NOW HERE'S THE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS
YOU "YOUNG PUPS" SENT Ol' PETE.

Pete, I was wondering in your opinion what is better to have a dog with no mouth but that will scratch all day, or a dog that has a killer mouth, but might not scratch for the long haul and how would you breed to improve both qualities?

To me it's kind of like building a skyscraper. Do you want inferior materials on the first floor? When there is an earthquake? Well a bulldog has to be solid when the going gets rough too or he's going to bail out on you and nobody appreciates that! So my advice would be to try and work some mouth and talent into the game line using the gamest dogs you can find with those traits. Then hope for the best and keep your fingers crossed as in breeding there are no guarantees. Pete

Questions from Mitch: In regards to the meaning of the term or rank of champion or grand champion, I know these ranks are given to 3x and 5x winners within the pit, however, are these ranks also given to conformation show winners and if so will the breeding of show winners to show winners take away from the pitbull's gameness and by how much. Also, how do I know within a dog's pedigree from an ad., if the rank of "CH" and "GR. CH" are from the pit or from a conformation show winner?

Well, those are some fine questions, son, I'll do my best to answer them. Yes, they are awarding "titles" to "show" dogs and there are foolish people breeding the pitbull exclusively for show traits, although I remember when Ralph Greenwood first started sanctioning pitbull shows it wasn't supposed to be that way. It was "just for fun" and "to give the breed a better image in the public eye" and such. But there are always those that will take frivolous pursuits seriously and a whole industry has grown out of it. And yes, the gameness of those dogs should be seriously doubted as experience will tell a person that if a trait isn't bred for it will soon be lost. Especially gameness!
I have seen ads. in "GAMEDOG" magazines with pictures of "champions" and "grand champions" that had obviously never had a hair turned on em but were being represented as "game" dogs. The only way to be sure what you are getting is to do your homework, study your bloodlines and ask around. Say, "Are your dogs "game-bred" dogs or showdogs?" Let them know what you are looking for and what you expect to get in a dog, if you are to be satisfied with your purchase.

Hey Pete, how do you determine the best "pit" weight for your dog? signed, Clueless.

I assume, since dog fighting is illegal (not to mention, politically incorrect) you are planning to pull your dog down just to get some pictures of him for your scrapbook, right? Well, in the good old days before cutting a couple of scrappers loose to see who'd come out on top would get a person the "death penalty", here is how it was done.

You start with a mature, healthy, worm-free dog that isn't as fat as a hog ready for the butcher shop. You hand walk him (on a lead and in a harness) four or five miles a day while cutting back on his feed enough to see a weight drop of a pound or two per week, no more than that though. The walking is important because it is through this that you can determine if the dog is getting too weak. If he does start to feel weak you have taken him too low. Weigh him and take him back up a pound or so (through an increase in caloric intake) until he feels strong on the lead again. Weigh him again and you should be pretty close. A fat dog will, however take a couple of weeks at "pit weight" to burn off his internal fat that is within his muscles and around his vital organs. That is where a lot of beginners mess up. They don't know to allow for internal fat and so end up going a couple of pounds too heavy.

I know things in the dog game are different today, Pete - but do you think it's possible to use hand walking as a basis for a competitive keep? Bearing in mind that spring pole/flirt pole and some kind of wind sprints would also be incorporated as well. Ritch

I remember going into a dog one time that was hand walked 30 miles a day! They say the whole family took turns on him, wife, kids and all. He lost that night but not because he wasn't in shape, he just had a better dog on him!.
Anyway, I think hand walking is fine if you have the "legs" for it! You are right though, in that they also will benefit from some kind of sprint work, for wind. Actually I would recommend a "flirt-pole" keep with a little hand-walking for strength. The flirt-pole if done properly is about as good as any work you can put on a dog.
The trick to it is not to burn up his feet by going out too fast at first. Start with just a few minutes and keep an eye on his feet every day. To keep them tough and healthy soak them in warm, strong salt water for a few minutes after his workout, cleaning all the dirt from his toenails as it can lead to an infection and a dog with sore feet ain't gonna work very hard. You also need to try to keep your dog on the ground as much as possible as a lot of jumping can lead to a pulled shoulder or injured knee. It takes a little practice and a lot of work to put one through a flirt-pole keep but it's well worth the effort. He'll be in better shape than any "tread-milled only" dog, that's for sure!

What would be a good basic keep feed for a competition dog?

At the risk of making the supplement sellers mad, I'll tell you what I used to feed, not real futuristic, just basic common sense. Maybe the times have passed Ol' Pete by and you can do better now but that's for ya'll to decide for yourselves.
I like a good quality dog food for a base, say Eucanuba or Science Diet, you know the type, it costs a lot but has plenty of usable protein and fat. I also like a hard-boiled egg or two per day. Add to that a multi-vitamin just to help you sleep better and I think you'll be in pretty good shape. Add some good hard work and plenty of rest interspersed in between his hard days, to let the body recover from it and your dog will be ready for "Bully the Bear" as olí Maurice used to say!

What are the minimum things to have the vet check on a dog before beginning the keep?

Well, you can have him check for worms but the dog shouldn't have any because unless you are an idiot you've got all your dogs on Ivermectin for heartworm prevention and it also kills every worm except tapes and they are spread by fleas and he shouldn't have any fleas either! If he's got any of the above, get rid of them! You could have a blood test done just to make sure he's normal but if he wasn't you should have noticed it in his schooling as he wouldn't have shown good if he was sick and you wouldn't be talking about using him. See? Common sense and insight into how a dog is feeling are important tools in this sport. But go to a vet. and spend your money if you aren't sure he's okay, you'll sleep better!

What would be a good list of things in a well- stocked medical bag for post match care?

For a hog-hunting match, right? A venoclysis setup is essential, to get some lactated ringers solution in him with. For shock, some Predef 2X is excellent, (also given I.V.) as it's ten times as strong as dexamethazone (Azium). Either a suture kit or a surgical stapler for large cuts. Don't forget to have two thermometers, Keep one in his rectum at all times and check it every couple of minutes. One of the least known facts, even by "medical experts", is that it is crucial to keep the body temperature normal (101.5ķ102 deg.) to prevent irreversible shock from setting in. This can be done with hot water bottles, heaters or whatever, but it is imperative to save a badly injured dog! Tape, needles, scalpel, peroxide, scissors, chicken broth, Tylenol.

Hey Pete! What can you say to a person who would like to buy a very game APBT? ( Maybe the son of an "ace") I don't care about the price of him but I don't know the "world" of the APBT in USA.

That's not an easy one. First, I don't recommend running out and buying a pup off of some hot-shot dog who has won a few but hasn't showed his prowess in the brood pen! One of the hardest things for beginners to figure out is that winning matches doesn't have anything to do with producing good dogs! I would worry more about WHO I got the dog from than about the dogs themselves, and I damn sure wouldn't tell a peddler that the price doesn't matter!. Unless you have actually seen a dog in action all you have is a bunch of writing in some magazine. It may or may not be true. And hell, I have seen legitimate Champions I wouldn't breed a coyote bitch to! Why? Because they acted like curs! For example, I remember years ago a "champion" (out of what turned out to be a pretty famous litter of dogs) was sold to some people in another part of the country from where he was campaigned. These boys wanted him for a stud dog. He did have ability and a good mouth so to test him they put a ten pound bigger dog on him. He hung it up in fifteen minutes! He was "game" as long as things were going his way and whipped three inferior dogs to get his title, but a stud dog? Not in my yard pal! A rough cur is just a cur that's a little harder to game-test.

Never forget this. The winner of a match is the one who sends in the report and usually he's going to write it to make his dog look as good as possible. Then he can sell the dog for more money.  You will have to do your "homework", meaning research who are the HONEST breeders, cause I guarantee you that the crooks are out there just waiting for a guy like you to call! If you want the best chance of getting a GAME one its best to buy a grown tested dog from someone who has been around a long time and has used the dog in his own breeding program.

Will it be all right to leave him at my house for almost 10 hours without supervision? And what do you think would be the best way to keep him there, could I just let it run free.

It is fine to leave a dog alone for ten hours but only if it is properly confined! Never let a pitbull "run free" anytime or anywhere without proper supervision. Unless you really like trouble. Most of the problems between dogs and people are the result of dogs running loose. Dogs, all dogs, are predators and they can and will often get into trouble if left to their own devices.

Dear Olš Pete, Just a quick couple of questions. First, what are the pluses and minuses of breeding an untested bitch?

Well, thatšs a real good question, Bones. The biggest "minus" is that she may be a cur! If she is she will probably produce more like her, just like breeding to a cur male will.  It is also possible that she has one or more physical defects such as poor stamina that could be caused by any number of things like: heart problems, kidney problems, liver problems circulatory problems and so on. This why it is always better to use good, working stock for any breeding program. That way you are using dogs that have proven they (and their parents, grand-parents etc.) can do the job and do it well. Of course the opposite is true of breeding tested dogs that are proven. Although there are no guarantees, they are more likely to produce good, game dogs, capable of doing their job, the kind we are all looking for!

This next question might make a good debate. When looking for a proven male to breed to could a dog that was matched but picked up game and still scratching actually be more attractive to breed to for his gameness than the dog that won the match? Obviously the dog that won the match had more ability but if the losing dog had no chance of wining but refused to quit could that make that dog because of it's gameness a better candidate to breed to. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making any excuses for losing and the winning dog's ability doesn't mean that he isn't also game, I was just wondering what people thought about the subject. Thanks again for the great mag. and hopefully people will write in with their opinions about this matter. Yours Truly,  Bones

Damn right, Bones! I have always felt and always said that I would rather breed to a good, game 3 hour loser than to one of these totally untested, "30 minute champions"! Why? Because many of them have a few easy goes and  then quit the first time they run into a real bulldog! A cur is a cur and it donšt matter how hard he bites or how smart or talented he is. If he ainšt game hešs not going to be used in my breeding program. It is gameness that separates our bulldogs from all the other breeds in the world. there are breeds that can probably bite as hard or harder; breeds that have more agility or can run faster; have bigger teeth, thicker fur and so on. But none of those things does them much good against a bulldog for one important reason. A bulldog is gamer than they are!

They can bite the hell out of him and hešll keep coming. They can frustrate him with fancy moves and mouth-speed but hešll keep coming. Or they can outrun him but hešll keep chasing until he catches them! So what will happen if everyone breeds for hard mouth and talent and we lose the gameness (as some lines have already done)? How will our dogs be any better than a Rottweiler or a Rhodesian Ridgeback then?

Dear Olš Pete Sez, My name is Edward from Texas, and I have a question: I am thinking of going hog hunting with my dog and I am getting prepared. I have just about everything I need, Shotgun, dog, a 5" spike collar for my dog, but I thought about my dog, what if he gets cut open buy a boar. He is going to bleed to death. I have talked around to some people and they tell to look for a "Stitch Kit" to sew up a wounded dog. So now to the question finally. Where can I order or buy the so called "Stitch Kits" .
Thank you for your time, Edward Gomez

Thanks for your letter, Edward. Problem is, you are asking the wrong question! Yes, you should have a "stitch kit" or a surgical stapler (look in the animal mail order catalogs for these) but it is a lot better to keep your dog from getting ripped open by the hog in the first place! One reason is that a hog can cut a lot more than skin! He can disembowel your dog and stitching isnšt going to do him much good!
What you need BEFORE you go hog hunting is to join United Hog-Dog Association of America! Wešll send you a membership card, a "legal advice" pamphlet (to help keep you and your dogs out of "legal trouble" around your neighborhood and in the town you live in) and some sources you can contact to order cut vests and cut collars, hog traps, staplers, virtually everything you need before you take to the field. As a member you can also call association officers, like T. Michael Riddle, on the phone for advice. Hog hunting is certainly not a sport you should tackle without being ready for all the repercussions! Your dog is worth $25 for a membership to help save his life, isnšt he? Well then, do him and yourself a favor and get started right with the right equipment and knowledge.  Pete

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Copyright 2001, The Pit Bull Reporter