked if you would give up the fight, or he would declare the Ronnie dog the winner. You looked down at me and asked, "Will you scratch to win?" Well, you still couldn't conceive to such a dog at that time. I turned to bad Ronnie and said, "Get you some more, son!" And he shook blood into the parking lot down the hill. The great known hill had never had so much of their own blood upon it in such a manner. You then said, "We give it up." Instead of saying, "You win". I don't want to be a great dog man like that. I win well and lose well. This fight was between Don Mayfield's son-in-law, Buddy and the Millmaker in 1975. He hadn't liked me since.

Dolomite was Tuffy's little brother. Died after his 4th win. All 4x's he weighed 39 lbs. - Great dog, Bully beat Danny Burton's 2x winner for his 5th, was picked up 2x's. 4x's went over 2 hours.

Jim and I worked Ruby, who beat Mayfield's bitch, which beat Ms Pool Hall Red. Something must have been wrong with Jerry's Ms Pool Hall Red, because Ruby ran Mayfield's bitch out of gas, then kicked her butt with no problem.

Art, the dog with a heart. Art didn't need heart, when you fell down in front of him, they never got up. To scratch or have time to make a turn. Art never had to scratch to win, not once.

What can I say about the greatest combat dog there ever was! Everybody I asked, "What do you think about the Tuffy dog?" answered "He's dangerous from the start."

It is a shame that Mayfield over worked every dog, because the Jenny work is exactly like my treadmills, a running keep. When Donnie overworked his dogs, he didn't take away any condition, so to speak. He took away performance because of the lack of recovery time while conditioning "maximum stress". Every day to the light side of true weight. It is a fact that Don Mayfield is one of the best conditioners of all times. He will never be the best because of the lack of recovery time. He thinks there isn't any way to improve, especially coming from the Millmaker, what a loss for a good dog man, like he named himself "Texas Hick". How true.... no recovery, no 5x winner with recovery. Art, 7x's, Tuffy 7x's, Bully 5x's, Angus 5 x's, Black Lady 5x's and many more. He thinks nobody can do it like him, but when I sold a treadmill to someone, the small change of recovery time beat Burton, Jobs, Mayfield, and many more people that used that technique because they fell into the same trap. Don wouldn't help because he couldn't help. Mayfield is of my era; I surely don't have to lie. Don won a lot of contests, but never a 5x winner.

More controversy; first of all I don't care how people represent their dogs, except when the prevailing accomplishments set weak standards. To all the fluffy tail owners of retired champions advertised in the magazine. Point of fact; People can breed their bitches and sell puppies, and charge for stud fee, and still be open to the world. Having a three-time winner is the beginning not the end for a competitive dog and man. Three time winners are common, and 7 time winners are the dogs to breed to. They are above average and world class. True selective breeding.

There must be a hundreds of champions alive today and one no more famous than another, because their unproven for propagation. But I guess there's safety in numbers. I wouldn't breed to any three time winner because the "proof is in the pudding'" a pudding is still cooking. In 1984 I helped work a dog on my old mill that stopped two champions and they both died after the fight. Floyd Boudreaux had me open his mouth because he didn't believe all four cutters were broke off flush with his other teeth. He was matched into a four-time winner when someone poisoned him. No thought of putting him in the magazine if we would have won. Like the rest of the fluffy tail magazine dog fighters with a hometown champion, Jack Kelly won't print articles about controversy of this nature. He doesn't care about the dogs or you people. They should be more 5x winners than champions. Money, money and more money. If you report your fights, just one recorded phone call making a match constitutes the "RECO Act" (organized crime). Jack doesn't care. People without a champion should challenge a champion. The magazines get thicker and the blood gets thinner. Jerk Kelly has insulted you long enough. He's one of the guy's who wears a black hat like Bobby Hall, Don Mayfield, Barney Fife, and Rickey Jones. Rickey told on his peers when he didn't have to! Now! If they ask he will have to...

We all need to raise the standards of the breed, because at this time, it's as low as it's ever been, very few 5x winners, because of the weak commercial value of a champion. That's why I used Barney Fife, to open people's eyes to technique, rest to recover, and amount of work. If someone can get a handle on those three things, people can win feeding Hi-Pro Purina and an all-purpose vitamin. I have many times and they had all the air they needed. The Sporting Dog Journal is nothing but advertisement that is the root of the problem. Stops people from having a fourth contest; Jack tells people they can sell puppies for big money with that blood. Making so many people just puppy peddlers, magazine dog fighter instead of a competitor to improve themselves and the breed for what it is and still make money and contest their dog. The man with a few dogs that takes one dog to 5 wins or he quits, sells or he dies is a real dog man. So where is all their minds? In the magazine! A legend in their own minds with no way to improve because people buy puppies and hope to get lucky. Then test their gameness because of condition. Not knowing that every pedigree doesn't make a famous dog. But! Every famous dog makes his pedigree famous.

Notes from the Millmaker

"Pig Pickin 97", I enjoyed hosting it that year. I chose Jerry Clemmons to receive the Maurice Carver Achievement Award, mainly because he has sold so many good dogs in the past years. Also Jerry won the treadmill that was raffled off. I ended up having the "Pig Pickin" at my horse barn 5 minutes from my house, where I build treadmills and the conditioning facilities. We had plenty of Gumbo and rice, and Texas BBQ. We floated 2 kegs of beer. I had a great time cooking for everyone, sold a few books, and one treadmill. I want to thank everyone that came. A dog like "Frisco " from a person like Tom Garner, who wouldn't make a pimple on a dog fighter's ass. Yet, Tom Garner built his yard from fighting dogs and of other people's accomplishments. But!! Tom wants you people to breed to a dog that hasn't won a single contest, and buy a puppy from the same dog. Oh! I see, your life is a "crap-shoot". Why not Tom? He said Frisco has a golden dick, "what a Crock". Maybe old Garner has found out something different, then the age old fact of "survival of the fittest" not to many people survives after they "crap-out". It would be so much easier, cost less, just to have two dogs; fight one until he quits, wins five, dies, or you sell him and start with the other all over again. No deal, huh!

Notes from the Millmaker

The basic program comes from the accomplishments of the two greatest combat dogs in the world, "Art" and "Tuffy", where the traffic was the heaviest, Texas and Louisiana. A few good dog men elsewhere. Both dogs were conditioned exactly the same way. Both dogs became 7x winners, contrary to what Jack Kelly in his magazine thinks. If the truth was known "Art had 8 fights. Jack Kelly road the fence again when he heard someone that wasn't even there pit side when Glover handled without a turn being called. Not knowing if you subtract 1 foul out from 8 contests leaves a 7x winner and the greatest fighting dog in the world ever. The first 5 wins were conditioned on my treadmills then sold to Adams and Clutchfield. For Bill Step that owned two of my mills. Do ya'll think my treadmills had anything to do with any of these winners? Good sense should tell ya'll that Tombstone, Bully son, Benny Bob or any other dog that wasn't properly recovered throughout conditioning or wrong technique, or both could have beat any dog free conditioned on my mills, easy turning Jenny or a 10 speed bicycle and given the correct amount of recovery throughout the keep.

Unless you want to read the fight reports, and believe the winner and loser was conditioned well enough to defend that pedigree they thought so much of? "What a crock" what about Tombstone? Mayfield sold him to Patrick's after he beat Bullyson, Jr. because Mayfield knew Stinson/Glover's Tuffy would have kicked his ass. I now own the treadmill that Bobby Hall worked Bullyson, Bullyson, Jr. that hard pulling piece of junk has a Millmaker roller tray in it now and has helped make 4-3x winners, 1-7x winner and God only knows how many more certificates of merit I will write before I die. Do you people know, that after Bobby Hall lost to Mayfield with Bullyson, Jr. Bobby told me he went to Mayfield's house to learn how to condition a dog? Guess what! The Texas Hick taught him?

#1. That the junk mill blew a dog's kidneys. Absolutely true!
#2. That a "catmill" (a flying jenny) is better than a junk mill. Absolutely true!
#3. That 4 to 6 hours on the flying Jenny or more is what it takes to be a winner. Absolutely not true. Never took a dog off for a walk. No real rest to recover. Lazy.
But I worked dogs at Bobby 's house many times, and bobby mostly worked his dogs with the "more". Out of the" pan" into the fire went "Mr. Bullyson"!! Because when bobby's dogs were in the" pan" he overworked his dogs from day one, and couldn't recover on the junk mill, and didn't give them much, if any by taking them off the mill to recover. While in the "fire" Bobby's dogs got a small amount of recovery because of a running keep, but spent so much more time working he had to feed 4x's more food, 2 x's a day just to maintain weight. What Bobby Hall learned most was not to go into Mayfield, and after Bobby ran 4 Bullyson, sons and 1 daughter at Stinson/Glover, he decided he couldn't win. Bobby Hall traveled the world over beating "mallard ducks" for a lot of money. The reason why I haven't told this story before is because Bobby Hall is "done". Everyone can be a winner among his peers if you understand how Stinson/Glover beat Mayfield, Hall and Burton. Understand this, never in Stinson/Glover's era did they have more than 9 dogs on both yards. It was a winner or it better be a winner. See how many dogs you have on your yard that can fade the "heat tomorrow ". If you ain't no "Mallard Duck? How do you tell from a pedigree if he's a winner? And why would you breed to a dog like... I never missed a day of their conditioning for any of their fights when Stinson/Glover owned the dogs.

Notes from the Millmaker

Condition
Does Your Dog Get Hot?
Was your dog-conditioned in preparation for the contest?

Dogs conditioned in preparation for the contest, experience a higher heart rate in the contest than any day of conditioning. That's why your dog gets hot. Is your dog at his true weight? If not, that's why your dog got hot. Strength condition him, that's why your dog got hot. The more your dog moves his legs the more oxygen he gets in his blood.

The most important element in conditioning is oxygen, you can't ever get too much, ever. The best way to do that is a sufficient amount of recovery time after being at maximum stress. So every dog that breaks stride to recover lets you know he needed to recover. Your dog produces his own schedule for enough recovery time. I choose the average amount of time all dogs settled on the 15-minute session.

A very important element is H2O for cooling under stress. The best way to control the amount of cooling is technique and true weight, so he won't get hot. Important element is the correct amount of body fat, never too much or too little. The best way to control the amount of fat is to feed keep the dog with a clean diet so he won't be over weight when you start your increased work program.

To control those elements is to condition the body in preparation for the contest, with minimal stress and strain before a lot of hard work, so when you add work you will have to increase his food to keep him at his true weight but be conditioned so he will be stronger at his true weight. Maybe you have one of those hard bitters like "Art" or "Tuffy" or "C-C", 7x winner, just bites all night long if necessary, great defensive dog. I may explain it funny, but the secret to those dogs was free conditioned. If nothing else I looked on while it was done, to all of them.

Past history has proven that a free conditioning is the best preparation for the contest, as long as you don't over work your dog. Over working your dog will affect oxygen recovery, H2O for cooling, and fat deficiency, first stage of dehydration by using life sustaining fat (bonus energy) to warm the body. Adding water to his feed will not correct the weight loss because of dehydration. Cut his work in half until he hydrates. Cut out all chemicals for one day. That dog doesn't need many chemicals or work.

Preparation for the pre keep is the first step. To work a dog on small amounts of clean food to find out his true weight.

Then and only then can a dog produce his own work schedule and show you the condition of his recovery and the amount of cooling off the end of his tongue without stress and strain. Then and only then can you start adding work without any deficiency of oxygen, H2O, or fat? Oxygen, H2O, and fat in the body will control the condition of cooling of your dog during the contest. Then and only then your dog will never have a higher heart rate during the contest then any day of the keep. That means your dog never has to take bottom during the contest.

My job is to condition your mind, eyes, hands and ears to keep you from starting the pre keep under stressful conditions and not be at his true weight. Therefore, over working your dog throughout your work program energy deficient. That's why I wrote the book, made the video and build treadmills.

That's why "Art" never had to scratch to win, or ever allowed any of the seven different dogs to scratch to him, not one courtesy scratch. Preparation for the contest is the way to win, because it keeps your dog off the bottom so you won't game check him in every contest, anything less you will see the error of your ways during the contest, now it's too late to do anything about it. Who knows you may win best dog of the show after getting up off the bottom, but there's one thing for sure. If you don't do better conditioning him you surely won't win 5x's with him. Being oxygen deficient on the bottom does not win contests. The longer you have your dog near his weight on the 15-minute a day prekeep. The stronger he will be for the 13 days of pre keep to have him ready to start conditioning the dog and see how far you can go. Now you can't make but one mistake, and that is to over work your dog because you don't notice stress, strain, or when he falters and needs recovery time. I gave you an average work schedule that every free conditioned dog will produce and recover.

That's why I check the heart rate once a day at the 15-minute mark every day. When you start adding work every day, the heart rate should be the same or less than yesterday. The day the heart rate is more than yesterday, meaning yesterday was too much work, that's it. Do that amount of work until you get to the three rest days like the book explains, so your dog won't take on moisture that will affect his air. You progressively increased his work to control the three elements, so the correct way to finish a dog is to progressively rest a dog. That way you will know how, what and why your dog preformed in the contest. Then and only then will you understand that your dog was in condition in preparation for the contest, and not just because you won. Too many people depend on reading a label on a can, or follow a schedule of work that someone else wrote down to follow, and not notice that your dog was prepared to produce his own work schedule. It's simple; raise the heart rate to maximum stress and a sufficient amount of recovery time. I only wrote down a schedule of recovery time, your dog can and will produce his own work schedule. Most people feed so many chemicals they take on so much moisture and never prekeep a dog long enough to find out his true weight. Then they feed keep him to make weight that they produced. Big disadvantage and people wonder why their dog gets hot. My book and video can help everyone improve longevity in performance. Remember talking on the phone will get you in trouble reporting your fights in the magazines can put you behind bars. Win three, get the championship certificate. Who's to say whether you bought the dog for a stud or you contested him for his championship. Only one recorded match on the phone and you get the "RECO Act", your bank accounts, and house and property and jail time for talking on the phone after putting your fight in the magazines. They read fight reports, and that constitutes "Probable cause" and is not necessary to be a competitor, get famous, or to get away with it. Anyway where does all that put you on the food chain?? "Phone taps are easy, with probable cause! You win four or five all the important people will hear about it.

Notes from the Millmaker

Not a Crock of Rhetoric

Information that no condition program has, because they don't know or as a competitor won't tell you.

The conditioning of the highest heart rate the dog can reach on your feed keep day after day, without a "Bad Recovery" that your dog can do without stress and strain.

In all the contests seen through the eyes of the Millmaker, ninety percent of the dogs I've seen contest that weren't free conditioned, win or lose experienced a higher heart rate in the contest than they ever reached in the entire keep on any day. That means they all were not properly conditioned, therefore could not be finished to peak condition and therefore had to take bottom to recover with no choice in the matter.

When conditioning maximum stress in preparation for the contest, the dog reaches maximum stress every day of the keep including the two-day before and the day of the contest. And, I promise ya'll that maximum stress will NOT slap your dog in the face and be the reason he quits or strains your dog. You leave it up to your choice of blood.

Don't think that the names on his pedigree can help now! If your dog has to take bottom one time to recover, "the dog is on his own". The best thing you can do is, get away from him and hope he paces himself. How many people do that? If he wins? You need to change something in the way you condition maximum stress. But how do you change something because everybody else's dogs do the same thing. Why not try it the way it will do one thing for your dog? He will end each contest on his feet recovered, with retention of his reserve energy to start the next prekeep with bonus energy to start adding work, without stress and strain for his next contest. End the contest with reserve energy; he will be ready for pre keep in 20 days.

First of all, I condition my dog everyday to get as hot as he should get. If your dog doesn't get as hot as he needs to be during the keep every day you will never condition him. I condition the heart rate to the highest beats per minute for as long as he can run until he breaks stride on his own. That's called maximum stress to recovery. The start of every recovery because he has no choice in the matter. He tells you when he breaks stride.

So we don't need x-muscle heads or steroid freaks putting something in a (can) to stop the first step of conditioning by not heating your dog up, and when he gets hot you can't stop the temperature from rising without a water hose, he can't recover because of too many chemicals.

Marketing Rhetoric: I read this: "You've seen this yourself, one day your dog's workouts are great but the next day's workout is lousy and if you feed your dog (this product) it will solve this problem. "What a Crock!"

Lord only knows, how many people buy this product and think they had good results because they won. If they lose they don't stop using it. They believe in it but can these dogs be conditioned to peak and be finished in preparation for the "contest"? Absolutely not! They wouldn't know how to peak their dog because the problem was solved with a Band-Aid. One day up, one day down is a technique problem, overworked dog; a dirty dog owned by someone that doesn't know anything. For $100.00 you can buy 4 gallons of Metabol II and 4- ½ gallons of Carboplex does that person think that I would let that slip by without comment?

Here's the best one yet. "The feed that will recreate "Bullyson, Art and Bolio".

A lot of people buy this product and they think it helps. The rest of us know better. Especially me. I didn't miss a day of conditioning for the first four fights of the Art dog. And of course, Bobby Hall and Indian Sonny were friends of mine. So I knew Bullyson and Bolio as well as the Art dog.

I want to say that if you learn how to condition a dog well, finishing a dog is the easiest part. When it's done right nothing will affect your dog, not even travel. I feel that if more people did better at what they do to their dogs, you people out there may have a shot at recreating Art, Bullyson and Bolio. When it happens I will know what you feed and what technique you used. Unless you beat Mallard ducks. I'll find that out also. Because like a fool you put your fights in the magazines.

The words "Peak condition" is the most misunderstood word in conditioning dogs. All dog men that say they "peak" him the day of the fight are describing the word peak condition in his mind as being right. But what he really means is he peaked his dog to the 27th day because of rest days with no exercising he explodes the last three days. You CAN NOT "peak" the day of the contest because of his rest days. No body at all can say that they used the rest days to "peak" a dog. They finish the dog before rest whether it's three days or one day or a week of rest in preparation of the contest. The last hard work day, that's when you want to see the peak condition, that's what you have been controlling without stress. Not progressively resting him he will explode. He will come in like you think you "peaked him, he will come in not finished; not peaked contest day. Use my program and he will look the same during his rest as he looked on his last hard day.

I try to talk about all those things in my book. Because I know for a fact there's very few people that peak their dog on the hardest day of the keep. In my keep it will be the 27th day. The 26th day was his hardest workday. So now we're looking at the 27th day, cut his work in half, the 28th day cut that in half again and contest day I see my dog run wide open on a treadmill for five minutes, twelve hours before the contest if you are at home.

You know, I can see people out there in play land with these dogs that need help. Now you might not think that is true. There are about 80% of them that really need help.

When I read in the "Journal" from contest 493 through contest 737 reported contests that means there's 244 contests. One hundred fifty (150) contests went less than an hour, 5 contests went less than 10 minutes, 20 contests less than 20 minutes, 36 contests went between 30-40 minutes, 35 contests went between 40-50 minutes and 19 contests went 50 minutes to an hour. Out of 150 contests that went less than an hour 57 people picked up their dogs and most of them ran their scratches. What! Your tail got fluffy before your dog's did? If he ran his scratch you picked him up too soon. You are too scared to ever be a true competitor. Maybe all the editors out there could evaluate this as I do. Sure, there are a lot of competitors out there for 244 contests but, I guarantee, the way I see it, a lot of people need some help in one area or the other. If I subscribe to a magazine I expect to get help as if I were asking a friend for help. If one editor doesn't like another editor that's no reason why one should keep something from his subscribers. We deserve more than just a lot of advertisement. I stopped writing in the SDJ, I don't take it anymore, it can't help me and can't help you, (zero).

We need people to help other people and the magazine is the best place to help each other not as a competitor I do that for free as a salesman. If I can help all those guys that picked up in 57 contests, I will. Just think how many laid around that should have been picked up. Fifty-seven pick out of 244 is 25% are nowhere close to being a professional dog man. It's no wonder to me why the Humaniacs are after us. Jerk Kelly could give you people direction, he won't. Ya'll need to know that you could fold up Jack's magazine and put it in your billfold the day that the pit report went under. From that day forth, Jerk Kelly, too fat to be a "Yankee cop" began his quest to fame and fortune. His fortune came from advertising anything whether or not anyone bought it or not. I guess that's freedom of speech, and I'm all for that! But! What you people don't understand is that if you try to sell something trashy in Fat Bill's magazine, he not only won't let you, he will give you a good ass-eatin' and challenge you at any weight, any where, any time for any amount of money. Because of so much advertising rhetoric in Jerk Kelly's SDJ. Most of you people won't take Bill's magazine. Bill will not put any contest report in his magazine unless it is at least a good fight. Bill can and will help anyone become a good dog man for free. Bill knows that any person can't ever beat him or ever become a threat to him. He is a real dog man because he is a great competitor. He doesn't stop at 7 wins. He tries for 8x's. Jerk Kelly tells every person that wins 3x's, that they can get a lot of money for stud fee and sell a lot of puppies, matter of fact, he knows where you can sell some. Calls up a few of you apprentices that asked about a good puppy, and they buy them because there are so many champions of all bloodlines you think you are getting a good dog. Not knowing that a champion is just an average dog, and to win 5x's is to be above average. If all the champions would try for 5x's there would be only a few dogs to prove their blood and reproduce more dogs like them. Don't be insulted anymore; don't renew your subscription to the Sporting Dog Journal. "Seek help elsewhere, anywhere", you can't lose. If you buy a dog from Fat Bill, he not only will help you, he will tell you who to call for more help.

Just like I did at the pig pickin. I brought a dog and my oldest treadmill, and put on a treadmill keep at the pig pickin. I helped a lot of men and could have helped more if Jack Kelly would have put my newsletter out which included what I was going to do at the pig pickin. Jerk Kelly didn't print the letter because he doesn't like Bill.

The more people I help the more are going to get a chance at contesting over the hour mark, if necessary. Not to say that an hour is average. I think that's a pretty good conditioned dog. If an hour is good conditioning then maybe so many people wouldn't pick their dogs up. All of them would end up contesting above the hour mark most likely if they seek help. Test all the bloodlines, conditioning keeps and treadmills. I've taken the challenge 28 years ago and I'm still kicking ass. No mill has produced more 3x winners, 4x winners, 5x winners, and 7x winners. Everybody got help from somebody. Although from what you hear from Jerk Kelly, he acts like he made it all up on his own.

I know nothing about the personal life of Maurice Carver. You might say I didn't know him very well. But, I learned how to match, condition and fight dogs like him. So I can stand with all the good dog men in the world and try to bring back the way it was done in the 70's.

Notes from the Millmaker

My Era

Maurice and all the other dog men in my era wanted me and others to pass on to the next era the things we saw. But, in 1979, the federal government put the National Humane Society upon us and they put a bounty on dog fighters. If any state wanted to collect the bounty they would have to have a felony dog fighting law. That move killed dog fighting for the 80's. Dog fighting went on of course, but every dog fighter pulled up. From that point on very few good dog men would ever be at the same fight, like it was in my era. Before, there might be 20 good dog men end up three states away and all our dogs were International Combat dogs, you might say world class.

Maurice was one of many that showed me how to act and think, the rest of dog fighting was hard work and there aren't any short cuts. Now I want to write about my friend, Maurice and how I knew him for the 10 years I fought dogs. Only 32 fights, 22 wins.

Maurice asked me once what I saw in the heart of a bulldog. Right away I said "gameness and courage" then he asked, "You can see those things in a bulldog?" He went on, "You know I once thought I could see those things and I lost a few fights. He went on to tell me that you couldn't see what's in the heart, but you could see it beat. Fifteen years later I watched the heart beat of every dog I saw roll, fight, play, and even sleep.

It's in the book I wrote. I didn't do a great job with the book so I'm still trying. I would think that anyone that buys my book or video would buy it for the Respiratory Recovery Method. This method controls the amount of work people put in any dog with any program, may it be a treadmill, flying jenny, or 10-speed bike. Maurice said that the only way to know the condition of a dog at any time, at home or in the pit is to count his heartbeats and compare it with the amount of work it took to produce that heart rate.

Automatically, you know the condition of that dog at that time because of his recovery.

I've said many times in my writings that Maurice had an eye for conditioning and developed the way I work dogs today. People need to think like me. Don't tell anybody you do it my way. I just put you in the right direction and open your eyes for free.

The last contest I watched, both dogs reached "maximum stress" in three or four minutes and by the 15 minute mark both dogs were taking turns on the bottom because they didn't have any choice. It was just, some more dogs meeting that just didn't even come close to being in good condition. Although it produced a winner and loser, they had to give the "Best Dog of Show: to the winner because all the rest of the dog in the show were mallard ducks! Where are all these people going to end up on the food chain? How strong is the chain. People keep doing the same things over and over because they don't know anybody that can help, or would help or think they need help. Now, that's a hell-of-a-spot to be in and not know it, for how many fights? Maybe because they win fights?

There isn't any size when it comes to being a fool. Nothing but differences, and the differences between others and me that don't give their dogs a chance to at least show them that they tried as hard as the blood in their veins, allow them to go forward. In 20 minutes I know whether or not I have a chance of winning the contest. I'm going to give somebody a thrashing with that dog, for as long as the blood in his veins will let him.

That's dog fighting the best way I can and I love it whether or not I win. When I can buy me one of those "incest", "hard-biting", dead game dogs, I'll do even better. Everything I talk about is exactly the things I got to talk to Mr. Carver about. Maurice said, "He advertised winners and the whole world bought my dogs because I sell bull dogs. Every other dog man in the world advertises pedigrees, son!" You see they need proof that their dogs are good and that's not proof.

Maurice was my friend. Not a day goes by while conditioning dogs, I don't think about him, I miss him in so many ways, especially when he would lean over to tell me something and bump me with the brim of his cowboy hat, I would immediately pay attention. Besides, he could keep me laughing through three long fights pointing out people. He once said Raymond Holt conditioned a dog so badly, that somebody was going to beat so much "Dumb" out of Raymond that he wasn't going to be able to find his way back to town. I asked Maurice what he meant and he said, "Raymond will never learn to condition a dog because Raymond won't listen." Maurice said, "We could make a lot of money, all we had to do is give Raymond a good dog to condition, and bet all our money on the other dog." He said, "Son, I could put Ironhead in his hands and he would fuck him up."

I hope everybody can understand what Carver gave to bulldogs. The short time I knew him I either learned something or I was laughing about something. How can you forget someone like that? If you buy my book I hope to open your eyes to do better than me, because I love it. The fight for me is not with my dog's adversary. My fight is with conditioning my dog because when I do hit it just right, I know at least the dog can stick around long enough to see who won. What more can a man do for his dog. What better feeling is there? How many of you have felt that way? You know, not doing what I liked to do for 10 years, conditioning and dog fighting, has taken a turn for the worse. How? There are Houston champs and Texas champs but they aren't world champs like in the 70's. Doesn't anyone want to have a 5x winner? Be a "Green Head Leader", get off the pond, see if anybody will follow and leave the rest of the mallard ducks champions. Where there is safety in numbers, it's a living, huh? Good as most, never an individual, and never be remembered unless somebody years from now looking for a 5x winner happens to get a look, and wish they had your dog to condition.

Like Maurice said, "Son, if you want to be famous, all you have to do is load up and get out of town." Three wins ain't nothing. Win 5 or more with one dog and they all will remember you." Maurice couldn't win 5x's with any dog; someone would always offer too much money. I rebuilt 3-Carver mills into free turning mills. The only one I have left is the one that worked Ironhead, Bullyson, Stompanato, and when Robert Hall worked Eli, Jr. Of course it worked many other great dogs most people wouldn't know of. The mill is on display fully functional and has conditioned 5-3x, 2-4x, and 1-7x winners and lost her 8th to a darn fine dog. Just as Maurice did, I will sell that mill when someone gives me more money for it than they have good sense.

Feed Keep

Metabol, Carboplex, Lethicin, egg noodles, bone meal, brewer's yeast and kidney diet dog food and trace minerals. Chicken and a small amount of red meat. Any feed keep and hard work affect the kidneys to dry, to wet also. You might as well know now that you can't condition the kidneys. But most important the kidneys are what you have to take care of, they are the weak link in the chain.

The K-D dog food can be bought from your vet. Every vet in America prescribes K-D diet for animals with problem kidneys. There are about 1500 dogs or more in Houston that have problems with their kidneys, so I use K-D diet dog food as a filler to increase the amount of feed. I use K-D diet dog food to protect the kidneys. I use it for the same reason I choose Metabol and Carboplex as a supplement because of the kidneys. The amino acids in Metabol replaced the large amounts of red meat we all once used. And everything else in Metabol is a bonus - free for the price. Red meat and a lot of work weakens the kidneys. The kidneys are about the size of two marbles. don't rub, pat or even touch the kidneys, don't let someone wash your dog's kidneys before the contest. Don't pull weights, shake on spring-loaded hides to loosen the hips or use a hard pulling mill to work a dog. All of the above are too much stress and strain.

I feed trace minerals because they activate the kidneys. That's why I force feed water in the months of the feed keep. Before the prekeep now, I feed chicken because it is the most digestible protein, because of the fat throughout the meat. It takes oils and fats to digest and assimilate strength from protein. Also, you see I feed ten different ingredients and seven of them are to keep the kidney function healthy with the least amount of strain. A free turning treadmill all for the kidneys after 20 days of prekeep, (one 15 minute session) a day your dog will drink all the water he needs.

Why do I use Metabol II instead of one of the other supplements advertised in the magazines? Because the canine is used throughout the world for research and development for medicines, drugs, nutrition, vitamins and minerals, surgery. There's only one thing you can give a canine we humans can't take. that is Cobalt. Cobalt is detrimental to the health of a human. If anyone that sells products that is better than Metabol or just for canines it would have cobalt in it, which is necessary for the metabolism of a canine. I am one of the few dog men that has conditioned my self and all my children on Metabol II since 1983. I would also condition my daughter's barrel racing horses on Metabol if it was good for a horse's metabolism, but it's not.

Let me repeat myself, hoping that all the people who manufacture weight gainer chemicals!! If a person chooses strength conditioning technique and prescribed amount, it will pump too much H2O into his muscles. Free technique and prescribed amounts the dog will pump too much cooling on the ground. The reason they all prescribe that amount is because they haven't worked enough dogs. "I have". They say just to use it for a dog without the knowledge to know what is good for your dog. Absolutely no true research for the good of your dog, just a lot of rhetoric about something that has already been figured out by nutritionists 50 years ago. So they get your money and harm your dog?? And Jerk Kelly advertises it. And everyone thinks that because I use Metabol that I give the rest a bad rap. Wrong. The only thing I'm saying is for $28.00 I get a gallon of Metabol, that will condition 10-50 lb. dogs. I know that all the salesmen for these products have an answer for everything I've said. I'll say this about my feed keep. It sounds like it's old fashioned. Only because you believe you can open a can and feed it to your dog and recreate an Art, that's a crock! I conditioned "Art". How does that clown know what Stinson/Glover fed?

Like I've said many times before, all feed keeps are essentially the same. If someone has good luck with corn flakes --- give him some. It won't hurt him. Do not use any kind of greens because of the high sulphur content. It will blow your dog's kidneys every time and you have wasted your time and your money. Another test for his gameness.

I use Carboplex but because of the purity of the substance it is short-lived. So I use egg noodles or instant potatoes to give longevity to the carbohydrate source. It's the same for Metabol II it's short-lived so I use chicken for longevity. Remember two things when conditioning a dog 1) how you condition for maximum stress and 2) feed keep a dog to keep his kidney function healthy. I feed red meat, about the size of a golf ball amount to all dogs.

It's your choice; also if your dog is conditioned to peak you won't have any trouble finishing your dog. Like my book explains -- if he is well conditioned his heart rate will not reach a higher beat per minute in the contest than it will any day of the keep or else you've missed his keep. And I failed to give you enough information to do it successfully. To all you good dog owners. Bird dogs and Retrievers using my mill. Always remember all those game dogs pick up their feet and slap them down on the surface of the belt. Also ya'll know about the time of a work session. Sled dogs are very hard to condition, because of their steady work performance.

What's new? Many of the dog men today don't even know what old stuff is much less what's new and improved. Most people know that I have had the good fortune to have been around a few of the greatest dog men of the world. I either helped condition, seen them fight or had someone tell me how good a dog they brought. No dog man can achieve greatness without good conditioning. No one can achieve good condition without a basic feed keep. Everyone should understand the feed keep is exactly the same now as it was in the 70's. But, it's been improved, mostly the amounts of everything. Now where are we at in the 90's? What's the best-feed keep? And who will tell you? The choice is yours. I can prove what I say; check out how many certificates of merit I gave.

We all read about products that are sold in all the magazines. Let me read some of the things that you read that are for sale.

And I quote:

"New product created by top dog men for dogs that run hot!"

What a crock!

That sounds good to most people especially to the young dog men that have just a few contests. Why didn't he tell us what top dog men, I do. Their dogs are going to get hot because of inexperience. First of all TOP dog men's dogs don't get hot. They become better conditioners. I'm supposed to believe that if I open a can, feed this to my dog and it will keep him from getting hot? It would seem like Jack Kelly and his Sporting Dog Journal would help you people more if he cared about ya'll more than his advertisement money, but he doesn't. After all the writing I've done in all the magazines for free, Jack Kelly wouldn't put my last article about conditioning because I advertised the 2-hour video. I write in the "American Game Dog Times, now.

GET IN THE RED

Article taken from "Shape" Magazine

"It's the rare female athlete who eats red meat," says Kristine Clark. Yet, red meat is an excellent source of iron and zinc, two minerals that are hard to get from other food sources.

While beef does contain saturated fat, some cuts are so lean that they contain less than some cuts of chicken. A 3.5-ounce serving of extra-lean ("select" grade) eye of round or top round has about 1.3 grams of saturated fat, about the same as a skinless chicken breast. A serving of top sirloin has the same saturated fat content (2.2 grams) as a chicken breast with skin. Top loin, tenderloin and round tip also are low in saturated fat.

If your saturated fat intake is low, research suggests, the source -- red or white meat -- doesn't matter. In a study done by the Chicago Center for clinical Research with Johns Hopkins University and the University of Minnesota, 200 subjects with high cholesterol were split into two groups. For nine months, all 200 limited their total fat intake to 30 percent and saturated fat to 10 percent. All ate 6 ounces of meat a day; one group, mainly lean red meat; the other, fish or foul.

The results: "There was no difference between the groups' mean cholesterol levels," says Kevin Maki, Ph.D., and epidemiologist with the Chicago Center. "It appears that people can incorporate lean red meat into their diet without fear of raising cholesterol levels. We don't advocate excluding any food from the diet. We think people have gone overboard."

For any dog, give about he amount of the size of a golf ball, 92% lean, along with his chicken like the book gages. More than that amount may cause a kidney disfunction. A dog's kidneys are about the size of two marbles. You can't condition a dog's kidneys; you have to not bother them so they can function without stress.

SIMPLE FEED KEEP

DMG - Can not take the place of AZIAM to finish a dog. The DMG will give you such a good heart rate that you might overwork your dog.

AZIAM - You still should finish a dog on AZIAM in small amounts. Three days before the contest, when you give your azium. Ask your vet, or anyone else you thing might know. If AZIAM is used at all you must use neocenephrin to wake him up and to clear his sinus and nasal passages that collect fluid because of the AZIAM. The safe way is ½ cc three days out and no more. The only reason I use AZIAM is to put my dog in a false sense of being, and wake him up with neocenephrin. Some dogs don't need any AZIAM. I don't like to use AZIAM because broken bones don't heal well. No other reason for it's use for a dog man. CARBOPLEX - Very good for basic stable keep. Short and long live.

EGG NOODLES - Very stable and long lasting. One cup every day. Your dog may take on too much fluid because of the lack of heat generated for the amount of carbohydrates you feed. If so, your dog will gain weight. Cut back to smaller amounts of Carboplex. Look for a weight problem elsewhere or your dog may not be at his true contest weight.

PROTEIN SOURCE - METABOL, which is short-lived stable source. I use chicken thighs boiled no fat left on them. Boil the thighs until the bones are soft enough to eat. Pour off the water and feed. Feed 1, 2, or 3 cups depending on what day of the keep it is and the size of your dog.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS -

Bone meal - 2 a day for 10 days
4 - a day for the rest of the keep
2 - a day for the three rest days
4 - Brewer's yeast pills a day
A free turning mill will produce a running keep. A running keep will produce a lighter contest weight, and a greater amount of daily fat supplement FILLER - I use prescription K/D diet dog food that you can buy at your vet's office. This dog food is the only dog food to use in the keep because it has COBOL in it, which is necessary for a dog's metabolism and is the only thing that the METABOL II doesn't have in it.

Notes from the Millmaker
Feed Keep

All this information for 600 mgs of DMG a day starting on the 27th day of the keep on the 3 days of progressive rest days. Your feed keep and conditioning program will let you evaluate from his performance and see it's not a band-aid win. Method of help, just like Metabol II and Carboplex made by Champion - small amounts. The least amount with a free conditioning. DMG

Dimethyl glycine is something of an embattled species in the world of food substances. It has, in its life span, been through along and rigorous court trial and continues to be buffeted by diminishing, but still present waves resulting from that litigation. On the surface, it seems like a completely non-controversial entity. It is a natural component of mammalian biochemistry and is found in plants and animals. It's developers say that when ingested by animals, such as horses, it can increase oxygen utilization, reduce lactic acid accumulation in the muscles, strengthen the animal's natural immune response system, prevent typing up (muscle cramps), increase a horse's tolerance to vigorous physical activity, and improve it's overall performance. Technically, according to Dr. Roger Kendall, Ph.D., director of research and development for Food Science corporation, Inc., of Essex Junction, VT, the country's principal supplier of the nutrient, dimethyglycine is:

"The dimethylated derivative of the simplest amino acids, glycine, in which two methyl groups have replaced the hydrogens on the nitrogen atom. It is a tertiary amine and a product of cellular metabolism, produced from betaine and choline in the body." It is termed, he said, and ergogenic substance, which means it is one that can increase performance by eliminating fatigue symptoms.

Proponents of the substance, know as DMG, maintain that it could cause a fader in a race to have more staying power by enabling it to utilize oxygen more completely and by warding off fatigue due to it's ability to retard lactic acid accumulation (one of the prime causes of fatigue when oxygen supply to muscles is exhausted). Because of it's ability to strengthen the body's natural immune response to disease, it can perhaps keep the horse healthier in the presence of a variety of bacteria, allergens, and viruses while stabled at the race track. I take it, I give it to my children, their rodeo horses and my dogs. Don't ever take too much, and don't take any if you're not in great condition like a track star!! Call me? Despite these positive assertions, backed in a number of instances by scientific studies, DMG has remained controversial. Part of that controversy, maintains Dr. Kendall and Don Orlandi, owner of Food Science Corporation, stems from misunderstanding on the part of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in it's approach to DMG.

One of the recent experiments was conducted in 1985 at Texas A&M University under the direction of Dr. G.D. Potter. Exercise in this research was on the treadmill. Six mature geldings were used in the test, which was divided into three periods of 21 days each. In the first period, the horses were all on a standardized diet without DMG. In the second period, they were on the same diet, but were fed DMG. In the third period, also of 21 days, the diet remained the same, but DMG was discontinued.

That experiment with six mature geldings used in the test on a treadmill was inconclusive because of the mild heart rate; also, being geldings the testosterone level interferes with attitude while being at maximum stress.

"Mean lactic acid levels in period two were significantly lower than in period one at 20 minutes of exercise and at two, five, 14, 20, and 60 minutes of recovery," the researchers reported. "At 30 minutes of exercise, lactate concentrates were lower in period two, showing a 32% decrease from one to period two. The effects of DMG ingestion appeared to last into the third period. "Mean lactic acid levels in period three increased above those in period two," Dr. Potter wrote, "But did not reach the levels seen in period one."

In 1982, Dr. Kendall and James R. Gannon, DVM, of the University of Melbourne in Australia, conducted a test on racing Greyhounds. The tests were conducted in Australia, with data sent to this country for Dr. Kendall to analyze. The researchers found there was an improvement in the racing times of Greyhounds being given DMG twice daily, bit that "the degree of improvement is not predictable in any one performer, nor does it seen related to sex, age, or body weight." Mainly because they used a "junk mill" meaning they didn't raise the heart rate as many times as you and I do it every day.

One of the most interesting findings was that the increase in time came at the end of the race, when some dogs normally slowed their pace due to exhaustion. Of course it did, we perform better for the whole contest and we start the contest cold. Fractional timing (at each 200 meter mark) showed no improvement in the early speed of each Greyhound," the researchers wrote. "However, there was a consistent improvement in the ability of the Greyhound to maintain maximum speed for longer periods. In all cases, it was the time over the last 100 meters that improved." They just don't know how to condition a dog for maximum stress in a short race any more than a long race. They should have called me? My Greyhound mill is $2,000, with a book and video that's already been tested on dogs, horses, and humans correctly. I'd give them all the acid test. You people don't think I would send my son to fight a bull to run out of gas and take bottom? (PETA) only cares if I fight dogs, they don't care if I kill my children. In a study conducted by Dr. Thomas V. Pipes of the Institute of Human fitness in Escondido, CA, it was found that DMG increased the time it took athletes to run to exhaustion by 24 %. Involved in the test were 12 male athletes. Then again, they don't know how to condition anything.

"The mechanisms of how DMG improves oxygen utilization and reduces lactic acid accumulation are not clear," Dr. Kendall said, "but it's effectiveness in improving performance is being well accepted."

"DMG," he goes on, "does not build up in the equine's system because it is efficiently converted in the liver into a series of one and two carbon species, which are in turn used the animal to produce other useful metabolites. DMG does not show in the horse's urine because following metabolism by the liver, DMG is converted into substances normally found in the body's anabolism and energy cycles. DMG does not alter normal blood chemistries of the animal."

Within the environment, DMG and its associated protein complexes are found in low levels in seeds, grains, and other foods.

In substance, DMG used in the equine world is white and powdery. It is normally fed topically with feed and is sold primarily through veterinarians. While Orlandi maintains that his firm markets only pure DMG, he acknowledges there might be others who are using it as an additive and making claims that could bring action by the FDA.

Orlandi said his firm will continue to promote and market DMG as a food and also will continue with research in an effort to fully uncover all the uses for DMG in both the human and animal world. I see no further study, they all proved nothing but help, good, and it makes me feel wonderful. My four sons, boxed, karate, track and rodeo on DMG. Very small amounts were given to my daughter and son that rodeo that didn't raise the heart rate during the sports season, when their heart rate wasn't conditioned for maximum stress. That's why I put Greg on the video in a contest. A condition of my son versus the attitude of a healthy Texas out crossed fighting bull. I conditioned an 1100 lb., gelding that dumped my 39 lb. seven year old daughter coming to a stop from 35 MPH. It's on the video also. She got up spit dirt out of her mouth and asked, "How's my horse, Dad?" You don't think for a second that I feed Coy Lee's horse too much DMG, do ya? I know how much Metabol II and Carboplex made by Champion to give to my children. One bad night an it isn't like losing a good dog. I have jumped off the fence thinking I was dead, when I hit the ground a-running because the train wreck was still going on. A combination of supplement diet I know nothing about. Any other formula has to many other chemicals that are weight gainers. I don't want that for my dog. It is a supplement diet. I need to contest my dog or child at their time true weight so they can cool correctly and never falter in the contest so they can contest another day, so I can get a good nights rest. Instead of wondering if I could have done something else. "Seen Through the Eyes Of the Millmaker" Gator wasn't a great dog; talent and condition made him an individual. Sire of GatorLou, 5x winner.

Notes from the Millmaker

Treadmills

There are about 12 people I know that build tread mills. Some people say "They will put their mill up against the Lemm Mill any day". "What a crock! Why because their mill is pretty or uses plastic boards that are too heavy and not good traction with no foot vibration.

Let me say this, "They ain't no comparison what-so-ever!" Because, they have no engineering specifications. To understand what I am talking about, I'll tell you all the things that their treadmill doesn't have and you will buy my mill over all the others.

#1. 25 years experience, feed back from 102 customers. #2. Only 1 inch higher in the front than in the back, others are elevated.

Mainly because it pulls so hard it has to be elevated. Now your dog won't run very long unless you tease him with a "bull coon". Then he will over-work himself instead of breaking stride to recover. Now you have to guess when he needs to recover. Some people never give a dog any recovery time. Most mills have a roller of some sort to keep the belt from untracking or pretty go-kart wheels that don't allow freedom to center up a turn freely. All of that because they can't build a mill to turn like the Millmaker. I didn't advertise for 20 years. They all compare their treadmills to mine. "Why?" What engineering specifications are they comparing? "NONE, absolutely NONE".

"Here it is, I build the same treadmill for 25 years. It is a cut away design so you can put your dog on and off the mill with no trouble. The 3-point hook-up allows you to place any dog, any size on the running surface where you want. There are 26 adjustments on the roller tray. Each of the 4 end wheels have an up-down-back-forward-in and out. The front is only 1" higher in front, because on average a bulldog is 3/4" to 1" higher at his hips than his shoulders. So he can run more easily on my mill, than running down the road. Let all the others who build, "Junk mills" tell you why their engineering specs are so different than the Millmaker mills???

. The kicker is "I can tell people how to use my mill in preparation for the contest", all others condition their dogs to run the junk mill. Instead of preparation for the contest. The video will show everybody how every dog worked on one of my mills. Big, little, tall, short, heavy or light bitch will essentially jump to maximum stress and brake stride, to recover. "Every dog will"!! And that is why my treadmills are the best. None of my competitors are even close.

What will you find out about conditioning a dog in preparation for the contest??? You will learn that every dog will produce his own work schedule, in turn will demand a timely recovery. All the people that I help that allows their dogs to produce their own Maximum Stress to recovery ------------only have to gage the contest on how well they did it. Not if they did it right. Everybody knows that my conditioning program is just like everyone else's program "except" most people don't do it as well as my "peers" and I. So many people call and say they do it like I do but in a different way. No answer, doesn't know what I'm talking about. Much less know how to allow their dogs to produce their own schedule to maximum stress to recovery. That's the only difference between my way of conditioning in preparation for the contest, than all the others. It's my way or the highway, it's comparing apples and oranges, it's a double edge blade, once witnessed, "they would rather fight than switch." I'm the one who observed work schedules for dogs like "Art".

Trojan didn't have much bite, talent but he loved to fight and worked like a Trojan. Ken Click owned Satan out of litter #2, Eli, Jr., and Java. He could bite like Art too! The white dog with the black mill advertisement came from "Click's" yard, out of Witsell's Stomper. Satan tried to jump out of the pit at the 17 count. Trojan barely beat the 27 count when courtesy scratched. Both dogs were conditioned on my mill. My Treadmills make people happy with their fame. Can you people believe when they wrote into the magazines and said they heard of Barney Fife, but never heard of the MillMaker? Jack Kelly used to tell people I feed Stinson/Glovers dogs. Jack Kelly sure gets a lot of you guys money and makes magazine dog fighters out of you all. All my peers don't take his magazine. Professional dog men don't need anything from Jerk Kelly or from his magazine.

Nobody ever has challenged me about maximum stress or treadmills. Thousands of questions about maximum stress though. The reason I'm writing all of this is, some Millmaker said, "He would put his treadmill up against one of mine, "WOW, that's some statement, Huh!" Since his mill has two rollers on each side to keep the belt from knocking the ends of the boards off on the side rails of the mill. You have to stuff your dog in one end or the other. It's elevated in the front so high the dog runs uphill? Because he can't see the engineering catastrophe he builds to sell to people who knows even less than he does. Then sells them a mill because he can't build one like mine. To all the mill makers I say the, "that's no advertisement," that's a sales pitch, like Bobby Hall the puppy dealer and used car peddler. Salesmanship or advertisement should sound like this; free turning, 3-point hook-up, 8 extra end wheel bearings bolted to the mill, 40 extra skate wheels to replace after 20 or 30 outings. It's the most sought after, the prettiest, tons of gratitude from the builder that was a successful dog man - among his peers. Rebuilt three Joe Corvino mills into a free turning mill.

By the way, I rebuilt two Carver mills. One of them worked Bullyson and Eli Jr. It also worked Butcher boy not the one that Garner got from Hooten to exercise Butcher. If you can't think up something good about your junk mill. Don't try to drag me down to your junk level. I'll give you a hint. Change your engineer specifications and use better materials. It seems like one of the mill makers would have conditioned at least one 5x winner.

It's time to stop peddling puppies, retrieving 3x winners, go for 5 or 7x winners, got a fluffy tail do they?

Insecure about your conditioning? Do ya feel lucky? Get out of town, see if the dog is the best, you can still stud him out until he quits, wins, dies or you sell him. If you can sell him. All the magazines have got you boys locked in tight. I'm not saying do as I say, and I do something different. I'm saying do as my peers and I do.

If you have to buy a dog, don't buy a puppy. Buy a young dog from a dog fighter that looks at everything he sells. Most puppy peddlers sell every puppy they produce, "they kill the golden goose". No dog has ever produced a littler like Eli Jr. - Java litter, "Art", 7x winner, "Double Ought", 4x winner, Jade, 1x winner, Hurt, 5x winner. I helped work Art, Double Ought, and Jade on my treadmill. So do you feel luck when you buy a puppy? Any body that would buy a puppy surely doesn't know how to condition a dog. Don't believe all the political rhetoric in print. You won't get help from the Sporting Dog Journal. Jack Kelly only has a few more years. Buy a dog from a winning dog man. Get help from Robert Lemm for free. It hasn't cost you a dime yet, has it? You don't see anybody but dog men in the "American Game Dog Times". If that ever changes I won't be there ever again! The Game Dog Times editor is a world-class dog man; he conditioned and won over seven different dogs. Jack Kelly and the SDJ can't do that, or you would have read it on the cover. You have a lot of choices in life; don't let Jack and his Journal push you off a cliff after he sheers off all your wool!!

I produced a video to help condition your dog so you won't break rule #1. Do not hurt your dog in preparation for the contest. Rule #2, raise the heart rate and make sure you know how much recovery time your dog needs. Rules #3 do not over work your dog. The video will show you how to do this. It's not my conditioning program; it is you doing a better job at conditioning your dog. I don't want to sell my video to everyone, I have to. I want all of you to tell all the young, inexperienced, unaware prospects to buy the video. That way some day having a 3x winner will be normal, like the old days. Where you can go to one of those people that you helped and borrow a weight or let the man take the weight and work him. That way we can keep all the trash in the magazines sending in their one and 2x winners. That way people you helped can knock off all of them and not put wins in the magazines until they win three. That produces more people as our peers. One control, protect what we love so much. Before you know it the unsportsmen like people can't become a gentleman and a sport among themselves. Tell every prospect you know about my video so we can turn this around like it is in Louisiana where the Cajun Rules were written. Take the American Game Dog Times magazine because he protects and serves all of us. I know I've repeated myself many times, only because of the may "Notes from the Millmaker" as you have seen the many "Certificates of Merit" of the 70's, that means more to my peers than any championship, but I can't put the C.O. M's of today because it would sign their death warrant. Don't forget about the telephone, the drug war is over. The establishment lost! Drug dealings without phones will never get caught, and they know how to deal with that. You should deal with it also.

My strength, my wisdom isn't in fact, my experience with my association with my peers. It is a curse! It is my destiny! There are always friends to help with the truth. As we all seek the truth in every dog, we find the truth in ourselves. It's being a true competitor.

Sissy was another $50 dog. Floyd and Drew worked dogs together, Floyd refereed the match, drew had a mill of mine. Tuffy was her sire.

Notes from the Millmaker

Condition

Treadmills I've built over 29 years. Not only have I tested my product for sale, 102 others have helped me improve my product for the betterment of all. That betterment has been proven more than thousands of times. My treadmills produce a conditioned dog with a free technique, fast muscle twitch exercise. You can use a 10-speed bicycle to get the same effect as my treadmills. In other words a running keep. That free technique will produce a conditioned heart rate. Done correctly your dog can not and will not experience a higher heart rate in the contest than any day of your conditioning schedule. That means when you buy my book, video, use a free turning treadmill or a 10-speed bike your dog will not have a hot spot, or have to take bottom. You win the contest, because your dog will and continue to keep his adversary from recovering, staying at maximum stress, while your dog recovers on his feet. That scenario is the best happening for your dog because you win the contest, with very little harm to your dog, no stress or strain to your dog. Your dog gets to start the pre-keep for his next contest with reserve energy, until you contest him again in a few months. You have to feed keep, condition your dog to win by attrition, to out condition your adversary every time. Forget how he fights, condition him very well; you may meet someone doing the same thing. Remember this, I didn't use one thing out of every conditioning keep I've ever read. Yet, every one will have to change if they need a following. I've tried to make you watch the outside of a dog, and know exactly what's going on inside of him. When the outside of the dog changes, you know what the next change will be, you conditioned him, during the contest you can only do one thing for your dog, try to give your dog as much recovery time as possible. By staying out of his face at home while he was at maximum stress, and being in his face when he was recovering. So stay out of his face until your adversary falls to the bottom, get in his face hoping you can get his heart rate down, to start his respiratory recovery, putting oxygen to the brain not needed at this time. You just broke the weak link in your adversary's chain of conditioning, 9x's out of 10 you win because you did the only thing you could do. Give these dogs all the recovery time they need, bring a good dog man, has made gentlemen and sportsmen out of many because it's free to be nice. When you do lose, you will know why. You need to shake hands and leave hoping no one will see why you lost. So do the best you can! Good luck!

"Seen Through the Eyes Of"
Robert F. Lemm, Jr.
The Millmaker
Seen through the eyes of others, because of Robert F. Lemm, III, Senior Systems Analyst for World Com/Mli, Gulf War Veteran. (PETA) can't hurt me, I'm bulletproof.

respiration may fluctuate slightly from day to day. Marginal differences should be of no consequence. By this time you will know what a bad recovery is, and make any adjustments in work time.

Understanding "maximum stress" plus ten days of pre-keep, and twenty-seven days of the keep only conditions your dog for the contest, three days correctly resting the dog is the only real preparation for the contest night and is equally important as the previous thirty-seven days of keep. Not enough rest or too much rest, has the same effect on your dog. It allows maximum stress (energy deficiency) to show up in the contest sooner than you expected. I rest the dog with less and less mill work in the last three days of the keep, because the dog doesn't need much rest, if any at all. The dog needs to retain the rate of conversion at his true weight. I rest the dog just enough for the dog's body to store inside fat (quick burning energy) that is used and replaced daily under stressful conditions, and retains fluid at a rate that I control. This procedure allows my dog to breath freely throughout the contest, which results in no hot spots, they just keep kicking ass! That's why they all start fast, and keep their adversary at maximum stress with no chance for recovery with no choice in the matter. I really love to watch my dog smother the other dog. Just because of what they said about me, my dog or the way it was bred, or my treadmills. I just kept smiling.
(Taken from page 73 of my book)
DOWN BUT NOT OUT

Power House Road Keep

I'm just going to go over our basic roadwork keep. Just the exercise regime, you can figure out what you want to feed and which supplies you're gonna use on your own! You don't need a bike, flirtpole, springpole, etc....only equipment that is ESSENTIAL is: a good harness, a 10ft, and a 50+ft lead, weight pull harness, some chains, and a good set of legs, he he. Please keep in mind that this keep is not for the lazy bastard, and it's not for the dogman with only a few hours a day to spare. Its a very draining keep, but is extremely rewarding in the end.
I understand that people work their dogs in different environments (city/country), so common sense and improvisational skills will be needed in great abundance! But no matter where you work your dogs, the common goal is to fill the dog with enough air, and put enough strength on him to get the job done.
This will be a 6-week program, with a 2-week pre keep:
Week 1) using a good harness walk the dog out for about 1 hr a day..checking the pads regularly. Try to keep him at a decent clip, maybe 3-4 mph. (you can do a little flirt pole work, I don't suggest more than a few minutes per session 2-3x a week, and make sure its on a surface that wont tear his pads up). We do this for 6 days of the 1st week if there are no problems with the pads. The 7th day he gets about a 30 min walk. After each workout, we like to rub the dogs down from the nose, down to the toes, a 20 min rubdown does more for that dog than most people think.
Week 2) same as week 1, but we increase the time of the walks to 1.5 hrs a day. This is nothing for the dog....he's just loosening up and his pads are getting tougher. You're also creating a special bond with the dog while you're walking along....talking to him, building trust, BECOMING A TEAM.
Week 3) Day 1- give the dog about a 30 min walk at a moderate pace, then get yourself to a place where you can hook up the long lead to him and let him do some sprints. ball work if he'll do it, or maybe he'll chase some small game if they're around. a little flirt pole work LOW TO THE GROUND will work well here also...its important that you get him to open up. After about 15-30 min of some serious playing I'll continue the walk for another hour, then bring him home for his rubdown and feed.
Day 2- got your weight pull harness ready?? walk the dog out for about at least 20 minutes, making sure he's empty, then hook him up to the weight pull harness with a 5-10 LB chain on the end (depending on the size and strength of the dog) and get him moving at a good pace for about 30 min, which is equivalent to a bout 2 miles or so, give or take...now you're ready to take the weight off, and finish up with a cool down walk for about 1 hr. a warm bath and a good rubdown is how I like to end day 2.... and don't forget to rubdown the dog too. LOL
Day 3- dog should be ready for some work when you go out to greet him. Get your walking shoes on cause its 2 hrs at a fast walk today. Also you might throw in 15 min or so of some ball work
Day 4- same as day 3 minus the ball work
Day 5- same as day 2 with a little flirt pole to start the day
Day 6- rest day, 20 min walk out.
Day 7-(new cycle)
Each week I will increase the walking time by 1 hr, so by peak week I will be up to 4-5 hrs of walking, which is equivalent to about 15-20 miles. I will keep the 15-30 min of "playing" the same, and the 2 miles or so of weight pull stays the same thru-out the keep. I will cycle down on the work once we reach our peak, and the dog will have its last day of real work 1 week out...from 6 days out to 4 days out, all he's doing is some light hand walking.... dialing in his feed appropriately. 3 days out till the weight pull only time he's going out, is to empty. *** Thru out the whole keep, its IMPERATIVE to monitor your dogs pads CONSTANTLY.
I will try and start out the dog on a 6 on 1 off cycle, or maybe a 5-1, but this is just an outline. I have to take a lot of things into account such as the weather, how the dog is acting, how I am feeling, etc. and then make some minor adjustments in how were going to achieve our goals. You can never make up for lost time, so don't try to...lol if you need a couple of days off, or your dog needs a couple, then by all means, TAKE THE TIME OFF. But don't try and make that time back up by putting undo stress on the dog; it's a gradual process.
Many dogs have been conditioned SOLELY on electric mills with great success. I've seen dogmen work their dogs for a few hours on the e-mill at 3-4 mph and come in and win. The e-mill is a great tool, but nothing compares to getting out there with your dog and hitting the road.
Now if you take the basic concept of this keep, add a swim tank, or a mill, a jenny, some bite work etc. make some adjustments, add your own flavor, you're going to have a happy, healthy, well adjusted dog that's going to come in with lots of air, and some serious strength. No matter what form of exercise regime you use, there is no substitute for solid dedication, common sense.........and a good dog.
The above keep has been used by us 4 times, we're 3-1 with it...the loss was a game pick up at 2:03. I hope this helped some of the folks that had questions about roadwork.

Basic Q & A about conditioning.

Q. How should I begin a conditioning program to help my dog achieve the best performance possible?

A. First you must decide what activity you want to pursue with your dog. Conditioning a running dog is different than conditioning a dog for work. Speed conditioning emphasizes one thing while conditioning for endurance emphasizes another. After you have decided what you want your dog to do you can begin to look at conditioning programs. Always be sure your dog is in general good health and in good condition, especially proper body weight. It is advisable to have your dog examined by a veterinarian prior to beginning any exercise program. Also it is important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of exercise periods.

Q. What kinds of exercises would benefit my dog?

A. There are two classes of activity each intended to promote a different type of conditioning. Both are important in any activity. Again, one may be emphasized over the other depending on the desired results.

Strength conditioning involves one type of muscle fiber and is designed to increase strength and speed. Aerobic activity on the other hand involves a different type of muscle fiber and promotes endurance.

Q. What are some strength exercises?

A. Any short burst activity such as short retrieves on land or water is excellent for strength conditioning. Short ,steep, uphill runs are also effective. Weight pulling and weight carrying gives good results but is difficult to accomplish and must be approached with caution to avoid injury.

Q. What about endurance exercises?

A. Any aerobic activity is good such as long distance running (road work or treadmill). Long distance swimming is very effective and is very joint and muscle sparing.

Q. How much exercise and how often?

A. The following guidelines can be used, but, keep in mind that any conditioning program must be tailored to your individual dog and its activity. In general endurance exercise should be performed a minimum of 5 days per week for 30 minutes at each period. Strength training should last for only 10 to 15 minutes and never be done on consecutive days, i. e. every other day, or MWF, etc.

Q. What about a warm up?

A. It is critical to avoid injury, especially prior to very strenuous activity. Five minutes of very light jogging is adequate.

In summary, a little thought and effort is required to develop a conditioning program for your canine athlete. However, if optimum performance is your goal, conditioning can be a large part of your success. Along with genetic selection, training, and nutrition, conditioning can make the difference between winning and just competing.

Robert Lemm's Keep

Conditioning

I chose the technique that conditions the body to utilize the most nutrition in a short time, a "running keep" is a free conditioning. The body will convert a vast amount of nutrients and fuels into energy at a low temperature for a long time. That technique used properly, with a schedule that allows the dog to respiratory recover sufficiently, every time he comes from maximum stress every day at least 6 times, will allow the dog to start the contest prepared to stay at (maximum stress) m/s for as long as it takes. Not fight good for 30 minutes and fade and still win. I mean jump to M/S and at the end of the contest still have an above average heart rate. I'm happy because I did all I could do for that animal, whether I win or lose. The words maximum stress expressed during conditioning means he will break stride to recover. M/S expressed in the contest means while at M/S he won't have to break stride to recover, because his heart rate has never been higher during the contest than any day during the entire "keep". Most likely never reach but 2/3, which will lengthen the time at M/S, and shorten the recovery time so he can get back to the business at hand with style. Technique, scheduling recovery, progressively resting is the correct way to prepare your dog for the contest. A free turning treadmill, easy pulling flying jenny, or a bicycle allows the dog to condition a very high heart rate without any stress, strain or tension. Your dog may get tired, but never get weak and stagger around, even if the contest goes more than an hour. The contest will tell the whole story. I missed it more times than I would like to remember. I hope to enlighten everyone so your dog won't faulter, break stride with no choice in the matter. If at any time he slows down it is because his adversary is on the bottom trying to recover. I will tell everyone everything I know about conditioning maximum/stress, so everyone can make adjustments to my schedule. So after every contest you know if the dog needs more recovery time, extended progressive rest time, longer pre-keep, or fight the dog lighter, with a running keep you can never fight the dog heavy. When you can do that with confidence, you may not do as well as you did last time, but you won't do bad ever again.


Free Conditioning

What to do, what to expect, in preparation and during conditioning, and in preparation for the contest.

The book explains the respiratory recovery method for a bulldog. I've chosen a 15 minute sessions, check the heart rate, if the heart rate is the same or less than the day before take the dog for a 5 minute walk and add 5 minutes of work to the schedule. Do this day after day until you build a second 15 minutes session. I takes two 15 minute sessions to reach maximum stress (M/S) with a rise in temperature. Continue to add five minutes of work until you get a bad recovery. A bad recovery means yesterday was too much work. Now you know essentially how much work your dog can take. Continue to check his heart rate every day at 15 minutes in case you get a good recovery so you can add another 5 minutes, looking for another bad recovery. Whether or not you are adding work or not, three days before the match you cut that work in half. Two days before the match cut the work in half again. Fight day you need to finish your dog like the book tells you. A free turning treadmill is much easier than running down the road.


Rest

When your dog achieves a fixed time because of a bad recovery that day to the end of the keep, your dog will build a solid base of condition. It's called rest! You still check your dog's respiration every day. At this part of the keep his respiration may fluctuate slightly from day to day. Marginal differences should be of no consequence. By this time you will know what a bad recovery is, and make any adjustments in work time. Understanding "maximum stress" plus ten days of pre-keep, and twenty-seven days of the keep only conditions your dog for the fight, three days correctly resting the dog is the only real preparation for the fight night and is equally important as the previous thirty-seven days of keep. Not enough rest or too much rest, has the same effect on your dog. It allows maximum stress (energy deficiency) to show up in the fight sooner than you expected. I rest the dog with less and less mill work in the last three days of the keep, because the dog doesn't need much rest, if any at all. The dog needs to retain the rate of conversion of nutrients into energy. It took mill work to create such a high rate of conversion. I rest the dog just enough for the dog's body to store inside fat ( quick burning energy) that is used and replaced daily under stressful conditions, and retain fluid at the rate that I control. This procedure allows my dog to breath freely throughout the fight, which results in no hot spot; they just keep kicking ass! That's why I like to fight dogs that start fast, because I really love to watch my dog assault the other dog.


Progressive Work Schedule

1. I get home from work.

2. I take my dog off the chain.

3. I walk my dog for 5 minutes to empty out.

4. I put the dog on the treadmill, he should run as fast as he can, and I leave the room.

5. I can hear the noisy treadmill I build when the dog breaks stride. When he breaks stride, he should fall to a walk or a long stride to rest and recover because he's oxygen deficient. I come back into the room so he will stay at the rest mode. I usually sit down and write something for one of the magazines.

6. At the 10 minute mark I jump up and leave the room, and he should break on top again. It is good for a dog to be able to break out on top with ease.

7. When he breaks stride, down to a walk or a long stride to the rest mode, I come back into the room.

8. At the 15 minute mark I put my foot on the mill and check his heart rate. Every day of the keep and all the way through to the match your dog will do this 15 minute session. Take his heart rate, take him off the mill and walk him out in the same place you emptied him at the start of the day, for five minutes. After 10 days of pre-keep you should get a handleon the heart rate that prepares him for the progressive work schedule.

9. Three more days of the same 15 minutes schedule of the keep, to ensure an accurate heart rate.

10. On the 4th day of the keep. If his heart rate is the same or less than the day before at the 15 minute mark you get to add 5 minutes of work after you take him for his 5 minute walk. He should break on top for a few minutes and break stride to rest. At the 5 minute mark, take him off the mill and walk him out and put him up.

11. On the 5th day of the keep do the first 15 minute session and check his heart rate. If his heart rate is the same or less than yesterday add another 5 minutes to his work schedule.

12. On the 6th day of the Keep do the first 15 minute session, check his heart rate. If his heart rate is the same or less than yesterday, add another 5 minutes to the schedule, which will make another complete 15 minute session, so you take him for his 5 minute walk, I cool my dog down with a water hose if the weather permits, (70 degrees F.) or more. Only after completing his second 15 minute session on the 6th day, your dog will begin to warm up.

14. Two 15 minute sessions is the foundation of this free conditioning program. Continually adding 5 minutes every day building another 15 minute session looking for a bad recovery. A bad recovery means a higher heart rate than yesterday, meaning yesterday was too much work. It could take 3, 4, or 5 15 minute sessions to get a bad recovery. When you get a bad recovery, you know how much work that your dog can take.

There are many variables to contend with; if your treadmill is not free turning. Your dog has to gallop instead of running freely, Usually a dog will stop and stand after he comes down from the gallop on a hard pulling mill. The 10 day pre-keep will condition your dog to gallop the treadmill instead of preparation for the contest. When he gets to the pit he will experience a higher heart rate than you conditioned during the keep. The reason people can't see when a dog breaks stride on a hard pulling mill. It's because he doesn't get any rest on top tugging at a gallop and if he is in good enough shape to walk on a hard pulling mill after galloping for 10 minutes, he won't get any rest tugging at a walk, so you actually overwork your dog, starting with the first day. You will actually condition your dog to run the treadmill instead of preparing him for the contest, and when the contest starts he's sure to take bottom to rest. Your dog will have to take bottom much sooner than expected. It's called too much work, not enough rest to recover. That's why when I come home from work I only walk for 5 minutes, so I can put him on the mill ice cold for 3 to 6 minutes on top, because he will start the contest ice cold. When he does warm up in the contest at Maximum Stress (M/S) he will feel strong because you have prepared your dog for the contest every day. It's a feeling that he experienced every day of the keep. Hoping your adversary was conditioned with a different work schedule, most likely your adversary will experience uncharted territory with a higher heart rate than any day of his condition.


K/D Prescription Dog Food

Any vet will have K/D diet dog food, but it is prescription because of the cobalt in it. It's very important to use K/D dog food as a filler, along with the feed sheet I sent you with my book. If you bought my book and didn't get a feed sheet, call me. There's no way you can condition maximum stress using any other dog food. Not just because of no cobalt, because all others have so much animal fat and meat by-products. To condition maximum stress properly in preparation to peak condition, your dog ends up with life sustaining reserve energy which will be used after your dog comes down progressively from maximum stress. Only you will know how long he should stay at M/S because you worked him. Most people hate to see their dog get to M/S because shortly after, their dog will falter and have to take bottom to respiratory recover. When both dogs fail to recover most people thought it was a great fight. I wondered how I could tell people how to condition M/S, meaning a conditioned heart rate. So check his heart rate every day the 15 minute mark. If his heart rate is the same or less than the day before, you can ad 5 minutes of mill work after his 5 minute walk to recover. Conditioned maximum stress means to condition the heart to beat as many times per minute until your dog breaks stride. When he breaks stride it's because he's oxygen deficient, breaking stride starts his recovery, as soon as the work load decreases. In the contest, he should never reach a heart rate as high as any day on the mill. If you achieve that with technique and diet your dog will fall into his own schedule. When he becomes oxygen deficient, he will break stride in the fight to replenish the oxygen in his blood, hoping the other dog is on the bottom so he can't recover. During the contest it takes 4 ½ minutes at a very high heart rate for all of the blood to get back to the heart. But all the blood leaving the heart isn't equally distributed. Which is just fine for normal living. When the contest start, and the heart rate increases, the blood becomes more and more oxygen deficient, that's the beginning of maximum stress. When a dog falters, slows down, breaks stride it's because the brain is oxygen deficient more so than the body. As I've said before, the blood leaving the heart is not equally distributed. Under normal living conditions the body can and does absorb oxygen efficiently. By the time M/S is reached, meaning the highest conditioned heart rate, then and only then does the body temperature rise. Your job is to prepare your dog to delay that rise in temperature and oxygen deficiency. To slow down the temperature rise, it takes the correct amount of (H20) water no more, no less for that condition, so your dog can breath. Correctly free conditioned he will breath. Also, free conditioning will automatically store life sustaining fat (bonus energy) but use up daily fat supplements. Correctly administered allows the body to cool. Free conditioning can and does allow you to achieve this, more so than other techniques. Correctly done your dog will stay cooler take longer to reach a true M/S, stay at M/S longer, and recover much sooner. It's like he never stopped fighting the whole fight. Your dog breaks on top, turns the heat up, may never reach M/S, recovers with energy to spare, wins the fight while your adversary struggles through the whole ordeal. Not every on looker knows how you won. You, on the other hand, become a competitor with confidence, and there isn't any better feeling because there isn't any other way to win a fight. I like winning against bite, ability, gameness and any bloodline. My fight is with conditioning my dog, not with my adversary. My adversary reminds me every day that I need to pay attention to his recovery every day. His recovery every day will tell you how he will do battle. But from the time the contest starts the blood becomes more and more oxygen deficient. That's why you should prepare the blood with the right nutrients to achieve the correct blood count to absorb as much oxygen as possible. The higher the average heart rate you condition and recover from properly, the more oxygen in the blood your dog starts the fight with. At the same time you will condition the heart to pump more blood for a longer time. This shortens recovery time because of the great health and condition of your dogs heart rate. That condition occurs during the contest. In other words he never experiences uncharted territory and that's the key to conditioning a dog. You can't see that condition vividly if you didn't peak your dog, otherwise you win or lose the fight with energy to spare. You cannot achieve this by strength conditioning your dog. You cannot achieve that doing strength and free conditioning both. Strength conditioning of any kind is not preparation for the contest. Meaning the entire fight consists of fast muscle twitch exercise, that's how you win fights. Why any one would strength condition a bull dog and achieve a much higher heart rate in the pit than they conditioned at home meaning their dog will be oxygen deficient much sooner than yours. Whether I win or not, I will bring the fight to you as long as I can. Also it doesn't make any difference which dog gets to M/S first. Most dogs that reach M/S first usually lose because it is not a conditioned M/S. A good to great free conditioned dog will reach M/S subsequently at the same time but with no stress involved with oxygen absorption, because he was freely conditioned. A free conditioned dog progressively rested, will take longer to raise the heart rate to perform at M/S because he will run cooler longer because it takes longer to raise the temperature than with other techniques or a combination of techniques. A great conditioning is to stay at M/S longer than your adversary. If he does, he may never heat up, reach M/S or break stride, or ever need to recover and that's what we hope to achieve. Never take a dog's water. If you take away his water, you take from him his cooling. When progressively rested with water he won't retain any extra moisture. If you condition the heart beat, not to speak of all the air moving in and out of his lungs for cooling. When you progressively cut back on work, he won't gain any weight match day all day. Of course, if you don't know how to finish a dog a correctly you will end up testing his gameness instead of finishing your dog in preparation for the contest. You may win, you may lose. You need to change, unless you are happy with your performance in your last match. I've never been that happy. That's why the diet on the feed sheet is so simple, as long as you use K/D prescription dog food. Dogs that have bad kidneys and real old dogs are put on this diet to give them longevity in this world. No animal fat to heat your dog up. The best source of life sustaining fat that will be used up as the last energy source before he goes into mild shock or worse. A sufficient amount of recovery time every time he breaks stride builds life sustaining fat. Too much work or not enough rest to recover uses up the reserve energy and you start the match energy deficient. Yet he will look great and feels fine. So in preparation for the contest you must get all your ducks in a row. If you need to feed cornflakes, fine, cornflakes won't hurt him. But, don't feed any leafy greens because of the high sulfur content, which is very hard on a dogs' kidneys on a daily use. If you are looking for vitamin K; STOP. Because you have all you need with the correct diet and blood count. You can only put so much rain in a rain barrel. A conditioned heart rate means less moisture, means more air without taking away his water. Less fat means cooler dog at M/S means shorter recovery time means, you get to finish the match with energy to spare, win, lose, or draw. At least you've done your part, the outcome is up to the dog.