MID FLORIDA TOP DOG POINT STANDINGS

Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association's TOP DOG competition is going strong!! We've got Envy owned by Carla Thomas only 1 point behind 2nd place and Fred Kelly's Buck'em and Max Rios Kid Bolio not far behind!! With 6 fun shows remaining TOP DOG and TOP DOG Runner-up is wide open!

Does anyone have information on the Tebow/Tebo dog? These two dogs are listed under two seperate handlers but we want to make sure this is correct. If this turns out to be the same dog when we combine the points Tebow/Tebo will become a contender for a CUP!

It's not too late to jump in the friendly competition now.....see everyone on Saturday, June 20th.....

All Too Often and It’s Disappointing Indeed

Last weekend I attended one of the largest ADBA point shows I have ever attended; huge classes were made up of incredibly conditioned specimens of the American Pit Bull Terrier. Every long lean muscle, cut, defined and popping; true athletes through and through. Since my dog wasn’t in tip-top shape many of my conversations were about how these participants got their pits into such extraordinary form? So discussion began about slat mills verses carpet mills verses electric treadmills; which builds muscle, which burns fat, which tones. Flirt pole and spring pole usage was discussed; which of these a particular dog prefers to work and for how long? Drag weight conditioning routines surfaced; some using deadweight, some using drag sleds or carts. How much weight verses drag distance? What combination of each works best for which results? Road work, hand walking….. nothing better than that some will say. Also, you always need a scale, you must record accurate weight along with your conditioning program, you will want to replicate that perfect combination when you hit on it. And, of course any pit bull owner is going to share what their pit loves to work on the most….because pits love to work! And, most importantly these are pampered pooches. These people will themselves go without before their dogs are in need of anything. We are not talking dog fighters. We are talking dog fanciers!

Beyond the muscular discussions, one exhibitor to another is always going to inquire about how the next achieved such a magnificent coat! How do they manage to maintain multiple dogs in their homes without the unforeseen ruckus? First and foremost any responsible owner of an American Pit Bull Terrier will own a break-stick or parting-stick and know how to properly use it. I am afraid the general public (non-pit bull people) will never understand it is instinct indeed for these dogs to want to fight other dogs; no training is required or necessary. Two family dogs may get along together very well for an extended period of time and it is most often something small such as a kibble on the floor, a lizard in the grass or something totally insignificant to us that will trigger this instinct. Quite simply this just comes with owning this breed.

So, no matter how responsible you feel you are, your pit is certain to pick up a nick or scrape while playing, because these are bulldogs and they play hard, or by sparring when the opportunity presents itself because these are pit bulls and it comes natural to them. But the nicks and scrapes can be concealed as show exhibitor discussions continue. A black magic marker on a black dog, shoe polish or your color choice of chalk concealer, or visit your local tack store to see what equine exhibitors use. There are a variety of tricks to the “show” trade. Check out your supermarket hair products aisle for hair sheen…look for the pink spray can. Nothing makes a coat look smoother and shinier than this. Let you imagination run wild!

It always feels good to be at a dog show because other show exhibitors love their pits just as much as I do. They will pamper them, they will exercise them, they will feed the best possible food their budgets allow, they will do without themselves to provide for their dogs or financially prepare for a road trip. Canadians will travel to Florida and Floridians will travel to Utah. Those from Utah will travel to Texas and Texans will not blink an eye to drive to New Jersey! No distance is too far if you have the ability to be away from work and money in your pocket to cover gas and hotels. Heck, hotels are not a requirement when camping is available! At each and every location there is family that understands the trials and tribulations of owning this breed, the daily scrutiny one endures, a family who supports and encourages each other thru the loses in the show ring, and a family that celebrates each others’ wins, and a family that understands every indulgence I offer my pit bulls.

So where does the ‘all too often and disappointment’ come in? It was when I overheard a hosting club member say they wouldn’t be back at this show site next year; not with the current site management, but especially because of what had recently happened here. Anyone who knows me knows I had to ask what had happened. She turned and pointed….”that building right over there is where they had all the Wildside Kennels dogs…had a SWAT team and everything surrounding the building….laid all the dogs out right down this road (pointing up and down a loooonnnngggg paved driveway) after they had been killed……” This was Wildside Kennel country. The show ring was full of the most magnificent specimens of the APBT that I had ever seen. The courts will determine based on evidence, if there actually is any, if Wildside Kennels is guilty as charged.
But the foundation kennel dogs have already been wiped out. My stomach churned and my head started spinning.

Once I got back home I started perusing the message boards looking for posts made by some of my new found show friends. Quickly, I ran across a video of news footage from Alabama. Police Bust “Alleged” Dog Fighting Ring. “Police busted an alleged dog fighting operation, and more than 20 dogs were rescued. (Rescued??? WTF????) One man is in custody in connection to the raid, but he has not been charged.” Here are a few more quotes from the video….“officers even seized a treadmill!” (OMG) ”these dogs are put on treadmills for hours at a time.” (not!) “these dogs obviously were being fought, we could not put them around other dogs, or they will fight each other,” (this is called genetics bonehead!) “treadmills that is evidence of dog fighting,” “devices to enhance bite,” blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…. I personally own every piece of conditioning equipment shown on video footage of the bust. I’m sure the media chose the dog with the worst injury to film for the news and that dog had a small cut on his nose. I’ve had worse with two of my conformation show males sparring thru the kennel fence! How about we just ruin another life and kill another 20 dogs! My stomach churns once again…..

You know, I have no idea if this guy is guilty or innocent, but all too often we, owners of the American Pit Bull Terrier deal with these situations. You own multiple pit bulls, you own tread mills or slat mills, you own a break stick, or have built a spring pole in your yard and own a drag sled. These things are not only show conditioning equipment but play-toys for the average American Pit Bull Terrier! But all across this country there are “intent laws.” Someone who knows absolutely nothing about this breed has the authority to determine what your intent is when owning all of the absolute essential items mentioned above, when in actuality these things help to make you a responsible pit bull owner! And, heaven forbid if you use tethering with a chain as a form of containment for your pit bull. All of these things combined will land you UNDER the jail until you have hocked your last personal possession, mortgaged your home several times over, emptied out your bank account and scraped together all the money you can find from under your mattress in an effort to obtain a decent attorney to combat this lunacy that has turned your life upside down!! And, the most bizarre thing of all is most often there isn’t any evidence to convict! But, the mission is accomplished. The dogs are dead. Kennel by kennel, dog by dog, the original American Pit Bull Terrier is being annihilated. GENOCIDE in its truest form.

In closing I’m going to borrow a couple of statements from the message board…(authors I hope you do not mind) I couldn’t have said this any better.

“The problem with this whole scenario is what they do right off the bat…..
1) They invade your privacy based on assumptions.
2) They take your dog/dogs.
3) They remove personal property based on flimsy assumptions.
4) It puts the burden on the citizen to prove himself/herself innocent.
5) Most of the time it can create a financial hardship…if you can’t afford to fight you lose no matter what.
6) These public reports forever damage the victims standing in the community.
7) It creates cash flow for the organizations that perpetuate the “raids” which in turn means more “raids.”
8) It is this Vicious Circle…NOT a Vicious Pit Bull…that is to blame.

“Rule number one, never believe anything that comes from the media. There is no rule number two.”

This happens all too often and it’s disappointing indeed!

May Weight Pull & Dog Show

HERE FOR THE DOGS....

Something older but worthy of sharing again!
August 19, 2008 - Tuesday



Since very recently taking over the Mid Florida APBTA profile this is the first of hopefully many informative and thought provoking blogs. To kick things off, we would like to address a few topics as they relate to Mid Florida APBTA fun shows and various other events. Before we get into that allow us to share with you the foundation of our mission. First and foremost we are here for the dogs. Over the past 8-10 years things have drastically changed for our dogs. BSL is rampant all across our country. Where BSL has failed or is being challenged, mandatory dog laws (spay/neuter, micro-chipping, anti-tethering) are passing with break-neck speed. Close your eyes and visualize the mushroomed effects of an atomic explosion. You can liken that to the overly exaggerated media hype as it overtakes our breed of choice; soon to be swallowed up entirely. The animal rights activists have such a stronghold on John Q. Public, you are looked at as if you have a third eye at the mere mention of kenneling your dogs outside. We would expect a visit from the Nazi police at the mere mentioning of the fact that we consider our dogs to be property, rather than our being the guardians of our dogs. (We can save that topic for a future blog of its own.) We are an American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) sanctioned club. That certainly does not mean we must stop there and only there. The sky is the limit if we are as tenacious as our dogs.



The ADBA was established in 1909. If the changes that we have felt over the last 8-10 years have been so stifling to us can you begin to imagine what Guy McCord must feel if watching from above? So times have changed and so must we. It is well past time to have circled the wagons. And, it is much too far into the game to have not outlined our offensive plays. One of the very biggest changes that must NOW occur is breaking the divide; imaginary or real. We have a responsibility to our dogs. We must openly embrace all who love this breed. We must encourage every owner and every potential owner to join forces with us in this battle to save our dogs. And in order to do that we must be open, educational, respectful, encouraging and uplifting to all. We must be eager to see the beauty in every dog; spayed or neutered, living in a show home or living the very special life of a rescue who was hand picked by someone with a heart as big as the world when others walked by to leave him to die. We must open our doors and welcome those that come with their beautiful house pets and find creative ways for them to feel an important part of our mission to preserve the American Pit Bull Terrier…..because they are. Not only that, we must uplift one another.




With that being said, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. last time I checked this was still America; home of the free. Free to form our own opinions, free to train our dogs as we please, and free to present our show dogs as we each individually wish. If you want to bring your dog in the show ring and stack him and have him stay that way till next month that is your personal right. If you want to bring your dog in the show ring and allow him to act out his breed type dog aggression that, as well, is your right. Know and accept the consequences of either decision because either does, in fact, have their own individual consequences. It is the mere theory of relativity.




Judging is an interpretation of the written conformation standard. It may cost you $3 or $5 at a fun show, or $18 at a sanctioned point show. That doesn't matter. You're still going to win some and you're going to lose some. That's just the way it goes. What one judge interprets as conforming to standard, the next may very well not. So, if interpretation makes you uncomfortable, might I suggest competition on the weight pull track where it is your dog, the weights, and the stopwatch? Either way it is your responsibility to your dog to represent him with class, dignity and graciousness. What our dogs cannot withstand, given their current unstable position in our country, is any display of poor sportsmanship.




In any organization there is ALWAYS room for healthy constructive debate. Each and every one of us can learn more about these dogs. And, we, the officers of Mid Florida APBTA, would appreciate and encourage you to come to us with your suggestions and opinions on how we can better showcase our dogs and our organization. How we can better educate. How we can better encourage others into the sanctioned show ring or weight pull track. How we can better reach the media about what our dogs really are. We can be all things needed for our dogs and dog owners. It is only when non-communication occurs that problems develop and fester. We should be here to encourage and uplift all dog owners, be it the papered dog, non-papered dog, the unaltered dog or the spayed dog, the couch potato pet, the stacked dog or the dog showing dog aggression. At our monthly fun shows we are all equal; no one person, style of showing or personal opinion is better than another. We should be thankful to have one another and positively embrace our differences. We should discuss them and learn from them for our own educational purposes as well as the education we attempt to perform in our community. Furthermore, any pit bull organization should have zero tolerance for harmful public negativity.




Mid Florida APBTA has come a very far cry from where we were even five years ago. We have worked very, very hard to move away from only having one or two guest judges and the remainder of the season's shows being judged by one officer or another. To successfully bringing in sanctioned ADBA judges or experienced and successful breeders and show exhibitors; individuals who have a yard with numerous titled champions or a well established bloodline. We have taken great measures to move in a positive direction and will continue to do so. Sometimes we hit a homerun; sometimes we strikeout. One thing is for sure, we won't quit stepping up to the plate.




So, when we all gather at a Mid Florida APBTA fun show, sanctioned show or a Mid Florida APBTA community event, we are there for the dogs, and we are there for each other. Differences of philosophies, unless debated constructively and with respect, need to be left at the curb. If your personal opinions are so strong that you cannot set them aside we respect you to the fullest extent should you choose to move on. Maybe the next organization you affiliate yourself with will meet your every expectation. Wherever you decide to land, be there for the dogs.




For now there is much work to do with limited resources and minimal manpower. Yes, each and every one of you is important to us because you are important to your dog. We must create a venue to educate, and we must educate on all levels. Responsible owners must educate the irresponsible. Seasoned judges must mentor the new. Experienced show or weight pull participants must take the time to light that same fire within the inexperienced. And, we must educate the media so they quit destroying. We must also create a venue for laughter, camaraderie, lifelong friends and special memories. We are more than a fraternity; we are family. Let something tragic happen to one of us and see how quickly we all come together despite any differences. Anyone who attended the ADBA '08 point show in Louisiana fully understands this. We must also create a venue to preserve the many facets our dogs served in our country's history, as well as the history of the dog itself.




To wrap this thing up, this club can be, and actually is, what each and every one of you wants it to be or makes it. It is whatever you personally want to pull from it. It can be all things to everyone. Seasoned show exhibitors can practice their personal handling skills while giving their dogs experience in a show ring. All the while getting excited about the thrill the person next to you is feeling because you too remember that feeling when you received your first little trophy. People may be there to decide if this is the breed for them, or to locate a reputable breeder for a show or pull dog, rather than a $100 pup out of the newspaper. Rescued dogs can seek out their forever homes. The list goes on and on. But, it will take creativity, balance, and unselfishness. Make this club what you want it to be for you, others, the community and more importantly for the dogs.




And, yes, we can do all this and more.

April's Fun Show....

Well, April's fun show has come and gone and today is 'recovering Sunday' for me. We had a great turnout again this month and we can't thank you enough for coming out and supporting this breed and our organization. Mid Florida APBTA will continue to strive to be the best that we can be, and we are always eager to hear your suggestions that will help us ful-fill the needs of our American Pit Bull Terrier community!

We had 12 dogs registered for our weight pull competition and the competition was tough indeed. We started out pulling at 300 pounds and finished at 1299. Leo, owned by James and Suzy (almost) Wolf took the Most Weight Pulled trophy, and Levi, owned by Kristopher Mayo took the Most Weight Pulled Per Pound. Special kudos to Lucy Loo, owned by Debbie and Lloyd Malott. Lucy hung tough pulling 1049 pounds without the enticement of her yellow tennis ball. She's definitely an up and coming contender!

There is alot of hard work involved in setting up the weight pull track and running this event. A huge thanks to Eva the Diva, our judge and scorekeeper; to Lloyd and his "dolly" (not Debbie, silly, his handcart!) for hauling all those weights around all day; to our never without a smile Fred, our cartman; and last but not least to Sara, our "hook-up" girl. (For all of you who are not familiar with weight pull, I'll let your imaginations run with that one!)

Mike Morgan of Old Family Reds and American Freedom Kennels was gracious enough to come out and spend the afternoon with us and judge our conformation events. Mike has over 20 years experience in breeding quality American Pit Bull Terriers and is responsible for many ADBA Champions and Grand Champions. We had 59 registered dogs
for conformation, and although that number is good we still had ribbons unclaimed in some conformation age classes! So what if you have never shown your dog before. That is exactly what these monthly fun shows are for....experience and of course fun!!

Newcomer Ronin, owned by Eric Brown took the Best Puppy trophy. Best of Opposite was awarded to Fina, owned by Eva Noble and Best of Show was awarded to Maverick, owned by Lisa Hutches.

Thanks again everyone, for brining your dogs out and spending the day with us. It was a great day in the park!