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If you had the chance to spend one evening talking dogs with any dogmen past to present, who would it be and why ?
The name that first comes to mind for me was Don Mayfield. As to why, it's pretty simple really...whether he was full of shit or spot on, he had a real love of these dogs and he was a genuine conversationalist and story teller, not to mention all the history he had within the sport.
https://i.imgur.com/t04zOQI.jpg
https://youtu.be/JoEuEZJCiJw
That may be my pick too. Maybe a close second would be Ozzie Stevens.
These would be my picks more so for the dogs they matched and their innovative ways (ahead of their time) when conditioning the dogs.
EWO
Danny Burton
I feel that he would be able to answer most any question that I could ask of him, and more importantly, answer them with firsthand knowledge that he has actually gained and applied personally.
Ozzie would have been right up there as well....also my number two.Quote:
Originally Posted by EWO
Mr. Burton would have been a solid choice as well.
It is the conditioning and matching that interests me most. All my questions would be along those lines.
EWO
It would be interesting to hear all his stories about Earl Tudor as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by EWO
There are a lot of old time dogmen that would be a treat to talk with….
In no particular order -- Floyd Boudreaux, Howard Heinzl, Ozzie Stevens, Andre Giroux, Harry Hargrove, Lester Hughes, John Colby, Maurice Carver, Earl Tudor, Al Brown, Pete Sparks, Bert Sorrells, James Crenshaw, Randy McCollum, Jack Kelly, Frank Rocca, Gary Hammonds, Randy Fox, Weldon Stockton, Danny Burton, Bobby Hall, Bennett Clayton, Bobby Smith, and I am sure I am leaving out many others. All of these men have worked with bulldogs in the best days of the breed.
I am glad some of them have written books or done interviews as once they have passed away their knowledge and experiences are gone forever. It would be a pleasure to meet with and listen to any of these old dogmen, as their histories with the breed are priceless.
I hope more books will be written by some of them before it is too late. But sadly not so many folks read anymore, they are all on Facebook and such which is just a fleeting flash in the pan. You can hold a book in your hand and read it, a cell phone or computer can lose its data forever in an instant…
Andre Giroux would have been right up there for me and would have been my second choice for sure. The fact that he was held in such high esteem by so many of his contemporaries says a lot.
http://grandchamp.co.za/2014/11/andre-giroux.html/
Precisely why I choose Danny and also Ozzie...Quote:
Originally Posted by EWO
You cannot find the information to read/learn about those things to the level that you could absorb it from those two. Their knowledge comes from trial and error of the application (key word here) of that knowledge.
It was good talking with Earl Helms and learning a little from him. I also discussed the Art of it all with Irish Jerry . I had the pleasure of sitting with Jack Kelly and also was able to get a little historical info from Ed Mullins. Jerry Beal was a great guy as well that came with a wealth of history as well. I very much appreciate those that practiced good or bad before me and look forward to making the sport better starting with better people first then the Bulldogs will follow.
I think Mayfield would be a good person to sit on the porch with. People act like he was crazy, but he makes perfect sense to me.
Fletcher Chavis is another I'd like to talk to. I think he is an underappreciated breeder. To me his breeding with Yellow John and the Jocko crosses laid the foundations for a lot of the good dogs today.
Holligsworth would be another good one. To me he had a plan in his head of the dog he wanted to build. Focused on a few key breedings from Pat Patricks yard and made a concentration.
I cant find the guys name or the video. People make fun of him like he was a methed out trailer guy. He spoke some wise works. "The thing about dogs is truth. The squared circle doesn't lie. It doesn't lie here. It doesn't lie in Russia. Everybody has opinions like everybody's got an asshole. Put em down in the squared circle and the truth rises to the top." I'm not active but there's life philosophy in this stuff. In a lot of areas in life I apply that philosophy. Fuck your grades, fuck what he or she said. What exactly is the job I need done and can the person do it if I get out their way. I would argue with him over percentages and paper. He'd bring it right back down to reality. I'd take the opinion and incorporate some of it no matter how much he pissed me off.
Waccamaw. They established a solid family by sticking to a few foundation breedings and culling within it. I like people who do more with less. I don't think you need a thousand outcrosses or gator mouth to be successful. I may want a slightly different dog but their family breeding techniques have stood time without breeding outside their yard much. Rattler was a 7x from a line family breeding. not the battlecross that everybody says you have to have to be successful.
Cottingham. Another guy that looks like he had a small yard. Had a high percentage of good dogs.
Carl Crews. He runs a few different line on his yard. I'm interested in his rocky dogs. I may get stud service from a Rocky cottingham cross he has. He has been in there a long time. I have read his journal interview a few times. I like to sit on the porch with him and find some form of alcohol.
Carl Mims. He's been in the game a long time. Some of his mix may be different from what I use but you could learn a lot from him.
if i had that chance id go for the early birds! Colby Lightner Tudor any of these 3 would suit my needs of knowledge!
Been friends with Danny for a long timeQuote:
Originally Posted by Osagedogman2015
Go see him. He loves company and will talk dogs all day.
:)
Oh and for me - Earl Tudor.....Danny's Mentor!