Boys on the Run - Pitbulls Playing

Here's a picture we took of the boys getting some exercise the other day.

It's Fella on the left (9 months) and Moose on the right (8 months)



Then, just like any good workout, it wore them out!

Crates Are Not Only for Naughty Dogs

I saw an ad for a dog crate that was for sale and the seller said something to the effect of the crate being for those times when your dog is naughty. That caused me to believe that the seller of the crate felt that the only time a dog should go in a crate is when he or she is naughty.

Now, we use crates quite a bit, and now that I'm going through a pack structure training program with our younger dogs, we use them even more. In our use of crates we see that dogs don't necessarily feel "punished" when they are in their crate. In fact, many of them are more comfortable there than anywhere else. It becomes their "place, their "spot," their security when things are going nutso around them (think New Year's Eve fireworks going off for hours everywhere).

After reading that ad, I just had to say that crates are not only for "naughty" dogs. Yes, they can be used in training, but they can also be very beneficial to the health and well being of your dog. It's not just a mean punishment to put a dog in a crate.

Wow - Testing Breeding Dogs?

Back in April we put up a new picture of Moose and were criticized by one visitor who told us that if we were responsible breeders we'd wait until Moose had titles and health tests to prove he was "worthy" of being bred. This came in response to the fact that we mentioned he'd probably be ready and available for stud later this year.

I just came across a quite "heated" article in regards to testing breeding dogs, but before I share that, there's just one thing to say about "titles."

There are NO UKC shows available in Hawaii and anyone who lives in Hawaii knows how big an endeavor it would be to take dogs up to the mainland to get them into shows so they could get "titles" and then bring them back home (with the quarantine requirements and such). So that's the ONLY major reason why we aren't entering our dogs into registered shows.

I DO know that Moose's siblings (offspring of his father Geronimo) ARE winning shows in the mainland US and we believe that he is pretty darn close to being as "worthy" of breeding as his show winning siblings.

Okay - on to that article I mentioned. This is written by a breeder with another perspective on health testing breeding dogs. She brings up some interesting points and facts. Read the article HERE.

Online Training for All Breeds

You may have seen this before if you've been visiting this site for a while. We've mentioned this program before and even have it listed on our Pitbull Training Resources page.

The reason I'm mentioning it again now is because I've noticed that a number of our visitors are choosing this particular training resource for their pitbull training.

Why is this training program so popular?

• Because it doesn't require you to take your dog to where the trainer is
• You can work it around when it's convenient for YOU rather than trying to work out a schedule with a off line dog trainer
• People with young puppies can begin training as early as possible, without having to take their puppy out in public before their puppy has completed their vaccinations
• Because it costs less than a tank of gas
  

This program allows you to...

• Use it whenever it's most convenient for YOU and your dog
• Immediately apply what you're learning in your own home vs learning it somewhere else, then having to remember it and try it at home
• Begin training your puppy as early as you want without the threat of taking your puppy out in public
• Check out a free lesson online right now
• Pay WAY less than some of those "we come to you" training programs out there
• Repeat lesson at ANY time because you have unlimited access to the information vs just one shot at a lesson during a 12 week program
• Quickly and easily begin training TODAY without having to wait for a consultation or wait for the next "12 week session" to begin

Go to Dove Cresswell's Online Training Site and view a free lesson today.

Things to Avoid as a Breeder

There are a couple of things we've seen breeders say or do that just don't sit right with us. We think that most responsible breeders know these things and follow them. Now, these aren't hard fast rules that are being broken or anything, just things that for us, personally, don't "feel" right.

Here are 3 big ones we think should be avoided.

1. Don't breed your dog "because she's in heat." Of course, you're going to breed your dog when she's in heat, but if that's the ONLY reason you're breeding her at that time, it's not really a good reason. What often happens in this case is that the owner breeds their dog with whatever stud is available whether it's a good match or not. Then they say something like, "Well, she was in heat and that's the only choice I had." NOT TRUE. If your female goes into heat and you don't have the "Right Male" available for her, the right thing to do is PASS THE HEAT. That is another choice, breeding her to an unsuitable male is not "the only choice" you have. Do NOT breed her if you don't have a good match for her! Perfect example from our yard: Angel. We would like to have one more litter with her, but since Polu's passing, we had a very difficult time finding the right male for her. Now we have a couple of options, but we passed a number of heats because we weren't about to breed her with just anyone. The Polu and Angel combination is a tough one to top. I'm still not sure we'll ever top it, but I do know that now, we have some solid choices we can utilize to produce a quality litter with her if we decide to do so.

2. Don't do this "for the money." Okay - obviously, when we do a breeding we plan to sell the pups and bring in money. BUT if that is the ONLY driving force behind you breeding dogs, it's not going to work. It's like being an athlete and being driven ONLY by the "Big W" or the WIN. You can experience some success, but I really don't think it will be as much as if you do it for the "right reasons." When we had our first litter, it was really out of the desire to share what we had with others. We loved our dogs. They were such a great part of our family. People always commented on, not only how beautiful they were, but how great THEY were as dogs and as part of our family (temperament/behavior etc all impressed many people). We thoroughly enjoyed our dogs as did other people and we wanted to GIVE THAT and SHARE THAT with others. It wasn't just about the money. With this "mission" in mind, we were quite successful. We put out quality dogs and people came back to us again and again to let us know how great their dog is and how happy they were that they had their dog. Then, the ONE TIME, I lost sight of that. The one time I basically looked at a litter for the money and just about counted on having money from the litter it just didn't work out. The breeding didn't take and all the plans that were made with the money that I had hoped to have came to a screeching halt. Obviously, I'm not perfect. Whenever money and success is involved, it's very easy to lose sight of those good intentions and why you got started in the first place. So it's important to check yourself every now and then and take a look at why you do what you do...and if the driving force behind you breeding dogs is just "the money" it's probably not going to work out as well and as smoothly as you thought it would. This concept doesn't only apply to breeding dogs or to sports, it holds true in other areas of life as well. I've seen it in action in my own life and in others, so it's something that I do my best to remember and live by.

3. Don't think breeding dogs will provide you with "easy money." I just want to laugh any time people make remarks like that - that raising dogs is "easy money" or they act like, "Wow, you're so 'lucky' you have lots of money because you just sold puppies." Lucky? What? Hey, I worked HARD to take care of that litter and of the parents (among other things) to EARN that money. It has nothing to do with luck. Of course, most people to make those kinds of remarks have never taken care of a litter. If you have ever been there to take care of a litter 24/7 and had that responsibility solely on your shoulders, you KNOW how much work, time, money, and worry goes into it. Most people who make comments about "easy money" have also never gone through the time and expense to raise litter OR care for the dogs that produce a litter throughout an entire year. Seriously, the money we earn from one litter doesn't even come close to "breaking even" with our dogs if you add up all the expenses and time involved with caring for the dogs on an ongoing basis. We're talking food, bowls, leashes, collars, flea and tick care (on the dogs and in the environment), heartworm prevention, vaccinations, vet exams, grooming supplies, cleaning supplies, etc, etc, etc. There is a LOT that goes into raising dogs. Our dogs, on a daily basis, get a BARE MINIMUM of 3 hours of our undivided attention each day - that's time that we're spending on dogs and only dogs every single day and that's only if we're doing the bare minimum of cleaning them up and feeding them. If you're going to throw in exercise, training, bathing, etc - then it's really more like 5-6 hours per day.

So if you're new to breeding or thinking of breeding - please think about the 3 issues above and be sure you are...

1. doing this for the right reasons
2. ready to work hard

Good Info On Breeding Dogs

One question we often hear is, "Can you breed father/daughter or uncle/niece? What about half brother/half sister?"

Of course you CAN, but whether you SHOULD or not is another story. Of course, there have been cases in which father/daughter was bred, or half-brother/half-sister. Some had great results, others disastrous. In general, we don't think it's such a great idea to do those types of breedings. Other breeders would disagree. It turns out that the UKC has some great information for breeders and for those who are thinking of breeding their dogs. I think that their take on which combinations are sound and their advice on attempting other combinations serve as a great guideline.

Another time I'm going to talk about a few things to avoid as a breeder, but for now, check out the UKC website and their "Breeder's Corner." Go to www.UKCDogs.com

It's On - Mana x Lii

This is a breeding we tried before, but since we didn't really have our own place for breeding at that time, we didn't let them hook up naturally and it didn't take.

So this time around, we decided to let Mana and Lii do their thing. We mentioned last week that we'd be doing this breeding, and now it's happening!

Mana Loa is a Notorious Juan Gotty Grandson out of Mikeland's Blue Gator and Mikeland's Sammara.

Li'i is a Razor's Edge/Sierra-Gaff female. Last time we bred her with Tubbs and she had just 4 pups. If you've ever seen Lii, you know she's not a huge female, so we're really don't expect big litters out of her. If this breeding does take, we do believe that availability will be limited.

If you want to stay notified of what's going on you have a number of choices. You can...

• Sign up for our mailing list on our home page
• Keep checking back here at the blog
• Keep checking on our breedings or puppies page
• Sign up for our feed
• Follow us on Twitter

We'll be sending out updates via all those channels if this breeding works out.

Mean Head Turning Machine

Now our truck is a mean head turning machine - LOL. It's because of the dogs. You'll see why when I post pictures later. I don't have time right now, but will take some before this weekend is over so we can share. It's VERY cool...you'll see what I mean. Stay tuned here over the next day or two and you'll see what I mean.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

...and I hope you're following us on Twitter!

808 Blue Pitbull - New Shirt Preview

I gave you a little bit of a preview of our new shirts earlier in the week. But I just got a new sample from our designer that I wanted to share with you. It's probably not exact, but our new shirts that will be for sale and the upcoming Hawaii events as well as here at the website will be something along the lines of the images that follow.

Featuring: Moose, Diamond, Angel, Mana, Fella, and Lii...

Click to enlarge

Even More 808 Blue Pitbull Info for You

Ever heard of Twitter? Maybe you have. If not, it's a very cool, very simple way for you to stay in touch with other people.

And now, guess what? We're twittering!

Yup, 808 Blue Pitbulls is now available for you to follow on Twitter.

If you have no idea what twitter is, it's a place where we can post, short updates very quickly and very easily. Much quicker than we can update our site, update this blog, or send out messages via e-mail. So, if you want up to the minute updates from us, following us on twitter is the way to go.

Plus, even if you don't have internet service or e-mail service on your mobile phone, it would be possible for you to get twitter updates from us via text message (messaging rates do apply).

Bottom line is, if you:

• Want to get to know us and our dogs even better (if that's possible)
• Want the LATEST information on what's going on here (especially useful when we have pups or dogs for sale)
• Have an easier time checking your phone that you do our blog, our website, or e-mails from us
• Enjoy hearing about pitbull events and hearing cool pitbull stories....
  

Then following us on twitter is probably what you want to do.

It's FREE

It's Very SIMPLE

...and if ever you decide you don't like it, you don't have to keep up with it.

So how do you follow us on Twitter?

• 1. Go to Twitter and Create an account if you don't already have one - FREE
• 2. Go to www.twitter.com/808bluepitbull
• 3. Click on the "Follow" button by our picture

That's it! Just those 3 easy steps and you'll be following us on twitter.

If you want to set up your account to get our updates on your phone, just click on "add device" in the Device Updates area of the right margin of your home screen and follow the instructions from there.

See you on twitter!

Help Us Move Up

I check Mako's Ultimate Pitbull Topsite earlier this week and we were climbing up a spot from 5th to 4th. Help us get even higher by voting for our site (and asking your friends to vote too ;P).

When I checked out Mako's on Monday we were the featured site, not sure if we still are today, but you can vote for us and check that out by clicking on the banner below.



Thanks for your help in making us one of the top sites at Mako's Ultimate Pitbull Topsite!

Lii x Mana

We're going to hook Mana up with Lii this month. Mana Loa is a grandson of the Notorious Juan Gotty and Lii is a Razor's Edge/Sierra female. These two both have muscular builds and should produce some solid puppies.

We'll let you know how the breeding goes and whether or not it takes. Lii's last litter had just 4 pups, so if it does catch, availability will probably be quite limited.

If you want to stay up to date with what's going on, you can either sign up for our fHome Page and we'll send you updates via e-mail.

Our Dogs in This You Tube Video

You can imagine my surprise when I clicked on a MySpace bulletin which included a video of pits and saw our dogs included in the video. Now normally I would be annoyed that someone took pictures from our site or myspace and used them without permission. I guess maybe on myspace there are no rules about that? But on our site, it does say that the images are not to be copied and used without permission. Anyway - it would have been nice to have been recognized in some kind of credit list, but people are recognizing our dogs in the video and even the person who posted the myspace bulletin asked readers if they could spot us in there. I wouldn't want people continuing to use our pictures without our permission or without credit (a simple url in the work is sufficient), but I do think it was an honor to have our pics used in the making of this positive pitbull you tube video.

Here's the video - can you spot our dogs? There are probably about 7 or so pics of them: Angel, Koni, Nalu, Beautiful, Amaya (owned by Danny, produced here)...they're all in there.

New 808 Blue Pitbull Shirts

We have some new shirts being worked on and hope to have them by the end of September. Here's a little preview of what's going to be on the shirt. The image has been shrunk to fit in this post, but you can click it to get a better view.

From left to right:

Moose, Diamond, Angel, Mana, Fella, and Lii - it's not everyone, but it's still pretty cool.

Shirts will probably be priced around $20 including shipping to anywhere in the US.

We will let you know all the details when the shirts are ready.

Here's the first look at the new design...

Maui Bound

Yesterday was a reaaaaalllly long day. Glad it's Friday and we're off to Maui tomorrow! Quite a few people from Oahu are going up. Hopefully we all have a nice day. Not too late to make it there!
Nah, if not this event, then another one. There are about 4 more left this year. Howza!

There is one in August on the Big Island. Another in September on the Big Island. The Bully Bash in October on Oahu and the Ultimate Hawaiian Island Bullies event in November in Haleiwa, Oahu. Whew! I think the only one we won't be at is the September event on the Big Island. We already had a previous engagement set up and can't change it.

So - hope to see you at one of the events!

Gotty/Sierra-Gaff Male for Sale CHAMP

Yep, after much thought, we're putting Champ up for sale. He's a great dog, but right now he's being passed over because we have his dad too, so we just feel that he may be a better fit elsewhere. Just a few details:

• He made 1 year old in April
• He is up to date on shots and is of breeding age
• Great-Grandson of Notorious Juan Gotty
• Grandson of Mikeland's Blue Gator and Mikeland's Sammara
• Grandson of Angel and Polu
• Son of Mahoe's Mana Loa and Mahoe's Shasta Girl
• Call for more info

Still growin...

Diamond (the answer)

Okay so in our other post we told you that Diamond was in heat. As far as whether or not we're breeding her, we are planning to. Of course, if she catches, that means she won't be pulling this year. On the other hand, if she doesn't catch, she will get to pull. So it's basically a win-win situation for us because either way it goes, we have something to look forward to.

Whether or not this breeding catches, we're looking at going with Nalu for her next one. That should produce some solid, well structured pits with good heads and beautiful faces. If her current breeding takes, we'll give you all the details on when pups should drop and who the stud is. We're not sure how this breeding is going to work out since Diamond's prime time is probably going to right around the day we're in Maui. Hopefully we'll be able to work around it, but who knows. The one thing I DO know is that if pups are produced this time around, you will NOT want to miss it. Until that time, we'll all just have to wait and see what happens.

Moose and Maui

Two different subjects, but we're going to talk about both in the same post.

First, Maui
It's almost time to go to Maui! Unfortunately, we won't be able to take Diamond as planned. We wanted to take her up so that she could pull. BUT, she just went into heat, so we can't take her. Will we be breeding her? Ahhh, check back here over the course of the week to get the answer to that question. That's a little off topic though so let's get back to Maui...if you're going up, be sure to stop by and say, "Hello." Hopefully, we don't get lost because we really have no idea how to get to the event from the airport, but it's going to be at War Memorial. There are actually quite a few people from O'ahu going up there. I think we'll have a fun day. We'll try to take pictures and let you know how it went. One thing I know for sure...Allen is going to say at least once that day something along the lines of, "I wish I could've brought Diamond." Anyway - like I said, we'll let you know how it went.

On to Moose
Isn't he a handsome guy? I know, I'm a little biased, but I still think he's a handsome guy. Apparently other people think he's a handsome guy too because we already have people telling us they want puppies from him and we already have people wanting to use him as a stud for their female. Of course, he's not quite ready now, but if you have a female that will be ready toward the end of the year.....Moose may very well be ready then! Stud fee will probably run about $1500 - call for other options.

808 Blue Pitbull Dog Bowl

Get a really cool water bowl for your dog at our CafePress shop. It's got some of our dogs pictured on it and looks really cool.

Our CafePress shop also has other items such as shirts, tanks, and mugs that you can order as well. Take a few minutes and check it out today.

Pitbull Puppy Picture - Baloo

As promised in our last post, here's a picture of Baloo. He is Ella's littermate from the Rocko/Beautiful breeding. Shown here at 9 weeks.

Pitbull Picture - Miss Ella

Here's an updated picture of Ella. Actually, it's a week or so old. We really do need to take new pictures of them again. I just haven't had time to get them posted. They are "growing up" so fast! These are the pups from the Beautiful/Rocko breeding we did. In this picture, Ella is 9 weeks old.



We have a couple of pictures of Baloo (Ella's brother) that we'll share in our next post. He's still not as tall or long as she is, but his girth is catching her up.

Almost Time for Maui

June is here and it's almost time for the Bullies event in Maui! Can't wait to go. Should be a lot of fun. Any reason to go off island and not have to do housework allllll day is cool. LOL

There are a number of people trying out the super ferry for this event. It's probably easier to travel with pets via the super ferry, but we didn't have time to stay longer than the day for the event. So we're flying in.

It's not too late to get your tickets to go to Maui and see the bullies up there! Here's the flyer with all the info...click to enlarge

Baby Love from Moose the Pitbull

If you love pitbulls, pass this video along to others! Help promote the positive image of the pitbull breed. We also have this video up on our myspace page if you want to pass it along via myspace...go to www.myspace.com/808bluepitbull to see and share the video there.