Howard Heinzl - Letter Hi, Pete:

Howard Heinzl - Letter
Hi, Pete:
Got yours a while back. You're probably right, if I knew what I was doing, I'd get rid of these pooches and stick with horses. You, Pete, are what J.P. Colby would call a "haphazard" breeder. That's about the way I figured before I met J.P. in '35. Billy Sunday was the hottest dog in the country then, (just before Braddock came on) both were great pit dogs, but both sired cur pups. They both were picked up on the street and had faked papers. They were freaks, who could fight, in spite of the way they were bred. I'd rather breed to a dog who had four honest grandparents, even if he wouldn't take hold, than a pit ace I didn't know the breeding on. I have 30 dogs now and owned the great grandparents on all of them, except one bitch. When I came out here in '40, I had 2 bitches from J.P. Colby, Penny and Pooch, and one line bred daughter of Bruce's Jerry. I also had one half interest with Bud Borrelli, in Colby's Buddy (the sire of Rifle). I have pictures of these dogs, and they look just like the dogs I have today. In '42, I got another bitch from Colby's Scarlet. I bred her to Hubbard's Gimp, as his dam was Tudor's Goldie, with Bruce's Jerry blood on the top side. I think this is a great family of dogs and Colby blood adds temper to their metal. Way back, they are at least 1/2 Colby to start with. In '40, Wiz Hubbard had two dogs, a black male he called Smokey from a guy in Ohio and a 39 pound bitch, Lady (a game one), from Ormsby, in New York. He got Gimp in '41, and Lena from Leo White in '42. Chuck Doyle had the last pure Feeley dogs that I know of. In '38, he had Feeley's Rose and Feeley's Cricket, UKC 120-274 (dam of Bruce's Jerry). I saw Harry Clark at just two fights in Kentucky, in '32 or '33? He was a stake holder at the Midas, Spider go, and Bruce Johnson and I matched against Clark and the Murphy Brothers of Detroit, but they hired Art Schindler to condition and handle - fought in Lockport, Illinois.
A guy just called and told me that his brother to your bitch died. He stopped an older dog, Sunday in one hour. If he had waited another year, he might have made a good one. Del Brandstrom had two out of that litter and had been rolling the hell out of them, one lost an eye. A few weeks ago, one killed the other, but I think it's the one-eyed one that's left, and he got several toes bit off. I still have Musty and Patch and may try that cross again. I like the breeding on all four grandparents. Pete - pure Colby; DeeDee - Feeley, Colby; Clancy, Feeley, Colby; Brendy, pure Colby. Just like I've had since 1939. I got my first dog from John P. Colby in '30, Dinah (bred to Blind Jack).
More later,
- Howard Heinzl

i love these letters bro

Great read. Keep them coming. Should have kept all my 40's, 50's, 60's bloodline journals. Was a lot of good articles in them from the old dog men like Tudor/Saddler/Heinzl/Corvino and many others. V.J. has all my old magazines. He loaned out that hard bound red book that Pete Sparks put out. Had all the pictures on the Eli bred Dogs, Carver's dogs of the 70's etc. He never got it back. The person claimed it got stolen.

Was a great article in one of those UKC journals. On how to work a dog on a proper built turn table and the time limits to go by. That and what I learned from Mr. Teal helped me a lot. I got good results along with long distance hand walking on a 30- or forty-foot rope leash. Various type mills will only give a dog just so much conditioning. Leaving a dog on them to long can cause more harm than good. The more natural you can work the dog the better the results will be.

Was about 8 years or so. I called the UKC headquarters. The sectary told me they still had some of those older magazines. Anyone interested can call, may still be some available. Cheers

Mr. Heinzl was a master breeder. His breeding advice is very solid. His last generation of dogs looked just like the original dogs. Don Maloney used either a quarter out on the Heinzl bloodline or a quarter Bob Hemphill bloodline. Johnny Johnson's Rage and Hampton's Boze have that Heinzl cross in them.

Mr. Orbie Coplin told me if your dogs lacked enough mouth. By adding some of that old Bob Hemphill bloodline into your dogs. Even though a lot of those red nose dogs themselves could not bite through a wet paper bag. They added gaminess and harder bite traits. That was his opinion. His dogs were bred down from Heinzl dogs with Hemphill blood added. Cheers

I met Cowboy Jim who has some Heinzl stock still going. He even has/had the last Heinzl family dog Trooper I believe was his name (this was 2014 I believe). Jim got the dog when Mr. Stubbs passed . Got to pet Trooper and Tietre same day ! I love all the old magazines , most likely should listen to elders and not keep them at my house but scared of losing them . I also agree about working a dog natural . That is my true passion , working them . I know the Irish Boys crossed their pure Colby stock into Mr.Braggs Hemphill stock not to long ago . Those Irish boys have some nice Colby and Heinzl crosses as well . I tried to get some frozen of Ch Joseph (pure Colby) to cross into my Red Devil stock ,no luck lol Had to try . Great owners want to keep it tight to the vest and can not fault them .