Virgil dogs
01-13-2008, 12:35 PM
I was out yesterday with my shorthair huntin birds.It was a great day,I love watching dogs do what they were born to do.I did a lot of thinking about the "old days".I bought my first bulldog from a local dogfellow around 1980.I loved the breed but hated what they were born to do,that is till I read Strattens first book.It changed my outlook and my life.It all clicked and made sense.I had the very good fortune to meet one of the best dogmen in the sport and he was local.He took me under his wing and we are still good freinds today.We had about a dozen dog folks that were local,and our "crew"was among the busyest out there.Almost every weekend we were on the road.In that decade we went to A LOT of shows,you do the math.Now let me say I'm not bragging cause I hate that,I'm just tellin it like it was.I meet and befreinded alot of the best that was out there.Let tell you there was nothing like it,you blow into a strange town and the locals would roll out the red carpet.Anything you wanted was yours just ask.Sometimes they were the same guys you were pullin against.It didnt matter,those were the days...It was around 86 or87 that I went south to breed a bitch to a dog named Pee wee.He was a deeply game dog,one look would tell you that.He was owned by a super nice guy,who some may know.While I was down there we had a party and I meet Ken Allen,rip.He took me to one of his yards.WOW he had 120 dogs give or take.He was lookin for someone to live there and care for them.Well I jumped at the chance and for a while I lived with 120 bulldogs.That was a learning experience like nothing else.Ken and I had a falling out and I headed home.Thats another story...Back home I can remember times doin roadwork in blizards,sick,pukin.You just keep on truckin cause you had to do your part.The same with feeding and cleaning everyday.Didnt matter how you felt or what else you had to do,your dogs came first.THATS WHAT BEING A DOGMAN IS ALL ABOUT!I got out of the dog game around 95 when the asshole drug dealers would bring pounds of coke or whatever to a show.The DEA would follow the drugs and bust up the party.They had know idea what to do with the dog folk,but soon the in-humane society got involved.Alot of good dogmen went down cause of that garbage.Well I had a young family and needed to be there for them.I have been watching this website for a while and you have some smart folks here.Slick,Mr dogman,Rocky to name a few.If you guys really treat your dogs like you say guess what...YOUR DOGMEN.The most impotant thing about becoming a dogman is your love and respect for your dogs.You guys have that.Now its true seeing things and doin things are important but not the most important.ITS ABOUT HOW YOU TREAT YOUR DOGS!You young fellows out there can learn a lot from these dogmen.For what its worth if you guys are ever in my part of the country I would roll out the red carpet for you and introduce you around to dogmen as dogmen.