California Jack’s

2007 Indispensable Tips

 Disclaimer
Be it known, that I, John A. Koerner II (aka: California Jack, aka: Vise-Grip Kennels), do not claim to
be a veterinarian, and I certainly don’t claim to be able to give veterinary advice, nor will I dispense any
medications for you. I am not attempting to practice veterinary medicine here. Nor do I claim that the
information I provide herein will guarantee that any dog will be benefitted in any way. All I claim is that
I will provide the best possible information I know of ... however, you, the reader and/or the purchaser
of my book, hereby agree that any information I provide is given by me solely as an alternative for those
people to consider, who either cannot afford veterinary care for their dog(s), or professional consultation,
and/or who do not have access to veterinary facilities at the time. By reading or utilizing any information
I provide ... you, the reader and/or the purchaser of my book, “The Pit Bull Bible,” understand that I
am not acting as a veterinarian and therefore you, the reader and/or the purchaser of my book, will be
utilizing any information I provide AT YOUR OWN RISK TO YOUR OWN ANIMAL(S).
Further, you, the reader and/or the purchaser of this book, agree to waive any and all rights, claims,
causes of action, and/or any other allegations of injury, property damage, and/or emotional distress
against California Jack, Vise-Grip Kennels, John A. Koerner II (hereinafter referred to as “California
Jack, etc.”), and/or its owner, affiliated entities, associates, partners, printers, publishers, etc. Further,
you, the reader/user of any provided information contained herein agree to defend, indemnify, and hold
harmless California Jack, etc., against any and all such rights, claims, causes of action, and/or any other
allegations of injury, property damage, and/or emotional distress against California Jack, etc. You, the
reader/utilizer of any provided information in this book, agree to use said information AT YOUR OWN
RISK TO YOUR OWN PUP(S) / DOG(S), with the full and total understanding that no guarantee
or warrantee is being made here, nor that whatever information that is being provided will work. By
reading, and/or using the information provided by California Jack, etc., you, the purchaser, reader, and/or
user of this provided information fully understand the above and again agree to utilize this information
AT YOUR OWN RISK TO YOUR OWN ANIMAL(S).
Moreover, the information contained in this book is not intended in any way to endorse or encourage any
business, group, or individual to conduct any illegal activities with any animal. This book was written
to educate folks as to how to best raise their dogs, and how to maximize any dog’s physical condition,
as well as how to treat any dog that becomes sick or wounded. Said information has merely been created
in this book for the benefit of dogs who become sick, and/or who suffer severe trauma, for whatever
LEGAL reason, as a means of assistance to LIFE and HEALTH, where a party does not have access
to veterinary care. Again, I expressly make no claim to be a veterinarian, and the information I provide is
nothing but a “layman’s guide,” and the conditioning information I provide is being provided solely as a
“layman’s general guide” to prepare for any LEGAL event, where optimal condition is required.
Finally, while illegal activities are in fact discussed and analyzed in some sections of this text, the overall
thrust of the written material being herein offered for sale is NOT intended to promote, encourage, or
endorse any illegal activity(ies) or to violate the Animal Welfare Acts of 1976 or any state, federal, or
local laws either ... these activities are merely being discussed on a philosophical level. As such, any
information or statements that may appear to endorse any illegal activity, should be viewed simply as
my right to express my view under the protection of my 5th Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech
and Expression, and should not be viewed as any attempt on my part at promoting, organizing, or
encouraging any kind of wrongdoing whatsoever.
~ California Jack ...

California Jack’s 2007 “Indispendable Tips”

is protected by Legal Copyright
Library of Congress
Copyright © 2003
John A. Koerner II
Library of Congress, TX 5-836-309
Effective 1/24/03
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 3

Table of Contents
Introduction (Pg. 4-25)

Prelude (Pg. 26-34)

1. STARTING OUT & S ETTING UP (Pg. 35-99)

2. THE 5 KEYS TO SUCCESS (Pg. 102-111)

3. S CHOOLING YOUR DOG (Pg. 112-121)

4. THE GAME TEST (Pg. 122-128)

5. THE 60-DAY NATURAL KEEP (Pg. 129-155)

6. THE 60-DAY MILL KEEP (Pg. 156-170)

7. THE AFTERMATH - TREATING A WOUNDED DOG (Pg. 171-210)

8. PRESERVING GAMENESS (COMPETING W/ CLASS) (Pg. 211-213)

9. TIPS ON RAISING PUPS (Pg. 214-220)

10. S AVING MONEY ON KENNEL COSTS (Pg. 221-238)

California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 4

Introduction
Most people consider a pit bull to be a demon. have my own established bloodline within the
Something evil. Something dangerous. breed, and it has an incredible record of success
Something that no “good” person would ever behind it, and so I do know what I am talking
want to own. about on the subject of these dogs. Most
other pit bull authors have been “watchers” or
But the fact is, most people have no “students of the breed,” but who were never
understanding of what a Pit Bull Terrier really actually successful in their own rights as either
is. In their mind, in the fantasy world created breeders or dogmen. As a result, one has to
by their own imagination, the majority of wonder about their true level of “expertise” on
people have formed an “image” of what a pit the subject of pit bulls, if they were never able
bull is ... but in point of fact that “image” has to make a difference with this breed in their
little or nothing to do with reality. The media own rights.
is almost entirely responsible for this negative
“image” that the Pit Bull Terrier has, because Still, all of us authors and fanciers will tell
the media always make it a point to over- you basically the same thing about these
sensationalize any kind of “pit bull”-related dogs: when bred and raised correctly pit bulls
story they can get their hands on. And they do are among the most stable and lovable of all
it for the money, and they do it for the ratings, breed types. Again, I myself have never had
without any regard for The Truth. Yet no one one of my dogs attack a person in nearly
points their fingers at the real problem with twenty years of having between 10 and 50
any dog-related incident, and that is ignorant dogs. Not one. This is because I breed my
ownership. What people always do is blame dogs right, and I raise my dogs right, which is
“the dog” - or (worse) the entire breed. And something that all-too-few people know how
plainly and simply this is insane. to do nowadays. The problem with this breed
of dog is too many ill-bred, miscreant people
“A breed of dog” is not the cause of dog bite want to get their hands on too many ill-bred
incidents, irresponsible and stupid owners are “representatives” of this breed ... and in so
always the cause. doing these perverted “people” pervert and
distort the positive COURAGE in these dogs
Because, folks, I have raised and bred a whole into something evil and negative.
kennel-full of Pit Bull Terriers ... for going on
two decades now ... and I have done so very Because more than being “lovable,” it is
successfully ... yet I have never had one of my absolutely indisputable that The Pit Bull
dogs bite a person. Ever. And I am tired of seeing Breed is the most loyal and courageous of
these dogs get persecuted by the media simply breed types. Point blank: there is no other
because they are continually mishandled and canine breed that comes close to having the
misunderstood by every imbecile who wants kind of courage and inner mettle that a pit bull
to own one. The Pit Bull Terrier is plainly and has, and that is because there is no other breed
simply the most misunderstood (and mishandled) of dog whose courage is continually tested and
breed of dog that has ever existed. And thus I set that is specifically bred for after being tested.
out to write this book ... to tell the truth, the That’s right, the Pit Bull Terrier is BRED
whole truth, and nothing but the truth about FOR COURAGE.
this breed.
Now, maybe courage is becoming out of style,
Unlike other “bubble gum” pit bull authors in our pale and plastic society, but there is no
who have tried before, I have a proven track substitute for courage in a man, and there
record as a Master Breeder of these dogs. I is no substitute for courage in a dog either.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
“Talking” about courage is one thing, but
proving it in real life is quite another. And that
is what separates the Pit Bull Terrier breed
from all of the other breeds is that he proves
his courage, over and over again, in real life.
He was bred to prove it in the pit, and he has
proven it in the pit ... literally for centuries ...
while owners of other breed types “talk” about
how loyal and courageous their dogs are.
Well, if the Pit Bull Terrier is the most loyal
and courageous breed of dog there is, then
why does he have such a bad “image” with the
media, and why do they portray this breed in
such a bad light? The reason is, like anything
else that is good in life, courage can be abused
and misused by the stupid. As I mentioned
earlier, it is a combination of well-meaning
owners failing to understand the breed
... combined with total sub-human idiots
intentionally misusing the breed ... capped off
with the desire of the media to make money
by selling “hot copy” when anything having
to do with a pit bull occurs ... that has hurt the
breed’s image. Because, let’s face it, the mere
mention of a “Pit Bull” inspires passion ... both
good and bad ... and if the media stirs your
passion, you buy their copy, and in so doing the
media makes money. And that is the bottom
line goal of the media, is to make money, and
they know the whole world will watch every
“pit bull story” they find (or concoct).
Sadly, the one who suffers in the meantime
through all of this is the totally-misunderstood
Pit Bull Terrier. As Nietzsche once said,
“What we do is never understood, but always
only either praised or censored.”
Unfortunately, the Pit Bull Terrier is seldom
understood or praised, but instead he is
always only misunderstood and censored.
This entire breed of dog has been outlawed in
some countries (censored), and in fact it has
been outlawed (censored) in various cities and
counties here in our supposedly “free country”
in the U.S.A. Entire yards of dogs have been
destroyed, citizens have been put in jail, all in
a Salem Witch Hunt-like fasion ... and always
by people who do not even understand that
5
which they seek to destroy. Lies have told,
stories have been spread, and an indellibly-
negative “image” of what a pit bull is has
been painted ... and unfortunately it has been
painted by people without even the right to
speak on the subject. Ignorant people. Biased
people. Fanatical people. And, as always,
people who don’t know the slightest thing
about the very subject which they villify: the
Pit Bull Terrier Breed.
Well, I do know this subject, as I have been
a major breeder of these dogs for going on
two decades. I have seen, interacted with,
and raised more pit bulls than whole cities-
full of people. So unlike some news reporter,
who never petted a single specimen of the
breed, I am qualified to speak with authority
on the subject of pit bulls. And, simply put,
outlawing the sport of dog fighting, combined
with totally incompetent ownership by non-
dogmen “pet-owners,” is TRULY what has
created the problem with this breed.
If someone were to take on the task of
becoming a keen-eyed historian, he would
ultimately conclude that when the sport of
dog fighting became a “crime,” the people
who participated in this sport automatically
became “criminals,” as defined by said laws.
Yet no one has ever sought to question the
legitimacy of the very laws themselves. No
one has ever questioned whether or not, in
fact, dog fighting “is” cruel, or whether or
not all of the people who enjoy the sport are,
in fact, “criminals.” This is always what is
a$$umed, rather than what is questioned. True,
many of people involved with dog fighting are
criminals, but that is only because (since the
sport was outlawed) all of the good people
who enjoyed the sport got out!
And you know what, people? If you check
your history, you will see that the same thing
happened with Prohibition ... when alcohol
was made illegal, once again only outlaws
remained in the alcohol business, while the good
people stopped and got out of this venture too.
So, ask yourself, people, was the problem in
“the alcohol” itself? Or was the problem with
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 6

THE LAWS? History will show that the very this subject. And as a successful breeder of
Prohibition laws themselves were the problem. these dogs, I can speak about this breed with
authority, and not based upon my unfounded
Well the same thing has happened by imagination, which is what the media and
outlawing pit fighting contests. The laws the lawmakers do. I make my arguments with
against this activity themselves have created facts, not unfounded claims, and I speak from
this problem. Because what the lawmakers years of legitimate experience as opposed to
don’t want to stop and consider is the fact “he-said,” “she-said” baloney.
that there are many intelligent, decent people,
who actually love dogs very much, and yet And the fact is, these laws against fighting
who are simply fascinated with developing dogs have basically outlawed the selection
the toughest, most courageous dog on earth: process required TO TEST AND DEVELOP
the American Pit Bull Terrier. That is an COURAGE in our most courageous breed of
indisputable fact that no one seems to want dog. These laws have caused countless great
to consider! There really are good people who dogs to be “seized and destroyed,” and they
simply enjoy watching rough and tough dogs have caused countless good people to be
fight, just as there really are good people imprisoned and labeled “criminals,” and yet no
who simply enjoy watching rough and tough one has ever questioned the legitimacy of the very
human men box or wrestle. They are not laws themselves. Just like Prohibition, which
“bad people,” they are GOOD people who are made “outlaws” out of decent people just
simply fascinated by combat. Therefore, the for having a drink, the laws against fighting
assumption that “all” people who fight pit dogs have made “outlaws” out of people just
bulls are “bad” citizens is just flat-out untrue! for enjoying combat. Like Prohibition, these
Yet no one wants to actually use their brains stupid laws create a “crime” that doesn’t
and acknowledge this fact. exist, and they inspire criminal activity where
there doesn’t need to be any. Does the name
“Al Capone” ring a bell? Well, that kingpin
These kinds of decent people, when they criminal was created by Prohibition. Yet where
participate in the sport of dog fighting, are Prohibition was eventually repealed, and
NOT being cruel; they are merely testing and sanity restored, the laws against dog fighting
maintaining the very standards by which the remain in existence, and (if anything) they are
Pit Bull Breed came into existence, and that is getting stricter and stricter.
courage in battle. And there is nothing wrong
with developing courage in battle; in fact, And it really is insane: the idea that breeding
nothing could be more right than developing and testing a dog for courage is “wrong” or “a
courage in battle. It is a legitimate interest and crime” is insane. It is absolutely insane. To put
it is a legitimate pursuit. So why in the world people in jail because they want to breed and
would any sane person seek to outlaw the very develop a tough and courageous breed of dog is
testing method that develops and maintains nothing but the insaninty of a declining nation.
deep courage in a unique breed of dog? Our society has legalized “homosexuality,”
yet we outlaw the development of courage???
The truth is, the very premise that the laws
against dog fighting are “correct laws” is the That, people, is insane. And you need to
problem. These laws are not correct, because recognize it for the insanity that it is.
they were formulated by completely ignorant
people who don’t know the slightest thing Yet, although I vehemently disagree with the
about dogs, let alone the Pit Bull Breed. And, laws against dog fighting, I am forced to obey
yes, you guessed it, I do not agree with these these laws myself. In fact, I haven’t matched a
laws against dog fighting. And as an American dog since Saturday, November 25, 1995, when
citizen I have the right to speak my peace on my Poncho dog lost game to Big Ernie’s CH
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Leonard. Yet, while I have obeyed the laws
against dog fighting myself, regardless of how
ridiculous they are, I have always maintained
an avid interest in the fighting ability of the
Pit Bull Breed, and I have have kept in contact
with those who in fact still do contest and
fight their dogs. This doesn’t make me a
“bad” person, merely because I enjoy combat,
any more than people who enjoy watching
human boxing or wrestling are bad people. It
makes me normal.
The simple fact is, most normal people
are fascinated with “the fastest” ... “the
strongest” ... “the tallest” ... “the smartest”
something out there ... and I just happen to be
fascinated by the toughest dogs out there, and
there are many decent people just like me.
Think about it: there are people whose whole
lives center around the fastest cars. There
are people whose whole lives center around
the fastest horses. There are people whose
whole lives center around the best boxers,
the best wrestlers, the best golfers, the best
tennis players, you name it. Simply put,
competition, and the desire to see competition,
is everywhere in the world where there are
men. That is A FACT, and there is nothing
“abnormal” about having such interests. I
just happen to be fascinated with competion
that centers around the toughest dogs, and
there are many other men and women just like
me. Decent people; normal people. So why is
there a problem? The fact is, there shouldn’t be
a problem, because it is our Constitutional Right
to Pursue Happiness.
Having a deep fascination with fighting
dogs doesn’t make us “bad” people, any more
than having a deep desire to develop the best
racehorse makes someone “bad”; it just means
we all have our own unique interests and
fascinations. Everybody does. Unfortunately,
ignorant animal rights activists have made
our individual interests “illegal.” Yet who are
they to do this? If analyzed accurately, it is
actually the animal rights people MEDDLING
IN OUR BUSINESS, and taking away our
Constitutional Rights and Freedoms, that
7
should truly be illegal. Their actions violate
our rights as American citizens to pursue our
passions! Not only is the enactmant of these
laws a violation of our Rights, but it is my
expert opinion (and anyone with common
sense can see) that outlawing dog fighting
has resulted in the sad fact that only outlaws
remain willing to participate in the sport of
dogs.
The sad result of these ridiculous laws is
that pit bulls suffer, they do not prosper,
from the very laws against fighting them.
The sport is now left to be in control of
(predominantly) outlaws, who are invariably
stupid and barbaric people, because the good
people that are legitimate fanciers of the
breed invariably “got out of the game” just to
protect their freedom. I again remind you that
the same thing happened with Prohibition:
only the decent citizens stopped drinking and
distributing liquor, while all of the criminals
continued to do so (in fact, they flourished in
this climate). And when you took away the
Prohibition laws, by God you took away all
that crime, didn’t you?
Well, regarding these dogs, since most of the
good people have bowed-out of dogfighting,
this has left only the criminals to remain in the
sport. Thus the perception the general public
has of both fighting dogs, and of the men who
contest them, is that “the whole thing is evil
and is conducted by evil criminals.” What the
general public doesn’t understand is (again,
just as the distribution of alcohol was left to
criminals when Prohibition was enacted) so
too has dog fighting been similarly left only
to criminals. But I am here to tell you that
it is not “the sport” that’s the problem, it’s
the laws against it which created the problem!
Therefore the perception people have of this
sport (and the people in it) is unfairly slanted
and flawed.
The incredible irony is, in a twisted way the
public is right: the sport of dog fighting is
conducted mostly by a world of criminals ...
but what they don’t realize is that the very
laws against the sport are responsible for
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
this! The sad truth is, the human element
around dog fighting didn’t used to be that
way. If people bothered to study their history,
they would find that dog fighting was once
a world of sporting gentlemen who simply
bred and competed with a superior breed of
dog, a courageous breed of dog ... the Pit Bull
Terrier.
To be honest, I understand why most people
would want to outlaw the sport of fighting
dogs, as most people consider it “cruel.” And
there is no sane or morally-sound individual
who would tolerate cruelty either. I myself
would never tolerate cruelty, and no one of
any sort of moral fiber would tolerate it either.
The trouble is, dogfighting is not inherently
cruel, any more than two men boxing is
inherently cruel, because legitimate pit dogs
dogs want to fight, they love fighting, and they
do not feel pain like other dogs do. However,
nobody really takes the time to understand
this. Again, as Nietzsche said, “What we do is
never understood, but always only either praised
or censored.”
In this way, dogfighing has never been understood
by the people who have outlawed it; it has
always been only either “praised or censored.”
(Mostly censored.) But the question remains,
IS dogfighting really cruel? The supposed
cruelty is what the lawmakers “a$$ume.” Yet
this a$$umption has never actually been “put
under the microscope” to be analyzed. So the
question remains, IS dogfighting really cruel?
The answer might surprise you.
A QUESTION OF CRUELTY?
A keen mind (that takes time to reflect) soon
realizes that cruelty can only be judged by the
participant of the activity, not the observer.
By this I mean a tree-hugger cringing at the
thought of two pit dogs “biting each other”
has no accuracy in judgment from THE DOGS’
perspectives. Similarly, a pingpong player’s
horror of “being hit” should not be judged
as the boxer’s perspective of being hit in the
sport of boxing. Taking a punch from a fighter
may make a pingpong-sissy cringe ... and so
8
it would be cruel for the pingpong-sissy to be
forced to take a punch ... but that has nothing
to do with how a professional boxer feels about
taking a punch. The professional boxer doesn’t
care.
Well, when bred and raised correctly, pit dogs
are just like human professional fighters: they
could care less about “being bit.” The only
thing a good pit dog cares about is biting. So
too, truly professional boxers could care less
about “being hit,” they only care about hitting.
Thus, when looked at from the participants’
perspectives, there is no “cruelty” to the pit
bull in a dog fight, any more than there is
cruelty to the professional boxer in a human
fight. In fact, there is even less cruelty to a pit
dog, because he is tougher than any man ever
dreamed to be, as pit dogs are actually bred to
fight and to be tough.
Furthermore, the a$$umption that fighting
dogs are “mean” dogs is more total poppycock.
Just because a pit bull enjoys fighting contact,
while he’s actually fighting, doesn’t make
him a “mean” animal either, when he’s not
fighting. So too, just because a professional
human boxer enjoys boxing in the ring doesn’t
make him “a mean man” outside the ring.
This is perhaps the biggest misconception
in these dogs: that a fighting dog = a mean
dog. This is pure rubbish! Again, to continue
the parallel, there are plenty of professional
boxers who are kind and decent human beings
outside the ring, and there are plenty of pit
dogs that are wonderful and loving “pets”
when not in the pit.
Therefore this premise that fighting dogs
are “always mean” is totally invalid. Pure
fabrication by people who know nothing about
the breed. Here is another parallel to illustrate:
just because your pet cat will attack and kill
any mouse he sees doesn’t mean he’ll attack a
person. That’s what cats do – kill mice! Another
example: just because a ‘coon dog will chase
and kill a ‘coon doesn’t mean he’ll chase and
try to kill a person too. That’s what ‘coon dogs
do – kill ‘coon! But this has nothing to do with
how a ‘coon dog sees a person! Well, so too,
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
just because a pit bull will attack and fight
another dog doesn’t mean he will attack and
try to fight a person. That’s what fighting dogs
do – fight dogs! But this has nothing to do with
their temperament towards a human being! I
mean, even a simpleton can follow this logic.
Yet for some reason the majority of people
“a$$ume” that a dog whch is bred for fighting
other dogs “must” be dangerous to people too.
But this a$$umption is just flat-out untrue! I
myself have had many superb, competitive,
highly-skilled pit dogs, who could not be
beaten in the pit, but yet they would romp
and play with me (and, hell, even other dogs)
when not in the pit. Why? Because these were
intelligent animals who knew when they were
supposed to “do their job,” and yet they also
knew how to relax and enjoy being a pet when
they were not being called upon to do their
job. In short, these little warriors I had were
not mindlessly-aggressive brutes; they simply
were intelligent, well-socialized performance
animals ... who, although bred to excel at
fighting, were nonetheless able to understand
when they were “not supposed to do that.” In
the same way, a sweet & loveable kitty-cat
knows the difference between the mice he
is supposed to kill and human beings. Just
because the cat will tear a mouse to pieces
doesn’t mean he won’t be loveable to you, or
to your friends, when you go up to pet him.
The fact is, truly superior pit dogs are complete
animals. Properly-raised pit bulls are credit to
their breed, and they are a joy to have around
under any circumstance. They are intelligent,
they are capable, and they are loyal. THIS is the
Breed Standard as to how the true American
Pit Bull Terrier should be: a fierce warrior
when called upon ... but a trusted, intelligent,
and affectionate companion when “off duty.”
And it is absolutely incumbent upon future
breeders of this breed to keep these dogs like
this: all-around athletes, yes, but most of all
MAN’S BEST FRIEND, as the dog was originally
bred to be.
Did you know that scholars, presidents,
writers, and professional sportsmen used to
9
attend dog fights, at pitside, in the early- and
mid-part of the 20th century? (In fact, some
still do now, whether you believe that or not.)
Did you know that the United Kennel Club
(UKC) itself used to sanction pit fights
and appoint pit judges too? Did you know
that none other than The Police Gazette used
to sanction pit fights and appoint referees
also? You didn’t? Well, it’s true J It was also
around this same time period that “Pete the
Pup” was featured as the children’s friend on
the TV program THE LITTLE RASCALS. And no
“little rascals” ever got bitten by “Pete” the
pit bull either J
The truth is, pit dog fighting used to be an
accepted sport, and these dogs used to embody
the American ideal, COURAGE, because that is
what this sport is all about: a truly competitive
event involving the courage of truly superior
animals. But then some “tree huggers” in the
mid-‘70s spoiled everything. They decided
pit dog fighting was “wrong.” They began to
argue that pit dog fighting was “cruel.” Yet
these animal rights zealots knew nothing of
the breed they were talking about; they knew
nothing about the sport they condemned, and
so therefore all of their hysteria was based on
nothing but their imagination.
Basically, the zealots who outlawed this
sport were nothing but “pingpong players”
cringing at the thought of “being hit,” and
they were too caught up in how “they” saw
it, to consider the fact that their opinions were
irrelevant to how the dogs saw it. In truth,
the zealots themselves knew nothing about
the sport of dogfighting which they were
condemning. And the same is true with the
people against the sport today: they “don’t
understand, they only censor.” That’s right,
all of you animal activists today a$$ume your
“moral rightness” in outlawing the sport,
but the fact of the matter is you are flat-out
wrong! You have condemned without taking
the time to fully understand that which you
are condemning. You fanatics a$$ume that
the cruelty exists, rather than investigate the
question as to whether or not the cruelty “in
fact” exists. Sadly, man’s history is full of
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 10

such injustices .. from The Inquisition, to The So I repeat, cruelty is based on the perspective
Salem Witch-Hunts, to Prohibition. of the participant of the activity, not a mere
“observer’s” opinion.
The trouble is, this pathos that so many people
suffer from ... the propensity to condemn prior Recalling the example I made of a pingpong
to understanding ... is hard to shake. It is hard player’s view of “being hit” compared to
to overcome. Human stupidity, prejudice, and that of the boxer’s, I will now make another
the general refusal to consider all of the facts analogy to show the subjective nature of
has caused more damage to this world than “cruelty.” Suppose a tri-athlete decided to
all of the other maladies combined. And the run his hardest for 5 straight miles ... in the
human pathos to have this kind of a knee-jerk hot sun ... we can easily see that there would
reaction when they contemplate dog fighting be no cruelty involved in his running like this,
stems from this primitive mentality. Primitive because this activity would be easily-tolerated
minds can’t reason about a subject, they can by the well-conditioned tri-athlete. However,
only react to a subject. Such people (in fact if we made a grotesquely-fat man ... with a heart
most people) when they contemplate dog condition ... run that same 5-mile run in the
fighting, only picture “blood and guts” and heat, then such a run would most definitely be
poor terrified doggies “fighting for their lives” cruel to him. The fat man would be in agony
... and so most people can’t help but reflexively in a 5-mile run in the heat, whereas the tri-
call the activity “cruel.” Yet this is nothing athlete would not.
but their imagination. None of this is what,
in fact, actually happens in professional pit Ø KEY POINT: Thus, here again, we see that
contests. And thus the opinions of the entire cruelty is always subjective, and it depends on
group of animal rights zealots are based upon the individual performing the activity, not on
nothing but a fabrication in their own minds the activity itself. You cannot therefore judge
... which “images” they irrationally cling to ... “an activity” in and of itself as being “cruel”
rather than opening their minds and seeking to ... you have to judge the presence or absence
gather and analyze the true facts. of cruelty based on the perspective of the
participant in the activity. It is that simple.

THE CRUX OF CRUELTY Unfortunately, the clarity of this truth is too

We’ll get into what really happens in these
contests later, but the simple truth is, as I
stated earlier, the activity of dog fighting
itself is not necessarily cruel to the dogs.
The fact is, cruelty is a subjective thing. The
presence or absence of cruelty depends on the
perspective of the recipient, not on what you
think, and not on what I think. This is the only
way in which cruelty can be truly understood
is by trying to understand the perspective of the
participant of the activity.
As for the forthcoming discussion of ethics
and cruelty, I feel it necessary to point out that
I have a BA degree in ethics and philosophy,
from UCLA, and so I am every bit as
qualified to discuss the ethical theory I will
soon be covering as I am qualified to discuss
the subject of the pit bulls themselves. OK?
complicated for most simple-minded people.
You see, in our day and age, we have too many
self-righteous, self-centered, meddling whiners
out there trying to force “their” perspective
on all of us, as if “their” perspective is “all”
perspectives. Such meddling busy-bodies
do this because they don’t have the mental
capacity to think about anything but “their
own” persective. They cannot listen to reason
nor can they consider another point of view
besides their own. Such people think they
“know” dog fighting is cruel, just because
their toy poodle would hollar and be terrified
of being bitten ... or because they themselves
are reflexively and irrationally mortified by
the thought ... but such people’s weak-kneed
cowardice doesn’t mean my pit bull is terrified
of being bitten! My pit bull could care less; he
enjoys the fighting contact.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 11

Ø KEY POINT: This is the entire fallacy behind “the activity” of dog fighting isn’t the answer
the existing laws against dogfighting today: here either, but bringing in the right dog for the
the opponents assume the activity is cruel, job is!
when in fact any cruelty would depend on the
perspective of what animal is being fought. This is the point of reconciliation that not
What simple-minded people can’t seem to one of these animal rights activists has the
fathom is that what may be cruel for one mental capacity to fathom. They simply
animal is not necessarily cruel for another. cannot fathom that “their” perspective of dog
This is the pivotal, key point that so many fighting has nothing whatsoever to do with
dense people cannot understand! the perspective of a PIT BULL. You see, it is not
cruel when two combat-bred, willing pit bulls
Yes, a pit bull fighting a toy poodle is cruel ...go straight into each other and commence to
for the toy poodle ... but it is not cruel for thefight, because both dogs enjoy it. That is what
pit bull eating him up. One individual (the they’re bred for and that is what they live for.
poodle) is terrified and in agony during the Unfortunately, most simple-minded animal
fight, while the other individual (the pit bull) rights activists cannot think on that level, and
is having a blast in that same fight. Thus we so they strive to outlaw “the activity” for no
see that the actual activity is NEUTRAL! other reason than it disturbs “their personal”
This is the crux, right here, in understanding feelings about fighting, rather than being able
the key to this whole issue ... because the to base their judgment on any factual evidence
activity is the same ... but the perspectives of gained from keenly observing the animals. And
the participants are much different ... and so the factual evidence is, for any person who
the question of cruelty is much different for takes the time to observe, and who has eyes
each animal. In this way, a person of superior to see, that a true combat-bred, schooled pit
intellect can clearly see that the activity of dog loves to fight. These dogs enjoy what
dog fighting is not inherently cruel. The final they are doing ... and as such there is nothing
truth, therefore, on this issue of cruelty must whatsoever that is cruel about the activity of
always be judged on an individual basis; in dog fighting. When using such combat-bred
fact, there is no “blanket statement” that will dogs, and when the event is conducted by
ever be true about any activity. The truth is, professional, sporting dogmen, dog fighting is
only by understanding the perspectives of the a legitimate sport and it involves no cruelty.
dogs (are they terrified or are they ready-and-
willing?) can we determine whether cruelty
is in fact actually occurring in the unique, THE FAILED LAWS
individual fight we are now seeing. Although the reason dog fighting was made
to be illegal was supposedly in the interests of
Again, it is just like the question of whether the pit dogs’ welfare, as you will soon see the
or not it is “cruel” for a man to run for 5 miles truth is outlawing the activity has hurt the pit
in hot weather ... the answer to this question bull breed, and it has caused more suffering than
is much different for a tri-athlete than it is for there ever existed for the dogs when the sport
a fat man, and so there is no “one” answer to was legal. Outlawing the activity certainly
this question that can be given here either. has not helped a thing, because (again, like
Outlawing “the activity” of running 5 miles Prohibition) it only made the good people get
in the heat isn’t the answer here either, but out of the sport, while the outlaws and thugs
rather selecting the right individual for the job (who don’t care about laws) remained. Lest
is! So too, when we seek to ask the question we forget, pit dog fighting used to be run by
of whether or not it is “cruel” to let dogs fight The Police Gazette and the United Kennel Club
each other in pit contests ... the answer will be itself!
much different for a combat-bred pit bull than
it is for a toy poodle. And, again, outlawing
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Heck, there have been similar efforts in a
human parallel. The same kind of pale, faint-
hearted, tree-hugging animal-rights zealots
(who have outlawed the sport of fighting
dogs) have also tried to outlaw boxing,
no-holds-barred human fighting (e.g., the
UFC), and many other completely legitimate
fighting activities, all based upon this same
(basically insane) view that they “just know”
what is right and wrong for others. Again, we
see this same primitive inability to consider
all perspectives, not just one’s own. This
total self-centered denseness, this same
inability to see any other perspective besides
one’s own, is then combined with the same
basic unwillingness to examine all the facts in
order to reach a fair, balanced, and accurate
conclusion.
Thus I write the Introduction of this book. I
write this critical differentiation for the reader
(who perhaps might be against the sport of
dog fighting, but who really doesn’t know
much about it) who has a mind that is open
enough to – just perhaps – be willing to listen.
I write this book to tell the real truth about the
sport of dog fighting.
Let me be completely honest, however, because
I believe this is important. I will admit that
dog fighting can become cruel. It can become
cruel only if the people involved in staging the
contests are themselves primitive and stupid
and don’t have the ability to recognize cruelty
when it starts to happen. So too can the sport
become cruel if those conducting it recognize
cruelty when it happens, but yet who don’t
have willingness to stop the contests when
they become cruel. CRUELTY DEFINED: At
any time during the contest, if one of the dogs
“gives up,” or no longer wants to be there,
then at that very mement the contest is cruel
to the dog that doesn’t want to be there ... and
every second that the contest goes on from
that point forward becomes another step into
cruelty for that dog. And it is precisely here
where a good dogman will stop the contest,
but where a cruel idiot will not. (More on this
soon.)
12
You see, this is precisely why outlawing
the sport of dog fighting (and leaving it to
outlaws) has hurt the pit bull breed, rather
than help it, because only the cruel, base, and
lowly outlaws remain willing to participate in
dogfighting – again because the good people
got out. Again, the same thing happened with
Prohibition. These kinds of lowlifes will not
stop contests that need to be stopped, and
they will thus allow cruelty to go on and on
for one poor dog, whereas a good, legitimate
dogman will stop a contest the moment it no
longer is a sport, which is when one of the
dogs wants out and needs to be rescued. It
is AT THAT POINT where a true dogman
stops the contest, but where a base and lowly
thug will not.
A similar parallel can again be drawn to the
human fighting contests of boxing or the
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC):
neither event, by itself, is cruel for the human
combatants, as they both want to fight, and
they are both good at fighting. As such, there
is no cruelty involved in professional human
fighting contests. However, both boxing and
the UFC could become cruel, if one of the
fighters wanted to quit, or if a given fighter
was severely injured, but where the contest
was still allowed to go on and on and on,
without referee intervention. If this were
allowed to happen in either sport (human or
canine), then one of the fighters in either sport
could eventually become seriously injured or
killed. Fortunately, because we have referees
who stop human fights, all of the these fights
are IMMEDIATELY stopped when they need to
be, and as such any injuries suffered by the
human participants are seldom serious ... and
there is never any cruelty involved. Thanks to
this kind of vigilance, everybody (who wants
to) can enjoy professional human boxing,
wrestling, or no-holds-barred fighing, without
ever seeing a moment of cruelty.
These same truths would apply to dog fighting
too – but unfortunately, because this sport
has been outlawed (again, like Prohibition),
the result is that nearly always only outlaws
wind up being involved. You see before, when
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
the sport was legal, and when it was held by
legitimate dog men, such pit contests used to
be presided over by policemen, or sanctioned
by legitimate UKC officials, and the sport
was seldom cruel. Now however, these
contests are only presided over by outlaws,
who in general could give a damn about rules,
society, cruelty, suffering, or anything else
besides the possible gambling money to be
won. The natural conclusion of this is that
most dogs wind up suffering, not prospering,
because the sport of dog fighting has been
outlawed. These laws have hurt our dogs,
they sure have not “helped” them. You may
not want to believe it, but this is nothing but
THE TRUTH!
Thanks to these dog laws, which have made the
good people get out of the sport, the majority of
the uneducated, malicious people who remain
in pit dog fighting allow their animals to be
brutalized without any regard for the animals’
lives or health. The true spirit of what this
sport should be about (the tremendous ability
and courage that these animals have) takes a
back seat to the gambling money to be made
... as well as the excitement of the fights.
Instead of a down-and-out (but still-willing)
dog being picked up and saved when he needs it
... by a good dogman who values his dog’s life
and his courage ... the low lifes who remain in
the sport either leave their dogs down (hoping
their dog’s courage will still win them their
money somehow) ... or they just leave their
dogs down because they get off on watching
an animal lose its life and could give a damn
about it.
In neither case is the dog valued, however,
which is the mindest of most outlaws (and
why they’re outlaws in the first place): THEY
HAVE NO VALUES. This is the true result of
the sport of dogfighting being outlawed: the
dogs are left to suffer in the hands of immoral
outlaw idiots. As the saying goes, “A pipe gives
a wise man time to think – and a fool something
to stick in his mouth.” And good dogmen
appreciate their dogs, whereas immoral fools
just abuse them.
13
What you, the reader, need to understand
is, not everyone who enjoys dog fighting is like
this. There really are a few remaining true
pit dog enthusiasts (who are not outlaws,
but who just love the dogs and stay with the
sport, regardless of the legality) who do care
about their dogs. In fact, true dog men look
after their charges like a responsible boxing
manager looks after his favorite fighter: with a
passionate interest in the sport, yes, and with
the desire for his fighter to be good at it and to
win, sure ... but also with loving concern for his
dog’s safety as well. And if his fighter needs
to have the towel thrown in, then the towel
will be thrown in and the dog will be saved.
I consider myself to be one of these fanciers,
a true dog enthusiast, and other such fanciers
like myself still want to develop the best
canine-fighting athlete we can, and testing
them in the pit is the only way to do this.
Yet we strive to do so humanely. That is what
these animal rights activists simply cannot
understand. They simply cannot understand
that, when run correctly, a dog fight is humane!
A truly good dog enjoys the work, and a truly
good person stops the contest when one of the
dogs needs to be picked-up. It really is that
simple.
Sadly, these unthinking laws against the sport
turn the good fanciers into “outlaws,” when in
fact all we are are dog enthusiasts who seek to
test and preserve the hallowed trait of courage
in our favorite breed of dog, by testing for it.
Folks, COURAGE IS A POSITIVE THING, and there is no
other way to maintain courage (or any other
trait) in a breed of dog than by testing for it,
and then by breeding for it when the trait is
demonstrated. And the only way to compare,
test for, and then breed for deep courage in a dog
is to evaluate the animals in the pit ... against
one another ... and then simply see which
individuals really do have it. Again, sadly,
when the laws made this activity “illegal,”
the good people got out of the sport, and so the
sport is now left to be run by outlaws, again
just as liquor distribution was left to be run by
outlaws during the Prohibition Era.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 14

This is the great irony about this sport: YES, sustained are only minor holes in the skin that
the sport of dog fighting *is* filled with thugs heal up in a few days. So what is the problem?
and criminals nowadays, but that is only The fact is there are risks of injury or death
because of the very laws against it: the good in any type of competitive sport, be it man
people got out! or animal. In baseball, basketball, football,
car racing, boxing, skiing, rock-climbing, etc.,
You’re probably thinking, “If this is true, and human lives are at risk. Similarly, in horse-
if dog fighting really is not cruel (when being racing, field hunting, hog hunting, ‘coon
staged by willing and able animals), then hunting, bear hunting, dog racing, varmint
what about the risks? Surely, there are safety hunting, and dog fighting, canine lives are
risks involved to the dogs, regardless of how at risk. But just because there is “a risk” does
willing or able they are to perform?” not mean there is cruelty. The presense of risk
does not make the activity either “wrong” or
OK, true. Yes. But although there is always “cruel.” And just because sometimes lives are
some safety risk to a dog when he is placed even lost doesn’t mean there isn’t a legitimate
in the pit, this risk is not much different from purpose and greater good to be gained through
when a human boxer steps into the ring. The achieving excellence in any of these endeavors,
injuries are usually minor. Should we ban either.
boxing, or anything in life that contains risk?
Some people think so, as some people have If you want to get technical, there is a greater
tried to outlaw boxing too (and damned near risk in simply driving your car to work than
everything else). I mean, hell, should we never there is in any of these sports, but that doesn’t
step outside then? Should we keep ourselves make driving a car “wrong” either! Any
(and our dogs) in plastic bubbles to make sure vigorous competitor of any sport is well aware
we are “always safe” and “risk-free?” Of of the risks, but the thrill of the activity is what
course not. is important to them, and the risk does not
make it “wrong” for such people to go ahead
Most rational people realize that there are with the activity either, nor does it diminish
risks involved in many different activities, the nobility of achieving proven excellence in
especially in boxing and other forms of the activity.
fighting, but yet there is also the right of the
boxers to take that risk and to fight. So why Some people will point out the fact that
do we allow boxers to fight but not pit bulls? intended injury to the dogs is the point of
I mean, this makes no sense. Any sane person dog fighting, which they believe makes
realizes that virtually all risk can be held to things “different.” Such people state this is
a minimum simply through intelligent and where it becomes more of an ethical issue
compassionate observation, and by removing than mere “risk” of injury, it is that all of the
a down-and-out fighter (dog or human) from fighting sports involve intended injury, not
the situation when it is obvious he has had “accidental” injury. As such, these people say,
enough and cannot win. This happens all fighting sports simply hold a greater risk of
the time in boxing, when referees stop fights harm on a contest-to-contest basis than other
and declare a winner, and thus very seldom sports. Yet this same thing could be said of
does anyone get seriously injured in a boxing the intended injury to humans as being part of
match. the make-up of boxing. Yet boxing is legal. I
mean, if we can accept the premise of human
Why is it so hard, then, for animal rights beings intentionally-injuring other human
zealots to see that the same truths apply beings for sport, on the basis of a greater good
to dog fighting? There is no real risk at all, being achieved through proven fistic prowess,
when the dogs are handled and observed by then why cannot we accept this same premise
caring, competent handlers, and the injuries in dogs? Are dogs more valuable than human
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
beings? Hell, having fighting contests in dogs
is even more important, ultimately, because
we can actually breed for courage in dogs,
based on the results of their contests.
In fact, it is precisely through seeing which
dogs hold up better to continuous injury, and
seeing whose will to win shines brighter than
whose, that allows us to determine which
of the dogs, truly, is the braver and better
animal! Evaluating the tolerance to injury,
the resistance to fatigue, and which of the
combatants has an unyielding determination
to win, no matter what, is exactly why it is
necessary to stage these contests in an effort
to develop the toughest and bravest of canine
athletes. Truly, in human boxing there is less
of a “point” to it all, since we don’t actually
“breed” humans for courage. Yet in dog
fighting, not only is there the superficial desire
to see a competitive sporting event, but there
is an even deeper underlying point to it all in
actually testing and breeding for outstanding
courage in a breed of dog.
Let’s face it, every “pet owner” wants to
“think” he has a courageous dog ... and yet
the pit process that actually evaluates legitimate
courage has been outlawed! I mean, how can
you have courage, and prove that it exists,
without testing for it? And how can you
maintain courage in a breed of dog, if not
by breeding to the most proven-courageous
individuals, based on the results of these
contests? We must intentionally create a
scenario that induces combat, injury, fatigue,
and severe challenges to a dog’s willpower
in order that we may determine which dog
handles it the best!
Even in boxing, though we don’t actually
“breed” for courage, it is precisely the
intended injury and fatigue to the participants
... with one of them prevailing through it all
... that carries the drama and which also
carries with it the greatest prestige and valor
in sports. Maybe that is why former World
Heavyweight Champion, George Foreman
once said, “Boxing is the sport to which all other
sports aspire.” The reason he said this is, there It is a sad commentary, that reflects the change
15
is no greater test of courage in sports than in
the fighting sports.
Well, believe me, pit dogs prove even more
valor and courage in their contests than do
human boxers, and a pit dog who has earned
the title of “Pit Champion” is truly a special
and superior canine athlete. Only the frail
of heart can’t see passed the risks involved
in competitive sporting activities to behold
the far greater virtues. Frail people simply
have a weak passion for living, which is over-
ridden by their strong “fear of risk.” Such
milquetoasts tremble at any perceived danger
involved in any vigorous activity, whereas
men and women of valor savor the opportunity
for achieving the glory that prevailing over
dangerous risk bestows upon those who can
and do. Basically, there are those people in
society who are themselves so weak that
they try to remove all dangers involved in
living, not just in their own sad lives, but
these insidious, meddling types reach out and
try to remove any risk in the lives of others as
well. Rather than live their own lives, such
meddling cream-puffs try to take the “life”
out of every one and every thing else.
Ultimately, what these anti-risk fanatics call
“living” becomes mere “existing”: a trance-
like state of tranquility and safety, but not
of passion. These meddling “fear of risk”
types basically seek to suck the life out of all
that lives more passionately than they do.
“Do nothing risky,” they say, or be labeled a
“criminal.” It is sad, but it is true.
This kind of a pale, sickly life may be fine
for such types, but it is not fine for all. The
unsung truth is, pit bulls are the antithesis of
the frail-hearted animal rights people; these
dogs embody courage and they define daring.
True pit bulls are beaming with life and they
are beaming with vitality, and as such they
enjoy the sport for which they were bred,
fighting, and there is absolutely no cruelty
in allowing these dogs to do what they were
bred to do, when handled and presided over
by knowledgeable, competent, caring dogmen.
California Jack's
in our whole country’s backbone, that at one
point in our history, courage in a man used to
be valued ... and (not coincidentally) the sport
of dog fighting used to be legal then, too. In
fact, so true is what I am saying that the Pit
Bull Terrier was actually on an American war
poster, as the fighter he is. Yep. During World
War I, the Pit Bull Terrier was an American
symbol of courage for this Great War. He was
flanked on one side by an English bulldog and
a German dachshund, and on the other side
by a French bulldog and a Russian wolfhound.
And the caption below the pictorial read, “I’m
neutral, BUT – not afraid of any of them!”
Take a look at this poster below and see for
yourself.
At one point in our history, the fighting courage of the American Pit Bull Terrier typified the American spirit ...
Again, it is a sad commentary that in our
society today a game, courageous, fighting
spirit is no longer considered to be a virtue.
Instead, being a pale weakling is what
is held to be of value. Being a soft, weak
“business man” is considered virtuous today.
All day long we see fat, unathletic, sickly
men in suits and ties working in an “office,”
drinking espresso coffee, discussing their
“business affairs.” That is the contemporary
ideal of man today ... rather than holding
rugged men of action and courage as the
ideal. Again, even being a homosexual has
been elevated to “acceptance” in our society
today, while being a fierce warrior is now
deemed to be “unacceptable.” I mean, really,
how pathetic have we become as a people?
2007 Indispensable Tips 16
Well, not everyone in our society has a declining
sense of values. There are still people today
who admire physical excellence, and who
admire deep courage, both in human beings
and in our domesticated animals, and we are
not criminals for valuing courage, and we are
not criminals for testing for it in ourselves
and breeding for it in our dogs. If anything,
we should be saluted for maintaining a level
of excellence in a breed of dog that no “pet
owner” will ever maintain with his “show
dogs.”
We true pit dog fanciers are not “cruel,” like
the media attempt to portray us; we just
understand that in order to create the strong-
est metal, you have to FORGE IT in the hottest
heat. The Pit Bull Terrier is the strongest
canine metal, and it has to be forged in the
hottest heat (the pit) to make sure he remains
true to standard. The simple truth is, fighting
is literally required to prove the mettle in these
dogs, and intelligent fanciers can achieve the
objective of both a top-notch fighting dog and
an event without cruelty, by using plain old
compassion, common sense, and humanity.
We true bulldog fanciers are the ones who
have kept the impeccable standards of this
great breed alive, while treating the animals
humanely and giving them a good life.
Unfortunately, because this sport has been
made illegal, many well-meaning pit dog
enthusiasts (again, like myself) are forced
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
to quit our hobby, not wanting to risk our
freedom on account of our interests. Thanks
to such laws, the sport is therefore left to
people who don’t care about the law, their
freedom, or any other potential consequences
involved in breaking the law ... and this
means most pit dogs wind up suffering, not
prospering, by being owned by criminals with
this irresponsible mentality.
The sad truth of the sport being outlawed is
that very few well-meaning enthusiasts can
afford the risk of “getting caught” pursuing
their passion anymore, so they get out of this
hobby, leaving it to criminals who don’t care.
Thus, rather than pit contests still being
held by intelligent, caring fanciers who hold
the integrity of the breed as the supreme
value, such contests are left to be held by
irresponsible, immoral criminals who could
give a damn about anything other than the
fast-action and the gambling money to be
won. Again, as the saying goes, “A pipe gives
a wise man time to think – and a fool something
to stick in his mouth.” And that is also why
you have the problems today with pit bull
attacks: the dogs are now left to be bred and
raised either by ignorant, foolish “pet owners”
... who are too clueless to handle these dogs
properly ... or they are left to be owned by
unintelligent, immoral, outlaws. In neither
case are these dogs being handled and cared
for properly. You can see idiot novices every
day, who let their pit bulls run loose, and you
can see criminal thugs every day who have
these dogs and who simply don’t care about
anything. And yet the professional dogman, who
created the breed, and who knows how to handle
the breed, has been run off from pursuing his
vocation thanks to these laws!
It is my view that pit bulls should be owned
only by intelligent, professional dogmen ...
who created the breed in the first place! It is
simply a matter of historical fact that every
bit of the “pit bull problem” has been caused
by the ignorant laws against the sport of dog
fighting. These laws ran all of the good people
out of the sport, which has left the breed
17
to the hands of outlaws, and the constant
media hooplah has attracted the attention
of ignorant novices, neither of whom know
how to handle these dogs because they don’t
understand them.
~ HYPOCRICY DEFINED ~
It is a matter of unimpeachable fact that,
not only is it unconstitutional to create laws
abolishing our rights to pursue our legitimate
interest in creating a superior strain of canine
athlete in the pit bull, it is also contradictory
to other laws which allow us to straigh-up kill
other animals (let alone just watch them fight).
I mean, think about it: it is “legal” for me to
slaughter hundreds of cows, chickens, pigs –
you name it – on account of human food. Yet it
has been proven that man can survive without
eating meat. What this means, bottom line,
is that we allow literally millions of animals
to be killed each year (animals who certainly
don’t enjoy their deaths) to make man money
and to give man pleasure, the pleasure of eating
meat.
Or, for that matter, I can hunt and kill all kinds
of wild animals by obtaining a permit to shoot
and kill them (again animals that certainly
don’t want to be killed). I don’t even need to eat
them, I can just legally kill them “for sport.”
Worse, I might miss my shot and send the
poor thing into the brush to die an agonizing
death ... legally ... but for some reason I cannot
legally take my pit dog (who loves to fight) and
place him with another pit dog (who also loves
to fight) and then just let them do what they
were bred for centuries to do ... fight ... even if
neither dog ever comes close to dying. I mean
this is logically-ridiculous!
Another contradiction is, the way current
laws stand, I can legally have my pit dog
attack and maul a wild pig (who certainly
doesn’t want to be attacked and mauled), but
yet my same pit dog cannot engage another
pit dog in a fight, for sport. I mean, really,
how much sense does this make? My dog can
attack a pig, but not another pit dog, even
though the other pit dog is my dog’s equal and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
enjoys fighting also, whereas the pig is not
my dog’s equal and does not enjoy fighting. I
mean, somebody needs to help our lawmakers
think accurately! Remember, we have proven
that cruelty is dependent upon the perspective
of the participant in the activity, and so it *is*
cruel to allow a dog to attack a pig, because
the pig does not want to be attacked (yet this
is legal) .. whereas a pit bull loves to fight
another pit bull, and so there is no cruelty (but
yet this activity is IL-legal).
The hypocricy and cluelessness of our
lawmakers truly is astounding. Anyone
with eyes to see, and a brain to think, can
conclude the former activity of willing dogs
on unwilling pigs *does* involve cruelty to
the pigs. This is true cruelty (from the pigs’
perspectives, because they do not like the
contact). Yet the activity of willing dog on
another willing dog is not cruel. The latter is
actually a sport precisely because both dogs
are equals and both dogs enjoy the contact.
Again, we have clearly shown that cruelty
is entirely dependent upon the perspective
of the participant in the activity. And since a
wild pig does not like the fighting contact, the
activity of hog-hunting is cruel ... while since
both pit bulls enjoy the contact, the activity
of dog fighting is not cruel. Yet our bass-
ackwards laws have the truly cruel activity of
hog-hunting being legal, even today, while the
truly sporting activity of willing dogs fighting
willing dogs remains illegal.
Let me stress this point even more clearly and
graphically: we allow a bulldog to administer
a slow death to a wild pig on a hunt ... that is
not the dog’s equal and who does not like the
contact ... but we will not allow one dog to so
much as nick another dog’s skin, in a sporting
contest where both dogs are equal, and when
both dogs enjoy the fighting, and even where
neither dog actually dies. I mean, really, any
intelligent person can see that these laws are
totally absurd, they’re exactly bass-ackwards,
and the reason is because they were created
by people without the slightest clue about the
very animals for which they have created said
laws.
18
Truth is the truth, and the truth is those who
have created these laws know nothing about
the animals for which they have created said
laws. The truth is, we also allow unspeakable
cruelties of isolation to animals being produced
for food. The total confinement of young calves
in the dark to produce veal probably heads this
list of unspeakable cruelties which we allow to
be committed against unwilling animals. We
also allow insanely over-crowded conditions
in the keeping of egg-laying chickens. And
you bet these conditions are cruel, because
none of the animals involved enjoys this kind
of treatment at all; they are miserable every
moment of their brief, parasitized, overly-
confined lives ... the end of which is to get
their throats cut or their heads chopped off to
be eaten for food.
Yet the lawmakers allow this kind of animal
torture to go on all over the country, but yet
they won’t allow a pit bull the joy of fighting
another pit bull, even for five minutes, and
even when both dogs have been raised in the
house with love their whole lives, as opposed
to being confined for their whole lives! And
again, we will allow these same bulldogs to
fight and kill wild animals, who don’t enjoy
it, but yet these same bulldogs cannot legally
fight each other, when they both enjoy it! I
mean, who can say any of this with a straight
face? Yet this is the way these laws stand
right now.
The final coup de grace to this issue of hypocricy
is the fact that I can lace on a pair of boxing
gloves myself, and legally fight another man
who does the same, and we can legally have
fun beating the hell out of each other ... black
eyes, broken noses, bloody lips, brain damage
and all ... but I cannot legally let my dog fight
another dog, even for five minutes ... when the
dogs are ten times better at it than I am (or
any human is for that matter). Thus, not only
are the existing laws contradictory relative
to legalized injury or killing to other kinds of
animal ... but the laws are also contradictory
in that they also say I can injure another human
being, legally, through organized human
fighting, but yet I cannot let my dog injure
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
another dog, through organized dog fighting!
The inconsistency of our laws is so ridiculous
that they have basically elevated the status
of dogs as being more sacred than every other
kind of animal on earth, including the status
of human beings!
So why are the dog laws so contradictory?
Why are such ignorance and hypocricy so
prevalent? In a word: lobbying. The truth is,
there are always irrational zealots who try to
“outlaw” everything, everywhere ... from guns,
to abortion, to hunting, to alcohol, to boxing,
to dog fighting, to even owning a dog ... you
name the pursuit ... and there will always be
some zealous idiot trying to enact legislation
against the activity. So why has dog fighting
been made totally illegal then, when other
truly cruel matters have been allowed to go on
“legally”? Why was Prohibition made illegal
– and then why was it successfully repealed?
Why was boxing made illegal for awhile there
too – and then why was it successfully re-
instated? Why can human beings once again
drink alcohol, and why can human beings once
again fight each other, legally, while dogs still
cannot fight each other legally? Why can I
shoot and kill other animals, but yet why can’t
I let my dog have a good old-fashioned brawl
with another dog?
The answer is simple: there are more people
willing to stand up and lobby for their right to
have guns ... their right to drink, their right to
eat meat, their right to have boxing contests, and
their right to hunt wild game, etc. ... than there
are those who are willing to stand up and lobby
for their right to breed and contest fighting dogs.
It is that simple.
The bottom line is our laws have nothing
to do with what truly is right or wrong, the
enactment or repealing of our laws has to do
*solely* with what GETS LOBBIED FOR or not.
That’s all of it right there. The small segment
of people who fight dogs for sport have simply
not lobbied enough to stop the lawmakers from
taking away their freedoms … even though dog
fighting is less cruel than either slaughtering
19
or hunting animals. It’s the power of the
vote, people, not the righteousness of the
“good,” nor the intelligence of the lawmakers,
winning out here. That is all lawmakers have
ever done, is try to pass laws against every
single activity that people enjoy, and the
simple truth is people have always had to
stand up and defend themselves from idiots
by lobbying-back. The difference is so many
people have fought for their right to drink, their
right to hunt, their right to box, etc., whereas
no one has ever bothered to stand up and fight
for their right to have professional dog fights
and to maintain and perpetuate COURAGE
in a superior breed of dog. We bulldog owners
have simply lacked the very courage that we
demand in our dogs!
Now, mind you, I am no more in favor of
animal cruelty than any so-called “tree
hugger.” I truly don’t want to see anything
suffer and I truly am not a cruel person. I
don’t even like fishing, because I feel sorry for
the fish! Why? Because the fish don’t like being
caught. I am subtle enough in my intellect to
realize that no animal wants to be shot and
killed, and so I really don’t hunt much, except
when varmint hunting becomes necessary in
my rural area. But I would never just “trophy
hunt,” as I myself have never believed in that.
So please don’t call me “cruel,” because I most
definitely am not a cruel person. I am a highly-
intelligent person who can actually make a
determination as to what, in fact, constitutes
“cruelty” by judging how the recipient of
the action behaves when participating in the
activity. All wild animals run from and are
terrified of being either shot or caught, whereas
good pit bulls seek to get into a fight with other
pit bulls. I mean, how simple is that?
Therefore, I do love legitimate, willing combat
... both in human beings and in the American
Pit Bull Terrier ... and I have the intellect and
understanding to differentiate between what
is truly cruel from what in fact is not cruel.
And there are a lot of other people who like
to watch fighting contests too, be they dog
contests or human contests, just as there are
a lot of people who like to watch fast running,
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
be it dog racing, horse racing, or car racing.
Human beings simply love competition, many
different kinds of competition, and there is
nothing at all wrong with this. In fact, that is
how ALL forms of sport originiated: by man’s
love of competition!
So why is there all of the drama surrounding
dog fighting? The fact is, this sport is really
no big deal, when done professionally and
compassionately, it is merely one more form of
sportive entertainment. What’s “wrong” isn’t
man’s desire to see intense competition and
combat displayed in the arena; what’s wrong
are fanatical zealots who try to prevent the
expression of this kind of legitimate activity.
These laws are in fact what’s wrong. People
meddling in the affairs of other people is
what’s wrong, especially when such medding
comes from people who are totally ignorant of
the subject which they seek to outlaw!
Wrong or not, these are our laws, and I will
obey them for the time being. Unfortunately,
those who won’t obey these laws are often
those who don’t obey other laws as well,
and again the result is more often than not
this great breed of dog is being used by the
scum of our society, rather than being bred
and developed by competent devotees with
intelligence, compassion, and sophistication.
As horses are bred and raced by sophisticated
people in horse racing, so too should sporting
dogs be bred and raced by sophisticated people
who understand them. But the current laws
won’t allow for this. Yet, while these laws
may control my actions, they cannot control
my mind. Thus I will do everything I can to
ensure the perpetuation of this breed and its
ideals through my writings, while at the same
time obey the current laws as they stand ... or the performance standards, are in fact what
until they fall ...
As someone once said, “The pen is mightier the criminal element that has surrounded
than the sword” ...
~ THE R EAL SOLUTION ~
I personally believe that dog fighting should be and normal decent citizens could once again
legalized, but under the scrutiny of a governing enjoy a drink among friends. So too would the
20
body, with regulations, and by permit only.
I believe that this will likely never happen,
but if it ever did the events could be taxed
and the federal government would benefit by
bringing in at least the revenue that boxing
does for Las Vegas or horseracing does for the
Derby. The level of combat ability, stamina,
and courage that a truly good pit bull has is so
much greater than even the bravest of human
fighters, as to make there be no comparison
between the two. The professional sports
of horse racing and greyhound racing utilize
animals that are nowhere near the all-around
athletes that a combat-bred Pit Bull Terrier is.
As a result, the money made in horse racing,
dog racing, and even human fighting is nothing
compared to the money that could be made
if dog fighting were legalized. I am talking
about honest money made on absolutely the
strictest standards of physical prowess that
can be graded: a pit dog fight. If dogs are
“man’s best friend,” then let us elevate THE
BRAVEST AND TOUGHEST OF DOGS and put them on a
pedestal ... rather than fluffy, useless mutts!
The standards that have created the finest all-
around canine athlete on earth, the combat-
bred American Pit Bull Terrier, should be
cultivated and improved upon, by legalizing
the activity. They should not be abolished
and in so doing threaten the extinction of
our most courageous breed. How many
wonderful creatures, of all different types,
must continually be rendered extinct by the
plodding, stupid human beings of this earth
... who don’t understand anything they do ...
before we all wake-up and stop being so stupid
and destructive?
Legalizing the dog fighting, and elevating
would benefit the breed, what would minimize
the suffering, and what would eliminate
it. Again, recall what happened when
Prohibition was repealed, when it was once
again legal to manufacture and distribute
alcohol: the organized crime element left,
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 21

criminal element leave dog fighting, if it were well. As things stand today, with the illegality
legalized, and once again sporting gentlemen of dog fighting, and with no governing bodies,
could go on and enjoy developing the most the cruel and stupid participants allow their
courageous breed of dog on earth ... while the dogs to get mutiliated and killed in the pit,
dogs themselves would enjoy being owned by because they are lowlifes and not true dog
better all-around owners. fanciers. Such miscreant thugs will not pick-
up their dogs if they are in over their heads.
As famed dog author Jack London said in If the sport were legalized, however, with
his novel, White Fang, “He was justifying a governing body and specially-appointed
his existence, than which life can do no greater; referees to preside over the contests, the dogs
for life achieves its summit when it does to the would have their fights able to be stopped by
uttermost that which it was equipped to do.“ Jack referee intervention (as in boxing), and the
London was an avid outdoorsman as well as dogs would also have top quality veterinary
a renowned author, and he himself attended care available to them immediately after a
pit dog fights. He understood animals that fight ... instead of having a bunch of drunk
were bred to perform certain tasks. Dwight D. amateur “vets” trying to stick an IV in their
Eisenhower himself coined the phrase, “It isn’t veins, as things often are now. (That is, if
they remember, or care, to bring any medical
the size of the dog in the fight that counts as much
as the size of the fight in the dog.” That’s right;supplies at all.)
Presidents have attended dog fights and have
owned fighting dogs. Teddy Roosevelt was If dog fighting were legalized with these two
another one. changes combined – referees being able to
stop fights, and the availability of immediate
The rules, regulations, and presiding bodies professional veterinary attention after matches
of sanctioned dog fights should go back to the – I believe the frequency of after-fight deaths
days of the UKC and the Police Gazette. If this and mutilations of pit dogs would be reduced
activity were to be legalized in America again, to almost non-existent, just as they are close
and the standards even further improved to non-existent in human boxing. So if it’s the
upon, not only would much of the human dogs’ welfare that the Humane Society and
scum involved in the sport be erradicated by the ASPCA, etc. are really after, legalizing
the appropriate governing bodies, but the level the sport is the way to do it. Because, folks,
of care the dogs themselves would be given this sport will continue to go on, regardless
would be elevated immeasurably as well. The of the laws against it, again just like drinking
necessary result of legalization would be that continued to go on, regardless of the laws
the level of dog produced as a breed would be against it in the Prohibition Era as well.
elevated to the truly spectacular. I mean, why
not produce the very best dogs we can, not the
very lamest? Why not treat those very best ~ MY PROOF ~
dogs to the very best care, under the very best My final proof that legalizing the sport
rules and regulations, and presided over by the would be the best thing for the dogs is that
very best people we can to promote them? all of what I have said is actually happening in
Japan. That’s right, dog fighting is legal in
Japan, with a ranking and sanctioning body,
More importantly, to those who actually professional referees handling the contests,
want to stop the real cruelty involved in dog and with professional veterinarians taking
fighting (which is thug owners allowing their care of the dogs afterward ... and it is a crime-
dogs to be mutilated or killed when they no free, totally-professional operation, even
longer can defend themselves toward the end more professionally-run than boxing is here
of a contest), legalizing dog fighting would in our country. The Japanese are a highly-
ultimately benefit the dogs in this regard as sophisticated cuIture and they prove beyond
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
any doubt the merit of my beliefs (as did the
UKC and Police Gazette in our country at one
point), and so there is nothing to debate on
this subject.
Legalizing the sport is the answer!
Again, just as Prohibition failed in our country,
and just as trying to outlaw boxing failed also,
so too has outlawing dog fighting continuously
failed. It is still going on everywhere in the
U.S., and the remaining good people in it are
turned into “outlaws,” when they really aren’t.
Meanwhile, taxpayers’ money is being wasted
on chasing a “crime” that doesn’t actually
exist, while still more money is being wasted
imprisoning “criminals” who aren’t really bad
people. By contrast, if legalized, tax money
would actually be made off of the sport of
dog fighting, rather than being wasted in vain
trying to stop it.
The truth is, outlawing the sport of dog
fighting has turned the lawmakers into the real
outlaws. FACT: the lawmakers have deprived
tax-paying citizens of their American right to
Pursue Happiness, with their poorly-thought
and senseless laws. FACT: the appointed
“authorities” who have raided the homes of
American citizens over these stupid laws have
in fact become the real outlaws. These “law
enforcement officers” have been given carte
blanche power to raid people’s homes, and take
and kill people’s animals (unreasonable search
and seizure), all because of an incredibly short-
sighted, logically-stupid, and totally-ignorant
“law” ... that was passed by people who don’t
understand the first thing about these dogs or
about animals in general.
If a keen mind really analyzes it, here is what
the laws really boil down to: it is considered
a “crime” for a person to allow his dog to
bite another dog ... and yet the lawmakers
can “legally” come into this person’s home,
“legally” take away all of his dogs, and then
“legally” execute every single one of them.
Forget a mere “bite” now, we’re talking
EXECUTION. I mean, this is totally insane: to
call one pit bull merely injuring another pit
22
bull “a crime” ... while calling the complete
execution of the animal “legal.” Ask a
hundred different people what they would
choose, if given a choice between being in a
really hard fight, but cared for afterward, or
being publically-executed, and all one hundred
of them will choose “being in a really hard
fight.” You would chose to fight, so would
I, and so would a dog! Yet, as the law stands
now, it is “a crime” for me to allow a dog to
fight another dog ... but it is “legal” for the
authorities to execute that same fighting dog,
just for being in a fight.
This is absolutely insane!
Any rational mind realizes that our laws
should be desiged to create order and to prevent
harm, not to create disorder and to cause harm.
It is an histrical fact that failed laws like
Prohibition, outlawing boxing, and outlawing
dog fighting have caused more disorder and
harm than they have EVER relieved, which is
why two of them have already been repealed.
The facts are, such laws create harm and
they create disorder, while they accomplish
*nothing* towards curtailing the actions
of their intended purpose. This is why we
repealed Prohibition, and why we re-instated
boxing in our country, both of which prove my
point. And, just as certainly, the seamless
order of legalized dog fighting in Japan
proves my point here as well. It is simply an
indisputable FACT that the fighting dogs of
Japan are treated better than our dogs here,
with virtually no crime involved in the activity
either, precisely because the sport is legal.
Again, these are THE FACTS people – there is
nothing to debate!
~ NEW STANDARDS ~
I further believe, in conjunction with
legalizing the sport, as stated above, that pit
bulls should not be available to the general
public. The reason is because they are
simply “too much dog” for clueless people to
handle responsibly. I believe there should be
regulation of dog fighting, not abolishment,
and that this regulation should start with
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 23

people being screened and qualified before they should have to prove that they are home
can be owners/handlers of the breed. owners, with stable work histories, and also
proof should be given that escape-proof
The tragedies involving people (especially quarters will be used for their animals. If
children) getting mauled by pit bulls almost you think this proposed testing and licensing
never involve owners who are professional dog sounds a bit extreme, consider the fact that
fighters. Instead, such tragedies invariably you have to take a driver’s education course
involve ill-bred dogs, that are bred and owned to be able to obtain a license to drive a car.
by complete novices ... I mean totally ignorant The reason is the same, because of the serious
“pet owners” who have no idea how to handle consequences that can potentially be involved
this breed responsibly ... and who generally in the mishandling of a vehicle. You also have
get their dogs, not from true dog men, but from to pass a series of examinations in order to
other irresponsible, totally-cluelss backyard adopt a child, again because of the serious
breeders. responsibility involved. You likewise have to
go through even more paperwork to start your
Truly superior pit dogs, in the hands of truly own business, and to obtain the necessary
competent dogmen, are absolutely terrific permits and licenses to prove your legitimacy
animals ... and their incredible abilities as a business, etc., etc.
deserve to be enjoyed and perpetuated,
responsibly and professionally, but *only* by So why isn’t it reasonable to place a similar
proven-competent fanciers and dogmen ... not licensing requirement to prove legitimate
by any idiot who has the cash to buy one (but knowledge and competence in handling as
who hasn’t the competence or sense to handle serious a breed of dog as an American Pit Bull
it properly). Terrier?

Therefore, only by obtaining a permit, based People who are unwilling to go through this
upon passing a series of strict examinations, kind of an education, screening, and licensing
do I believe an interested person should be process would only prove their own lack of
allowed to obtain and own a pit dog, with commitment (and/or unfitness) to own this
training courses being given as to how to breed ... just as people who don’t want to get
handle the breed responsibly. Such training the necessary work permits or driver’s licenses
courses and tests could be created and presided would show their own lack of commitment
over by recognized experts on the breed. Thus and fitness to enjoy these privileges as well.
any interested “pet owners” would have to Does this sound harsh? Not to the successful it
score very high on these tests, showing a high doesn’t. I believe that the strictest standards
level of dog-handling competence, rather than of excellence in ownership should apply to
a minimal level of competence. I honestly the finest breed of dog on the planet. Only
believe that any non-permitted ownership of lazy, unsuccessful, and irresponsible people
pit bulls should in fact be abolished, precisely would disagree, because truly responsible and
because of the constant mishandling that successful people are already used to going the
happens with these dogs in the hands of idiot- extra mile to get the necessary licenses and
novices. These dogs should not be available permits they need in life in order to get what
to the totally clueless, but only to proven- they want.
competent, licensed individuals who have
demonstrated their dog-handling competence As things stand, I find it ironic and sad that
on a very high level, according to a series the finest of all dog breeds is all-too-often
of strict qualifying examinations set by us owned by the lowliest and cruelest of people,
experts. (and/or the most clueless), and again this is a
direct result of the laws as they stand now.
I further believe interested pit bull owners I believe the guidelines set forth above (and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 24

below) would drastically change this. So while I write this book to help change these
laws, I also write it to help those who are going
For this reason, I no longer breed my dogs for to break them anyway, to do it right, with the
sale to the general public, as I do not believe least possible trauma to the dogs.
it is fair to the animals produced. It is too
much of a heartache to learn of one ownership My goal is *not* to promote people to break
incompetence after another in the handling the law here, my goal is (1) to show how
of my dogs for me to be able to continue stupid, illogical, and ineffective these laws
making them available for more of the same are, and (2) to teach those people (who are
to the average dog owner. I do, however, offer going to break the laws anyway) how to raise
my males at stud, and I still make puppies and school their dogs with the least possible
available to proven-competent owners and trauma to the animals. The truth is, pit dogs
fanciers of the breed, who can establish are going to be raised for fighting anyway, by
enough “life-stability” so as to provide my individuals all over the world, and these dogs
pups with a good home, whether as a pet, a desperately need owners who truly know what
show dog, weight puller, or whatever. they’re doing ... as opposed to being owned by
imbeciles who will make one ignorant blunder
Although I myself no longer engage in any after another with them. So rather than have
illegal activities involving these dogs, I will these dogs suffer through total ownership
continue to write my views on how to raise ignorance and incompetence, as things stand
these dogs responsibly, as well as to provide now, I write this book to outline exactly how
my sound arguments against the laws which this activity should be done, correctly and
forbid dog fighting. Since the pen truly is humanely, from beginning to end.
“mightier than the sword,” I believe my
writings will continue to benefit the dogs Without the proper guidance, the pit dogs who
owned by would-be dog fighters as well as by are in this type of situation anyway)are going
regular pet owners. to get totally mishandled by their ignorant
Because the laws have become so strict, owners, and I am simply trying to prevent
to the point you can’t even take a picture this. Thus my intent in outlining the proper
of a dog fight, or “promote” dog fighting, way in which to go about this activity is not
make no mistake here: I do not write this my “promotion” of an illegal activity; rather it
book to “promote” illegal activities nor am I is simply my helping the dogs WHO ARE IN THIS
encouraging people to break the law. I write SITUATION ANYWAY to be handled properly
this book because (I believe I still have my and humanely, who would otherwise be in the
First Ammendment rights of freedom of hands of the ignorant.
written expression – don’t I?), and I wish to
show the logical absurdity of these laws that I hereby expressly waive anything that could
currently exist against the sport. be construed as my condoning or promoting
illegal activities. I DON’T believe people
Admittedly, I also want to educate those folks should break the law, I believe they should
who are going to fight dogs anyway, how to do obey the law. I DO, however, believe that
so humanely. I mean, let’s face it: dog fighting these laws should be repealed, as they were
will continue, legal or not, with or without created by people who know nothing about
my involvement or my words. However, the this breed, nor even the true nature of dogs in
unfortunate truth is, because of these laws general. I *also* know that people are going
against the sport, and because most of the to break these laws anyway, and in so doing
good people in the sport got out, that leaves they are probably going to mutilate and ruin a
this activity to be carried out (incompetently lot of wonderful dogs along the way ... unless
and inhumanely) by the remaining thugs in the they receive some sort of proper instruction on
sport ... thanks to all of the secrecy involved. how to bring a pit dog along properly. Thus I
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 25

explain these correct procedures, only out of a However, although these ridiculous laws may
deep interest in the breed, and because of my control my body, they cannot control my mind
deep commitment to the health and welfare (at least not yet), nor can they control my
of its wonderful individuals. It is my hope in First Amendment right to express my views.
writing this book that those dogs which will Though this country may be forever going in
be used for combat anyway (despite the laws), a downward spiral ... in its lack of respect
will suffer the least possible trauma while they for human freedom, truth, and dignity ...
are being groomed and contested, and that there still remains my Constitutional Right
every other moment of their lives will be happy of Freedom of Speech and Expression. I still
and healthy, thanks to a better understanding have my Constitutional Right to express my
of all levels of pit dog feeding, handling, and views on an illegal sport, while not actively
ownership. THIS is what I hope to achieve by participating in said sport, and while neither
writing this book. promoting nor condoning it. Although my
actions may be limited, I hope that through
I hereby state, absolutely and unequivocally, my writings I can still manage to help this
that I myself am not involved in these breed to be understood better ... and to avoid
activities any longer, nor will I be ever again, any further mishandling and persecution that
unless and until the sport is legalized. My it has suffered already ... by telling the whole
interest in providing this information on how truth about the dogs and the sport, for one and
to go about these activities, properly, is only all to take-in and absorb.
to protect this breed from any more abuse
and misunderstanding than it already has. I ~ California Jack
love this breed of dog, and I know for a fact
that if these dogs are groomed and handled
properly (like a human boxer), that dog
fighting is not cruel, and that the end result
of this activity (when intelligently conducted)
is that it produces the overall finest breed of
dog on earth. Thus I verbally challenge these
senseless laws with introduction, and I also
outline the proper way to handle these dogs ...
from beginning to end ... throughout the rest
of the book ... solely to minimze the cruelty
of ignorant handling that is rampant among
most of the owners of this breed today ... and
solely to keep the wonderful qualities of this
breed intact for future generations.

My intent is not to encourage people to break

the law; my intent is to show how ridiculous
the laws are to begin with, and then to show
those who are going to break the laws anyway
the proper methods to achieve the best
possible results with their dogs, with the least
possible errors and suffering to the animals. I
myself am simply no longer involved with the
sport, out of my own compliance with the laws
(however ill-thought they are) and as such out
of valuing my own freedom.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
PRELUDE
Why Have a Fighting Dog?
When a dogman says “bulldog” he means
the American Pit Bull Terrier – a fighting
dog. In any attempt to understand The Pit
Bull Breed, one must come to terms with this
simple fact: the American Pit Bull Terrier is
a fighting dog. He was predominantly bred
for one thing only: to defeat other animals in
combat, most especially other dogs, and he
has certain superior capabilities bred into him
in order to accomplish this task. We will get
into those superior capabilities later, but all of
them center around fighting prowess.
The question is often asked: “Well, what kind
of person would want a fighting dog?” This is
a question I’ve been asked more times than I
care to count, but let’s analyze this question,
though, and see if we can come up with a
legitimate answer.
To answer this question, however, we must
first answer a more basic question, “What is
a dog?” This question may seem so basic, so
silly, but in fact it is right here (at its most
basic level) where most dog owners ... and most
people in general ... fail to understand what a
dog is and why the dog was domesticated by
man in the first place. Most people simply
have the wrong idea as to what a dog actually
is. In other words, they don’t even understand
the very creature they are talking about or
which is in their care. Yet the truth is, if you
don’t understand the very creature which is in
your care, how can you possibly care for that
animal correctly? How can you possibly make
correct decisions as to the nature and purpose
of that animal?
Well, the answer to the above question is,
“A dog is a carnivorous predator that man has
domesticated for various uses.”
What people need to understand is that a
dog is not a “toy” or a stuffed animal. A dog
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is nothing but a predator that was originally
designed by nature to hunt and kill other
animals for food. You really need to internalize
this in order to understand your dog completely,
and even in order to feed him properly. You also
need to internalize this FACT in order to be able to
speak with intelligence on the subject of dogs. You
see, not only has man interfered with nature in
domesticating the wild dog in the first place,
but man has also created an entire industry
(the dog food industry) that does nothing but
poison dogs with over-processed, inappropriate
ingredients to a carnivore’s survival. Dogs
were not designed to eat grain-based “kibble”;
dogs were designed to hunt, kill, and eat raw,
whole animals in order to survive and thrive.
It doesn’t matter how “cute” your neighbor’s
little foo-foo dog is, the fact remains that a
dog is biologically-designed to kill and eat
raw, whole animals, not grain-based kibble.
(More on this later.)
Anyway, once we come to terms with this
FACT ... that dogs are predators designed
to HUNT, KILL, and EAT raw, whole animals ...
we then come closer to understanding the
wild dog that is still in our “pet.” In so doing,
we will also come closer to understanding
why man originally would want to breed
and domesticate wild dogs into companion
animals in the first place, and (finally) we will
come closer to understanding why a person
would want to have “a fighting dog.”
The truth is, all of the original breeds of
dog were created by man to do something,
originally to do something related to hunting
and killing. Man, through selective breeding,
has simply intensified the various hunting
and killing traits that the original wild dogs
had when he formed the first primitive “breed
types.” Therefore, if you think about it, even
today, anything other than a hunting dog (or
a performance dog of some kind) is actually
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
just a perversion of the original domesticated
dog (to say nothing of the natural, wild dog)
into some sort of useless caricature of a dog.
And there are many such abominations that
get mass-bred by “show dog” people today,
people who have no concept of what a dog
really is or should be. These abominations of
the canine world get labeled as “toy breeds” or
“show dogs,” etc., and there are many people
who are attracted to their “cuteness.” But the
truth is, such dogs are nothing but caricatures
of the reason why man first domesticated
dogs, and such perversions of nature (and
function) really have no practical use. You see,
real dog fanciers don’t care about useless dogs,
real dog faciers want useful dogs, and as such
they have honed certain useful characteristics
in wild dogs, way beyond what is natural, and
again this is the way man originally came
up with all of the original breeds of dog, THE
HUNTING BREEDS, to perform various hunting
tasks. In short, that is why dogs exist, to
hunt and to kill, and that is why man first
domesticated dogs: to hunt and kill even more
effectively than wild dogs.
Go back in time, in your mind, and picture
the wild, and just think about the evolution
of man’s canine companion. In order to hunt
and kill other animals and survive, wild dogs
(even now) have to possess many key traits.
They need a sense of smell to find their prey;
they need the ability to run and give trail to
wear down their prey; they must have the
propensity to give voice to alert and keep
in union the other pack members; and – yes
– wild dogs need the ability to fight and kill
their prey once it is captured, so they can eat
it. And wild dogs have a full complement of
all the necessary traits to achieve this end
– because if they didn’t they would die off and
not survive. And, ultimately, that is what it’s
all about in nature: survival.
Well then, if a wild dog is simply an efficient
killer and eater of meat in nature, why did
man first domesticate the wild dog and try to
make a “companion” out of it? The answer to
this question is your first step in understanding
dogs.
27
Simply put, wild dogs were first developed
and domesticated by man in order to perform
the task of helping man eat and survive.
Again, those tasks that man selected for
when he bred his first wild dogs (ultimately
into the various breed types) were soley in
relation to the many distinct attributes and
traits that wild dogs possessed that allowed
him to hunt and kill effectively themselves.
Man simply recognized the uniqueness of
each of these distinct traits that dogs possess,
and so man tried to isolate and intensify each
trait, by selectively breeding only for that
trait.Thus man set out to zero-in and develop
each distinct trait, into a specialty, and to the
exclusion of all other traits, so that each “new
dog” created could help man hunt even more
effectively in that one particular area. That is
how the breed types first came to exist, based
upon that lone trait that the specialized dog
typified. Further, that is also how the true
“bond” came to exist between man and dog:
when the dog did his job in that capacity, to
perfection, for his owner. Both man and dog
have always enjoyed “that perfect moment”
together. It is really that simple.
You see, most people today only keep dogs as
“pets,” and thus they have no concept of why
man first created breed types to begin with.
Thus most people do not even understand
the very dog they are keeping and feeding.
Being “a pet” is not the purpose for which
man originally domesticated dogs. Yes, even
though dogs can be intelligent and tractable
“pets,” and even though they are a pure joy to
have around as companion animals, the fact
is dogs were originally domesticated by man
to help him survive, not to be cute-n-cuddly.
And even though helping man survive may
no longer be necessary today, for most of us
anyway, the fact remains that this is why
dogs were first domesticated by man. To
understand dogs is to understand the reason why
man first domesticated them.
Since there are many hunting tasks that dogs
can do better than man, man has thus utilized
dogs in these respects to help him hunt and
kill since antiquity. In this way, you can see
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 28

that man began to breed and train wild dogs
to help him with his hunting tasks, and as
he did so, man began to realize that certain
dogs performed certain tasks better than
other dogs. This is how breeding selectivity first
took place, all based on critical areas of man’s
survival: scenting, running, digging, fighting,
retrieving, guarding, etc. Gradually, man
began to breed specifically for only one of these
certain individual traits, to the exclusion of all
other traits, thereby intensifying each key
trait beyond the means of any wild dog ... and
thus the original breed types were born:
specialists in running. Originally, this was
to take down the swiftest of prey in the open
field, like a cheetah, but now the greyhound’s
tremendous speed is mostly utilized to satisfy
man’s competitive desires in the sport of dog
racing ... and people still enjoy the sport of dog
racing today.
• By breeding only those dogs that had the
propensity to bring back killed game, Retrievers
were developed by man to bring back various
small animals shot by man in the field, and
people still enjoy hunting with their retrievers
today.

The fluid grace of a Pointer is something everyone

should take the time out to experience in the field! Terriermen using their terriers as they were
(Photo courtesy of Okie Logan) originally intended to be used: digging up
varmints from the earth and dispatching them.
• By breeding only those dogs that had the (Photo courtesy of Henry Johnson, Fults Cove,
propensity to freeze and lift their front paws TN)
at the first sign of wild game, Pointers were
eventually developed, as specialists to signal • By breeding only those dogs that would dig
to man where small game was hiding, and the earth and go in holes after pesky varmints,
people still enjoy hunting with their pointers Terriers were eventually created, as specialist
today. to rid man of the vermin that infested his
farms and property. A true terrier derives
• By breeding only those dogs with the his very name from the earth (terra firma),
most acute sense of smell, Bloodhounds were into which he was designed to dig and kill
eventually created, as specialists in scenting, varmints. And people still enjoy hunting
to aid man in finding wounded game by its with terriers today, and in some areas varmint
scent. And people are still enjoy the benefits terriers remain absolutely indispensable for
of bloodhounds today, for finding wounded farmers, even today.
prey, lost people, hidden drugs, etc.
• By breeding only those dogs that had the
• By breeding only the fastest of dogs, propensity to to trail and bay after racoon,
Greyhounds were eventually developed, as ‘Coon Dogs were eventually developed by
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 29

man to pursue and tree ‘coon for man, giving been enacted against the very methods that
voice while doing so, to let his owner know created this legitimate breed type. Basically,
where he is in the woods at all times. And these laws threaten the breed’s existence! A
people still enjoy hunting with their ‘coon whole and wonderful breed type is endangered
dogs today. now, thanks to nothing but modern human
ignorance – ignorance that has to end here and
• By breeding only those dogs that had the now, which is the point of this book.
propensity to chase and kill rabbit, Beagles
were eventually developed by man to catch Still, even today, pit bulls are legally used as
and kill rabbit in the field for man, and people “kill dogs” and “catch dogs” on wild game,
still enjoy hunting with their beagles today. and on farms, which was their original and
intended purpose anyway. I personally believe
• By breeding only those dogs that would that a pit dog fighting another pit dog is
corral and harness his sheep and other livestock, actually more humane than a pit dog on a wild
Shepherds were eventually created, as animal, because the wild animal does not enjoy
specialist to both corral and keep in union the contact, whereas another pit bull does, but
man’s livestock. Some shepherd dogs were that isn’t the point right now.
further developed both to corral and to protect
them the herd from would-be predators. The point of all this is man originally
And, even today, there are peoples who still domesticated wild dogs because of their
benefit from these wonderful shepherds, now hunting, fighting, and killing abilities, and
expressed in many different breed types. each ability that all wild dogs have (scenting,
running, digging, fighting, retrieving, etc.)
On and on it goes with all true breed types ... was then intensified by man, through
they get their very name from their function! selective breeding, to the exclusion of all other
abilities, and way beyond that of even wild
• Well, by breeding only those dogs with the dogs, WHICH IS HOW THE DIFFERENT BREEDS
most intensity and ability for fighting and killing OF DOG ORIGINALLY EVOLVED: BASED ON WHAT
tracked-down prey, Pit Bulls were eventually THEY COULD DO.
developed as specialists for conquering all
creatures great and small. Called “Kill Dogs” Nowadays, however, breed types are seldom
in days of yore, pit bulls would “catch” and maintained by performance standards, but
“kill” the big game trailed by the trailing instead man’s breeding standards for dogs
and baying dogs. One group of dogs trailed have degenerated to be based on a “look,”
the game (like ‘coon dogs), and then the “kill or (worse) to be based upon absolutely no
dogs” would be brought in to finish the quarry. standards whatsoever. Basically, the shift
Eventually, man (being the way he is) began away from breeding ALL dogs true to type
to stage contests between his “kill dogs” (that is, to maximize their distinct hunting
against bear and bulls, and that is how the abilities) is reflective of our ever devolving,
term “bulldog” first got coined ... and that is non-physical, pale, plastic society that
how “kill dogs” eventually became known as shuns the outdoors or natural reality of any
“bulldogs.” kind. Thus “conformation shows” are pretty
much the only means by which the so-called
Later (again, man being the way he is), contests “standards” of most breeds are maintained
began to get staged to see whose bulldog was today – with their “look” being more
better than whose, and so eventually the important than their substance in our modern,
“bulldog” became known as the “pit bull.” limp-wristed, plastic society.
And the pit bull has been bred and used
primarily as a fighting dog to conquer other It is easy to see why most people today simply
dogs in the pit ever since ... but now laws have have dogs as “pets” – as no one really needs
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 30

to hunt and kill his own food in our pale and You see, real dogmen don’t care about useless
plastic society any longer – but the flipside dogs, they want useful dogs, and as such they
is that most dogs today are therefore useless. continue to hone those cherrished and original
Most dogs today are “feed burners,” who useful characteristics in the true breed types,
can do nothing but eat, sleep, and shit. Most by testing them as they should be tested, and thus
people today, who have no true understanding keeping these special traits intact and way
of dogs at all, can’t even imagine wanting beyond any other breed. This is the way man
a “hunting dog,” so far removed from the originally came up with all of the true breeds
reality of dogs are they. But, you see, when of dog (the hunting breeds), as I have shown,
you really come to understand dogs, the real and continuing to test these traits is the only
question is not, “Why have a hunting dog? way the true breed types can be preserved
(or a performance dog of any kind),” the real as unique. I mean, that is why domesticated
question is, “Why have any dog that isn’t dogs truly exist, to perform some sort of function
specifcally developed to do something?” in relation to their breed type, and that is what
true dogmen exist for, to make sure their dogs
If analyzed by a knowing mind, it is actually can still do their jobs.
the toy dogs, show dogs, mutts, lapdogs, etc.
(that have lost their true utility as beneficiaries Therefore, “the kind of person who would
to man) who in fact need to justify their want a fighting dog” is the kind of person who
existence, not the other way around. Think of understands canine history, and who loves dogs –
it, I mean really, what good are dogs that can’t performance dogs – and who prefers to try to keep
do anything? They waste resources and they intact and perpetuate the fighting aspects of the
fill our dog pounds. toughest, most skilled fighting dog ever developed
by man: the AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER.
If one aligns his thinking to reality, it is the
performance dogs (of all breed types) that “But what is a fighting dog ‘good for’ besides
are of lasting, real value to man. This is not fighting?”, is another question I am often
to say that toy dogs and show dogs can’t be asked. Well, many things. For starters, again,
loving companions, they can. But unless there pit bulls are utilized as “catch dogs” on farms,
has been an equally earnest effort to keep the where they grab and pin out-of-control cattle
performance aspect of a dog intact, a show dog and pigs. Pit bulls are likewise used by wild
is essentially a useless ornament that pales in boar hunters to grab and control wild pigs
value next to an equally-loyal, equally-loving until the hunter can get to the scene and
performance dog ... that is also a wonderful either finish the pig or hog-tie it and take it
companion … but who can do a whole lot home. Pit dogs have out-pulled huskies as sled
more than wag his tail, eat, sleep, and shit. dogs, they have out-swum Newfoundlands
in swimming contests, and they have even
The simple fact of the matter is a true out-trailed coonhounds in field trials. These
performance dog will give you just as much are some of the legal “spillover” benefits
love as any “pet,” but he will also offer a of selectively breeding pit dogs for fighting
whole lot more than hugs and kisses, should ability – these dogs simply come out better
the need ever arise. And even if the need never all-around athletes than any other dog. There
arises for you, it is just nicer to know that you are, in fact, many superior traits that a good
have a true representative of a domesticated pit dog has to have, in order to stand up to the
canine breed, rather than a useless pretender. rigors of the pit, that have transfer utility to
In short, it is always better to own a real dog, man.
and it is always better to breed real dogs if you
are going to create pups. Aside from strength, stamina, agility,
indestructibility, and intelligence way beyond
most breeds, what the pit dog has that no other
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 31

breed has is gameness – the will to win a fight enough to recognize a real threat. They may
exceeding his will to survive. No other breed not protect a “yard” or a “home” very well ...
of dog will continue his attack in the face of or even themselves from being stolen ... but
his impending death – their natural “will to these dogs most definitely will protect you.
survive” takes over, and all other breeds of dog Therefore, if there is a real reason for your dog
will abort their attack and seek to flee. to defend you, their buddy, than a pit bull’s
tremendous ability can come in really handy
True combat pit dogs (which most people really in an emergency.
don’t have – just street-bred imitations), on the
other hand, will keep on going no matter what. Think about it, if there were a really serious
Now this quality is usually only directed at threat to your family and loved ones, what
other animals (just like a pointer usually only kind of a dog would you like to have defending
directs his pointing at birds), and so the pit you and your family? A useless mutt? A dog
bull’s gameness is very seldom directed at that has never had his courage tested, and
man. The reason is obvious – who would want whose parents’ courage was never tested, nor
to have a dog with that kind of ability and the courage of a single identifiable ancestor
tenacity, and have it indiscriminately directed of his? Is that the kind of “home defense” you
toward you or a loved one? Who would want would want in a dog? I mean, would you really
to be in the pit with a dog of that kind of want to have the lives of your family relying
ability and have it come after you instead of on the kind of ordinary mutt that, if hurt
the other dog? That is why the temperament badly enough, or even at all, will cry and run?
standards in the pit selection process, by true *OR* would you rather to have the kind of dog
dogmen, have made true pit bulls extremely on your side who, as long as he has a breath of
tractable with man. life in him, will defend you and your family
to the very end? Well, folks, there is only ONE
Sadly, enough uneducated street thugs have BREED OF DOG that has that kind of mettle.
bred tempermentally-unstable pit dogs to
have created a problem ... which (again) which You see, every other breeder of every other
is why such people shouldn’t have them ... and kind of dog “talks” about the courage of their
yet these types imbeciles are exactly the ones breeds, but the fact is, only pit bull breeders
who have given the breed a bad name. But, actually test and develop the key trait of
here again, it is the very laws against dog COURAGE in their dogs by fighting them in the
fighting which have driven out most of the pit. A pit bull’s pain tolerance, and courage
true professional breeders. under fire, are simply unmatched in the canine
world ... and as such a person would have to
You see, when bred by professional dogmen, be blind not to see the value in cultivating
pit bulls are actually so friendly they make these dogs! Basically, a Pit Bull Terrier is
inferior guard dogs; they like people too much! the textbook definition of the perfect family
I personally have had pit dogs stolen from defender because of, not “in spite of,” his being
me, because my dogs just are not human- bred for the specific trait of courage in battle.
aggressive. In fact, in the more than fifteen This is just one of many reasons to have a
years I have run a yard of between ten and fighting dog around.
forty pit dogs, I have never once had one of my
dogs bite a person. Not once. So true is this, Another by-product of being bred for the pit
that many of the true, professional pit bull is the “game” personality of combat dogs.
breeders I know actually have other breeds of Contrary to all of the media hysteria, a true
dog guarding their pit bulls! pit dog is a happy-go-lucky, nothing-phases-
me, tail-wagger at all times (they even wag
Still, even the friendliest of pit dogs are very their tails while fighting or being stitched
loyal to their owner, and they are intelligent up!). They may not defend your “home” very
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
well ... when you are not in it (because of their
natural friendliness to strangers) ... but they
will defend you like no other if there is ever
a real threat to you, their beloved owner. But
most of the time these dogs act like relaxed,
happy friends.
See, unlike many breeds, that have to growl
at “everybody,” or who have to sniff each
stranger you bring into the house for several
minutes before the dog “feels comfortable,”
a legitimate pit dog isn’t intimidated by
anything. Thus a true pit dog just casually
wags his tail and greets everybody you invite
into your home ... unless there is a legitimate
reason for him not to be friendly. In fact, if a
particular pit bull is indiscriminately people-
mean, without reason, it is considered a “bad
sign” that the animal is a cur (or quitter),
because a true pit dog is supposed to have
a confident and unflappable temperament.
This calm temperament has evolved in the
breed because he has to handle the pressure of his
job, unflinchingly, and without any emotion.
Now, the media may portray “fighting dogs”
as wildly-aggressive brutes, but this media
portrayal is in reality exactly bass-ackwards:
a true pit dog is almost invariably rock-calm,
cool, and collected ... totally unaffected and not
intimidated by anything. They have to handle
tremendous pressure and pain, sometimes for
hours on end, and in front of whole crowds of
people surrounding them in the pit, and only
the most stoic and confident of individuals
can make it in this type of setting. This is a
fact!
Ask almost any vet or dog trainer you come
across what is his breed of choice to work on
– and almost invariably it will be a pit bull.
Their rock-steady temperament is yet another
byproduct of being a true pit dog. And such a
temperament has to be bred, forged, and created
in the rigors defined by the pit. Pit bulls that
do not fit this mold, and are aggressive to
people, are invariably either bred by backyard
breeders, with no true understanding of
breeding standards, or are outright crossed
with other breeds and are mongrelized
versions of the true Pit Bull Breed. True Pit
32
Bull Terriers are totally confident and non-
aggressive to people.
“Yeah, but aren’t pit bulls for macho types
who need to boost their own self-esteem?”
This is another sophomoric question that is
often asked. Of course there are individuals
who try to get their hands on these dogs for
these reasons, but they are in the minority. The
truth is, some of the legitimately toughest and
bravest of men have been pit dog enthusiasts:
Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Teddy
Roosevelt, John L. Sullivan, Jack London, and
Dwight D. Eisenhower were all bulldoggers
who themselves defined courage. So while
some misfits may use pit bulls to cover up
their own lack of machismo, other very macho
types enjoy the breed out of an appreciation
and feeling of common ground with these
dogs. But most of the people who actively
enjoy this breed are neither cowardly punks,
nor particularly decorated with bravado,
they simply admire the breed for what it is:
pound-for-pound the toughest animal on the
face of this earth. To say that people who own
pit bulls are trying to make up for their own
lack of courage is as absurd as saying people
who breed racehorses or greyhounds do so to
make up for their own inability to run fast.
Racehorse and greyhound enthusiasts simply
enjoy their sport, and the beautiful grace of
their animals, and we simply enjoy our sport
and the courage, skill, and tenacity of our
animals. Same with breeders of pointers,
terriers, retrievers, or bloodhounds.
I may not like horseracing, but I respect the
unique interests of those who do. I may not
be excited about a dog that sniffs out drugs
or finds missing persons by smell either, but I
appreciate the need for them and the right of
those interested in such things to do so, and
maintain and develop this quality by testing
and breeding bloodhounds. Deep courage and
fighting skill may not be your cup of tea, but
understand its place for some and our right to
develop this trait in our breed of choice: the
American Pit Bull Terrier. The fact is, the laws
that have made dogfighting illegal not only
endanger the very existence of a legitimate (and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
the ultimate) performance canine, but they are
actually unconstitutional. As Americans, we
should have the right to continue to breed and
contest the American Pit Bull Terrier, if for no
other reason to than to keep alive a special and
unique breed of dog whose heart and skill have
no other equal in the canine world. And, just
as importantly, we should have the right to
Pursue our Happiness in doing so, as defined
in the Declaration of Independence.
I realize some people will never understand
“why anyone would want to fight a pit bull.”
But such people should also realize that
fanciers of the breed will never understand
why someone wouldn’t want to fight a pit bull.
It’s like anything else, some people hate it,
and some people are fanatically into it, and
you have every degree in-between. It’s the
same thing with race cars, hunting, playing
golf, boxing, playing cards, or breeding dogs
– it’s called DIFFERENT STROKES and
people in this country have the right to pursue
whatever their happiness or “stroke” is, so
long as it doesn’t interfere with other people’s
rights. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that
way here with bulldogs anymore. The people
who have tried to maintain this breed have
been made into “outlaws” by the irony their
interests have been made illegal. And, as I
have shown, the sport has been made illegal
by lawmakers who haven’t the slightest idea
what a dog is, let alone what a pit dog is, nor
do they stop to consider how precious his very
COURAGE really is. It is called oppression,
and it is called ignorance, and this is what
“truly” is supposed to be illegal in this nation,
but instead it is becoming pandemic.
No other breed of dog has had its very
standards of creation, and even its very
existence, outlawed like the pit bull has. And
it is always by ignorant people; stupid people;
people with no clue. These “eradicators”
are primitive people, basically, who haven’t
even evolved beyond a “Salem Witch-Hunt”
mentality. Because, truly, anyone with a
rational brain ... and a solid understanding of
dogs ... would never want to lose as magnificent
and unique a breed of dog as what the Pit Bull
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is. No one who truly understands dogs, and
by that I mean performance dogs, would want
the courageous American Pit Bull Terrier to
become just another “feed burner.” But this is
what will happen to the entire breed of dog, if its
qualities are not tested and maintained in the
pit ... and then bred-for ... just like there are
whole kennels-full of “show-bred” retrievers
that can’t even retrieve! Any true dog lover
should want to keep the working abilities of
all performance dogs intact.
Basically, the laws against dog fighting, if
followed by all, will render this breed extinct.
And as an educated person who understands
the difference between a performance dog
and a non-performance-bred “feed burner,” I
have thus written this book. You see, there is
a big difference between a “show Labrador”
that stands there looking pretty for a set of
limp-wristed AKC show judges (but who
couldn’t hunt if his life depended on it) … and
a performance-bred, field-tested Labrador, who
may not be as pretty as his show counterpart,
but who will quarter a field, locate, and bring
back game with such precision and grace as to
defy belief.
Well, so too is there a difference between a “pit
bull” that some guy has in his back yard, or at
a dog show, and a true combat dog bred down
from generation-after-generation of proven
performance. They might look the same
standing next to each other ... but if you ever
need that deep courage, you’d better hope you
have the true pit dog at your side, and not the
pretender. Somebody’s got to keep testing the
courage of each successive generation, if it’s to
remain intact, and so my hat is off to the few
true breeders and professional competitors out
there, who still keep the true courageous spirit
of this breed alive, because no one will ever
accomplish this task at a conformation show
or by pulling weights.
It is my sincere hope in writing this book that
not only do I help the existing fanciers of the
breed better-understand their dogs (to keep
them better, to feed them better, and to treat
them better), but that I make at least a few
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 34

“ousiders” stop and think about what they and their laws are really doing to as fine a breed
of dog as has ever been domesticated by man: they are rendering it extinct. The sad truth is,
mankind has obliterated many a species of animal, during the long and bumbling course of his
thoughtless and ignorant existence; let man stop and think before he obliterates the very best
breed among the species he refers to as “His Best Friend.” It is time for the general population
to stop the madness ... and to understand, appreciate, and cultivate the precious COURAGE
that has seperated the American Pit Bull Terrier from every other breed of dog. Let us no longer
“outlaw” the development of this wonderful courage in our finest breed of dog; let us cultivate
it and perfect it. There was a time in our country, and in man’s history, where deep courage was
valued, not outlawed, and it was a better time for us all.

~ California Jack

Vise-Grip’s ATHENA R ED, sired by PONCHO out of his daughter SCREAMER, and dam to
Platinum Boys’ BIGGIE (1xW) and Wicked Kennels’ MISERY (1xW 2:12)
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 35

Chapter 1
~ Starting Out & Setting Up~
My first bit of advice to anyone looking to get – what to do, what to get, and from whom to
started with The Pit Bull Breed is DON’T. get it. This includes both dogs and supplies
Forget about it and don’t get caught up in this for dogs. Some people have a game plan – but
lifestyle. If you want to be a responsible pet most people usually do not. Most people are
owner, fine, I hope this book helps you, but if all full of desire and want-to, but they’re
you are looking to get into the illegal aspect of running short on how-to and where-to. This
it, don’t. Yes, that is what these dogs are bred book will bridge that gap. Remember, nobody
for; yes again, it is a thrilling sport if conductedplans to fail – what they do is fail to plan. If
in the right way; and yes a third time there is you want to succeed in these dogs, then you
no finer example of a canine athlete than a need to clarify what your goals are first. Where
top-quality specimen of the American Pit do you want to go? Once you answer that basic
Bull Terrier breed. But even still, there are too question, then you need to devise the best way
many drawbacks. to get there, and then you need to stick to it
until you do get there. In other words, know
The first drawback is most of the rest of where you’re going first – then plan your work
society will hate you, misunderstand you, on how to get there – and then work your plan
and seek to imprison you. Every waking until you finally do arrive.
moment of your life, with a yardful of dogs,
will be spent worrying about if some zealot The many options the beginner faces on his
has “called the law” on you. Truly, this is no journey, like anything else, can be boiled down
way to live your life, and there are thousands and analyzed. Basically, they are (1) am I going
of different pastimes one can pursue, that are to show dogs or breed dogs?; (2) do I want to
more accepted in society, and less hassle. So start with a pup or an adult?; (3) do I want
if you haven’t gotten into the dogs yet, don’t. to start with a male or a female?; (4) what
Just stay out. Do yourself a favor and pursue bloodline am I going to go with?; and (5) who
a different hobby, as my bottom line advice is can I trust to sell me quality animals from my
if you don’t break the law, then you can’t possibly chosen line(s)? I realize there is a lot of room
get caught breaking the law. How is that for for overlap here, but this chapter is to get you
simple? thinking. True, some people can be breeders
and conditioners of dogs; true again, a person
However, if you are already in dogs, or if you can buy pups and adults, etc. Nonetheless,
simply “must” experience the life that comes these are ultimately the real breakdowns of
with these dogs, I will tell you how to go about the decisions you will be making when you
it in the right way. Mind you, this is not my first get into the game.
promoting or endorsing you to go ahead and
do it, but if you are going to go ahead and do it Let’s start with (1) should you show or breed
anyway, you may as well be guided in the right dogs? I can tell you right now, if you want to
direction by learning how to rear your dogs be a breeder, then you’d better buy yourself
properly, rather than to being left to flounder a lot of land, ten acres minimum, that is
out there doing everything wrong, thus ruing properly-zoned for breeding dogs ... or you will
many potentially good dogs. I myself do not be moving … a lot … and having to give up
even live this lifestyle, but I know enough many good dogs along the way to make these
about it to give you sound advice. moves easier. I know; I’ve lived through it too
many times. So learn from my mistakes. I’ve
OK, here goes ... a person looking to start had to let go of a lot of dogs I wish I wouldn’t
out in this game is faced with many options have, by my failing to plan, so take it from me
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 36

… since hindsight is 20-20 … if you want to be you “can” work around the land issue, to an
a breeder of any significance, then get yourself extent, by forming a “combine” (a group of
set up on a place that you own first, a place trusted friends who pool their resources and
where you will stay for many years – that has dogs together and who can thus keep a lot of
a lot of land – and again, that is properly-zoned dogs of a bloodline going between them, with
for kennels. [Check the Zoning Department in only a few in each man’s yard), but this is not
your area before you buy your land, and make as good as what I’ve laid out. In a combine,
sure you can run a kennel from that spot, and you will always have personality conflicts to
(if so) then set yourself up in that spot before deal with, and all kinds of differing ideas, so
you buy any dogs.] it is much easier to just do things yourself.
That doesn’t mean you can’t work with other
Yes, this takes time, but nowhere near as people – you have to, and you should – it
much as the amount of time and energy you means you don’t want to have to depend on a
will waste if you fail to plan and buy a home group of people for your goals, which can be a
where you can’t breed dogs. Set yourself up big drawback.
to succeed, not to go bust. Also, point blank,
forget about renting. No landlord is going With me, I got dogs first ... and started
to put up with you slowly accumulating a breeding them … and I quickly had too many
yardful of 20 bulldogs, so why set yourself dogs for my situation. So don’t you be this
up for failure by building up a yard of dogs on foolish. Believe me, I have had to get rid of
someone else’s land ... only to be told you have many good dogs over the years, to make my
to move? What do you do then? So, be smart, moving “repeatedly” easier, that I have hurt
and save up to buy yourself a plot of land, first, myself greatly as a breeder. It still makes
before you do anything else, and make sure the me sick to think of all of the dogs I’ve had to
spot you pick is in a rural area that is properly- give up over the years, by my failing to plan,
zoned for dogs. so all I can do is implore you to listen to me
and to follow my advice, and make a better
Another thing you want to do is select a start than I made. True, I’ve still turned out
spot that does not have any animal control some damned good dogs over the years, but
or Humane Society within a hundred miles, still nowhere near what I would have had I
or at least not in your county. The reason started out following this advice myself. If I
for this is simple – so no one can call them would have had advice like this to read years
on you. It is also preferable to select a spot ago, and if I would have followed it, I would be
with a lot of farm animals in the surrounding light years ahead of where I’m at now.
properties, as the country people who own
farms and who have farm animals generally So take it from me, this is the first and most
understand “working dogs” better than do major real issue you need to address before
pale, limp-wristed city-dwellers. If you select you can take off as a breeder – and that is
a place where most folks have livestock, in finding the right spot to do it. So clarify this
an area with no animal control or Humane question first – are you going to compete with
Society, then right away you lower your odds your dogs or just breed your dogs? If you want
of being around the kind of zealot who could to breed, ask yourself if you realistically have
call the pound on you – and you’ve make sure the resources (land) to do it, as it should be
there’s no animal authorities in the area for done. If not, get the land first. If you can’t
them to call anyway. Believe me, an ounce of afford the land, you can try to form a group
prevention is worth a pound of cure, so make of trustworthy friends to do so, or to form
sure you take these preventative measures. a compbine, but if you can’t do either then
forget about being a breeder and focus on
However, if you can’t afford to buy acreage, being a competitor. End of tip.
then you can forget about being a breeder. Yes,
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 37

On the other hand, if you want to compete, goes with buying an adult, especially a proven
it is actually better that you have a small yard performer and/or producer.
of quality dogs, so you can really form a deep
relationship with each good dog. Further, you Most pups are between $500-$1,000 and most
can exercise each dog daily, and spend quality adults are between $1,000-$3,000. Yes, you can
time with them daily, throughout their lives, get pups for less, and yes you can pay more for
which makes a BIG difference between two adults, but this is the average cost for each.
otherwise equal dogs. But, here again, if you Most people prefer to go the cheap way and
are going to be a competitor, then you should get a pup, but it is actually more expensive, in
purchase all of your conditioning equipment the long run, in both time and in money, to buy
before you buy too many dogs – or at least a pup. First of all, you have to wait at least 18
before you start showing them. Too many months on a pup to even begin his schooling.
people get themselves a match dog ... and then With an adult, you can look at him right
hook him up for a show in their excitement … away. If you’re a breeder, same thing, you still
and then soon realize that they know nothing have to wait awhile to use a pup for breeding,
about conditioning. Worse, many of them whereas you can breed a purchased adult right
and don’t even have any of the necessary away. Either way you go as a dogman, breeder
equipment, not even a scale. or competitor, you can immediately begin to
get back from your investment when you buy
How can you hook a dog if you don’t know an adult.
how to call a dog’s weight? How can you
find the weight of your dog without a quality What’s worse, with a pup, you can spend 18
scale and without certified Test-P’s to ensure months to three years of your life raising and
that the measurement is accurate? How can caring for it … plus all of his shots, worming,
you condition a dog without the necessary and socialization … only to have him quit and
equipment to do so, and without the proper to have thus wasted all that time and money on
knowledge of conditioning? How can you a cur. Which means you have to start all over
give your athlete the proper nutrition without again. Let’s say you paid $750 for that pup.
the necessary knowledge of nutrition? These Well, in addition to wasting that money, you
things need to be addressed before you hook just wasted two years of food, shots, effort,
your dog to show him. In a later chapter exercise, etc. … only to be right back where
(THE ULTIMATE KEEP) I will get into all of you started from if he doesn’t work out: two
this equipment, food, and how to apply each, years of your life wasted and not a single step
but this tip is just to get you thinking deeply in the right direction. And, if you start all over
about your job as the owner. again with another pup after that, you could
Ok, you’ve crossed that road now and made go through the very same thing again ... two
your decision: you’re going to be a breeder, a more years of wasted time, effort, and money
competitor, or both. Next thing, (2) should you ... possibly on another pup that grows up to be
start w/ a pup or get an adult? If you’re a pet a cur – and you would still be NOWHERE in
owner, go with a pup, but this book isn’t really four years’ time!
addressed to pet owners (though certainly
there are principles here that can benefit any Who needs that?
pet owner). For a serious dogman, though,
getting a pup is the slowest way in which to With an adult … especially if you really hit
reach the top, plain and simple. There are your hip pocket and buy a proven good dog
only two advantages to buying a pup – one is … you’re in business right away. Yes, proven
cost, and the other is the fact you get to raise adults “appear” to cost more … but in reality
him the way you want, and with that comes the total cost to you (especially in time and
the confidence that you know his/her entire effort) is actually much less if you buy a proven
life history. However, every other advantage adult. You can show the adult immediately, if
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 38

that’s what you got him for, or you can start $750 on a stud service. That’s $3,250 out of
your breeding program immediately, if that’s your pocket to get started as a breeder. Well,
what you got him for. Or both. Therefore, if suppose the bitch has 8 puppies, of which you
you can afford it, you should always spend the sell five for $750 each (and if you get a super
extra money and go for a proven adult. Even if bitch and breed her to a good stud, you can
you can’t afford an adult “right now” … then do this with ease). My calculator tells me
it is better to save up a whole year and get an that you just made $3,750 on the 5 pups you
adult when you can afford it, because it is better
sold, or in other words $500 more than what
to wait a whole year for a good dog than it is you actually spent on both the bitch and the
to waste two years feeding a pup that grows stud fee J If you deduct your initial $3,250
up to be a cur. The only real justification for investment from the $3,750 figure you got from
buying a pup is if you cannot find an adult selling 5 of your pups, this means your bitch
representative of that particular bloodline! was basically free, your 3 remaining pups were
basically for free, and you have $500 extra to
As to (3) whether to buy an adult male or cover your feed up to that point!
female, I would say this depends on whether
you are going to breed dogs or show them. If Think about it: you now have a free $2,500
you are going to be a breeder, then definitely bitch, your stud fee was free too, and on top of
go for a female. Hands down, there is no that you now have three free $750 pups ... with
contest as to which is the better choice. For $500 left over. That is basically a $5,250 total
starters, even if you bought the best male stud yield from that wise investment J
dog in the world … he is useless as a brood
dog without a bitch! Therefore, if you start Now compare that intelligent strategy to
off with a male, you’ve just forced yourself in buying a female pup, as opposed to a full-
having to buy two dogs (a male and a bitch) grown and proven brood bitch. You spend $750
just to get started as a breeder J However, on the female pup, and then you have to feed
with a bitch, you don’t even need to buy a it for two years, without getting anything in
male. You have the availability of dozens return during this period for your investment
of the very best stud dogs, from all over the of time and money. But suppose she quits
country, all being advertised to breed to your during schooling. You just spent probably
bitch, so why buy a male? J Therefore, if you $2,500 total by the time the two years are up
are starting out with the idea to breed dogs, … all for nothing. So rather than make a $5,250
your best bet is to buy the very best ADULT total yield doing things the smart way, you are
BITCH you possibly can, and then breed her to now $2,5oo in the hole, and two years behind,
the very best, most proven producer stud dog(s) which is a $7,750 total disparity in value. So,
you can … and within two months, you’ll you see, buying a good, proven bitch is the
have your future male(s), and you’ll also have best way to go for an aspiring breeder. Any
yourself a bunch of high-quality pups, right off questions? Didn’t think so J
the bat. This is the quickest, most intelligent
strategy to get your feet off the ground as a By contrast, if you are going to be a competitor,
breeder of these dogs, and if you check your I would say to get an adult male. For starters,
top breeders (Hollingsworth, Boyles, myself) with a male you don’t have to worry about
this is exactly what they did. paying a forfeit if he comes into heat. That
alone justifies getting a male over a bitch as
What’s more, after you breed your bitch to a performance dog. Secondly, especially if you
a key stud, you can then sell off a few pups have kennel-space problems, you don’t have
and recoup your initial investment, in many to worry about breeding him and having pups.
instances getting back your entire investment Rather than breed puppies when he’s retired,
(or more). Think about it. Suppose you spend you can stud a male out – instead of filling-up
$2,500 on a very good bitch, and another your small yard with pups you have no room
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 39

for with a bitch. And, if you’re blessed with no pups and with no hassles. So my advice
a really good dog, and you have no desire to would be stick with males if you are going to be
breed him at all, you can just sell him as a a competitor.
Champion for between $5,000 and $10,000
after you’re done with him, no problem, Next comes (4) the subject of what bloodlines
and you can take that money and start over to use. This really is a personal consideration,
again on a new prospect. That is, if you are but either way (if you want to succeed) you
100% committed to showing dogs and not to need to go with a high-percentage bloodline.
breeding them at all. Doesn’t necessarily have to be a high-
percentage “game” bloodline, but the dogs
Truthfully, if you become a really good should definitely win more than they lose,
conditioner, you can turn being a showman when the money’s on the line. The rest is a
into a very lucrative business. People will matter of personal style.
pay you to condition their dogs … so you will
get paid doing something you love doing ... Do you like wide-open barnstormers, or
therefore why make it a “hobby” and only methodical, slick dismantlers? If you like
“an expense” to yourself, when (if you play barnstormers, the Eli/Nigerino type dogs
your cards right) you can profit enough from it would be a consideration. Many Red Boy/
to make it your life? Isn’t this The American Jocko dogs are like this, and many Boyles-
Dream, making a living off of what you love bred dogs are too. The bonus of these kinds
doing? Sure it’s risky, we covered that back in of dogs is their style makes them win early
the beginning, but if you’re going to take that – which means you can show them more
risk anyway, it may as well be for profit, with often, because they don’t take as long to win
an intelligent strategy, rather than to be for and (hence) don’t take as much abuse. Their
free without any game plan whatsoever. liability, though, is they tend not to be as
game ... if they are in there with a good one
On top of this, if you’re good, you’ll win and are forced to go the long haul ... and thus
most of your shows and get still more income you will get more curs out of them. Many
from the bets … and finally (when you’re people don’t mind going through a bunch of
using your own dogs) and it’s time to retire curs to get their ace, because they know he
them, again you can make a very good profit will be a money-maker ...
selling the good ones back to their breeder,
who will cherish these retired animals in his However, if you like dogs that tend to be
breeding program. In fact, when a breeder distance athletes, who save themselves for
and competitor have a really good working later and come on strong in the end to pull
relationship, the competitor can depend on out the win, then I would recommend the
the breeder to get him good dogs FOR FREE, Hollingsworth and CH Butkus crosses as
and the breeder can depend on the competitor well as the CH Bullshit/White dogs. Pure
to give him back the retired athlete for the Red Boy dogs tend to be like this also, but
breeder’s brood pen, once the competitor they also tend to be very stupid. The bonus of
retires the animal. This is the best and most distance athletes is that, as a line, they tend
harmonius relationship in these dogs. to be game more consistently than other lines,
which means you don’t have to cull as many
Or, if you really like the dog (or if you’re animals. The liability of these kinds of dog is
more into a long-term cash flow), you can they tend to take longer to win (and thus more
just buy your dogs from the breeder and keep abuse), which means they don’t win as many
your retired Champions/Grand Champions, shows, per dog, as more barnstormy dogs do
earning stud fees on them for as long as (on the average) ... but in the trenches they are
they’ll produce. This can prove to be a small more dependable.
fortune, if you have a real good dog, all with
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Remember, these are mere simplifications,
and there are many other lines not mentioned.
You could write a whole book on bloodlines
alone, and still not cover everything, but this
section is to get you thinking about the style
of dog you want, from where you can then
get pointed in the right direction as to what
bloodlines tend to carry that style. I will say
this: breeders tend to prefer the gamer, longer-
winded, more consistently-game dogs …
because they have a higher satisfaction rate
among their customers … whereas competitors
tend not to care about “bloodlines” so much ...
they just want to get their hands on whatever
dog they can that will get in there and win
quick, so they can move on to the next show.
Thus competitors are willing to cull through
more dogs to get that destroyer, whereas
breeders are wanting to work with a line
where the majority of what’s produced are at
least game dogs.
Finally, if you are going to be a competitor, try
hard not to become a “dog-user,” and by that I
mean try not to be somebody who doesn’t give
a damn about his dogs and who is just in it
for the money. Yes, there is money to be made,
and I agree that you should try to make it, but
this effort should never be at the expense of
Life nor should it be won by abandoning Fair
Play. Remember, this is a sport, and therefore
you should be sporting in your actions. That
means you do not leave your dogs down to die,
when they should be picked-up, and it means
you do not violate the rules by cheating just to
try and win “at all costs.” Because the “cost”
you will pay through such dispicable actions
will be your human decency and your integrity,
and there is no amount of money that can buy
that back for you.
So play the game fair, and if your dog can’t
win (and live afterward), then be a man and
pick him up and show some class. Be part of
the solution, not part of the problem. Fair play
and sporting decency make the game a whole
lot nicer, for everyone, not just for you and your
dog. Likewise, be sure you only associate with
competitors like this also, and make sure you
openly criticize and ostracize anyone who is
40
not like this, and in so doing you will weed out
the human scum of the sport and help return
it to the days of Gentlemen Sportsmen. Be a
positive embassador and fancier of this breed,
and not the kind of monster that the media
likes to portray.
Anyway, as to (5) “who to get your dogs from,”
again, it depends on what style or line of dog
you want. I am not going to give you any
personal recommendations here as to what
breeders to go to, as there are plenty of both
good and bad breeders out there, for every line,
but I will give you these general guidelines: (a)
buy from a proven-successful breeder and (b)
buy from a breeder who has a reputation for
accurate paperwork.
Obviously your odds of getting a good dog
are dramatically increased when you go with
an already-established, successful breeding
program that produces winners regularly. So
too, your odds of succeeding as a breeder are
greater if you know the truth about not just
how the dogs behind your animal “are bred,”
but also that you are told the straight scoop
as to their strengths and weaknesses, both
as individuals and as producers. Some good
performers can’t produce, and some poor
performers can produce, so you not only need
to know the correct pedigree of your dogs …
but you need as much honest information as
you can about the traits of each dog in their
pedigrees, and the percentages of both good
and bad ancestors ... to be able to get a grasp
of the gene pool you’re working with as a
breeder. Knowing the general tendencies will
also give you an idea how your dog is likely to
hold up in the trenches, should you use him as
a competitor.
Again, going to a successful breeder to get
your stock is good, but going to an honest
successful breeder is even better. Why set
yourself up for failure by going to a breeder
who never bred a winner? Why buy from a
“competitor” who can’t even breed his own
winners, when you can buy from the breeder
who set that competitor up with his winners?
Why go to a breeder who produced winners,
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 41

say, 20 years ago ... but who has bred his line who have a good reputation for delivering good
out and hasn’t produced anything of note dogs, with accurately-represented paperwork,
in today’s game? Why go to a breeder who and you will increase your odds for success
already has a reputation for paper-hanging, dramatically right from the start. Again, don’t
so you will have no idea as to how your dog is even waste your time with a breeder who isn’t
really bred, when you can go to a breeder who producing winners in today’s game, because if
not only produces good dogs, but dogs that are the breeder’s dogs aren’t winning in today’s
bred as represented? game, then you won’t win using their dogs
either. Go with proven success – and then go
This brings us to the subject of paper- with proven integrity on top of that.
hanging, which is pandemic in our sport. In
fact, just about every dog out there at one 2. BE CAUTIOUS if a breeder single-
time or another is questioned as to how it’s registers his dogs. Old Man Hollingsworth
“really bred.” Ultimately, we as buyers of told me that this is the classic stamp of the
someone else’s dogs, from someone else’s paper-hanger, and if you think about it, it’s
breeding program, have to rely on the honesty true. Conversely, if a man makes a habit of
and integrity of the breeder from whom we are registering whole litters then he has to account
purchasing our pup(s) or our grown dog(s). for each and every pup born at the time it was
And with some breeders this is no problem born – which means he cannot come up with a
… however, with other breeders, that’s like “new” pup out of that litter, years later, since
trusting a fox in a hen house – they’ll paper said litter was already been registered at birth.
a dog “just like you want it papered,” so they By contrast ... if a man single-registers all of his
can get the sale. dogs, that means he makes up the paperwork
for you right there on the dog you want. Since
As a buyer, nothing is more disappointing and there was never any documented record (in the
angering than if you later find out you’ve been form of a whole litter registration) as to how
scammed on how a dog is bred, even if the dog many dogs were actually in that litter ... when
turns out to be a good one. You see, even if it occurred ... there is nothing preventing this
a dog is good, you don’t know what the heck breeder from adding “one more” to the list,
you’ve got now, genetically, so how can you papered “just the way” the customer wanted
know how to breed it? I will get into breeding that pup bred.
and genetics later, but knowing how your dog
is truly bred is as important to a breeding Case in point, there are something like 27
program as is how he is as a performer. dogs registered off of the breeding of Carver’s
Anyway, here’s what can you do to protect Pistol to Carver’s Miss Spike. Now, we all
yourself as a buyer of what you really want know that Miss Spike didn’t have a litter of
– as opposed to buying a dog that is “papered 27 pups, and I don’t believe there were 2 to
that way.” Here are a few things you can do 3 repeat breedings, so this means Maurice
to better your chances of getting a correctly- Carver lied to his customers on the majority
papered bulldog. They are: of the pups he sold off that “breeding.” And
breeders today do this all the time. No,
1. NEVER buy a dog from a breeder who not every breeder who single-registers his
already has a reputation for hanging papers. stock is a paper-hanger … especially in this
If you go to such a breeder, I mean right out day and age where some people don’t trust
of the gate there is a chance that the dog you the registries anymore (whose records can
are looking at is already falsely-papered (and be turned over to the feds). Therefore, just
if not that particular dog, then its parents, because a man does not register (or only
or some dogs in the parents’ background, single-registers) his stock doesn’t make him
probably aren’t accurately-represented). Just a crook. He may just not want his breedings
make a rule of only buying dogs from breeders in the hands of a registration body, so don’t
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
jump to conclusions. Just keep in mind that
the practice of single-registering dogs makes
paper-hanging much easier to get away with.
This brings us to ...
3. If you “have” to go to a breeder who single-
registers his dogs, never state to that breeder
what you want prior to seeing his yard. Go
over his yard of dogs, in silence, and let him
tell you each dog’s breeding first, while you
simply jot down what he says. Then go back
and select the dog you want after he tells you
how it’s bred (and what its strengths and
weaknesses are). You are much more likely to
get a true pedigree that way than if you came
over to the yard, and before seeing a single dog
announce: “Mr. Breeder, I’m looking for a dog
off of So-And-So bred to So-And-So.” If you
come up and say something like this, right out
of the gate, and you are dealing with a guy
who single registers each dog sold at the time
of purchase, believe me, you very well might
get a dog “bred just like that” – on paper J
Therefore, walk around and ask for the breeder
to tell you the pedigrees on all the dogs first,
and then make your purchase decision after he
has gone over everything.
As a recap, if you make sure to follow these
three steps ... 1) Only buy from successful and
proven-reputable kennels; 2) Avoid those who
single-register their dogs, if possible; but 3) If “abandon ship” just because you don’t rocket
you do go to a man who single-registers, don’t
tell him what you want first, but instead make
sure you ask him how everything is bred first
and then select what you want, once he’s told
you the pedigrees himself. If you follow these
guidelines, you will have protected yourself
from 99.99% of the chance of being sold a
falsely-papered dog, and at the same time
you will dramatically-increase your chances Good luck!
of starting out with a good dog. Buying a
well-known winner, or a proven-producer, will
further increase your chances of success (and
of getting a correct pedigree), dramatically, but
you must be prepared to pay a lot of money for
either a proven winner or (especially) a proven
producer.
Ultimately, of course, the best way to know
42
how a dog is truly bred, and whether or not it
is good, is to breed your own. Still, everyone
has to start out somewhere, and all of us
always start out in the dark. This book is
your “light.” Just remember to ask a lot of
questions, which will help “keep the light on”
for you, but remember to be respectful as you
ask. Just because someone single-registers
doesn’t make him a bad person, so don’t treat
someone who single registers like a crook. Be
respectful.
Finally, the last bit of advice I have on starting
out is, once you have made a decision, and
once you get a quality line of dogs, stick
with it. Don’t be discouraged if the results
aren’t instantaneous. Remember, you are
inexperienced, and (as with any other skill)
it takes time to develop your bearings and to
gain your competence as both a breeder and
a competitor. I promise, if you keep switching
bloodlines, you will NEVER get to know what
you’re working with. Remember, the bumps
and bruises of lost shows, or failed breedings,
are still experience, which (good or bad) is still
invaluable to have! Rest assured that, as you
continue on in your breeding and conditioning
efforts, that you will make the necessary
adjustments because you will be gaining the
necessary experience and savvy, and thus you
will gain the necessary competence. So do not
to success right away. Remember, if you stick
with a good line, sooner or later you will know
what the best individuals are of that line, and
with this deep knowledge you will eventually
become an expert in that bloodline, and the
only result you can get from true expertise is
success.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 43

Setting Up Your Yard

When a person sets out to build-up a yard of purebred animals the reality of confinement sets in.
The simple fact is, you can’t let all of your dogs run loose everywhere, and so you must figure
out a way to confine your animals effectively, safely, and comfortably. This really is true for
even a simple pet owner also. Even if you have only one dog, of pure (or nondescript) breeding,
that one dog still needs to be confined effectively while you are away or busy.

There are many people who think it is “cruel” to kennel a dog or to keep a dog on a chain;
however nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, it is both humane and responsible
to kennel or chain a dog properly; conversely it is actually cruel and irresponsible not to confine
an unsupervised dog and instead to let that dog run free. This is true even if you have only one
dog and a fenced backyard. Why can’t you leave a dog in a fenced back yard? Because even if
you have a cinder-block wall surrounding your property, many dogs learn to jump over that wall,
learn to dig under that wall ... or they learn to wait for your gardener (or kids) to leave the gate
open ... but one way or another, your beloved pet will eventually escape if you leave him loose
and unsupervised. And do you know what happens to dogs when they escape? I’ll tell you what
happens. They cause trouble, they get hurt, they get run over by cars, they get shot by farmers,
they get lost in the woods or the city ... and they get placed in dog pounds. Nothing good ever
happens when your dog escapes your yard. And the only way a dog can escape from any yard
is if that dog has a negligent owner who didn’t confine him properly.

Dogs are not moral beings, they are animals, and they need to be in the control of humans at all
times, so when humans are not present their dogs need to be confined at all times. The only real
exception to this would be shepherd dogs being used at their job on huge ranches, or guardian
dogs of huge estates and premises. But every other kind of performance/hunting dog needs to
be kenneled when not at work or when not inside the house.

Therefore, a person needs to address the question of how he is going to keep his animals, in
a kennel run or on a chain set-up. Contrary to many professional dog breeders, I do not like
kennel runs, in fact I think they make a dog miserable, and I will list many irrefutable reasons
for this posture. But first, let us examine what we are trying to accomplish when we confine
our animals:

1) We are trying to prevent our dogs from escaping.

2) We are trying to keep our animals as happy and comfortable as possible, within their state
of confinement.
3) We are trying to meet these goals as conveniently, and for as little unnecessary expense to
us, as possible.

KENNEL R UNS:
A lot of people feel that kennels are where it’s at in keeping a volume of dogs, but I am here to
tell you this is not the case. The only justification for a kennel run is if you have one dog, or just
a very few dogs, that you let out all the time – or if you live in such a nice neighborhood that you
can’t ruin your carefully-pruned, landscaped backyard with a chain being drug back-and-forth
across your lawn. One other advantage to a kennel run, with proper drainage, is that you can
hose the urine and feces down a drain, which helps eliminate odor, again which is a necessity in
a populated residential area where your neighbors might not appreciate “essence of dog kennel”
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 44

permeating the air. However, as you will see in the forthcoming pages, there are better and
cheaper methods to confine your animals, which if managed properly are far superior systems
to kennel runs, especially when raising and breeding a volume of dogs.

Let’s take a look at the 3 goals above, and draw an immediate conclusion: kennel runs meet #1,
they prevent our dogs from escaping, but the fact is they fail miserably to address #s 2 and 3.
How is this so? First of all, regarding our dog’s comfort, kennel runs have concrete floors which
are hard on a dog’s joints ... day-in and day-out, every day, of every week, of every month, of
every year. Dogs were not designed to run or lie down on hard concrete, they were designed to
run and lie down on soft earth. Therefore, when we force a dog to repeatedly walk and lie down
on concrete, by keeping him in a kennel, the animal will soon begin to develop sores on all of
the contact points his body repeatedly makes with said concrete or cement. If forced to be in a
kennel every moment of every day, these sores the dog develops will get bigger with time, and
will quickly worsen, while at the same time the animal’s weight-bearing joints will be likewise
challenged while he moves back and forth on the unforgiving flooring. For that matter, just
picture yourself, every day of your life, having to walk barefoot on concrete, and having to sit
and lie down on this substance, and eventually you too would be praying for a soft spot and a
way out of that uncomfortable situation. Well, how do you think a dog feels then?

Alot of people believe that kennel runs are the best way to keep dogs, but they are not. They are the
most expensive way for you, while being the least-roomy (and the least-comfortable) for the dog. These
runs pictured here are 6’x10’ in dimensions -- for a total of only 60 sq ft of living space for each dog.
Since this kennel run is comprised of 10 kennels, this means the total square footage for all 10 dogs is
600 sq ft. And, remember, the whole thing is set on a rock-hard concrete slab. Is this how you would
like to live every day?

The next issue where kennel runs fall woefully short is on living space. Not only are kennel
runs terribly uncomfortable for the dogs who have to live on rock-hard concrete, but they are
also woefully-small enclosures on top of this, being either 6’ x 10’, 10’ x 10’ , 10’ x 12’ in
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 45

dimensions. As you will see in a moment, even the biggest kennel runs are only about one-
third as roomy as the average chain set-up, while the average sized kennel run is only one-
fifth as roomy as the average chain set-up. In fact, let’s get some irrefutable numbers on these
dimensions:

• 6’ x 10’ = 60 sq ft
• 10’ x 10’ = 100 sq ft
• 10’ x 12’ = 120 sq ft

The fact of the matter is, most kennel runs are of the first dimensions, as seen in the set-up
above, and offer a miserable 60 sq ft of living space (on a rock-hard surface) for a dog. And even
if a person really wanted to spend a fortune and build an enormous 10’ x 12’ kenneling system,
the fact is the dimensions of even this system still only add-up to a paltry 120 sq ft in total
dimensions, per dog, which is less than half the living space of an average-sized chain set-up.

Finally, regarding the desire to meet the need to confine your dogs conveniently and cheaply, you
can forget about either with kennel runs. A truly adequate kennel run system, with concrete
flooring, roofing, drainage, and thick-enough fencing will cost you several thousand dollars to
implement ... and they will take a couple of months to construct ... whereas an entire yardful of
top-shelf chain set-ups will only cost you a few hundred to buy and will take only a couple of
days to set-up.

In fact, let’s examine all of the advantages to chain set-ups even closer:

THE PROPER CHAIN SET-UP:

Let’s start right off the bat by clearing the air of one of the oldest myths perpetuated by animal
rights fanatics, and that is “chains are cruel,” or “chains make a dog mean.” This is pure,
fabricated bull-hockey. It is absolutely untrue, I have raised hundreds of dogs on chains, with
every one of them being happy and healthy, while not a single one has ever “become mean” on
a chain. Therefore I know first hand, for an indisputable fact, that all of this malarkey against
“dogs being on chains” was invented by zealots who use their over-active imaginations as a
substitute for genuine experience. They invent this concept in their head, or they repeat “what
they’ve heard” from someone else, like a parrot, with no true first-hand understanding of the
subject in question.

I will prove here and now, factually with numbers and statistics, how and why chain set-ups
are better for a dog (physically and psychologically), than any kind of fenced kennel run could
ever hope to be. Let’s start out by discussing the LIVING SPACE of each. Again, the average
kennel run size is 6’ x 10’ which indisputably and mathematically translates to a pathetic 60
sq ft of living space for a dog to live out his whole caged life. Again, even a “huge” 10’ x 12’
kennel run indisputably and mathematically translates to only 120 sq ft of caged living space
for a dog on hard concrete. Now let’s compare these miserably-inadequate numbers to the open
and spacious dimensions of a professional chain set-up, on nice soft earth, when using just an
average-sized chain.

Chain space set-ups, when anchored on a central axis, become circular living areas for a dog,
and so to understand how much living space a dog will have on a properly set-up chain, we
must first discuss some simple geometry. The surface area for any circle is pi (3.14) multiplied
times the radius, squared. This is an indisputable mathematical fact. Therefore, since the
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 46

chain-length itself is the radius, a 10-ft long chain, squared, equals ten feet squared ... which
equals 100 ft ... which figure we then multiply by pi (3.14) to come up with 314 square feet
of living space for a dog on a 10’-long chain, when secured on a central axis. Again, this is an
indisputable mathematical fact.

The dog in the foreground has an 11’ chain (and therefore has 380 sq ft of living space), while the dog
in the background has a 13’ chain (and therefore 530 sq ft of living space). Together, these two dogs
alone have 910 sq ft of living space, which is almost twice the living space of all ten dogs in the entire
10-kennel run on the previous page! And they get to move around on nice, soft earth and not rock-
hard concrete.

Now then, for all the bleeding-heart animal zealots out there who sob at the thought of a dog
being “on a chain,” I ask that you please wipe away your tears and get real for a moment, and
ask yourself this question: if you had to be confined, but had a choice, which would you rather
be confined in ... a 60 sq ft living space on hard concrete ... a 120 sq ft living space on hard
concrete ... or a 314+ sq ft living space on soft earth? For that matter, ask yourself some more
questions: would you rather be permanently behind bars in a cage, in your smaller space on that
harder surface (where you can’t be petted by your owner either), or would you rather be out in
the open where you can jump on your beloved owner and be petted every time he walks by you?
I think the answers to these questions are obvious, if anyone wants to think for more than a
second about it. These are all simple facts folks, plain as day. Yet, sadly, there are some cities
and counties, and some states even, where chaining a dog is now considered “illegal” ... all of
which laws were created by animal rights activists thrusting their ignorant propaganda and
agenda down the ignorant lawmakers’ throats, without any of them truly knowing first-hand
the slightest tidbit about what they are enacting or doing, based on their actual life experience.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 47

This is a closer view of the rear dog in the previous photo,on a 13’ chain, who therefore has 530 sq ft
of living space to enjoy himself in nature, rather than be trapped in a tiny caged prison on concrete.

Therefore, take it from someone who does have the actual life experience, and has compared,
measured, and noticed the differences ... a professional chain set-up is by far the roomier, nicer
confinement protocol for the dog who actually has to live in it. So just forget about kennel runs.
They are tremendously expensive to implement, and after you have thrown away all that
money to get your kennels constructed, even the best of these constructs are not half as roomy
or comfortable for the dogs to live in, as just putting those same dogs on a professionally-
constructed chain set-up (that costs you about twenty bucks apiece to make, rather than
thousands of dollars). True, for the simple pet owner who has a finely-pruined backyard, and
only one or two pets that he lets in and out, a kennel is fine for such a person’s in-and-out
dogs. However, for the serious dogman, who has a large yard of performance animals out in
the country that have to live confined for most of their lives when not hunting, proper chain
set-ups are better on every level. Believe me, I have run things both ways, and a yard based on
proper chain set-up protocol is far superior to a yard having kennel runs, both financially and
factually.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 48

Even a much smaller 9’ chain still gives a dog 254 sq ft of living space, which is more than four times
the meager 60 sq ft living space that a 6’ x 10’ kennel run offers, and still more than twice the 120
sq ft that even a large 10’ x 12’ kennel run offers. And again, these dogs shown are out in nature and
they get to enjoy themselves in a natural setting; they are not stuck in a tiny metal-and-concrete world
with no interesting view or stimulation.

This bitch is on a 15’ chain, which gives her 706 sq ft of living space to enjoy herself, which is more
room to move around than all ten of those other dogs had in that kennel run, combined. To state this
in the reverse, all 10 of those dogs pictured in that kennel run photo were cramped into LESS SPACE
than what you are seeing here! 10 dogs!

I hope by now my point has been made. As far as meeting the original 3 goals of confinement
(preventing our dogs from escaping, keeping our animals as happy and comfortable as possible,
and trying to meet these goals as conveniently and for as little unnecessary expense to us as
possible), the professional chain set-up is clearly the winning protocol, hands down.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 49

Still, as important to good dogmanship as a proper chain set-up is, surprisingly few people set
their yards up as well as they could, and that is because there is a lot of confusion as to how
to do so. Even when I have visited some of the most successful and experienced competitors
and breeders in the country, I have left there absolutely amazed at how precarious some of their
chain set-ups were. Many of these set-ups I have seen have had adequate chain length, proper
housing, and even clean kennel upkeep … but the same problem I invariably witnessed was
inadequate hardware from which a dog can (and will) escape, sooner or later. And if a person’s
dog can escape his chain set-up, then he hasn’t properly addressed the #1 goal of confinement,
has he?

Ø TIP: Remember the following well: Each way “you” can get your dog off his chain is a way
your dog can get himself off his chain. Therefore, you need to reduce the number of ways your
dog can come off his chain. It’s that simple.

THE CHAIN ITSELF

The very first part of designing a proper chain set-up begins with the chain itself. Make sure
that you use high-grade chain and make sure that the thickness of each link is about 1⁄4-inch.
You do not really need to put your dogs on thicker chains than that. I have seen people use these
big, huge yacht chains for their more powerful dogs, but this is over-kill and it can actually be
unhealthy for your dogs’ joints and health, especially if the dog is either very young or very
old. Lugging all of that weight around is simply burdensome for the dog and unnecessarily so.
All you really need to start out with is a 1⁄4-inch-thick, high-quality chain (see below), between
10- and 12-feet in length, and then you need to utilize the proper connecting hardware for your
rigging.

Regarding chain length, I have seen some dog yards (where the owners had no room for dogs),
and these folks kept their dogs on 3- to 4-foot chains. This is wrong, people, and this is just fuel
for the animal rights zealots to have a field day with. A tiny 3- to 4-foot chain space like that is
unhealthy for a dog as it only gives him 28 to 50 square feet of living space in which to live. This
might be OK for a puppy, or a tiny terrier breed, but for an average-sized dog this is just way
too small of a living space. Dogs kept on such small areas cannot exercise properly and they
will also be walking around in their feces all day. Lots of inner-city thugs have their dogs on
inadequate set-ups like this, and this is just flat-out wrong! So don’t get started off this way;
make sure you have your dogs on 10’ to 12’ chains, affixed to a central axis, because this kind of
set-up gives your dogs 314 to 452 square feet of living space by comparison. In fact, let’s come
to an exact understanding as to the actual square-footage of various chain-sizes:

• 6’ Chain = 113 square feet of living space.

• 8’ Chain = 201 square feet of living space.

• 10’ Chain = 314 square feet of living space.

• 12’ Chain = 452 square feet of living space.

• 15’ Chain = 706 square feet of living space.

• 20’ Chain = 1,256 square feet of living space.

California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 50

Smaller chains (in this case, 6’ long) should only be used on puppies that are too old to be in a pen
any longer, but too young to be on a full-sized chain. Accordingly, your chain thickness, and hardware
weight should be lighter as well. This 4-month-old still has 113 sq ft of living space, which is just about
the same as she would have in a 10’x12’ kennel run.

The average 40-60 lb dog will only need a 10’ to 12’ chain space. Less space than that should
only be for very small breeds, or young pups, and if you have such small dogs like this, then you
will also need to purchase lighter-weight chains and lighter-weight hardware than discussed
here, so as not to be a burden on your comparatively-smaller pups. I have also noticed that dogs
don’t really make use of a living space greater than a 12’ chain provides, so in real-life practice
chains much larger than 12’ are unnecessary. I will discuss how to set-up a proper chain spot in
a minute, but first let me give you a tip as to chain quality:

Ø TIP: Regarding the grade of chain to buy, the “average” kind of chain that most people buy
at the local hardware store is Grade 30 Proof Coil, but this is a lower grade of chain that will
quickly wear out going back-and-forth over the ground all the time. Therefore, using this kind
of chain will likely result in a tragic kennel accidents or an escape. As such, you will be better
off in the long run to buy PREMIUM-GRADE TRANSPORT CHAIN, as such rigging will last you
much longer and it will keep your dogs much safer. Yes, such quality chain “costs more” to buy,
but what is the cost of a dead dog being lost due to a cheap chain that wore out and broke? Take
a look at the difference in load limit between Transport Chain and your average proof coil:
GRADE 30 PROOF COIL TRANSPORT CHAIN
Chain Working Weight Chain Working Weight
Thickness Load Limit per 10’ Size Load Limit per 10’’
(in.) (lbs.) (lbs.) (in.) (lbs.) (lbs.)
1/4” 1,300 6.3 1/4” 3,150 7.4
5/16” 1,900 9.1 5/16” 4,700 10.0
3/8” 2,650 13.5 3/8” 6,600 14.5
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 51

As you can see, the transport chain is almost three-times as strong, yet doesn’t weigh much
more. Unfortunately, you can’t get chains like this at your typical “Home Depot” hardware
store but you can order this kind of chain from:

http://www.lacledechain.com
or
http://www.accochain.com
But make sure you order Transport Chain ü

These kinds of chain will in all probability out-last your dogs. You don’t need buy massive
yacht chains to keep your dogs safe, like some of these bozos do, which will actually ruin their
joints trying to tote them around, you simply need to buy high-grade TRANSPORT CHAIN. These
kinds of chain weigh less, but last much longer. In other words, they are stronger than these
super-weighty, thick chains that you see -- and yet they are light enough for even your elderly
dogs to tote around comfortably. All any dog really needs is 1/4”-inch thickness with these
kinds of chain, regardless of how big he is. Rather than wearing out after a year or so (like a
thick, heavy chain will when made of cheap steel), transport chains are built to withstand
friction contact, so they can tolerate being rubbed on the ground from the activity of your dog
and will still look like new two years later. What this means is you will have much greater
peace of mind knowing that your entire yard of quality animals is secured with Class-A chain
rigging, as opposed to the cheap rigging most typical dogmen use. At the same time your dogs
will be comfotable and not overburdened by un-neded weight. Why start your career off on the
bottom ... in either dogs, supplies, or in chain materials ... when you can get off to the right
start by shooting for the best in broodstock (as well as in the best supplies and materials house
them) right from the get-go?

CONNECTING HARDWARE
Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so even if you purchase premium-grade
chain rigging remember that each time you use connecting hardware you create a potentially
“weak link” on your chain set-up ... unless the connecting hardware you choose is as strong
(or stronger) than the chain itself. Thus, the more you utilize strong, permanent connections on
your chain set-ups, the safer your dogs will be. By contrast, the more you use weak connecting
hardware (that either “clips” or in any way can be “put on” or “taken off”), the greater your dog
will be in danger of being able to free himself. And as soon as your hunting dog is “free,” he will
either get killed, kill something, get away, or he will get in trouble.

Therefore, it is your job as a professional to use hardware that is both strong enough to last,
and that when connected to the chain does not ever come off again. But So let’s analyze some of
the many kinds of connecting hardware there are. Before I get into the “right” kind of hardware
to use, let me first show some examples of the wrong kind of hardware not to use:
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 52

The Wrong Way!

THE SNAP LINK

THE SNAP LINK: note how tiny the pin is which forms the hinge on this link (bottom arrows). These
hinges will break at this pin and/or they can open-up with complete ease. Snaplinks are the weakest
of chain-connecting links and are probably responsible for more kennel escapes and deaths than any
other kind of link, so DON’T USE THEM.

Let’s start with the worst kind of link that there is, the snap link. This piece of garbage is one
of the most commonly-used “quick fix” chain set-up devices that you will see people have on
their yards, because admittedly they are a breeze to attach swivels to chains with … but the
problem is they are just as much of a breeze to come off, when you are not home. All your dog
has to do is lean into something hard with his chain, where the pressure is on the opening of
the link (for instance looking around his house or whatever) … which action will push-open the
snaplink ... and you just got yourself a kennel death escape as the result. The bottom line is
this kind of connecting link is a very shabby piece of hardware to use, and should not be a part
of your chain rigging. EVER.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 53

COTTER PINS

Any type of connecting device with a COTTER PIN in it is going to be precarious also, so why take the
chance? DON’T USE ANY CONNECTING HARDWARE WITH A COTTER PIN IN IT EITHER.

If you are out shopping for connecting hardware, and you see a piece with a Cotter Pin in it,
just automatically realize that this is unsafe. Those little cotter pins are the first thing to rust
out when exposed to the elements, and a tiny, rusted piece of metal is no match for a chain-
snapping hunting dog, challenging this tiny piece of rusted metal, all-day, every day. Again,
a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and you are setting yourself up for tragedy by
utilizing anything with a Cotter Pin in it.

THE S-HOOK
S-Hooks are one of the mose often-implemented pieces of connecting hardware, but they can
be very unsafe to use. Most S-Hooks are comprised of weak metal and are too thin to correctly-
secure a powerful dog. These inferior products are generally dull-grey and are not galvanized.
When in doubt, check the load-limit capacity, and if it is less than 1,250 lb, don’t use it.

S-Hooks come in so many varieties that they are hard to differentiate for some people. Some
styles can be superior, usually when galvanized, while again other styles are totally inferior due
to poorer-quality metal being used. You just really have to look, and to check the limit capacity
in each one. In addition, some S-Hooks can be sometimes angled in such a way that a strong
puller on the end of his chain will gradually pull one back apart, and this is especially true,
again, if they are made out of inferior metal. Still, as nice as they fit and flow with the chain,
NO S-Hook is as strong as either Quick Links or Cold Shuts, as we will see in a moment:
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 54

S-HOOKS come in a wide variety of strengths and styles. The hook on the left is dull grey and is very
weak, while the hook on the right is galvanized and much stronger. Still, all S-Hooks are weak when
compared to other pieces of hardware you can choose, so DON’T USE THEM.

THE LAPLINK
The Laplink (like even the galvanized S-hook) is one where you have to use a hammer to put it
on, and what this means is once you connect your chain with this hardware, it will never come
off. The trouble is, like even the galvanized S-Hook, is that it is simply not as strong as either
a Quick Link or a Cold Shut.

THE LAPLINK is one where both the chain and swivel are placed inside the open end, and then (once
in) the open end is then pounded shut-with a hammer or squeezed-shut with a vise. These links, while
permanent, are simply not as secure as other kinds of connecting hardware. SO DON’T USE THEM.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 55

In fact, let’s make a simple comparison as to the kinds of connecting hardware we can use:

Comparison

Quick Link Cold Shut Laplink S-Hook

Connection Thickness & Thickness & Thickness & Thickness &
Type Load Limit Load Limit Load Limit Load Limit

Quick Links 1/4” = 880 lb 5/16” = 1,760 lb 3/8” = 2,200 lb 1/2” = 3,300 lb

Cold Shuts 1/4” = 750 lb 5/16” = 1,250 lb 3/8” = 1,900 lb 1/2” = 3,500 lb

Laplinks 1/4” = 300 lb 5/16” = 500 lb 3/8” = 825 lb 1/2” = 1,500 lb

S-Hooks 1/4” = 200 lb 5/16” = 270 lb 3/8” = 350 lb 1/2” = 800 lb

As you can see by the above statistics, not all connecting hardware is created equal. You will
also notice that the most-often-seen hardware (Laplinks and S-Hooks) are in fact the weakest
and worst kinds of connecting hardware to use.

The other thing you need to understand about connecting hardware is this: even each type
can vary in its strength, depending on who makes it. I have seen 3/8” Quick Links and Cold
Shuts that are as weak as S-Hooks, and the reason they were so weak is they were cheaply-
made by cheap companies. You really need to pay attention to the LOAD LIMIT of any kind
of connecting hardware you are going to use, and you need to make sure that you purchase
these products from a superior company. As a general rule, you want to have a load limit of at
least 2,000 lb. This means you want to stick with 3/8” to 1/2” Quick Links or Cold Shuts.
(Naturally, if you are making puppy chains, you can use the smaller 1/4” sizes.) As for a
superior company to get your Cold Shuts or Quick Links from, again you can go to

http://www.lacledechain.com
If you are so inclined, you can shop prices by going to www.google.com and click “Cold
Shuts” to compare quality and price amongst a whole host of manufacturers. Anyway, let’s
take a look at these two superior kinds of connecting hardware to compare their strengths and
weaknesses:
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 56

QUICK LINKS

QUICK LINKS These are generally constructed of top-notch steel, but my only problem with them is
“what screws-on can screw-off,” so I honestly don’t trust them too much.

Again, Quick Links are constructed of of some of the strongest steel, and they can be very
secure ... for awhile … but remember what screws-on can also screw-off. And I have seen these
things come un-screwed before. So I don’t think you want to be away from home and have your
favorite dog bang this type of temporary fixture against a rock or something, repeatedly enough
to un-loosen it, and come home to a tragedy.

Ø NOTE: If you decide to use Quick Links, here are some ways to ensure they won’t come
un-screwed: 1) Dip them in water before you screw them on, as doing this will cause the inner
area to rust shut; 2) Use a wrench to scuff-up the threading before you screw them on, so that
they will be much harder to come undone; 3) Use the product Locktite on the threading. (You
can also combine 1 and 2 or 2 and 3.

When properly-secured, Quick Links are as strong (or stronger) than any kind of connecting
hardware, and they also flow nicely with the chain links.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 57

COLD SHUTS

COLD SHUTS are also generally constructed of top-notch steel, and in fact are so sturdy you need to use
a vise to clamp them onto your chains and swivels. And, unlike Quick Links, there is no possible way
Cold Shuts can “unscrew” ... which makes them MY FAVORITE CONNECTING HARDWARE.

Cold Shuts to me are where it’s at with connecting hardware. They flow fairly nicely with the
chain, but more importantly they are incredibly-strong with no possible way to “unscrew” or
come off.

With this kind of hardware implemented, the only way to get your dog on and off his chain is
with his collar. While this may sound like too much of a hassle to go through, remember the
idea is exactly to make it impossible for the chain to break, or for the connecting hardware to
break or come undone, which means your dog won’t be able to escape. Thereore the peace of
mind that comes with knowing there is no way your dog can get off of his chain rigging is what
you’re striving for.

All of this will make sense in a minute, when I show a photo of the completely-constructed
chain and hardware. A chain set-up consists of a chain, yes, but it also consists of connecting
hardware, as well as O-rings and swivels. We have just discussed the chain and the connecting
hardware, that which connects your chain to the O-rings and swivels you are about to see. And,
you guessed it, as important as it is to use the right kind of connecting hardware, it is just
as important to use the right kind of swivels and O-rings. As before, I will begin this example
showing you the wrong kinds of swivels, which you should not use, and those are swivels that
come in the form of snaps and bullsnaps.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 58

SNAPS & BULLSNAPS

Snaps and bullsnaps are devices that are very convenient to use in a chain set-up; the problem
with them isn’t their convenience, the problem is in their lack of safety for long-term use. Quite
simply, while these “snapping” devices make it very easy for “you” to get your dog on and off
the chain. You just clip him on and clip him off. That is their attraction, but again the problem
isn’t their lack of convenience, it’s their lack of safety, because your dog can also get himself off
that chain too, by accident. These kinds of device are, at best, good for a month or two … maybe
several months (depending upon how hard your dogs hit the chain) … but a professional piece
of hardware to a serious dogman’s kennel they are NOT.

Let’s examine two of the more popular kinds of swivel-snaps and see why they are a poor choice
for a man who doesn’t like kennel accidents. For starters, remember that our # rule of thumb in
constructing our chain set-ups is escape-proof. So if you can clip it on your dog, then it can clip
off too, it’s as simple as that. Therefore, if a dog rubs one of these snaps against an object in
the right way, he can come off the chain. Second, aside from the fact these kinds of device can
open accidentally, is the fact the actual swivel itself is miserably weak compared to a true swivel,
and as such these snaps are inadequate to hold a powerful dog for very long. Let’s take a look
and see why:

The Wrong Way!

Although the simple SNAP & SWIVEL may seem convenient to use, the arrows show the weaknesses.
The little tongue that opens back & forth, can accidentally get forced-open, and the hinge itself that
controls it is Mickey Mouse at best. Finally, a quick look underneath this swivel shows you just how
precarious the swivel itself is …

Ø
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 59

... that little swivel pin can (and will) slip out eventually, with an active dog hitting the end of his
chain, which might prove be the loss or death of your favorite dog … DON’T USE THESE.

So you see, while snaps like these seem like they will be convenient to use, at first blush, the
unfortunate fact is that these kinds of connecting devices are too precarious to trust, as the
arrows and photos above show. The arrows indicate all of the places where something can go
wrong. This is true for any kind of snap.

Below is another type of snap, the BullSnap, which is probably the most popular snap to use.
The BullSnap is a heavier-duty snap than the previous snap, and they in fact they can take a
bit more wear and last you for awhile ... and as such they are a bit safer to use than a standard
snap. Unfortunately, at the end of the day a dog “secured” by these devices can ultimately
get loose in the same two manners as the above kind ... which is out of the snap itself, or by the
swivel pulling through the main housing.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 60

THE BULLSNAP is a step up from the standard snap, but it ultimately falls short of acceptable safety
standards to the serious dogman. Again, the arrows point to the areas of liability. If you can get a dog
off if this thing, then the dog can get himself off of it. DON’T USE THESE.

Remember, the lives of your dogs are at stake every single day when you have them on inferior
hardware, yet inferior hardware costs just as much to buy, and it takes just as long to hook
together, as superior hardware. Therefore why would anyone waste their time and money
(and risk the lives of their dogs) by setting themselves up for failure in purchasing weak and
unacceptable hardware? Ignorance and laziness are the only two possible answers.

Unfortunately, too many people simply don’t know any better. They’re thinking of their own
convenience, rather than their dog’s permanent safety. They’re thinking about how easy it is
for that snap to clip-on and clip-off, rather than how easy it would be for a dog to snap that
snap.

Well, I am finished showing you the wrong hardware to use, so let’s finish this section off
right by showing you the RIGHT hardware to use. The crazy thing about it is, the proper
hardware doesn’t cost any more to buy than the lousy hardware! Lousy hardware may make
things a bit more convenient when you want to take your dogs on-and-off their chains, but that
is *precisely* because lousy hardware isn’t as secure. You need to forget about “your” ease and
convenience, and start thinking more about your dog’s safety and security. Because at the end
of the day, the term “ease and convenience” simply means “unsafe and insecure” when it comes
to the chain rigging for your dogs.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 61

The Right Way!

Rather than using “clip-on laplinks” and “convenient bullsnaps,” to make his life easier, the
savvy and intelligent dogman uses Cold Shuts and bona-fide swivels to make his dogs’ lives safer.
And finally, a dogman caps-off his professional chain rigging with two collars and two high-
grade O-Rings. Yes, that is 2 collars and 2 O-Rings. This means you must take your dog’s
collars off in order to get him off the chain, and yes again that is the *only* way your dog is
coming off. With this in mind, the collars you use are import and we will discuss those later.
Let us now look at the right swivel to use, and then let us look at the fully-constructed proper
chain set-up all put together.

BONA FIDE SWIVELS

Rather than a weak “snap-swivel,” true swivels are much thicker, and they have a much heavier
turn-bolt than a clip-swivel. Consequently, true swivels are MUCH sturdier, and MUCH
safer to use.

THE TRUE SWIVEL is a dogman’s best friend besides his dog. Sturdy, dependable, these indispensable
connecting devices are no more expensive to buy than BullSnaps, and while they be more of a hassle
to use daily, the bottom line is their far superior security is definitely well worth it. So YES, DO USE
THESE J
In fact, let us compare the difference between the sucurity of True Swivel versus a Bull Snap:

Connection Thickness & Thickness & Thickness & Thickness &

Type Load Limit Load Limit Load Limit Load Limit

Swivels 1/4” = 1300 lb 5/16” = 2,350 lb 3/8” = 3,940 1/2” = 4,730 lb

Bull Snap One Size = 500 lb

California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 62

O-RINGS
O-Rings are an important component to a good chain set-up, but they can be mis-used as well.
Many dogmen commonly use these rings to pound the axle down through, to secure the chain
into the ground and axle, but that is NOT the proper use of O-Rings.

O-Rings should only be used to put the dog’s collar through at the dog-end of the chain, you
should not to use O-Rings to drive the axle through at the “axle-end” of the chain set-up (more
on this in a moment). To secure the chain into the ground, by driving the axle through it, you
should instead use Cold Shuts. To do this is simple: just form a loop in the chain and then
connect the chain to itself with a Permanent Laplink (or proper S-Hook). This way, you can
drive the axle down through the chain loop to secure the chain set-up in the ground. On the next
page you will see how to do this:

O-RINGS are a vital part of your chain configurations, but you use them *only* to run your dog’s
collars through. At the point in the ground through which you drive your car axle, to bury your chain
and form your central axis, you do NOT use O-Rings for this. *Only* use O-Rings at the “dog-end” of
the chain set-up, to run his collar through not at the “axle-end” to drive your axle into. Use Permanent
Laplinks or superior S-Hooks for that.

The reason you do not want to drive the axle into the ground through O-Rings is that they
are not as strong as the other hardware, and are the weakest link of your set-up. That is OK
if they are only rubbing against your dog’s two collars, but if you make the O-Rings as the
grounding point of your entire chain set-up, these weakest of links bear the brunt of all your
dog’s weight. And if your dog keeps hitting the end of his chain, this means the O-Rings will
always be getting slammed into the axle, and they are not designed for this. The end result
will be your dog will break the O-Rings, eventually, through this repeated impact, and he will
escape. However, he will not break either the chain or the Permanent Laplink, when you use
this instead, as displayed below.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 63

In order to drive the axle into the ground to secure the entire chain set-up, you DO NOT use O-Rings,
but rather you just make a loop with the chain, and you simply lock it together with a Cold Shut. Then
drive the axle all the way into the ground through the chain-loop. Ø NOTE: This photo is incomplete.
You do not leave your axles sticking up out of the ground like this; rather, you drive the axles all the
way into the ground after you make your loop. I only left this one sticking up for the photograph.

After you form a loop with the chain itself, and secure it with a Cold Shut, MAKE SURE YOU DRIVE
YOUR AXLE ALL THE WAY INTO THE GROUND. That way the chain will not get tangled around
it, ever.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 64

One more time: you only want to use O-Rings at the dog-end of the chain, not on the “axle-
end” of the chain. The reason why it is OK to have the two O-Rings at the dog-end of the
chain set-up is you will use them to put the dog’s collar through. If the dog is hitting the end of
his chain, the O-Rings do not have any real impact against hard metal (like they would against
an axle); rather, the O-Rings are just up against a soft collar, and they always turn through
the Cold Shut, which greatly reduces the brunt of the impact at the dog-end of the chain.
Therefore, the O-Rings do not suffer any real impact or trauma on that end. Furthermore, you
can see the O-Rings there also, and thus you can keep an eye on them and make sure that they
are always in good shape. With this all said, we are now ready to take a good look at what a
well-crafted chain set-up looks like:

CHAIN TO SWIVEL: After you make a loop of the chain, and connect it to itself with a cold shut, you
drive the axle through (as in the previous page) But now you need to finish-off with the dog-end of the
chain. And the first step is then connecting the chain to the swivel with another Cold Shut.

THE VISE: Once again, with the Cold Shut, you need a vise to make this happen.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 65

LOCKING IT DOWN: Make sure that when you squeeze the Cold Shut closed that you leave enough room
at the top for this to happen.

FINAL TOUCH: Once you connect the chain to the swivel with a Cold Shut, then get another one to
connect the swivel to the two O-Rings. Again, you will need your vise to complete the procedure.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 66

~ Putting it All Together ~

A PROPER SET-UP: Cold Shuts make smooth-flowing chain set-ups, and (at 3/8” or greater) they are
as strong as the Swivels and Transport Chains themselves. The only thing you need to check every so
often are the O-Rings.
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 67

FULLY-CONNECTED HARDWARE
Remember, that the purpose of a chain set-up is to SECURE your dog. If you don’t use secure
hardware, then your kennel of dogs will not be secure. This is basic logic. I stress these points,
over and over again, because I have seen too many people hedge on basic safety standards,
over and over again, and unfortunately such people only “get it” after it’s too late and they
lose a good dog. The bottom line is that the only place you should be able to get your dog off
his chain is via his collar. That’s it. The rest of your hardare should be permanently-secured.
Again, each way you can get your dog off of his chain, he can get himself off of his chain. If the
only way your dog can get off is via his collar, and you have two good collars, one a larger 2-ply,
with a small collar as a backup (and you put them both on tightly enough), you will drastically
decrease the probability of having any dog escape or get injured in a yard accident. What this
means to you is PEACE OF MIND.

When your chain rigging is set up correctly, you will have to get your dog on and off of it by
way of his collars. You should put the collars on tightly enough so that there is no way your
dog can pull his head back through it. Some dogs have thick necks and thin heads, and these are
the worst at trying to keep from pulling their heads out of their collars. So really test it, and try
yourself to get your dog’s head back through the collar, and if you can, then tighten the collars
up a bit. You must be cautious, though, as if you put the collar on too tightly the dog’s neck will
get chapped, rubbed raw, and eventually infected. This is called “collar rot” in the vernacular,
and so you want to avoid putting any collar on too tightly also.

Again, one of the best things you can do is get in the habit of putting two collars on your dogs.
One of them should be thicker, from between 11⁄2- to 2-inches thick, while the other (back-up)
collar is only 1⁄2- to 1-inch thick. It is almost impossible for a dog to slip his head through two
collars at the same time, nor will a dog ever break two collars at the same time. Therefore, if
you get into the habit of using this kind of chain set-up, and then securing your dogs by way of
two collars, you will dramatically decrease your odds of having any kennel accidents ... and as
such you will dramatically increase your peace of mind while you are away from home. Ideally,
you should just be able to wedge two fingers between your dog’s collar and its neck, no more.
Not easily, but just barely. This way, you can be sure your dog isn’t going to escape from his
chain set-up, but yet you also allowed there to be a little breathing room, so as to avoid any
chaffing or infection to your dog’s neck. I will discuss some good brands of collar to use in
another chapter.

The last thing you want to make sure you do, is drive your axles all the way into the ground.
This will ensure that the chain never wraps around the axle, which in turn will mean that your
dog will always be able to get to the end of his chain and reach the shade as well as his water.
If you leave the axle up and exposed, your dog will eventually get his chain tangled on sticks
and rocks, all of which will get tangled and wound-up around the exposed axle, and if you are
not home when this happens, and it is a hot day, your dog can and will die of heat prostration.
So get in the habit of driving those axles all the way into the ground when you make your chain
set-ups, and this will prevent any possible tangling from happening.

RECAP:
(1) Make sure you use 1⁄4-inch Grade 45 to Grade 70 Transport Chain. (2) Make sure your
chains are at least ten feet in length for adult dogs, though more than fifteen feet is unnecessary.
Then (3) connect this chain to your hardware with permanent connecting rigging such as Cold
Shuts. (4) Make sure you use true (and high-load-limit) swivels, not snaps; you need the
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 68

swivels to keep the chain from binding. Then (5) make sure you use two high-quality O-Rings
to run your collars through, and (6) use two collars to attach your dog to his chain set-up. Cap
that off with (7) drive your axles all the way into the ground, and you will know in your bones
that you have set your gear up professionally every step of the way. If you make sure each step
of your chain set-up has been done right, then you experience of peact of mind knowing your
dogs are safe and secure.

Next, regardless of how hard you try to incorporate the most professional set-ups you can,
remember that everything wears out over time. A good habit to get into is to schedule a complete
chain inspection once per month. Physically inspect every single inch, of every single chain
set-up that you have, at least once every single month, because some chains will just wear out
faster than others. For instance, you may have had to shorten a particular chain by tying a knot
in it. Well, those knots you’ve tied are now going to weigh twice as much as the rest of the
chain, and as such these knots will rub along the ground, rocks, etc. much more emphatically
than will the other parts of the chain. This means any such knots will wear out much faster than
the rest of the chain will. Consequently, you should make sure you keep an eye on them.

Furthermore, you will do yourself and your dogs a favor by making it a habit to upgrade and
change every single chain spot you have, every two- to three years. That’s right. Every 2- to
3 years, you should go ahead and buy all new-chain and all-new hardware for every single dog
that you have, just as a precaution. That means from the tip of the chain underground, to the
O-Rings at the other end, as well as all-new collars. REPLACE EVERYTHING, EVERY 24 TO 36 MONTHS.
This will cost you about a $500 investment every 3 years, which translates to about $0.46-per-
day “insurance policy” for your whole yard of dogs. Spending forty-six cents a day to protect
your entire yard of valuable stock is but a small price to pay, is it not? And, with Herc Alloy
Chain, or Grade 70 Transport, you really won’t need to change these but once every 5 to 7
years; however, you will still need to change the connecting hardware once every 2 to 3 years
regardless.

SAVING MONEY
Finally, you can save yourself a whole lot of money by getting all of your chain and rigging
supplies from a wholesaler. A wholesaler is the outfit that furnishes all of your local hardware
stores with their supplies. For instance, your local hardware store may charge you $1.80/foot
for chain. Multiply that times 10 feet of chain per dog, times having to do that for (say) 20
dogs, and you have $360.00 tied up in chains alone, not including tax. By contrast, your local
wholesaler will probably have that same chain at (say) $0.98 per foot. Buying the same amount
of chain through your wholesaler would therefore only cost you $196.00, saving you $164.00,
just on the chains alone. Factor in similar savings on the swivels, O-rings, and connecting
hardware, and you can literally cut your costs in half by going directly to a wholesaler instead of
a retailer. The more you buy, the more you save. In fact, you can buy the hardware for (say) 100
dogs, and then sell the remainder of the hardware to your friends for profit. Or, you can store
the remainder to be used as replacement rigging when you need it. Either way, you will do your
wallet a big favor by purchasing your chain and hardware through a wholesaler.

If you can’t find a hardware wholesaler in your Yellow Pages, then go to a mom-n-pop hardware
store and ask them if they have “ten thousand feet” of chain right now. Naturally, neither mom
nor pop will have this much chain available immediately, and so then just ask them, “Do you
know of a large-volume wholesaler nearby?” ... and you will soon have the information you
need as to where your local hardware wholesaler is J
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 69

If you can’t find a local wholesaler, then again you can order your Transport Chain and Cold
Shuts directly from the internet at:

http://www.lacledechain.com

and you can get your True Swivels and O-Rings from

http://www.usahardware.com
If you want to get even larger, stronger O-Rings, you can get them at

http://www.farmhardware.com
Well, there you have it: step-by-step instructions on constructing top-quality chain rigs to
keep your dogs SAFE, from one end of the chain to the other, followed by an inspection and
replacement plan for good measure ... all the while saving money in the process ... to provide the
very best kenneling for your dogs, the most room possible for your dogs while yet still secure
and confined, without having to get a second mortgage on your home to make it happen.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 70

Housing
The next step in kenneling your dogs properly is to provide comfortable housing for them. There
are basically two kinds of houses that you can build for your dogs: wooden houses and plastic
barrel houses. Wooden housing is more of a hassle to create, the material is more expensive to
buy, and finally, wooden housing simply does not last as long as plastic housing. However,
wooden housing looks nicer, and (more importantly) wooden housing can be tailored to create much
warmer housing conditions for the animal in colder weather. As such, wooden housing is preferred
if you live in an area where extremely cold temperatures exist. By contrast, if you live in a warm
(and especially in a humid) climate, plastic barrel housing is preferred; it is easier to clean-up
after, and it will last much longer. The plastic barrels simply will not rot after a few years, like
the wooden house will, especially in humid weather areas.

In order to understand how to build a dog house, you must first understand what a dog house
is. This sounds kinda funny, but plainly and simply a dog house is shelter. This may seem
obvious, but if you look at many of the commercial doghouses available at pet stores and feed
stores, it seems as if modern design and/or “cuteness” are the predominating blueprints after
which many of these monstrosities are fashioned. Such fanciful pieces of junk, besides being
functionless, usually come with a hefty price tag.

Basically, a dog house has 3 functions: 1) to keep a dog dry, 2) to keep a dog warm, and 3) to
provide a dog with his own “space” where he can retreat. But the two most important things a
doghouse must do is to keep him warm and dry. Most of the commercial dog houses available
offer protection from the rain just fine, but they fall miserably short in their warmth provision.
Why? Because the openings for these commercial houses are usually big enough for a dog to walk
into and out-of without ducking. Now this may seem convenient to someone who doesn’t think
too deeply, but the fact of the matter is a large opening to a doghouse in fact can be terrible
for a dog in a very cold climate. To understand what I mean, try envisioning yourself sleeping
next to a wide-open door at night, in freezing weather, without any blankets over you. Do you
think you’d get a little cold? You bet you would, and so will your dog! If you live in a very cold
area, the opening for your dog houses should be small – just big enough for your dog to squeeze
through – barely. That means the opening should be about 9” x 9” for a 50 lb. dog. (Naturally,
the hole of the house would be bigger or smaller if your dog is bigger or smaller.)

Not only should the hole of the house be very small, but it should be raised at least 6-12” above
the ground so that wheat straw or wood shavings can be added as bedding. The funny thing is,
many of the commecial dog houses offered don’t have any dam, or any way in which to fill the
house with straw or cedar, as these contraptions (Igloos come to mind) were obviously invented
by someone who knows nothing about dogs. The fact is, dogs need bedding when they sleep,
and therefore dog *houses* need to be constructed in such a way as the may contain bedding.

Ø NOTE: Never use “hay” for a dog’s bedding, as hay is a food, and thus hay can grow
moldy and your dog can get any number of respiratory infections if it sleeps in hay every night.
Also, never use blankets or rugs either, for two reasons: 1) a rugs and blankets form a perfect
environment for fleas, and 2) your dog may eat the blanket or rug, which can then lodge in his
stomach and eventually cause a serious problem. Use Cedar or Straw. Finally, even with the
preferred bedding of cedar or straw, you should change either of these at least once a month, up
to even once a week, if it is raining or snowing bad.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 71

Of these two preferred bedding mediums, straw is especially good to use in the cold months
as an insulator, as you can really pack it in your dog’s house for insulation to keep him warm.
Conversely, cedar shavings is a better bedding choice for the summer, as while it is not so much
of an insulator, what it does do is repel fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes ... and it makes your dogs
smell better J

WOODEN HOUSES
In order to build a solid wooden house, you need a few tools and you need to get the right wood.
Plywood will comprise most of your wooden housing, but how thick to make the plywood
depends on your area. If you live in a generally-warm area, you can get away with 1⁄4” thickness
plywood, but if you live in a really cold area you will want 1⁄2” thickness (or more), and you may
even want to use double layers or to add insulation inbetween the layers. For the purposes of
this article, I will suggest 1⁄2” thickness in the plywood, as it should be adequate for all but
the very coldest areas of the country. As far as tools go, for this project, here is what you will
need:

• Circular Saw
• Power Drill
• Paint Brush
• Box of 13⁄4” Screws (for Plywood)
• Box of 3” Screws (for Heavier Boards)
• 1 Can of Thompson’s Water Seal (or equivalent)
• Measuring Tape
• Square
• Pen (or pencil)

On the the the next page are the set of plans for you to use when you build the Winter House,
and I have photos of the process you will need to go through to build it. It is important to have
youself a workshop as a dogman, because building things like doghouses, pens, flirtpoles,
springpoles, etc., will become commonplace if you work with your animals for awhile. Since
you will forever be working on some new project in these dogs, or forever refurbishing an old
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 72

one, investing in truly good tools (like DeWalt or Makita) is a wise thing to do.

You can use these plans to refer to, or you can use the upcoming photographs, or you can use
them both, but these plans will create for you a very solid, very dependable housing structure
for your animals.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that when we say “2x4” there really is no such thing. A
2x4 is really a 11⁄2”x21⁄2” piece of lumber. Likewise a 2x6 and a 2x8 are really a 11⁄2”x51⁄2” and
11⁄2”x71⁄2” pieces of lumber, respectively. You should always keep this fact in mind when you are
making your measurements!

Figure 2

48”

Figure 1
30”
24” Top

22” 26”
2x6 2x6 2x6 2x8
22”
32” 36”
2x2 Nailing Strips
36” 96”

Side 1 Side 2

2x4 Supports 26” 22”

4” Waste

Figure 3 9”
T
8” 26” O Door 9"
4" P
Front Back

12”

As far as the wood you will need, here is a list:

• 4’x8’ (48”x 96”) piece of Plywood, 1⁄2” thick

• 9’ of 2x6 Board
• 3’ of 2x8 Board
• 16’ of 2x4 Board
• 18’ of 2x2 Board
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 73

This right here is the actual 4-ft x 8-ft (48” x 96”) piece of 1⁄2”-thick plywood. I have marked off the
measurements of where to do the cutting as illustrated by the plans on the previous page. These simple
plans will turn out a pretty nice house for you!

The above photograph is the actual sheet of plywood that will ultimately comprise the sides,
top, front, and back of your winter dog house. The bottom of your winter dog house, however,
will be comprised of more solid wood. The reason for this is 1) to keep the house off of the
ground, and 2) to provide better insulation from the ground. Just as a human house is only as
strong as its foundation, so too is a dog house only as strong as its foundation. Here are the
materials you will need for your winter dog house framing:
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 74

These are the pieces of supporting lumber you will need for your Winter Dog House.

Once you have your phywood measured and cut, then you need to measure and cut your frame
components. Your 2x4s will be laid on their sides and will form the outer support structure of
the frame, as well as the inner bracing, while the 2x6s and 2x8 will be laid on top.

The 2x2s will form the supporting work for the plywood sides, front, back, and top to be
connected. On the next couple of pages you will see how all of this comes together:
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 75

First, you build your 2x4 frame, as above. Then, you screw down your larger boards on top of the
framework to form the flooring.

Review the master plans on p.XX if you have any problems understanding this. To construct
the frame and the flooring, you will be using your 3” screws.

You will construct the outside framing, and then you will add a centerpiece for support. Once
the framework is done, you will add the larger boards on top of it to form the bottom of the
house. See the next page.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 76

Now is the time to screw down your larger boards on top of the framework. Again, this forms the
bottom of the Winter Doghouse.

After you finish your frame, you can then cut your plywood into the sections indicated on the
preceeding two pages. With the plywood cut, you can then proceed to build the main housing
onto the framework:
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 77

THE SIDE: From the side, you can see how the front end (26”) is 4” higher-up than the rear (22”).
This is to allow rain to drain off the roof. You use the 13⁄4” screws on the plywood.

THE FRONT: Remember, the front is 4” higher than the rear, so make sure all of your calculations
reflect this.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 78

THE REAR: Again, the front is 4” higher than the rear, so make sure all of your calculations reflect
this.

Part of the process of building the plywood front, rear, and sides onto the frame will be the
utilization of the 2x2s. As the photo on the next page reflects, the 2x2s give you something to
screw the plywood onto ...

INSIDE: As you can see, the 2x2’s form the support beams into which you drive the screws to secure the
plywood. You will also notice I left 2” of space between the top of the 2x2’s and the top of the plywood.
This is because the top of the house also has 2x2’s affixed to it, that need room to fit snugly.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 79

THE TOP: You will have to measure the internal area of the house, and then draw it on the top portion
of the plywood, and screw in the 2x2s into the diagram. If you do this correctly, the 2x2s should fit
snugly within the inside parameters of the open house, for a completed project.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 80

FINISHED HOUSE, taken from an angle.

FINISHED HOUSE, taken from the side.

Once you are finished screwing the plywood onto the 2x2s, and have finished fitting to top
properly, now is the time to add two coats of Thompson’s Water Seal. After both coats have
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 81

dried, you now have a wonderful house for your athlete. It takes awhile to complete, but if you
have a hole yardful of houses like this, it really makes for a professional appearance. The nice
thing about this house set-up is you can add insulation if you want. Simply put the insulation
on the inside, and screw smaller plywood boarding to the inner 2x2s, and you have a really
warm house. Most places in the U.S. don’t really need this, unless you are way up in the upper
mid-west.

The final touch for this house is a 4’ x 8’ shade board to be added. A shade board should be
added to any housing set-up that is not under heavy tree cover, as your dog should always have
shade available to him. Here is what this kind of a shade-board set-up looks like:

Any house out in an open area should have a shade board added to it. If your area gets really hot, like
in the desert, then the water dish should be a 10- to 15-gallon bucket, not a mere bowl (as shown). A
large water bucket is needed in these really hot areas so the dog can immerse himself in the water if
need be. Rather than against the house, you would put the huge water tub all the way to the left, at
the base of the shade board, to brace it on the ground. You can also screw-in the shade board directly
to the roof of the house at the high-end. This would ensure that your board does not get knocked over.
However, if you have lots of tree cover where you live, then you don’t need a shade board.

Once you are finished constructing your house, add two- to three coats of Thompon’s Water
Seal to protect your house and your work from the elements. As you can see, there is plenty
of room inside this house to load-up on clean, fresh straw (or cedar shavings) to provide
comfortable bedding for your dogs.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 82

SAVING MONEY
Again, you can save money by going to a wholesale lumber yard or even by just building your
houses out of other people’s scrap wood. These houses seem complicated to build at first, but
after you build a few, they are a snap to put together.

But what about if you don’t have a lot of money to spend to build twenty wooden houses?
What if you don’t have the time either, and/or what if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain?
A house made out of a simple plastic barrel is the answer for you.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 83

BARREL HOUSES
Barrel houses are a snap to make, and are perhaps the most useful constructs overall of any
housing structure you will ever see. Whereas a wooden house might cost as much as $90.00
to build, and several hours to make, a barrel house costs only about $16.00 to build when all is
said and done. The amazing thing is, as with chain set-ups, animal rights whackos (who have
no real understanding of animals -- or anything else) have actually made barrel houses “illegal”
in some areas of the country. I mean, this is absolutely ludicrous!

As I will show, a properly-constructed barrel house is 10x as efficient at providing legitimate

and comfortable shelter as any Igloo house, and at about 1/5th the cost of these fanciful pieces
of en vogue junk. To build a proper barrel house, you first have to find a soda company, or a syrup
vendor, or some other outlet that has lots of 50-gallon plastic drums. Do not buy any drum that
has contained a poisonous substances, or your dog might get sick or develop cancer. Only utilize
barrels which have had harmless substances, like apple cider or soda in them.

If you find a good wholesaler, your barrels should be around $5.00 - $10.00 apiece, and they may
be cheaper if you buy them in large quantities. All you really need to make one is a circular saw,
although a jigsaw or reciprocating saw might be more handy for the opening. Other than that
a power drill, with socket wrench extensions, is needed. You will have to buy some nuts and
bolts, and get yourself a piece of 2x12 wood to form the front brace. As you are about to see,
with these simple tools and supplies, you are about to build some pretty impressive housing
structures for your stock J

As you can see, all this house is, basically, is a plastic barrel with a hole cut on the smooth-ended
bottom, a piece of 2x12” board bolted onto it to keep the construct from rolling, and a visor bolted onto
the roof. That’s it! This is the easiest kind of house to make, and in many ways it’s the best. It’ll last
forever, it won’t let a drop of rain in, you can load it up with lots and lots of straw (or shavings) for
insulation and bedding ... and the small opening keeps the dog warm by not letting any of his body
heat out.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 84

To make one of these houses is quite simple. First, drill your hole on the smooth end of the
barrel (the end without the plugs). Drill the hole between 9” and 11” wide, and no wider. Also,
make sure that the bottom of the hole is elevated above the ground to hold the bedding for the
dog.

9-inches
(Average)

Make sure that the hole you cut out for the door is elevated
above the ground, so that the barrel will hold lots of straw
or shavings. Don't make it any wider than 11 inches either.
Once you have drilled the hole in the barrel with a reciprocating- or jig-saw, simply take a 45”
piece of your 2x12 board and cut it so the bottom is still 45” long, but the top is 22“ long:

22”

45”

Once you cut your 2x12 board to size, then you cut an 9-inch wedge in it, to accomodate the
door opening, like this:

9-inches

The next thing you do is simply bolt your 2x12 onto the face of your barrel, using four 3” bolts,
tightened down with nuts. If you really want to get fancy, you can add a visor-roof by cutting
up an unused barrel into 6 sections. I will show this in detail on the next page.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 85

MAKING THE VISORS

The arrows indicate where you will need to use your nuts & bolts, and that is to secure the 2”x12”
board on the front, as well as to secure the visor on top.

To make the visors, you will need to cut a full-sized barrel into 6 sections. Cut the ends off the
barrel first, and then cut the barrel in half length-wise. From there, you can then cut each half-
section into three segments. A full barrel will thus make 6 visor roofs. You affix these visors
above the dog door with the 2” bolts. Below is an example of how easy these are to set up J

1 2 3

4 5 6

First, cut both ends off of the barrel.

Then, cut the barrel in half, length-wise, and then

cut it twice cross-wise in 3 equal segments.

Each barrel will make you a total of 6 visors that you

can bolt over 6 different Barrel-Houses that will
shield each house-opening from the rain and snow in
inclement weather.

If you live in a warm climate, you may want to use this type of house all year round, as the cold
factor isn’t a problem. These houses are great because making them is a cinch, and cleaning
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 86

them is a cinch – all you have to do is hose them out and let them dry. Fill ‘em up again with
cedar (or straw) and you’re ready to go again. They work better than any “Igloo” house at
keeping the heat in – at a fraction of the cost. However, if you live in an area where it gets
significantly below freezing, use the winter house when it gets this cold, with an added layer
of plywood, with insulation board between each. Otherwise, the barrel house is the simplest,
cheapest, easiest-to-maintain house that you can find (or make) anywhere: all for about $16 to
$20 in total parts -- and an hour or so total labor J

ADDITIONAL TIPS

As with a wooden house, if your dog is in a spot where he has no shade during some moments of the
day, you need to make him a shade board. As before, just take a 4’x8’ piece of plywood (or an old
car hood from a junkyard), and lean it against the doghouse with the bottom of the board (or hood)
anchored by resting it against the base of the water tub. Bolt the board to the house so it can’t fall off.
Your dog can now go under the board (or hood) for shade. It is critical that a dog have a source of shade
at all times. If trees afford shade for your dog, during ALL times of the day, then obviously you don’t
need a shade board. (PS: As for the wash tub, I just washed this little guy’s tub, and he is looking at
it and waiting for me to bring it back.) J

In fact, rather than buy a 10-gallon metal wash tub, you can just cut one of your plastic barrels
in half, which will give you two water tubs that you can use for this purpose also . Place the tub
of water approximately at the base of his shade board for achorage.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 87

Bolts and nuts are all the hardware that are needed to build a good barrel house. If you add a washer
(on the wood side), the set-up will last even longer. All you need are 3” bolts (for the 2x12 wood) and
2” bolts (for the plastic visor) to do the job.

Well, there you have it. Probably the best (and cheapest) housing ever. The only other kind of
housing you might want to consider are ABOVE-GROUND PENS, which I will discuss next.
Pens like these are ideal for puppies, bitches in heat, expectant bitches, injured dogs that you
are caring for, as well as key dogs being conditioned for a show, as well as to protect very
valuable dogs from any other animals. So let’s take a look at these:
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 88

THE ABOVE-GROUND PEN

In the previous section of this chapter, I mentioned the superiority of professional chain set-
ups over kennel runs, and on almost every single level this is true. However, there are some
instances where a kennel run is superior ... however, in these few special instances an Above-
Ground Pen is superior still ... which is why we are about to discuss these constructs J

When you have puppies that are very young, you don’t want them running around on the dirt
outside, nor are they big enough to put on a chain yet. When you have bitches in heat, you don’t
need them on a chain, available to all studs within a mile’s trot, only to have some stray mutt
get ahold of your best brood matron and provide you with 12 useless pups two months later. For
that matter, pregnant bitches and bitches in whelp don’t need to have a chain on them either,
interfering with their motherhood, quite possibly injuring a very young pup in the process. In
fact, if you live far enough in the woods, where there is dangerous wildlife, like coyotes and
whatnot ... and you either have a smaller breed that is vulnerable to attack, or you have one or
two very valuable brood animals that you just can’t take a chance on ... you don’t want these
dogs out there on a chain, exposed like sitting ducks. Or perhaps you have a dog that has fresh
wounds from a hunt, that can be running around in the dirt and elements, and needs a clean
environment to recouperate.

The basic structural materials you you need to construct this pen are 3 sheets of tin roofing (ten feet
long), 17 pieces of 2x4s (8 feet long), and 3 pieces of 4x4 wood posts (12 feet long).

Whatever the case, the Above-Ground Pen is your answer. The advantage to this kind of pen
is that 1) your dog will not get re-infested with worms after you worm him, because he is no
longer on the ground; worm him (or her) again in two weeks and you now have a clean animal.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 89

2) Being 3-ft above ground, your dog is now protected from poisonous snakes, other dogs
getting loose, wild coyotes prowling about, etc., and so your valuable (or vulnerable) animal is
up and out of harm’s way should danger come to your yard. These, and other critical reasons,
are why Above-Ground Pens are so valuable to the serious dogman. In fact, it is good practice
to have one of these pens for every ten head of dog in your kennel.

The tin roofing you will leave as is, but the 2x4s will be cut into various dimensions, while the
three twelve-ft 4x4 wood pillars will all be cut in half to form 6 six-foot posts. Supplemental
supplies that you will need include:

• Circular Saw
• Power Drill
• Box of 13⁄4” Screws (for Plywood)
• Box of 3” Screws (for Heavier Boards)
• 18 Angle-Braces
• Measuring Tape
• Square
• Pen (or pencil)
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 90

The first thing you do is take a square and measure 30” up from one end of a 4x4s ... and then cut a
31⁄2”-wide wedge, that is 11⁄2” deep. This is to allow the 2x4 to be inserted into the pillar.

The 31⁄2”-wide wedge is measured with measuring tape and your square, and the 11⁄2” depth is achieved
by setting your circular saw to a 11⁄2” depth. First, dileniate the outer perimeter. Then you simply saw
back-and-forth several times, and even make an “X” with the saw. From there, you simply use a wood
wedge to get out the wood chips.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 91

After you clear away the large wood chunks with the wedge, then pull back the blade protector and
slide the circular saw back-and-forth to create a smooth inset where you can fit your 2x4s. (Remember,
a “2x4” is really a 11⁄2x31⁄2 ... this is why your inset is 31⁄2” wide and 11⁄2” deep!)

The completed wedge.

California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 92

This wedge is the most important part of the pen-making process, because all else is built upon
this foundation and fram. Again, the bottom of the wedge is 30” from the end of each 4x4 pillar.
This means that the floor support rail for the pen is going to be 30” off the ground when you
stand it up.

When all of the wedges have been cut out, you will then lay three of the 4x4 pillars in line,
with the wedges in a perfect row, and then you will lay an 8-foot-long 2x4 down across all three
wedges, and then you will use two 3” screws per wedge to secure the board across all three
4x4s. This will form one side of your pen.

Repeat this procedure on the other three 4x4s, and you will have made the other side of the
pen.

You then lay the 2x4 accross each wedge and secure with two 3-inch screws.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 93

To connect one side of the pen to the other, you need to attach a 2x4 crossmember. You will need to
screw-on a metal angle brace to each end of the 2x4 to do this. Since you want your pen to be 4-ft
wide (48”), this means that you should cut each end crossmember to be only 41” long. This is because
the two 4x4 support posts on each side of the pen are really 31⁄2” wide apiece (for a total of 7 inches).
Therefore, your end crossmember 2x4s should not be 48” long, it should be 41” long, which when added
to the two 4x4 posts will = 48”.

Below, you will see the dimensions of the pen to help you understand what I am saying:
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 94

To connect the first 41” crossmember, you need to place a 331⁄2” support board (shown on far right)
under the free end (to keep the height accurate). Remember, the *bottom* of your side board is 30”
high, which means the *top* of it is going to be 331⁄2” high. Therefore, when you connect the 41” 2x4
board across with the angle-brace (small black arrow) the top of the floor is going to be 35”. The rest
of your 2x4s will be 48” across.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 95

Another unfinished pen. You can see that the pen is 6-ft high, 4-ft wide, and 8-ft long ... and that it
is 30-inches off the ground. You will also notice that while it is 6-ft high in the front, that it is only
51⁄2-ft high in the rear. This is because I drop the rear portion 6” to allow for rain runoff.

Once you get the sides of the pen built, and once you get them connected to one another via the
41” 2x4s on both ends, then you add a third 41” 2x4 to the center pillars, again with the frame
braces. These are the only floor beams that will be 41” ... both ends and the centerpiece ... and
that is simply because you have to compensate for the 4x4 pillars.

The rest of the 2x4s that form the flooring will be 48” in length and you will simply lay those
across the 8’-long side support beams that you have placed in the wedges that you cut in the
4x4 pillars. These you will also screw-in with the 31⁄2” screws.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 96

While you are laying your flooring, using 48” 2x4s, make sure that you leave a 1”-gap between each
piece of lumber. This will allow the dog’s feces to drop out of the pen making clean-up a cinch.

After you have finished the sides of the pen, and then the flooring, you will now need to
construct the top of the pen. Before you do this, you need to drop the rear of the pen 6” and you
will do this by marking off the rear 4x4 pillar 6” lower than the top. You do this to both of the
rear pillars. The front 4x4 pillars will remain at six-feet tall. Remember, when you start off, all of
your 4x4 pillars are six-feet tall (the front pillars, the middle pillars, and the rear pillars). So what
you do to create a 6” rearward slope is mark-off the rear pillars 6” lower than their present six-
foot height, while keeping the front pillars at their six-foot height. Then (since the side of the
pen is eight-feet long) you take an eight-foot 2x4 and put the edge of one end against the tip of
the top of the front pillar ... at six-feet-high ... and then you take the edge of the other end of the
eight-foot 2x4 and put it up against the mark-off-point of the rear pillar (that is 6” lower) ... and
then (while you’re holding the 2x4 there at those key points ... you have a partner draw a line on
each of the three 4x4s ... from the tip of the front at six-feet-high ... across the middle pillar ...
to the end of the rear pillar, which is 6” lower. This will precisely delineate the downward slope
of the roof across all three pillars. Then you simply repeat this procedure on the opposite side
of the pen. From that point, you saw off the tops of the pillars in accordance with your sloped
mark-off lines on each pillar.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 97

6" drop

To get a 6" downward slope on your pen, you will

want to mark your rear post 6" shorter than the
front. And, since the pen is eight-feet long, just take
an eight-foot 2x4, place one end at the front, one
end at the rear and mark off the slope. Then just
saw the tops of the posts at the marked points.
Once this is done, and your pillars have been angled and sloped properly, on both sides, you
then lay an eight-foot-long 2x4 on top of the refurbished 4x4 pillars, across one whole side of
the pen, and then screw that 2x4 on tight, 2 screws going into the tops of each pillar. You do
the same thing on the opposite side of the pen. This is how you form the top framework of the
pen.

After you machine-screw the top framing onto the pillars, then bring in your angle-braces and brace
all sides of the joined lumber together for structural stability.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 98

The measurements for the roof support beams are self-explanatory. The outside ends are going
to be 48” (since they are placed over the 4x4 pillars ... while the inside middle beam is going to
be 41” (since it is placed inside the 4x4 pillars. All joining areas of lumber for the top need to be
supported by metal angle-braces. You need to buy 18 of them for this pen.

Once you have finished with the top, you then need to build the house for the dog. This is easy,
as all you do is make a 24” x 24” construct out of plywood, similar in design to the winter house,
already discussed. However, the house for this pen is simply a 24” x 24” x 24” box and is much
simpler to make.

Once you have finished the house, then you simply measure-off the door, which is easily-done
by measuring the dimensions of the doorway, and here you will need to add a couple of door
hinges as well as a latch. But you do not yet install the door, at this point, you just want to
create it and make sure that you have fitted it properly.

Before you install the door, you now add your fencing. You should have two layers of fencing:
the first layer will be a thinner fencing material, and the second layer will be heavy-duty 9-
gauge fencing (or pig wire). DO NOT USE STANDARD CHAIN LINK. Dogs can bend
and eat out of standard chain link, so make sure that you use 9-gauge fencing (or pig wire)
for your pen. You use smaller fencing tack to nail-on your inner fencing and you use a heavier
fencing tack to nail-on your heavy-duty outside fencing. The reason why you don’t install
your door right away is you also have to hammer-on both layers of fencing to the door, and you
don’t want to do this while it is installed on its hinges, but rather on the ground. Then, after
the fencing has been installed on the door, you can go ahead and install the door on its hinges.
After that, you can install the tin roofing.

The end result is a construct where your valuable brood animals, your puppies, or your injured
dogs can be up out of harm’s way ... where no snake, no worms, and no other animals can reach
them. I make a habit out of bathing and worming any dog before I put him in the pen, and I also
worm them out thoroughly. This way, your dog can basically remain clean and parasite-free
indefinitely while he or she is in that pen.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 99

The Finished Pen

When completed, these pens comprise a 4’ x 8’ dimensional structure, and as such they should
be viewed as temporary housing enclosures. Again, they are for growing pups, injured dogs,
bitches in heat, and/or expectant mothers.

However, if a person wanted to keep his dogs in such structures permanently, he could double
the length and quadruple the width, and would thus assemble a 16’ x 16’ pen, which would be a
256 sq ft. living accomodation. The basic materials and building structure would be the same;
however you would want half-length 4”x4” support posts underpinning the center of such a
large pen.

This chapter has covered the simplest and most effective kenneling protocols, those which
represent both the desire to house your animals safely and comfortably, while yet not costing an
arm and a leg to implement. There are many other kenneling options a person can implement,
from cable runs to the kennel runs we previously discarded, but in one way or another these
options will fall short of the 3 goals we originally had in mind. In closing, I hope this chapter
has at the very least opened your eyes to the realities and goals of confinement, and provided
you with the means necessary to achieve these goals effectively.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 100
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 101

Getting
INTO
IT
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
The 5 Keys to Success
Before I get into the deeper subjects of
schooling, testing, and conditioning, I want
you to keep in mind throughout this book
that there is a whole lot more to long-term
success in these dogs than “winning a show”
or in stumbling upon “a proven producer.”
True success in these dogs has to do with a
person being able to take the excellent dogs he
acquires, to keep them alive first of all (and you
will be surprised at how many imbeciles can’t
even do that), but after that the successful
dogman learns to be able to perpetuate that
original excellence indefinitely. This means
that the successful dogman will have super,
winning dogs 25 years down the road ... all
linebred down from the original stock he started
with.
This seems simple enough, but in fact it is
not. Like playing tennis on an elite level,
or performing well at anything on an elite
level, perpetuating canine excellence on an
elite level requires a bountiful complexity of
natural aptitudes, learned skills, and acquired
savvy on all aspects of your dogmanship.
And the truth is, most dogmen are incompetent
in all aspects of their dogmanship. Most
dogmen can’t think beyond “today”: they
don’t feed well, they don’t school properly,
they test their dogs either too hard, too young
(or both), and I would venture to guess that if
you placed a truly great dog with 99% of any
randomly-selected so-called dogman, that
this person would “drop the torch” he was
passed, and that he would f^@#-up a wet
dream. And this person would continue to fail
in some aspect of his job as a caregiver every
time he was passed a new torch.
And by this I mean most people manage to
mess-up their excellent dogs, or they lose
them altogether, which forces them to “start
over again” looking for another excellent dog.
Regardless of how superb the dog is that they
get, or how well-bred, when most people get
102
their hands on a good dog they invariably
manage to “fumble the ball” at some poing
... and they will ultimately lose their good
dog and all of the superb genetics behind him.
And, sadly, the average dogman will commit
this stupidity within the first 1-2 years of
acquiring that good animal, and they will do
this repeatedly with every new good one they
gets they hands on.
Most dogmen are simply INCOMPETENT
FUMBLERS of all that they get their hands
on. Sure, we all have fumbled the ball at some
point, that is part of learning, but only a very
few dogmen seem to be able to regroup to
the point where they “get it,” and from that
moment forward to set themselves up to score
consistent touchdowns with what they get their
hands on. The vast majority of dogmen will
forever “drop the ball,” and fall flat on their
face, each and every time they get a new
good dog. If you think I am exaggerating,
then really take a **good look** at most
dogmen, and analyze the fate of every good
dog they acquired, how long they were able
to hang onto that good dog, and what kind
of perpetual breeding management they were
able to do with that dog to perpetuate that
good dog’s genetics. Did the dog go all they
way? If so (or if not), were these people able
to establish a bloodline with their good dog?
How long were they even able to keep that good
dog alive? These are tough questions, cutting
questions, but the answers will serve to slash
a clear and dividing line between who has
succeeded and who has failed in their overall
concern, competence, and management of
their good animals.
In fact, really take a good look at YOURSELF
as a dogman and answer these same questions
along the way. Analyze the fate of every good
dog you have acquired, how long you were
able to hang onto it, what really in fact you
did with your good dogs, and see if anything
truly lasting has happened with them, thanks
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 103

to you and your actions. Because, if you pay
attention, you will see that most dogmen
simply cannot maintain the excellence they
acquire, they lose the excellence they were
blessed with, more often than not, and/or
they fail to manage their good dogs’ gene pool
more often than not ... and if you are real with
yourself you will ultimately see that almost
every dogman you know (including that guy
in your mirror) is forever “starting over again”
with new stock because of this consistent
fumbling and inability to hang onto the ball.
And there is a reason for this!
That reason is because most dogmen simply
cannot make EFFECTIVE DECISIONS
with their dogs, on any level, as said decisions
relate to proper management of their acquired
animals from a long-term perspective.
an individual dogman. Carefully analyze
yourself, and your friends, to see how many
(if any) of thefollowing critical traits you and
they have:
1. HE MUST GENUINELY LOVE HIS DOGS
The #1 Key to Success in dogs (or in anything
in life) is loving your vocation with a sincere
passion. Unfortunately, there are a lot of
people in this sport who “like to watch their
dogs go,” but these people do not actually
love their dogs at all as individuals. Nor do
they love the bloodline that they come from.
Most people in these dogs are incapable of
love, and they have no loyalty to their dogs or
to their bloodline. They have no devotion, no
dedication, no passion. Most people in these
dogs are simply mindless idiots who “want to
see two dogs hunt.”

Now then, if you do know anyone who has In fact, some people in this sport don’t even
kept his excellent dogs alive for a number like dogs AT ALL. They won’t pet their dogs,
of years, and who has managed to keep that and they could really give a rat’s ass about
genetic excellence going for a number of years, their dogs in any way whatsoever; their only
why then you know of a successful dogman, reason for having dogs is insofar as whether or
don’t you? J not the dogs can “hunt good.” People like this
are invariably dog-wasters who will never,
You see, even where a lesser dogman happens EVER be successful in dogs, long-term.
to stumble upon a super individual dog (and/
or a super individual producer), remember In order to be successful with his dogs, a person
that momentarily “stumbling” upon canine has to have a deep understanding of his dogs.
excellence isn’t where it’s at. Stumbling about And in order to have a deep understanding
is still the mark of blindness, even when a of his dogs, a person has to first be able
person briefly stumbles upon success. That to identify with his dogs ... and in order to
person, because he has no trye competence, identify with his dogs, a person must genuinely
will just as quickly stumble right back out love his dogs, truly, both as individuals and as
of his fleeting success. The truth is, any fool a whole bloodline and family. A person must
can stumble upon canine excellence ... and be able to put himself in his dogs’ position. He
some people are even financially-able to go must be THOUGHTFUL and able to see
out purchase canine excellence ... but very things as his dogs see things. He must try to
few people are able to create canine excellence understand his dogs as deeply as possible, in
... and fewer still are able to perpetuate the order to be able to make the correct decisions
excellence they get indefinitely. with them, on all levels, and a person cannot
EVER achieve this kind of understanding
In order for a person to get himself to a point and connection with his animals unless he
where he not only “has” an excellent dog ... genuinely loves them.
“right now” ... but to where he can maintain
that level of excellence indefinitely for Period.
future generations, that person must develop
5 Key Characteristics within himself as
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
How can a person instinctively know if a dog
is “ready” for a hard hunt without having
a deep understanding of that dog as an
individual? And how can a person have a deep
understanding of that individual dog, unless
he has a deep connection with that individual?
And how can a person have a deep connection
with an individual, unless he has a deep love
and appreciation **for** that individual?
He can’t.
Unfortunately, most people only look at their
dogs as “acquired objects to test” and as
“acquired objects to use” and/or as “acquired
objects to bet on.” Dogs are mere OBJECTS
to most people, nothing more. They do not
view their dogs as living, breathing individual
creatures of the person’s own design and
creation ... most dogmen view their dogs
simply as objects to buy and to “go through.”
That is all an entire yard of dogs is to most
people: objects they bought and must “go
through” ... objects they intend to “use” ...
objects they want to “bet on.” And these
kind of people will never, EVER have a clue
as true and complete dogmen. Never in a
million years will they come to understand
their dogs; never in a million years will they
ever be dedicated to their dogs; and that is
because they never, ever legitimately LOVED
their dogs or INVESTED THEMSELVES
into their dogs. Have you ever heard the
saying, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained?” If
you do not venture and invest your love into
these animals, you will never gain legitimate
success with them, nor lasting success. It is
simply impossible.
To show the reverse of what I mean, I met a
young wanna-be dogman recently, who bought
a dog from a friend of mine, and I asked this
guy if he liked his new animal, and he told
me, “I’ll like him when he proves himself to me.”
His was your typical “hard-ass, tough-guy”
mindset that you run into in these dogs, and
yet I was still simply amazed.
The dog he had was a perfect specimen; he
was beautifully-colored, well-structured, and
104
superbly-bred. The dog was also wonderfully-
tempered and even very obedient. Basically
the dog was a fine example of the breed (that
any true connoisseur of fine dogs would love
to have and behold), and yet this fool who
had him saw NOTHING POSITIVE in
this young dog, simply because he “hadn’t
been tested yet.” This young person could
appreciate NOTHING about his beautiful,
young animal.
Folks, these dogs are not stupid, at least
superior dogs are not stupid, and intelligent
dogs know when they are with a friend ... and
intelligent superior dogs know when they are
with an enemy. They know when they are
genuinely loved by their owners, and they
know when they are unappreciated, abused,
and neglected. Your “belief” in this regard
doesn’t matter; the fact is an intelligent dog
knows in his bones when his master is truly
his friend or not, just as YOU know in your
bones whether a person you are with is truly
your friend or not. Any intelligent creature
has this sort of “sixth sense” about him.
Therefore this young fool had his entire
view of dogs and his role as their care-giver
exactly bass-ackwards. This young man
expected his young dog to “prove himself to
him,” **before** the young man was willing
to make the commitment to love the dog in
return. Had this person any clue about the
proper order of things, he would realize that
he needs give TO the dog, on every nurturing
level, before he has a right to expect FROM
the dog at the highest performance level.
Genuine love for a dog not only is a necessary
part of one’s own dedication as a dogman,
but such a bonding experience is PART OF
THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS
OF A DOG’S EXCELLENCE. Let me
say that in a different way: developing a
legitimate bond with an owner is part of the
**complete** evolution of a young dog’s
developmental process into a World Class
Professional Athlete. Therefore, to withhold
giving love to a dog, while he is developing, is
to withhold part of the necessary “fertilizer”
that is required for his optimal and complete
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 105

maturation as a performance animal for you. and filth ... feeding them the least-expensive
Believe it! food they can get away with feeding ... or ALL
OF THESE THINGS PUT TOGETHER
Yes, it takes a lot out of a person to put that ... without having one single book or scrap of
kind of devotion on the table first, for every paper containing even the slightest tidbit of
dog that he has, but if you are not willing to knowledge on proper care, proper nutrition,
put that kind of investment into your dogs proper husbandry, etc.
first, then how can you expect your dogs to go
all the way for you in return, when **you** How can you love an animal and yet keep him
have not provided for all of their needs first? in filth? How can you love an animal and yet
In short, how can you expect to reap where you keep him on a 3-foot chain? How can you be
have not sown? considerate of your animal’s needs, without
the slightest will to crack open a book and
Folks, these dogs have a tougher job than we gain even drop of knowledge on proper care,
do, and they have the harder road to hoe, so proper nutrition, proper husbandry, etc.? How
YOU OWE IT TO THEM to give them can you love a dog that you won’t even pet or
your ALL before you can expect them to take the time to bond with? For instance, I
give their all for you. Because if you have not have seen many people enroll on the “Poncho
built your dogs UP with genuine love, (which board” ... but who never bothered to sign-up
includes the best food, nutrition, care, bonding on my HEALTH AND WELFARE board.
and affection possible), then how can you How can this be? It’s easy. Again, too many
possibly expect your dogs to reach an elite level people only care about their dog **hunting**,
when you have not bothered to raise them with but yet they could care less about their dogs in
elite caregiving? I could write 50 pages on this general. There is no other explanation.
subject alone, but the bottom line is in order
to succeed in dogs, long-term, a dogman must People, the bottom line is this: If you do not
plainly and simply LOVE HIS DOGS, and love your dogs, you will never succeed in
love them for real, which is shown by loving dogs for the long haul, and the only way to
actions and loving practices, and an unswerving show a legitimate love for something is to
dedication to their well-being. CARE FOR IT, always, and on every level
possible: kenneling, nutritionally, medically,
Sincere love is expressed in many ways. It and emotionally via a legitimate bonding
is expressed by a deep compassion for each experience, basically you need an instinctive
individual dog, yes, but it is also expressed desire TO DO YOUR BEST for your dogs.
by an intense desire and curiosity to learn Anything less than this heart-felt continual
more and more about dogs in general (canine effort for your dogs is just being a half-ass,
health, canine upkeep, canine medicine, etc.). and the sad fact is this sport is chock-full of
For instance, most people in this game have half-ass dogmen who ultimately don’t give
several dogs on their yard ... but yet they do a shit about their animals, individually, as a
not have one single book on veterinary medicine family, or in any other way.
or dog care. Most people in this game have
(say) 15 dogs, but yet they will not have one
single proper chain set-up to restrain their 2. He Must Abide By Nature’s Laws
animals. Their whole yard is a nig-rig set up The successful dogman realizes there are
of shit hardware, and such people lack the certain Laws of Nature that must be abided-
curiosity or concern to learn HOW to chain by in order to achieve the best results. The
and kennel a dog properly. Basically, too many maturation process is one of these laws.
bottom-dwelling dogmen buy-up a bunch of The ability to reap only after one has sown
dogs ... and then they keep them in crates ... is another of these laws. The fact that the
or in mud ... or on 3-foot chains ... or in shit best nutrition yields the best health and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 106

performance results is another one of these parasites, they school their dogs too little or
laws. And yet the vast majority of dogmen with no method (and thus don’t give them
flounder in failure precisely because they refuse enough valuable experience), etc., etc. And
to obey, follow, or even pay attention to, the by attempting to take these “shortcuts,”
decree of these Natural Laws. such imbeciles will always fail, because the
truth of the matter is THERE ARE NO
How can you judge a dog who is not yet SHORTCUTS to success. Success is
mature? How can you have a CARNIVORE achieved only by following ALL of Nature’s
under your care, and then feed him a diet he Laws, one step at a time. You must be willing
was not designed to eat, and then scratch your to go through the process. You must be willing
head as to why the dog is not performing at to follow Nature’s Laws, step-by-step, and
an optimal level? How can you criticize the you must seek to have Nature’s Laws work
animal for a “breakdown” when he has not FOR you, not against you.
been provided with the correct fuel required for
his optimal health? I mean, there are BASIC Because, folks, there REALLY ARE Laws
LAWS OF NATURE that must be abided- of Nature out there, whether you think
by in order for a person to be successful ... and so or not, and if you wish to succeed on a
the successful dogman follows these laws to large scale you will **obey** these Laws of
his benefit ... while the failure in dogs violates Nature, you will never violate them. Really,
these laws to his detriment. the Laws of Nature must become a religion
for you. You must seek to both understand
As I will be suggesting in my “Schooling” and to obey Nature’s Laws, as a matter of
chapter next, if we speak about the subject of daily habit, because when you do so, you will
farming crops, any idiot can clearly see that suddenly achieve a Spiritual Awareness that
there is a NATURAL PROCESS that must few dogmen will ever have. You will gain the
be followed in order to yield consistently-good proverbial “Aha!” as you gain penetrating
harvests of crops. Quality seeds must be insight into the whole scheme of things as
planted. Quality nurturing must be given. they relate to your dogs’ developmental
Sufficient time to mature and ripen must be processes. Again, these Natural Laws will
allowed-for. And ONLY THEN, after we ultimately become your religion as a dogman,
have allowed the natural processes to develop if you wish to succeed in dogs, long-term. As
and unfold, after we have paid the price and William James once said:
sown the work, do we then have a right to
expect to reap a bountiful harvest from our “Spirituality is the attempt to align oneself with
efforts, after the passage of the required time an Unseen Order of things.”
and after the giving of the required effort.
And there IS an unseen order of things to
Again, this is called “THE LAW OF THE FARM.” dogmanship, to the processes and phases that
You reap what you sow. all dogs must go through before they reach
an ultimate maturity. And you MUST align
Yet every day we see dullards in these dogs, yourself and your thinking WITH this “order
who will not sow **anything** into their of things,” not against these processes, if
dogs, and who yet wonder why they cannot you want to be consistently-successful. You
reap consistent success with their animals. must simply accept the fact that there ARE
These fools violate Nature’s Laws as a Natural Processes that must be allowed to
matter of daily routine, and they do this by develop and unfold, in flowing sequence, in
trying to take every conceivable “shortcut” order for you to reap a successful harvest. The
they can think of. They school too young, Maturity Process. The Schooling Process.
they test too young, they feed pure shit, they The Continual Process of trying to maintain
kennel with poor set-ups, they do not control Optimal Health. Etc.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Again, I could go on for 50 pages or more here,
but the bottom line is, in order to succeed in
these dogs you must obey Nature’s Laws
and not violate them. Because there is also
another saying:
“You can never break The Laws, you can only
break **yourself** against The Laws.”
Sadly, in our case, what most idiot dogmen
break is their dogs against these laws.
Therefore, the truly wise, mature, and
successful dogman is always trying to make
these Natural Laws work FOR his dogs and
not against his dogs.
3. He Must Understand His Dogs’ Job
Another key trait a dogman must have in
order to succeed long-term is he must truly
understand THE JOB for which his canine
athletes were bred to perform. For our sport, a
person must have a legitimate understanding
of combat strategy in general, and he must
further have a legitimate understanding of
the rules by which these dogs are designed to
compete.
If we were breeding dogs to win a “drop
hunt” where a dog and a boar were dumped
in a pit, with no rules or handling, and where
the winner was decided within a :30 min time
limit, we would breed for much different traits
from those we are breeding for now. If we were
breeding for dogs who had to run a race across
the Arctic tundra, for several days’ running,
we again would be selecting and breeding for
traits that are entirely different from the traits
we are breeding for now in our dogs.
Well, in our sport, we are breeding for traits
that should maximize a dog’s chances for
winning a boar hunt that technically has “no
time limit,” but where (in point of fact) 75%
of all contests are decided within :45 min, and
where 98% of all contests are decided in under
2 hours. (Trust me, I have done the math and
the numbers-crunching, and the fact of the
matter is 75% of all hunts are over within :
45 ... and 98% of all contests are over by the
107
2-hour mark.)
With those numbers in mind, and with the
other fact in mind that over 90% of all hunts
are won and lost ON SCRATCHING
within these time frame parameters, we must
therefore breed dogs that can survive a “total
war” with a wild boar for at least 2 hours, and
which dogs are always willing to scratch-back
at any point in time they are called upon to do
so, within that time parameter. Furthermore,
our dogs do not have to do this against
“several” boars, but only against one of
them, which means that the practice of “two-
dogging” is absolutely pointless and stupid..
And yet you will see people breeding their
dogs for entirely different purposes than a
Cajun Rules contestJ You will see people
breed for things like “mouth,” and you will
see people purposely breeding dogs who won’t
pace themselves at all, and thus who couldn’t
possibly go two hours, just because these
energy-wasting barnstormers “are impressive
in SHORT hunts.” You will also see people
test their dogs against “multiple boars,” when
the dog only has to face ONE opponent for
his true vocation and job. Basically, you will
see **most** people in these dogs breeding
for, testing for, and culling for traits that have
NOTHING to do with their dogs’ ACTUAL
JOB.
And these people will invariably be failures as
breeders, percentage-wise, precisely because
they do not truly understand the job for which
they are breeding their dogs. “Killing boars
quickly” is not what we are breeding dogs for
– and for that matter it is not usually possible
when you are on a real boar. Scratching into
2 or 3 different opponents is not what we are
breeding our dogs to do either. What we are
trying to do is breed dogs “who are athletic,
intelligent, and tough enough to nullify and
survive anything that happens to them,
from ONE boar, and who will continually
scratch-back any time they are asked to do so.”
THAT is what we are breeding our dogs for
folks, because that is what a Cajun Rules
contest is!
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 108

Therefore, another critical key to long-term as VALUABLE RESOURCES to preserve

success as a dogman is to continually KEEP and cherrish.
THE JOB IN MIND for which our dogs are
intended to compete. Most people always fail to plan for the
future. Most people are “consumers” and
not “producers.” Most people use-up their
4. He Must View His Dogs As Valuable resources; they do not perpetually-create their
Resources own resources.
The other critical trait a dogman must have
for long-term success is he must view all of his Well, the long-term successful dogman is
dogs as valuable resources. When a particular always A PRODUCER, not a waster. He
individual dog expresses the epitome of sees his best dogs as valuable resources to
all that we are striving for, the successful preserve and maintain, rather than as toys
dogman will make it his business to preserve to play with, abuse, and waste. The bottom
and cultivate that dog’s genetics as **the** line is, in order to be successful for the long-
most valuable resource there is. This is how haul, you must do everything in your power
EVERY, SINGLE excellent family of dogs to PRESERVE the excellence you are blessed
has come into existence, and that is where with, and not to waste it. And every successful
some superior dogman recognized and valued dogman, who has turned-out quality animals
some individual dog’s excellence, and then year-after-year, follows this credo to the very
that dogman made it his business to cultivate best of his ability. The truly superior dogman
those superior genetics as a valuable resource, is a preserver and a creator of excellence at heart,
and the only way to do this is by developing a and not a waster and abuser of excellence at
line-breeding program around that great dog. heart.
Hemphill did it with Geronimo. Carver did it
with Black Widow and IronHead. Boudreaux
did it with Blind Billy and Eli. Tudor did 5. He Must Effectively Manage The
it with Dibo and Spike. Patrick did it with Intangibles
Bolio and Tombstone. Crenshaw did it with Finally, foundational to all of the above, a
Rascal and Honeybunch. Garrett did it with truly successful dogman makes it his business
Jeep. Chavis did it with Yellow John. Boyles to manage all of the intangibles in his dogs’
did it with Dirty Mary. Garner did it with FAVOR and not against his dogs.
Chinaman and Spike. Hollingsworth did it
with Lady In Red. I did it with Poncho and Yes, a dog needs superior genetics to be able
Coca Cola. Victor did it with Mayday. CML to reach the highest level, but he also needs
is doing it with Little John, etc., etc. the intangibles stacked in his favor, and not
Wherever you find long-term success in dogs, against him, in order to have his best chances
you will find a dogman who has sought to of success. Let me give you an example below
PRESERVE AND CULTIVATE the genes of how important managing the intangibles
of some dog (or dogs) that he found to be are, by telling yet another tragedy of someone
excellent, defining animals to him. who MIS-managed all of the intangibles
against his own great dog:
You see, where most idiot dogmen wantonly
**waste** their excellent dogs, and get them I know of a superb dog bred by a friend of mine,
killed eventually, the truly long-term success who lost recently, and which dog in fact “quit”
in dogs tries to actively CULTIVATE in his loss. This dog is being mindlessly-called
AND PRESERVE excellence when he sees “a cur” by the primitive apes who own him,
it. Where most idiot dogmen view dogs as but in point of fact he was a great animal who
“expendable items” to use-up and go-through, had every single “intangible” stacked against
the truly successful dogman views his animals him. Here is the background:
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
This dog was schooled for over thirty minutes,
on 8 separate occasions, before he was even
17 months old. He was basically skull-drug
repeatedly before the age where he should have
even been bumped! On top of this stupidity,
he was then hunted after these hard sessions,
at 17 months of age, and his owner made sure
this dog had to push 3 lbs of weight in his hunt
... and yet this young dog miraculously pulled
it off and won in 1:27!! Two weeks later, not
fully recovered, this young dog was hunted
O.T.C. into a killer for :40, again pushing 2 lb
of weight, and yet this tough young dog again
managed to win on exceptional gameness and
savvy. This young animal was now just over
18 months old, which is when he should have
just started his schooling. Yet he had already
been skull-drug all the way out, on 8 separate
occasions, and now he had also just finished
being put through 2 back-to-back O.T.C.
hunts added on top of this (that totaled around
an hour apiece!!).
But the stupidity didn’t end there, folks. Two
weeks later, again after the second O.T.C.
hunt, this young dog ... still recovering from
the previous deals ... and now with a fractured
leg ... was **again** hunted (pus oozing out
of his infected wounds too) ... and this time
he had to spot 4 lb of weight ... into a pretty
damned good boar to boot. This young beat-
up dog tried every trick in the book, despite
how sore and worn-out he was, but finally
all he could do was hang onto the bottom
jaw just to try and stay out of trouble ... but
at the end of the day he got beat the f^@#
up. Eventually, and tragically, this poor young
dog got his whole face ripped off by the bigger
boar’s tusks, and he finally “quit” in 1:10, to
a no-win situation, hopelessly out-sized, and
with every single card in the deck stacked
against him by his criminally-stupid, ape-
brained owners.
Unbelievably, this fantastic young dog was
called “a cur” by all in attendance, including
his owners, who did not have enough sense
to consider all of the MISMANAGED
INTANGIBLES that were decisively
stacked **against** this dog’s chances of
109
winning ... and if you can believe it they culled
this dog as “unworthy” of being on their
yard.
In actuality, when analyzed by anyone with
an ounce of horse sense, this young dog was
in fact a SUPER ANIMAL, who was dealt
another shitty hand by being placed in yet
another ignorant motherf^@#er’s “care.” It
wasn’t the dog who was “unworthy” of these
people; these people were in fact unworthy of
this dog. Because, as good as this young dog
was genetically, he simply could not overcome
the enormous pile of intangibles that were
stacked against him. This potentially-great
dog was simply placed in the hands of a
hopelessly-stupid sonofabitch, who stacked
every single intangible AGAINST his dog,
rather than in his dog’s favor.
Folks, all the “good genetics” in the world
will not overcome your ownership stupidity.
All of the “good genetics” in the world won’t
overcome being rushed too soon ... they won’t
overcome spotting too much weight ... nor
will “good genetics” overcome not being
able to recover sufficiently from the previous
hunt. Good genetics simply won’t overcome
LAYER-UPON-LAYER of ownership
stupidity, nor will good genetics overcome an
entire deck of cards being stacked against a
dog.
Because at the end of the day, good genetics must
be married with GOOD MANAGEMENT of
THE INTANGIBLES in order for a dog to reach
his full potential.
Just as bad management will bring out the
worst in a good dog, good management will
bring out the best in even an average dog.
But, more importantly, good management
will bring out The Glory in a truly great dog.
And the only way in which a person can be
a good manager is to STACK ALL OF
THE INTANGIBLES IN HIS DOGS’
FAVOR, not against his dog.There is no
other way to enjoy consistent success in
these dogs than by making sure that all of the
intangibles are working FOR your dog and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
not against your dog. You must make sure
that you manage the intangibles, layer-upon-
layer, to be favorable to your dog ... rather than
stacking them, layer-upon-layer, to be against
your dog.
Effectively managing the intangibles is
something that is absolutely critical in order
for you to achieve consistent success as a
dogman ... because effectively managing the
intangibles is WHAT SEPARATES a “Good
Dogman” from a “Bad Dogman!”
Even when you do breedings this applies. For
instance, making sure the stud’s semen is
viable, and then making sure that the bitch
is actually in fertile estrus within her heat
cycle ... before you actually breed ... will yield
MUCH better results than will just breeding
an unchecked male over a bitch “on her 12th
day.” The former management effort shows
that the breeder has stacked the intangibles
in his breeding favor, by having a semen
evaluation done on the stud first, as well as
by having a progesterone check of the bitch
first ... while the latter “management effort”
has failed to do any of this and is basically
swinging in the dark, “assuming” the male
is fertile and the bitch is ovulating. Repeated
over time, the former dogman will be the much
more successful breeder.
And, if you look at your failures in the dogs
honestly, you will see that MIS-management
of the intangibles was the cause every single
one of them. I know this, because mis-
managing the intangible has been the cause of
all of my failures.
When you hunt a dog, making sure that your
entry is fully-mature, is well-schooled, is in
optimal health, is free of parasites, is in peak
condition, is at his best weight, and has been
fed an outstanding complement of good food
and supplements is STACKING EVERY
LAYER OF INTANGIBLES in your dog’s
FAVOR ... by contrast, bringing in a 16-
month-old pup, full of worms, yanked right off The bottom line is this: if you want to be a
the chain, spotting 2 lb of weight, after being good and successful dogman, long-term, you
fed a steady diet of Ol’ Roy is stacking every will always and forever make it your business
110
layer of intangibles **against** your dog’s
chances of winning. And yet there are idiots
who practice this latter kind of stupidity
on every single hunt of their foolish and
unsuccessful dog careers.
Folks, the best genetics in the world won’t
overcome your stupidity as an owner. There are
many dogmen who would have lost with GR
CH Buck or GR CH Yellow. Genetics are
important, but your managing the intangibles
in your dog’s favor is even more important.
There are many, many, MANY people in
these dogs who will take a good animal,
genetically, and then through an odyssey
of their own incredible stupidity as owners,
they will reduce that animal’s chances of
winning, step-by-step, by mis-managing the
intangibles, step-by-step, EVERY step of the
way.
A “good dogman” is simply one who manages
every intangible effectively to be in his dog’s
favor, and a “stupid dogman” is one who
manages every intangible INeffectively to be
against his dog’s best chances. It really is that
simple. Always remember, it is your dog’s job
to be good and game, yes, but it is your job
to manage that good dog with competence
and wisdom, and not with incompetence and
stupidity.
The dogmen who succeed long-term, and on a
large scale, are those dogmen who consistently
MANAGE THE INTANGIBLES
EFFECTIVELY, to be in their dogs’ favor
... while all of the habitual failures in these
dogs are perpetually mis-managing the
intangibles and stacking every single hiddent
factor against their dogs’ chances at success.
Such idiots will always be spotting weight,
spotting age, they will pull dogs off the chain,
the will skull-drag their dogs either too hard or
too young, they will feed lousy feed, they will
not control parasites, etc., etc., etc.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 111

to manage the intangibles to be WITH your #1 trait more effectively, to motivate him to
dogs and not against your dogs. see the other 4 traits more clearly and to then
follow these traits with clearer vision and
perspective, then I will have done my job as
Conclusion a writer and I will have “passed the torch” to
I hope my efforts at writing all of this do not another willing and capable runner. And in so
go unnoticed. I hope that some of you found doing I will have benefited another yard of
yourselves nodding your heads at the power dogs somewhere ... and as such I will be very
of these 5 Key Traits that cut a deep gash and content that I have done my job.
defining line between the successful and the
unsuccessful in these dogs. Good Luck,

We all have violated one (or all) of these 5 Key ~ California Jack
Traits, at one point or another, and thus we have
all failed at one point or another. That is not
the lesson here. “Failing in the past” is not the
mark of an ultimate failure, but continuously-
failing is. Some of the most successful people
in every walk of life started out as total
failures, but through re-newed effort and
re-newed PRACTICES, they slowly-but-
surely gained success for themselves, one step
at a time. Failed practices will always yield
failed results. And one definition of insanity
is to continue to do “the same things” and yet
to expect “different results.”

But the true success in dogs is not content

with failure and the true success is always
striving to do better. Therefore, if **you**
want to achieve “better results,” then you have
to habitually-employ “better practices.” This
article here defines those better practices.

If you are already living-up to every single

one of these principals, then you already are a
successful dogman. Success CAN’T HELP
but come from these practices. If you live up
to none of these practices, then you are a total
failure as a dogman. Failure CAN’T HELP
but come from violation of these practices.

If you have not been succeeding so far in these

dogs, but if you have a sincere desire to do well
and to be successful (that is, if you have the
#1 Key Trait, which is a sincere love of these
dogs), then getting the other 4 elements in
order will spell your eventual success in dogs.

If this chapter helps even one person use his

California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Schooling Your Dogs
This chapter centers around turning your
properly-nurtured athltete into the best
performance dog his genetics will allow him
to be. Unfortunately, this chapter therefore
centers around illegal activities with the breed,
and as such I caution you **not** to conduct
these activities. Remember, you can get in
trouble for doing these things, and I can’t
urge you strongly enough *not* to get caught
up with this aspect of pit bull ownership. Use
the other chapters of this book to care for your
dogs properly and responsibly, but do **not**
do anything illegal with your dog, which is
what this chapter covers. So why do I write
this chapter?
Well, I also realize that some small number
of you will roll and match your dogs anyway,
despite the laws against it, and despite my
cautioning you against these activities. And
I also realize that most of you have absolutely
no clue about what it is that you are doing
with these dogs in this capacity. And it is
my view that, without this book, you would
probably commit terrible stupidities in most of
your endeavors with your dogs, and I simply
hate thinking about these dogs being abused,
mistreated, and mishandled. Therefore, while
I do not believe that you should break the
law, if you are going to anyway I would like
to help you do things in the right way, to save
your dogs from mismanagement, and thereby
I am trying to help your dogs suffer the
least possible trauma by offering intelligent
informataion for those who will contest them
anyay.
I thus write this chapter not to endorse,
promote, or to encourage you to conduct any
illegal activities with your dogs – yet still (if
you are going to do these things anyway) I
write this book to show you how to do these
things in the right way. Because, you’d better
believe, there is a right way, and a wrong way, When you yourself went to public schools, you
to go about these things ... actually, there are did not start out in class with a final exam, did
many wrong ways ... and if you don’t know you? You had to be educated first, didn’t you?
112
what you are doing you will hurt your dogs
tremendously. Thus I write this chapter, and
the next two chapters, to help your dogs
survive your illegal actions, and I am trying
to show you how to do these things humanely
and intelligently, *not* to encourage you
to conduct such activities in the first place.
OK?
That being said, probably the single most
important aspect in trying to compete with
these dogs (other than buying good dogs
and setting your yard up right, first) is then
knowing how to school and handle your good
dogs properly. I can’t even begin to count the
number of good dogs that have been ruined by
their ignorant owners due to being schooled
improperly. The major problem I have noticed
is that most dog men have what I call “right
now” mentality. They want to go from Point-
A to Point-Z “right now,” and so they do
not allow their dogs to mature fully before
they test them. Such fools “game test” their
young, unschooled prospects rather than take
the time to develop them first. These ignorant
owners try to prove to someone how “good”
their young dog is before said dog is ready
for that kind of an ordeal. Or, worse, these
ignorant fools just continually beat their dogs
up for entertainment.
Sure, what these dogs do can be entertaining,
and it is a good feeling to show a game dog
to others ... but it must be kept in mind that
putting dogs together is also very serious
business, and as such it should be treated
very seriously. You must understand that you
do not test young dogs right away; you must
school the dog first, and you must further
understand that you need to allow your dog
to reach full maturity before you actually test
him.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
And it took years for you to grow up as well ...
and all the while you were learning all you had
to learn, in order to be prepared for those tests,
and it took you some time to be ready for adult
reponsibilies. Didn’t it?
Well so it is with these dogs – they need to be
educated first and they need to be allowed to
mature first, before they are actually tested.
Therefore, if you have any kind of intelligence
and common sense, you will begin to look at
each schooling roll you do with your young
dogs as an education, a lesson, basically as
a STEP towards making your dog better-
educated for a future match career and/or a
final examination. You are not acting as judge
and jury for your dogs at this point, you are
acting as an educator. When looked at in this
way, you will see that each schooling lesson
should have a definite point to it, and it should
be viewed as a necessary step towards making
your prospect a better dog in preparation for a
career or test. Every schooling roll should be
planned well in advance, and you should put
in whatever time is necessary to shop around
for the correct opponent to fulfill your pre-
planned objective for that lesson. You must
think of each dog you have as a world-class
athlete, and you must think of yourself as
that athlete’s manager. And your first step as
your athletes manager is to train him and to
educate him, not ruin him.
If you are a good manager, then you know what
your job is – your athlete’s welfare at all times.
If you are not a good manager, then you won’t
know what your job is – and this ignorance
on your part will show in how you handle
your dogs. A good manager realizes that,
when his athlete is young, he needs to build
his confidence FIRST, not have his budding
confidence destroyed the first few times he
tries to express it. Never challenge a young
dog’s confidence with too much before he’s
ready. Your Number One Goal in his first few
rolls is to build his confidence, not destroy it.
At the same time, you are also trying to teach
him his trade in incremental steps. Because Let me give you a parallel for this fact, which
not only is your dog being schooled as he goes is better known as “The Law of The Farm.”
along, but he is also developing confidence in Let’s say that you decided to be a farmer, and
113
himself as he goes along.
Yes, it is a dog’s job to be good and game, but
it is your job to allow that gameness to develop
and blossom while he learns, and you do this by
managing your animal properly. One manages
a young dog’s developing gameness by letting
him reach full maturity, before any game test,
and by schooling him (not testing him) during
this developmental process. Proper schooling,
and allowing your dog to mature, are in fact
your dog’s best chances to be good and game.
Therefore, you do not just set your young
dog down at the drop of a hat, or because
someone says his dog is better than yours.
Each schooling lesson should have a reason
behind it, and that reason should always be in
the interests of the dog’s development. Should
he face a leg dog this time? A chest dog? Is he
ready now for a more seasoned opponent? Or
has he really even started yet? These are the
kinds of questions you need to be constantly
asking yourself when you select the schooling
opponents for your young dog. Again, you are
not trying to “judge” your dog at this stage,
you are trying to develop him at this point.
As a rule, you should never even begin to
school your dog until he is 18 months old. I
realize some dogs start earlier than others, but
this rule still applies as a general framework.
You must realize that some dogs won’t be
ready for a test at all until they’re 3 years old
or older. Other dogs are ready at 18 months.
Regardless of when you “think” he’s ready, it
is still better to sit on a dog that “acts good,”
than it is to ruin a dog that acts good, but in
fact wasn’t quite ready. It is better to be sure
your dog is ready than it is to rush things and
“pull up the budding flower to see how deep
the roots are.” TIME and PATIENCE are
the keys, and only a fool tries to speed up
Nature. If there is anything at all to learn in
the dogs – and in Life itself – it is PATIENCE
takes TIME.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 114

your primary goal was to yield a bountiful
harvest of crops. How would you go about
this endeavor? Would you fail to study
agricultural principles? And then, with no
clue as to timing, would you just haphazardly
plant your seeds, add no fertilizer, and make
no effort at all to control the bugs? Does that
seem like a sound foundational strategy to
commence a farming enterprise? And then
after beginning your efforts on that “solid
foundation,” would you then “pull up your
crops” as soon as they first poked through the
ground, to see what you got? I mean, would
it make any sense (if you wanted to succeed)
not to study ... not to nurture your crops at all
... to go ahead and let the bugs eat them all up
... and then to dig up what’s left of your crops
as soon as they first started to develop “to see
what you got?” Truly, any idiot can see that
this would make no sense at all.
Even a total idiot can understand this, as it
pertains to the farm. Yet, for some reason, most
young dogmen cannot understand that this
same nurturing and developmental process is
also mandatory when it comes to raising dogs.
Such fools always try to short-cut the process,
and (guess what?) they are always failures as
dogmen.
Folks, this same nurturing and developmental
process is required with these dogs! There is
a natural process of maturity that *must* be
adhered to when you raise dogs, and there is
a biological fact that proper nutrition must be
given, proper procedure must be followed, and
rushing things (or short-cutting the process)
won’t help. It will only hurt the results, not
help the results. And, unfortunately, it is
always the dogs who suffer from their owner’s
stupidity, and it just isn’t fair.

Yet you will watch idiot-after-idiot doing Patience is your most important tool to succeed
exactly this with their dogs. Most dog in these dogs. Only beginners (or very stupid
people will not crack open the first book on people) try to speed up the natural maturation
raising dogs; they will not feed their dogs and developmental process, whereas all of the
the best food they can; they will not control experienced, intelligent, and successful dogmen
their parasites; they will not take the time allow that process to unfold, unhurried. That,
to develop a loving and trusting relationship in and of itself, should tell you all you need to
with their dogs ... and then they will roll and hear. I mean, consider your own maturation
game-test their young dogs the moment they process, when you were a young boy (or girl),
first show the slightest inkling of aggression did you go to bed one night as a completely
– and sometimes even before they show any hairless youth ... and then wake up the next
aggression! And, folks, this is every bit as morning as a hairy sonofabitch? You didn’t,
stupid as what I described above on the farm. did you? You sprouted your first “crisper”
Raising dogs like this is every bit as stupid one day, and then only over a period of several
as not studying agriculture, not fertilizing months did you reach full sexual maturity.
your crops, not controlling the bugs, and then Yet, even when you were sexually-mature as
pulling up young crops “to see if the roots a teenager, it still took you several years to reach
are deep yet” the moment the dog shows his the FULL maturity of your absolute adult prime,
first sign of aggression. It is flat-out that which only happens in your mid-twenties.
stupid. You will not speed things up this way, Therefore, you need to allow your young dogs
you will do the opposite: you will screw-up to undergo this full process too, before you
from the start, you will destroy the delicate test them!!!
developmental process before it has a chance
to unfold, and you will altogether ruin what Yet you will see almost every idiot “dogman”
you’re trying to accomplish. out there wait *only* until his dog shows the
very first budding glimpse of aggression, and
For some reason, though, almost everyone can then he will just start rolling the shit out of his
easily see that (if they wanted to be a farmer) dog. His dog might look good for five minutes
they absolutely must obey Nature’s Laws. ... but then he starts “acting funny,” and by
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
about 10-12 minutes the dog is looking for a
way out. Or maybe he stands the line when he
gets separated, after getting a little teenage-
aggression out of his system. And guess what
his idiot owner will do? You guessed it, he’ll
kill his young dog ... when in point of fact his
youngster just barely developed his fledgling
desire for combat at that point! These idiots
actually believe, “Once they start, they can’t
stop,” and they are completely blind to the
MANDATORY maturation process that
all living things go through, both plant and
animal. So not only to these idiot dogmen fail
to understand dogs at all, but they really have
no understanding of Life itself! I mean, it really
is insane, and the sad thing is I personally
know many “fastlane dogmen” who have
been in dogs for over 20 years, and who still
commit this stupidity on a regular basis, and
who regularly waste potentially-good dogs,
for no other reason than they were too stupid
to allow their dogs to mature.
So don’t be a fool like this, and let your dog
mature, as Nature Itself has designed him to
mature. Further, during all of the formative
stages of your dog’s development, he has a
biological requirement to be fed good food,
and to be parasite-free, in order for him to
attain the best results his genetic “potential”
will allow him to ... just as a farmer’s crops
will come out best when planted in fertile soil
and when being kept bug-free as well. Your
dog has a genetic potential, but you must
remember that his potential can be reached
only through optimal care-giving ... whereas
he will fall short of his potential under poor
care-giving. So too, the growth potential of
planted crops are governed by the same laws
and nurturing process. Planting the greatest
seeds in the world won’t help if you put them
in infertile soil and if you don’t maintain good
growth conditions. So too, starting with
the best-bred pup in the world won’t help
if you feed him crap food, fail to control his
parasites, and then push him in over his head
before he’s ready. Some of the greatest dogs
that have ever lived simply weren’t ready until
they were over 3 years old.
115
Yet these facts are so plain, and so simple,
that most people can’t seem to see them or
follow them.
OK? Now then, just as a farmer has to select
the potentially right “crop” to maximize
his odds of getting a good harvest, so too
must you select the potentially right dog or
bloodline to maximize your odds of winning.
Once that selection has been made, then
both farmer and dogman must be patient and
nurturing and allow their “crops” to develop
fully and reach their full potential. If you are
patient, nurturing, and kind to your dog as he
grows up, and if you have given him plenty
of exercise and socialization as he matures,
all the while feeding him excellent food and
keeping him parasite-free, then you will have
done a far superior job than most of your
competition already. Because, let me tell you
something, most people don’t do any of this!
The typical dog man lets his scatter-bred dog
sit on a chain for his whole life ... he feeds him
the cheapest shit he can get away with ... and
then he rolls the bejesus out of his dog just
as the poor thing barely begins to mature ...
and guess what ... that dog man will always
flounder in failure and his poor dogs will
always suffer, and the sad thing is such idiots
always blame “their dogs” for their consistent
failure, but in reality nothing but the man’s
own idiocy is to blame.
By reading this book, you now have a chance
to be better than that. You now have a chance
to “turn a light on” upstairs. You now have
a chance to set your yard and yourself up
properly first. You now have a chance to
feed your dogs well. And here and now you
now have the chance to learn how to groom
your dogs properly and to enjoy much more
positive results by far than 99.99% of your
competition.
I hope I now have your attention.
OK, we have covered the preliminaries. You
have set your yard up right and in the right
spot. You have selected well-bred specimens
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
from superior bloodlines, and you have
obtained them from proven-excellent breeders.
You are feeding your dogs the best. You
have all of your kennel and medical supplies
onhand. You have made a friend out of your
dogs and have developed a bond with them.
You have continually prepared your young
dogs properly by making a pet out of them
first. Your dogs know that they are YOUR
dogs and you are THEIR partner. You have
brought them in the house, you have socialized
them well, and you have made sure that your
dogs are absolutely used to your voice, to your
commands, and to traveling with you (as well
as being in a crate). Your investment of effort
into all of this development has now made
your dogs “wise to the world,” and it has
given them a HUGE advantage over every
other “chain brain” dog out there – who has no
idea of the world around him, and who doesn’t
even know his owner, except that he gets food
from him every day at sundown.
By grooming your young dogs with good care,
good food, and a good relationship, you have
let their “roots” grow very deep and you have
allowed them ample time to blossom into a full
and complete companion animal. It is now time
to select the most advanced prospect you have
and begin the schooling phase. This dog has a
good grasp of the world around him ... he has
a good feeling about YOU, his owner, and his
vital natural loyalty is totally with you and on
your side. He is your partner in life, he is with
you, and he will do anything for you. Putting
in this time and nurturing effort into your dog
is the difference between adding fertilizer and
water to your crops ... or not doing anything
and just sitting around “hoping something
grows.” Your dog’s chances for successes are
now immeasurably greater because you have
put this kind of time and effort into him, long
before his first roll. His confidence in you, and
in the world around him, are now light years
ahead of his oppontents.
However, your nurturing process is not yet
finished. The next part of the nurturing
process is the schooling process, and although
ahead of most dogs foundationally, he is
116
right back at the beginning as far as his pit
experience goes.
Now comes a whole new developmental
process, where your dog goes from beginner to
pro as a fighter. (Now just imagine how “lost”
most dogs are at this point already, where
they have not been socialized at all, and so are
still freaking-out just at being off the chain,
let alone having to deal with being attacked
in some strange area!) Anyway, while your
dog is fully-developed as your companion, he
is now entering the world of combat, and he is
entering it as a rank beginner. And this kind of
developmental process also takes time. Thus
you start an inexperienced dog out s-l-o-w-l-y
with just a bump. If you give your dog his first
bump, and he doesn’t do anything, it’s no big
deal. Just sit on him some more. Now is not
the time to test him or judge him, you are just
trying to start him. You just want to see if he’ll
crank up. Even if he does start right up, you
only let it go for a minute or two, and then you
stop it and put him back on his chain, or in his
crate, where he can sit there and think about
it. Do NOT let his first bump go on and on.
In fact, it is often best to start your dog on
his own chain, where he is generally the most
confident.
Regardless of where you start him, all you
want to do is just see if he’ll go, and then you
stop it. Once you’re sure he’ll light up, then you
need to make his next roll “official,” by doing
him in a regulation-sized pit. But, again, his
first time should be short and FUN! If he acts
bad at first, but turns on shortly after, again
stop it the moment he cranks. A few weeks
later, try him again. You keep trying him briefly,
until you *know* he will start immediately.
Only after you know he’ll start immediately,
do you plan his schooling process. Let me
say that again: Only after you know he’ll start
immediately, do you plan his schooling process.
The schooling process should always be in a
regulation-sized pit, not on his chain (and not
in a field), because part of what he’s learning
now is *both* how not to be jammed into a
corner … as well has how to jam an opponent
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 117

into a corner. In fact, making sure that your to either dominate his opponent, or to form
prospect learns to “work the walls” (both a positive first impression, if his first time
defensively and offensively) is one of the out is against a bone-crusher that is 10 lbs.
most important aspects of his schooling. It bigger than he is. What will happen is your
is just like a human boxer learning to “work young dog will get his ass handed to him, and
the ropes”: he needs to learn how to cut off the possibly get seriously injured, and he will form
ring, offensively, driving his opponent into the a terrible and negative first impression. So if
ropes ... and he also needs to learn how to rope- you have any grey matter going on upstairs,
a-dope, defensively, and slip & move when his make sure you select an opponent that will
back is to the ropes. And it is the same with blast your dog right away, yes, but that your
your dog and the pit walls. dog should be able to handle rather easily when
he begins to defend himself.
Now then, remember that the schooling
process begins with intelligent opponent However, you should not abuse your roll dog
selection. Unfortunately, too many so-called either. While your roll dog should be somewhat
dog men will take a young dog into its first weaker and smaller than his young opponent,
lesson without any idea of what they’re you shouldn’t do this to a dangerous extreme
going to be running their young dog into. for the roll dog either. The roll dog should also
You should always start your dog against a be big enough, strong enough, and experienced
somewhat smaller dog that you know has a light enough not to get totally brutalized himself
mouth. You also want to make sure that his – so his size disadvantage to the young dog
slightly-smaller opponent is fully-schooled should be slight, not exaggerated. Remember,
and will definitely hit your prospect right roll dogs are a valuable commodity in their
out of the gate. You do NOT select another own right, and they are living creatures too,
young dog to use, because not only do you not so they should not just be wantonly abused,
know what another young dog can or cannot they should be regarded as valuable members
do, but he may go over there and just sniff of your yard too.
your dog’s ass. The moment schooling begins
you always want to use a very experienced Roll dogs should be treated with the same
dog as an opponent, but at the beginning respect as any member of your team, and as
stages that very experienced dog should be such they should not be put into a ridiculous
a bit smaller and a bit weaker than your dog. disadvantage. Your young dog may in fact turn
The reason for this is simple: You (1) don’t out to be the bone-crusher, and so you have to
want your dog EVER to think he’s going to keep an eye on your roll dog too, and you have
find a friend in The Arena, which is why the to look out for his safety as well. You want to
chosen opponent should immediately grab your be a professional sportsman, not a cruel fool,
dog, and (2) when your dog is forced to fight and that means you want to be professional
back, you don’t want to discourage him with in how you handle both your young prospect
too much on his first few times out. Instead, and your selected roll dogs. This sport is what
because you’ve selected a somewhat smaller each of us makes it, so do your part to be a fair
and somewhat weaker opponent, your young and gentlemanly sportsman on all levels.
dog (when he does start) will be rewarded by
being able to dominate this opponent. This is
Anyway, in schooling, you always want to give
called POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT your young dog POSITIVE reinforcement,
and this is critical to your young dog’s early
not negative reinforcement. Unfortunately,
impressions of his job. And being able to you will find many so-called “dog men”
dominate will simply allow your young dog to
putting their young dog against the first dog
build confidence in himself as he learns. they come across, whether that particular
opponent was in their dog’s best interests or
By contrast, your young dog will be unable not. Again, these fools have to see something
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
“right now,” so instead of choosing the best
opponent to school their young dog with, they
invariably wind up going into a considerably
larger animal than what would have been
best for their young prospect. To make things
worse, most of these idiots will then proceed
to let the schooling roll continue on and on, to
the point where their young dog not only gets
its butt kicked as its first impression, but then
he is allowed to get completely exhausted too.
The excuses for this unprofessional stupidity
are always the same: “Well, I couldn’t find
an opponent my dog’s size,” or “Well, I was
waiting for my dog to come to the top so I
could pick it up then,” or – this is the best
one – “If my dog was a real dog he could have
handled it.”
It is an owner’s job to be a real dog man every
bit as much as it is a dog’s job to be a real dog.
Putting a young dog against any old dog for
the hell of it, or (worse) letting the schooling
lessons be an ass-whipping … or to let it go to
the point of exhaustion … is not being a real
dog man. It is being a “right now” man, and
(quite frankly) a very stupid man. It is being
the kind of idiot who pulls up the young crops
to see how the roots are doing. Now is not the
time for harvesting your crops and looking
to cash in; it is not the time for evaluation.
Schooling is schooling, which is the time for
building UP your young dog, not trying to
break him down! OK?
After your young dog has been started on a
few slightly-smaller dogs, and after he has
been exposed to a variety of styles, you will
want to step it up a bit. By now, you should
have a preliminary feel for your dog’s ability.
You should be able to tell whether your dog is a
bum, is only average, is pretty good, or whether
he looks to be something awesome. You can
tell these things by whether he sucks, looks
OK, shows some nice moves, or decimates
his early opponents. Now is the time where
you decide how his more advanced schooling
rolls are going to be, so that you can even more
accurately judge his ability. Remember, your
dog is still learning here, and as such he is not
yet being tested. What you are now doing is
118
rasing the bar. Rather than putting him with
slightly-smaller dogs to build his confidence,
you will be evaluating his ability by putting
him with other young, strong prospects, who
are also “passed the beginner stages,” but
who also are still learning as well.
There rolls will not be long either, nor will they
be “game tests.” What they will be is longer
than the previous starter rolls ... but yet they
will be stopped before either dog gets very
tired. They will be sparring sessions, really.
This is where you select “a good chest dog,”
or “a good stifle dog,” or “a good ear dog” ...
all of which will be of equal weight now ...
and all of which animals also looks promising.
Retired match dogs, who are still healthy, can
also be used and in some ways are preferable
to use. Regardless, you are neither trying to
beat your dog up, nor are you trying to let
him have an easy time of it anymore, what
you are doing now is honing his skills against
HIS EQUALS, and you are seeing just how
much ability he really does have. Notice I
said, “ability.” We still are not game-testing
yet. We are not scratching the dogs over-and-
over-and-over while tired yet. In point of fact,
neither dog should be getting tired yet.
What you will be doing is calling your
partners, or friendly-rival kennels, and trying
to set things up for some true schooling. But
you have to watch people here and you have
to look out for your dog. There are a lot of con
men in this sport, who will try to put you at a
disadvantage, and you have to remember that
even the finest gentleman still wants his dogs
to do better than yours, as that is just human
nature. So be prepared for shenanigans. The
most common shenanigan is when you pull
in to the schooling spot, and see the other
dog, you immediately realize what you were
“told” was a 45 lb male instead proves to
be a 47 lb male. Do not be sucked into this
bullshit. Man-up and have the confidence to
say, “No!” to a bad deal for your dog. In fact,
ALWAYS INSIST ON WEIGHING
BOTH ANIMALS BEFORE YOU PUT
THEM TOGETHER.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
If your opponent refuses to weigh his dog,
the chances are it’s because he knows it’s
bigger than what you both talked about on the
phone. If this ever happens to you, remember
you are not required to set the animals down
“right now.” Instead, put your dog back into
the crate and go home. The next time your
partner, or rival kennel, will take you more
seriously when you say you want to school
dogs at “x” weight. If this happens too many
times, then find yourself more reputable
schooling partners. If your schooling partners
give you the, “If your dog was a real dog...”
trip, tell them if their dog was for real they
wouldn’t have to pick on smaller dogs!
Now, there may be times when you will want
to bring the smaller dog, and that might be
to help your friend or rival kennel with their
own beginning dog. That is different. Sure,
sometimes you want to help people school
their very young dogs by lending them the
service of your own slightly-smaller roll dog,
but that is not what I am talking about here.
I am talking about when you are both bringing
started dogs, for more advanced schooling,
where both dogs are prospects and both dogs
are supposed to do well for their owners. When
this happens, you do not want to spot anyone
any weight, and you do not want to go into a
smaller dog either, you want the weights to be
EQUAL, or as close to equal as is humanly
possible, period. This is the only way you can
accurately-judge your dog’s ability.
If you have respectable partners and your
animals are the same weight – but your
young dog happens to be getting the worst
of things – pick him up before he gets tired or
dominated too long. Even if he is winning, you
do not want him to get tired yet either. This
is not a pre-planned game test, and so you
are not trying to find out “right now” if your
dog has what it takes. You are only assessing
his ability and you are still just teaching hm
the ropes at this point. In other words, you are
schooling your dog at this point, not game-
testing him, and you don’t want your dog to
experience anything negative about what he’s
doing. YET. There is a time and a season for
119
everything, and (once he’s ready) then you can
test him, however he is not ready yet. Right
now he is learning and building both his skills
and his confidence, and you have to build him
up before you try to knock him down.
Therefore, if your dog gets pummeled in his
first hard roll, pick him up and then select
a lower ability dog for his next schooling
session. If he destroys the other dog, then do
the oppositie and select a higher-level dog for
his next session. If the roll was pretty much
even, then keep going as you were. Whatever
happens, during these next few schooling rolls
you will be getting a more keen assessment
of your dog’s abilities, his strengths and
weaknesses, his intelligence and his stamina,
all the while you are building upon whatever
skills he does have via the acquired experience.
Once again, notice I did not say anything
about testing his “gameness” yet.
In fact, other than the game test (which I
discuss in the next chapter), no schooling
lesson should be longer than 20 minutes, and
most should be between 5 and 10 minutes. The
first two lessons should be half that amount
of time. After more than 15 years in this game,
and schooling dogs in many different ways,
I am positive that repeated exhaustion is the
worst thing for a dog’s mindset, especially if
he is hurt and on the bottom. It is much better
to school a dog frequently, against opponents
of varying styles, for short periods of time,
while he is still developing and learning.
Why don’t you want him to get hurt or
exhausted? Because dogs form simple associations
in their thinking! Most of us have heard of
the famous psychologist Pavlov, whose most
famous experiment was ringing a bell every
time he fed his dog. Soon Pavlov’s dog would
drool every time he heard that bell, whether
or not Pavlov actually put food in front of the
animal. The reason is because the dog formed
a simple association between a ringing bell and
being fed, and so the dog eventually would
drool every time he heard that bell. “Bell =
Food” is what the dog eventually learned.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 120

Well, do you really want your dog to form to the point of unconsciousness, every time
a similar association between being in the they get in the ring for practice. Rather,
pit and getting his ass kicked and becoming professionals usually go 3 rounds of light
dead-ass tired? That is, do you want your dog sparring for practice (9 minutes), and then
to associate something UNpleasant (always they do other exercises for their training.
getting hurt and horribly exhausted) with No one would want to be a boxer if he were
what he’s supposed to like (fighting contact)? required to go through 12 to 15 rounds of brutal
Take it from me, you don’t! Yet that is the hell, out of shape and to the point of collapse,
simple association most dogs quickly form of the every damned time he laced on a pair of gloves
pit, during their formative first impressions, – and neither will your young dog want to be a
precisely because their ignorant owners put pit dog if he winds up tripping over his tongue,
too much on them, too soon, and too often, and getting the shit knocked out of him, every
and then they let the ass-whippings continue time he sees the box. Use your head.
for too long a time. These “stupid farmers”
basically destroy their own crops before they are This is also why you don’t put your dog
ready to be harvested. into a hard mouth dog either in schooling,
until he gets a sense of defense and
Think deeply about gameness, and then confidence first. MANY DOG MEN
think deeply about exhaustion. Gameness FUNDAMENTALLY BLOW IT BY
is defined as an enthusiastic will to win. By GIVING THEIR DOGS GAME TESTS
contrast, serious exhaustion is no fun at all, WHILE THEY’RE SCHOOLING THEIR
and it can even be life-threatening (especially PROSPECTS. Rather than short sessions,
if associated with injury). When you school such people allow their dogs to get to the 20
a dog, I again remind you that in addition - 40 minute range on each lesson. This is too
to developing his performance skills you are long to school a young dog! At the schooling
also trying to develop the dog’s confidence and stage of your dog’s development, you should
his enthusiasm – and if you bring about total not be discouraging your dog with too much
exhaustion in your dog’s schooling lessons, of an ordeal, especially deep exhaustion. Just
especially combined with being pummeled remember that all schooling is ... as what its
while on the bottom, then you are defeating name implies … is an education. Schooling is
the very purpose of schooling! You are only to get your dog accustomed to fighting
knocking him down before he has even learned contact, and then to expose him to different
to stand up! You can’t develop enthusiasm in a styles of how an opponent might possibly
young dog, while at the same time dishing out come at him – so your dog can learn how to
something as unpleasant as getting his ass handle himself in a wide variety of situations.
whipped to the point of extreme fatigue. This And all the while you want to try to make the
is why you should only allow this to happen experience pleasurable to the dog.
in his game test, and then only ONCE, but
you should never allow this to happen in his The bottom line is schooling rolls should
schooling! help your dog, not hurt your dog. And each
successive roll should another step to his
There is nothing enjoyable about being dead- becoming a better dog. If a particular roll isn’t
ass tired while getting the shit knocked out going to do anything for your dog, besides put
of you. Think about it. So why would you do extra holes in him, then there is no reason
this to a young, developing animal, in whom for you to do it. BUILD your dogs, don’t
you are trying to form continuously-positive BREAK your dogs. You build your dogs by
impressions? selecting opponents who will give him as little
trauma, fatigue, or injury as possible … while
To help illustrate this point, even professional still teaching him the ropes … until your dog
human boxers do not spar for 15 rounds, or is clearly schooled, confident in himself, and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 121

ready for either a show, or a game test (or until

you see he is hopeless and is simply not going
to be a good one).

That’s it! That is all schooling is designed

to do – is to show your dog that fighting is
fun and to prepare him against a wide variety
of styles – all the while not injuring him or
challenging his confidence too much yet. Just
like in college, you must educate each student
before you expect him to pass a final test. For
the same reason, you don’t challenge your dog
too much during schooling, but instead you are
only educating him him first. Use a leg dog
one time, a stifle dog another time, a chest dog
after that, etc., etc. … at first a bit weaker and
smaller than your young, inexperienced dog …
and then you raise his level to see where he’s
at ... but you try never to let your developing
dog form any negative impressions. You are
only teaching him the ropes.

Any amount of unnecessary trauma and/or

exhaustion defeats the purpose of schooling
and is contrary to the development of your
dog’s growth. Believe it!
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 122

The Game Test

The previous chapter demonstrated the
confusion between what it is to school a
something to think seriously about.

dog as opposed to what it is to game-test
a dog. I wanted to draw a clear distinction
between these two aspects of grooming your
dogs because it is very important. Without
getting into everything I wrote in the last
chapter, suffice it to say that schooling is an
education for your dog, while the game test
is an education for you. When you school
your dog, you gradually teach him what’s
going to happen when he’s in there, without
challenging his confidence too much. It should
always be pleasurable for the dog.
You must remember that you are literally
taking “a win” out of your dog in a game test
– as the intent of this test is to have your dog
get as tired and as beaten as possible, without
permanently-injuring or losing him in the
test. Clearly, this is not in the interests of the
animal, it is only beneficial for the dog’s owner,
because every serious bulldog owner needs to
know whether or not his dog has any depth
to him. By contrast, in schooling, you are
just trying to get your dog experienced while
putting as little trauma on him as possible.

When you game test your dog, however, you Anyway, once your dog is fully started, and
are now teaching yourself what your dog will thoroughly schooled, and is fully-mature,
do when things get really tough – and this THEN you can game test him (or match
roll should in fact be total hell for your dog. him). Again, if he has looked fabulous in his
In schooling, it is your dog who benefits from schooling rolls, I suggest you simply hook
the chance to develop his style and confidence him and bring him out. I recommend that
against a wide variety of opponents (without you save the game tests for dogs that are
challenging this confidence). In a game test, not talented enough to win a match, but that
however, the roll doesn’t benefit your dog at are still well-bred enough to use for breeding.
all – in fact, it is very harmful to your dog. The
OK? So suppose your dog iss just average in
whole point of the game test IS to challenge his ability. He’s bred great, he’s acted great
your dog’s confidence now, to assess his in his schooling, but he is just not talented
mettle under fire, and you do this by seeing enough to match. It is here, in my opinion,
how he handles it when he is behind, on the where the game test comes in. Or, suppose
bottom, totally exhasted, and is basically you have retired a winning match dog that
getting whipped. was never stretched out in any contest due to
his awesome ability. In either case, you want
Because a true game test is so hard on a dog, to know his true quality before you breed him.
some dog men just prefer just to put their dog Right?
in a cheap match, rather than take something
out of him for nothing. And there is a lot of Whatever the case, your dog should be both
sense to this. I personally agree with this thoroughly schooled and fully started before
philosophy, and I myself wouldn’t game test he is game-tested. A dog needs a minimum
a dog that I intended to match; I would only of 5 solid rolls (against dogs of varying styles)
game test a dog that didn’t have enough ability to be considered thoroughly schooled, and I
to match, but who I might breed. I mean, if define a dog as “fully started” when he will
your dog is so good that he powered through go over and take hold on his own the first time
all of his opponents in school, then why beat you release him. (If your dog has to wait for
the hell out of him and take away a successful the opponent to bite him first, then your dog
outing from his win record through a hard is not fully started and should not be game-
game-test? Instead, just put him in a cheap tested yet, he should still be in school.)
match and let that be his game test. This is
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Furthermore, your dog should also be at least 3
years old before you give him a serious game test.
A rare few dogs take even longer to be fully-
mature.
BIOLOGICAL FACT:
Dogs reach “sexual” maturity between the
ages of 8 months to 18 months ... but dogs
do not reach full “social” maturity or their
physical PRIME until they are 2.5 years to
4 years of age! If you are a dogman worth
your salt, you will pay attention to this fact,
and you will let Nature work *for* your dog,
not against your dog, and you will do this by
letting your dog mature-out fully before you
game test him ... making sure that your dog is
*both* fully-started and thoroughly-schooled
as well, before you subject him to a final
examination. This is only fair!
If your dog has been properly schooled, so he
knows what to do against a wide variety of
styles ... and he is fully started and ready to
take on all comers ... and he is fully-mature
and in his physical prime, THEN comes the
time for you to select an opponent that is a
proven good dog, and perhaps a pound or two
heavier than your dog, for his final game test.
Make sure that your dog is lean and healthy
(but do not condition him, as you want to also
check his natural air) in this test. You also
want him parasite free before you put him
through the rigors of a serious game test.
Now is the time where you finally let things
go the distance, and you may now pass
judgment on your dog’s true quality. You have
brought him up right, fed him right, socialized
him right, schooled him right, and you have
let him mature out. You have done everything
you can to ensure his success ... and now it’s
on him. Now, you get to look at his overall
ability throughout the long haul, his natural
air, his intelligence and adaptability to each
situation, how he acts in the corner and
scratches, his desire to finish if things go his
way – and his deep gameness if they don’t.
After the smoke clears, you can happily breed
the dog, show the dog – or get rid of the dog
– but don’t ever game test the dog again. The
123
reason I say don’t test your dog ever again
is I have seen many people game test a dog
once, and then they second-guess the test a
month or so later. “I’m not sure I tested him
hard enough,” they think to themselves. What
this means is the dog’s owner lacks confidence
in his own judgment, and in reality he is just
scared to hunt with the dog – or to declare
him game – so he tests the animal again.
Such people basically are afraid to be wrong
in their judgement in front of their peers, so
they test their dogs over and over again “just
to be sure.”
Understand that there is no amount of game
testing which will assure you that your dog
won’t quit the next time up. Nor will there be
any game test that will assure you of a victory
when you hunt with the dog. That’s why we call
it gambling. Even such great dogs as GR CH
Sandman and GR CH Texas both quit and
lost when they faced the right dogs. Does this
mean that Texas and Sandman really were
not very good dogs? No, they were great dogs –
they were just taken to the well one too many
times. If being a multi-winner in the hands of
excellent dogmen cannot guarantee your dog
of victory, or not quitting on some fateful day,
then being “multi-game-tested” won’t either.
What it will guarantee you is that you have
taken additional hunts out of your dog, since
a real game test is tougher on a dog than most
hunting forrays. This is because, in a hunt,
your dog IS conditioned and so can handle the
long haul better. In a game test, he is NOT
conditioned, so going the distance will be
tougher on his will and system.
Therefore, as I said, school your dog first - and
let him mature out – and then (if you like what
you’ve seen so far) it is time for a game test.
Or go for a cheap hunt if he’s talented, and
let THAT be his test. Whatever you do, just
don’t continually game test your dog out of
your own lack of gameness in not being able
to decide whether or not you like what you’ve
seen. This is the bottom line I have noticed in
nearly all dogmen who game test their dogs
several times – they’re too chickenshit just
to make a decision on whether or not a dog
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 124

is game. And in testing their dog repeatedly, will be able to SEE whether he is truly game
what they don’t realize is that each time they or not in the shortest amount of time by the
beat their dog up in a game test, they decrease subtle signs he gives off. The less experienced
its chances of winning a hunt by putting you are, and/or the lousier your ability to spot
unnecessary trauma on the animal … and so gameness is, the more you will just sit there
they throw a potential win out the window. and have to let him keep scratching … until he
Every game test, or hunt, for a bulldog is can’t or won’t go. People who do this basically
about like 20 to 30 fights for a human boxer, are complete failures as dogmen. The have
which is why a 3x winner is considered to no eye for a dog, so they can only state the
be a Champion, and a 5x winner a Grand obvious, that any fool can see, and that’s if a
Champion. To be able to win just one hunt dog comes (or not) when he’s at death’s door.
is an accomplishment for a dog, and to win The result of taking things this far will be the
3 or 5 times is something special. So don’t same in either case – whether he crawls or
take unnecessary wins out of your dog by doesn’t go – and that is A DEAD DOG – so
repeatedly game-testing it. Understand what what difference does it make at this point? You
a game test is for. It’s just to get an IDEA. just lost the sonofabitch!!! A good dogman can
An idea of what your dog is made of – not a SEE whether the dog would stand or come
guarantee. There are no guarantees in this long before he is actually at death’s door, by
sport. HOW THE DOG ACTS when he’s hurt,
losing, and tired – close to but long before –
What you are trying to do in a game test he’s actually at death’s door. A good dogman
is you basically are trying to bring a dog to understands that there “is” a possibility that
a point where there is some threat to the his judgment “may” be wrong by stopping
animal’s life, and you are trying to see how things short of “The Point of No Return” --
he handles it by his attitude. Does he want but he also understands that “possibly being
to keep going? Is he thinking about quitting? wrong” is FAR preferable to killing a truly
You have to put a certain amount of trauma on dead game dog by making him crawl five
the dog … in the form of dominance, fatigue, times, and actually making him prove he’s
and punishment … in order to figure this out. dead game, and lose the priceless dog in the
However, you must exercise good judgment process! Therefore, a good dogman wants to
and not let your dog actually lose his life or see how his dog handles adversity, but is not
sustain permanent injury. A dead dog cannot an idiot or a fanatic in overdoing it.
be hunted, it cannot be bred, and most people
would be uninterested in purchasing a dead To evaluate your dog in this way, you need
dog – so only a fool would take a dog to the to select the proper opponent for him, one
point of no return in a game test, for this will
which is probably a pound or two heavier, and
accomplish nothing, except to prove what an a proven good dog. If you know what you are
idiot his owner is. Crippling your dog in hisdoing, you do NOT have to use two (or more)
game test isn’t much better, so don’t be stupid
dogs to game test your dog. Using two dogs
and do either of these things to your dogs. is far too risky for your dog’s safety, as (if they
Nonetheless, you DO want to bring about are both good dogs going against him), your
conditions in a game test that come just close
dog’s chances of death or irreparable injury are
enough to make you start to worry that your great. [If they are not good dogs, then why use
dog’s life might be in danger. It is precisely at
them?] Using two dogs in a game test only
the point you begin to worry about your dog’sproves that the dog’s owner doesn’t have a
life that you should stop the contest and seegood eye for what he’s looking for, nor good
how he acts. judgment as a manager in looking out for his
hunter’s best interests. You are trying to test
The more experienced you are, and/or the your dog’s gameness, reasonably and safely;
better your eye for a good dog, the more you you are not trying to break his bones or take
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
his life. If you take too much out of your dog,
by putting dog after dog on him, or by putting
him too far uphill in weight, you will either
kill your dog or get him injured so badly that
he will be rendered useless as a hunting dog
and will have to live out the rest of his life as
a cripple, thanks to your stupid management
of him.
Using more than one dog in a game test also
introduces a variable that your dog WON’T
have to face in a hunt, and that is multiple
opponents. Some dogs that may be dead
game to one dog, will get confused and quit
to several dogs in a row. Therefore, since they
don’t have to do this for real in a hunt, they
shouldn’t be judged under these conditions in
a test. Very simple! If your dog is so good that
it takes more than one dog to look at him … or
that you have to search for a giant dog for him
… then forget about testing him and just hook
him instead! Anyway, here are some things
you want to look for in his test:
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Some of the signs to look for in a game dog
are:
1. Top or bottom, winning or losing, does your
dog stay in holds? To me, one of the surest
signs of gameness (or lack thereof) is whether
or not the dog is a holding dog (or not). If your
dog is always in there with a hold somewhere,
no matter how tough it is for him, the chances
are he’s a game one because he’s still trying
to win. But if your dog goes down and he let’s
go and starts to panic, and he seems more
preoccupied with getting up than he is with
doing his job, the chances are he’s a quitter.
2. Does your dog have a confident expression
on his face; in other words, does he look like
he’s enjoying what he’s doing? No matter
what’s happening, your dog should always be
intense and think he’s winning. If your dog’s
eyes start to wander, or if he turns away from
his opponent at some point, loses intensity,
and/or starts hollering in pain, the chances
are he’s thinking about doing something else.
You should be able to tell what you’re dog is
125
thinking, if you have a good eye for a dog!
3. Is your dog’s tail up and wagging, or is it
dropped and limp? You should hope that it’s
arched over his back (and/or wagging) or you
are probably the owner of a cur.
4. Does he struggle in the corner to get back
to his opponent, or does he just stand there
content that he’s been given a break? A good
dog is upset that the action was stopped and
wants nothing more than to return to it – and
he’ll let you know it by the way he acts in the
corner. But if your dog is in the corner, and
does nothing but stand there looking up at
you, the chances are it’s OK with him that
you stopped things for awhile – which is not
what you’re looking for.
5. When he’s tired and is turned back around
to face the other dog, does he hold his head
UP and look down at his opponent – or does
he hold his head DOWN and look up at his
opponent? A tired dog that lifts his head UP
generally is getting whipped by fatigue and
is concentrating on his breathing – and is
therefore sure to quit to fatigue eventually. By
contrast, the tired dog that lowers his head
and raises his eyes up at the dog is suppressing
fatigue and is maintaining focus on the
opponent – which is what you want.
6. Finally, how does your dog scratch? I realize
that some very good dogs happen to be slow
scratchers, but generally you want a dog that
scratches HARD. Some hard scratchers
have bashed their heads against the boards
(in missing their ducking opponents) enough
times where they adjust their style. They’ll
tippy-toe half way (making sure that their
opponent isn’t going anywhere), and then
they’ll rocket across and really blast their
opponent. Whatever the case, not only is
hard scratching a very good indicator of a
dog’s gameness, but it can actually stop
the opponent’s dog when things get in the
trenches. How would you like to be in a knock-
down, drag-out fight with someone for an hour
and still have your opponent screaming and
struggling to get back at you, like nothing’s
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
ever happened? Well, if your dog’s opponent
has any cur in him, your dog’s hard scratches
tell him, “NOTHING YOU DO HAS
ANY EFFECT ON ME!” Hard scratches
have stopped many an opponent!
7. The bottom line is I look for is a pacer, a
dog that does NOT let it all hang out in
the beginning, but does just enough to stay
ahead – saving part of himself for the finish.
I am not impressed with dogs that shoot
their load right away. If they have a horrible
mouth, they can get away with it (usually),
but all things being equal I want a dog to pace
himself. This does not mean a lazy dog that
puts out no effort at all; quite the contrary.
But the dog should definitely build momentum
as the hunt continues. He knows what he’s
doing, he sticks to a good (but not ridiculous)
pace ... and he picks it up, just a notch, every
time his opponent dips down, just a notch.
He does not just go apeshit from the get-go.
Just as in human fighters, a good combat dog
does NOT barnstorm, only inexperienced
dogs and/or fight-crazy curs do. By contrast,
the gradual, steady increase of pressure and the
steady effort to slowly, but surely, pull ahead is
a sure sign of a quality game dog. On the other
hand, the steady decline of desire and effort is
the sure sign of a cur. THESE TWO SENTENCES
FORM THE CRUX OF HOW TO JUDGE A DOG
GAME OR CUR, SIMPLY BY HOW THEY FIGHT.
Are they building and building to a crescendo
of destruction … or did they start out wide-
open, and have they given it all they’ve got,
and are they now starting to decline in their
efforts? You can spot the cur in a dog, or the
quality of a dog, by answering these simple
questions as you watch things unfold, with or
without turns, hollering, or any other “sign.”
Diminishing effort, not hollering, turning, or
fuzzing up at the tail, is the true sign of a cur.
You don’t even have to let it go all the way to
see these things! I guess it’s kind of a knack,
but it is better to be aware of what to look
for in a dog, than not to be aware and just
beat them up until the last breath of life is
in them and then see if they’ll scratch. This
is the fool’s way to test dogs – it takes way
126
too much out of them. Instead, watch HOW
they fight and you will answer all of your
questions by watching the degree to which
they do, or do not, follow these guidelines.
Things like wrestling ability, air, and mouth,
are the easiest things in the world to judge in
a dog. They either dominate the dog, or they
don’t. They either tire quickly or they don’t.
They either hurt the dog quickly, or they don’t.
But gameness and true quality are determined
by how they fight. So remember, the steady
attempt to increase pressure and the steady effort
to pull ahead, when the time is right, is the sign
of a quality game dog. By contrast, the steady
decline of desire and effort is the sure sign of a cur.
These two sentences, if you remember them,
will give you the eye to spot a game dog or
a cur, long before a dog either stands or dies
game. The object is to determine these things
as quickly as possible, with the least trauma
to the animal. Then add to your equation
whether or not they can breath, wrestle, and
bite, and you will answer for yourself whether
you have an ace, a matchable dog, just a game
brood dog … or a cull.
All right, as a recap, remember that only after
you have schooled your dog properly, and after
he is fully-started, and fully mature, should
you game test your dog – and do that only
once. If your dog passes your game test, then
either show the dog, or breed to the dog, or get
rid of the dog, but don’t deliberately put him
through the rigors of a game test again. Doing
this will save your dog’s best efforts for the
hunt, and it will keep him in there longer if
things do go the distance for real. It will also
decrease the chances of permanent injury so
he doesn’t have to live out the rest of his life
as a cripple. If you insist on game-testing your
dog several times, and he follows this with a
long hard match – look for the fat lady to sing
eventually if you keep this kind of thing up.
You must always keep in mind the medical
evidence proven by Pavlov: dogs form simple
associations in their thinking. If you stretch
your dog out too hard, and/or too many times
in a row (without breaking up the pattern
with short, easy ones), the chances are very,
very high that you are taking steps toward
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
ruining your dog because he will begin to
associate the pleasantness of fighting contact
with the unpleasantness of horrid exhaustion/
punishment. For instance, you may love ice
cream, but if you are forced to eat 10 buckets of
it every time you sit down to eat it, and if you
do this often enough, you just might lose your
taste for ice cream after a while. Get my drift?
Therefore, don’t ruin your dog’s love of battle
by repeatedly stretching him out and beating
him up, and you will go a long way toward
keeping him in there if things do happen to go
the distance for real in a match. Believe it!
FINAL TIP:
In this regard, if you game test your dog prior
to hunting with him (or if you’ve hunted your
dog and he got stretched out hard his last time
out), and you want to avoid your dog forming
this negative association of hunting action
and exhaustion/punishment), here’s how to
counter-act this: Wait several months for your
dog to recover, and then give him a light bump
for 5 minutes against a dog he can easily handle –
and then do it again a month later. Once again,
the reason to do this is you do not want your
dog to associate hunting with horrid exhaustion,
because that more than anything else will ruin
a dog. Breaking up a grueling ordeal with a
couple of easy ones is they only way to avoid
your dog forming this association.
To those “hard core” dog men out there who
think I am being too soft on a dog and that this
is babying a dog too much, which will result in
curs escaping “true testing” – I say bullshit.
My dogs have an 86% win record, and a 93%
win-or-lose-game ratio, against some of the
best kennels in the country, and they have
performed at this level for over 16 years. Many
of my dogs have proven to be as game as any
dogs that have ever lived, literally crawling for
more at well over the 2 and 3 hour mark. So my
methods work!
Still, there are Laws of Nature, and basic
principles that occur, and so I don’t care how
game a dog has shown in the past, any dog
can be stopped if you really want to stop it. If
you doubt me then try this test: set your dog
127
down for 40 minutes with a huge opponent. If
he lives, then set him down the next day with
another opponent for :40, and (if he makes
it passed this) repeat this test, again and
again, 40 minutes against a different monster
every damned day of his life, and believe me,
he’ll quit! Naturally, no one would be stupid
enough to test their dogs this hard, because
it’s unfair to the animal, and no bloodline
or individual dog could pass this severe a
testing process, so I think I’ve made my point.
Therefore, don’t get all high and mighty about
how “game” any dog is – they’ll all quit if you
test them hard enough – or often enough – I
don’t care what he’s shown in the past.
The point of this article is many dogs that
have quit and been put down would NOT
have quit had they been brought along
properly. Your job as his friend, manager,
and owner is to try NOT to have him quit
by managing your athlete properly, and this
schooling and game-testing process I have
outlined will help your dog along in this
regard. If he quits anyway, then you know it
was HE, and not YOU, who was the weak
link on your TEAM. Too many times it is the
OWNER who is the weak link by expecting
the dog to do everything … and yet it’s THE
DOG who gets the bullet if the team fails.
In truth it should be the other way around
and the owner is the one who deserves to be
planted. The dog has the much tougher job on
this team, so if the owner can’t do his job and
help his dog then he should be culled. The key
to success, therefore, on this team lies first in
the owner’s competence and then is decided
by the dog. When you first do your part, by
remembering schooling a dog is just that:
schooling, you are well on your way to success.
Again, you school your dog for only two
reasons: 1) to develop his skills and his style,
and 2) to develop his confidence. Schooling is
something totally different from game-testing.
Once you have thoroughly schooled your dog,
and he is fully mature, then you game test
your dog (or hook him). After his test, or if
he gets exhausted after any hunt, remember
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 128

to bump him for a short period a month later

against an easy opponent – and then do it
again a month after that. This will prevent
your dog from forming the NEGATIVE
ASSOCIATION of extreme exhaustion
and the hunt – and will thus go a long way
towards keeping him in there when he finds
himself in the trenches when the money is on
the line the next time.

Believe it!
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 129

THE

60-DAY
NATURAL

KEEP
~ BY CALIFORNIA JACK
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 130

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
♦ 10’ Lead
♦ Conditioning Harness + Tracers
[O’Brien’s Supply; (434-568-3148)]
♦ Jenny/SlatMill
♦ Flirtpole
♦ SpringPole
♦ Dog Booties
♦ Postal Scale (Staples or Office Depot)
♦ Hanging Scale [Chatillon Scales Model # IN-60 (http://www.chatillon-scales.com/)]
♦ Test-P (25 lbs) [Apex Scales (http://www.apexscales.com/)]
♦ Test-P (50 lbs) [Apex Scales (http://www.apexscales.com/)]
♦ Microwave Oven

SUPPLEMENTS NEEDED:
♦ VERTEX /POWER CHOW
(http://www.naturmix.com/)
♦ Fastrack Probiotic (http://www.naturmix.com/)
♦ K-EASE (www.thomasveterinarydrug.com)
♦ Bee Pollen (http://www.beepollen.com/)
♦ Gingko Biloba (www.bodybuilding.com)
♦ Gucosamine/Chondroitin (www.bodybuilding.com)
♦ Organic Germanium
(http://www.vitaminexpress.com/)
♦ Coenzyme Q-10 (www.bodybuilding.com)
♦ L-Inosine (www.bodybuilding.com)
♦ L-Carnitine (www.bodybuilding.com)
♦ Tribulus Terrestrus (www.bodybuilding.com)
♦ Atlantic Salmon Oil / Wheat Germ Oil
(http://www.naturmix.com & www.bodybuilding.com)

FEED NEEDED:
♦ Nature’s Variety Raw-Frozen Diet
(www.naturesvariety.com)
• Beef
• Chicken
♦ Cheddar Cheese
♦ Collard Greens
♦ Kale Greens
♦ Mustard Greens
♦ Turnip Greens
♦ Baby Spinach
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
The art of CONDITIONING is the great
buzzword that abounds in the dog game.
Bloodlines and conditioning programs – along
with the results of actual hunts – are about all
dog men ever talk about. I have been exposed
to a wide array of conditioning programs over
the last decade and a half of my involvement
in these dogs. If you’re new to this, you must
keep in mind that these hog hunts make
human fights appear laughable so great is
the difference in ability, stamina, and courage
in the dogs. There are never time limits. It’s
all or nothing from the word go. The art of
conditioning, therefore, is one of the, if not
THE, most important of aspects of the dog
game (other than having a good dog). Still,
there are too many instances to count where
one dog has defeated a superior dog because
his owner was the superior conditioner – and
the otherwise better dog fell apart through
lack of proper conditioning as the hunt wore
on. I have been on both ends of this equation
and am still learning and always try to keep
an open mind to something new. Most
experienced dog men can tell whether a dog
is in superb condition or not just by looking at
him and the way he moves – and it has nothing
to do with muscles, either. There is a glow, a
vitality, and movement like quicksilver of a
properly-conditioned dog that cannot escape
an educated eye.
As with human conditioning, there is a great
disparity of belief as to “how” to condition a
hunting dog. Pulling weights vs. free running
... carpet mills vs. slat mills vs. electric mills,
etc. ... the ideologies differ vastly as to how to
bring one in “right.” The best conditioners (i.e.,
the ones with a proven track record of success
over the very best dogs in the country) believe
it depends on the dog how you condition it. For
instance, if you have a “shotgun dog” (that
is, a “Mike Tyson” that is extremely strong,
hard mouthed, and comes out like a bat out of
Hell), you do a lot of explosive work, heavy
windsprints pulling weight, followed by rest
intervals, followed by windsprints, flirt-
poling, etc. Basically, you want to increase
your dog’s ability to devastate in short order,
by increasing the amount of time he can sustain
131
a ballistic attack without tiring, because that
is his style. And there are various exercises to
increase explosiveness. However, if you are a
smart conditioner, you also want to train him
for the distance ... just in case he doesn’t blow
through Ol’ Rover as fast as you had hoped.
By contrast, suppose you had to face a really
fierce dog with a skin-pinching, defensive,
ear dog? You would definitely train this boy
to go the distance. You would have him go
for long distance runs on a jenny, and you
would also windsprint train him – and you
would also springpole him. (A springpole is
a device where you hang a garage-door spring
from a stand w/ a hide attached to it, which
your dog latches onto and shakes like crazy.
The springpole should be placed high enough
so that your dog’s front feet are just barely
skimming the ground while he’s clamped
onto the hide – while his back feet are firmly
planted on the ground, so he’s “standing”).
What this does is, while your dog’s working
the hide like crazy, he’s getting used to biting
something, shaking it up and exercising, all
the while something’s in his mouth. The reason
for this is he’s going to have to be holding out
Mike Tyson who’s going to be barreling after
him. The ear dog is going to have to get used
to panting (which typically requires his mouth
be open) out of the sides of his mouth WITH
IT STILL SHUT – clamped on Mike Tyson’s
ear (or nose or face), to hold him out while he’s
charging – without ever letting go. Thus you
train this “holding dog” to go the distance,
and you do this w/ incredibly long runs and a
springpole. The ear dog has got to be able to
go the distance, without letting go once!
While he’s going the distance, the defensive
dog cannot afford to let go of Mike Tyson to
catch a breath, otherwise Mike will get into
his vitals and do serious damage. Therefore
the defensive dog has to be trained to hold on
throughout the onslaught, even when he’s tired,
panting out of the sides of his mouth, NOT
with an open mouth. Meanwhile, Mike
Tyson is being trained to be explosive and get
through Rover’s defense to seriously injure
him and get his owner to pick him up.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 132

Nonetheless, each kind of dog **also** is called) Periodization Training. That is,
has to be trained in the other’s specialty. have super hard activities of all-out activity:
The shotgun dog has to be prepared by his hardcore windsprints, weightpulls, flirtpoles,
conditioner to go the distance, in case he etc. – while you also train for endurance
can’t power through Ol’ Rover, and the ear – with little rest. Basically, you try to increase
dog has to have some strength trained into the amount of time a dog can go all out as he
him to be able match up to, and hold out, the progresses, daily and weekly, while keeping
charging powerhouse Mike Tyson. Usually, his intermittent rest periods constant or even
either the shotgun dog winds up powering shorter in duration. You follow this work with
his way through his foe – or Ol’ Rover takes moderate, prolonged, but still fairly-well-
poor Mike Tyson into deep water and drowns paced activity, with fewer rest periods but
him, finishing the job once poor Mike isn’t longer sessions – at a still-tough but lessened
so strong anymore. A great conditioner can pace. You try to increase the duration of these
make a shotgun dog “barnstorm” all night sessions, too, as the keep progresses. You
long ... or turn a skin pinching ear dog into an follow this work with light work – ending on
impenetrable, defensive powerhouse. Such is the springpole where the dog is just “hanging
the recipe for a classic “styles” contest in the on.” If you choose, you can follow this with
dogs ... a long walk to “give ‘em a leg to stand on”
in case things go for hours. However, I don’t
Getting back to conditioning, the best really believe this is necessary.
conditioners train their dogs according to their
styles, yes, but they also train their charges All aspects – the heavy explosive work, the
at ALL levels. My dogs happen to be of the moderate (but still tough) exertion, and the
“Holyfield,” “Ali,” “Hagler,” and “Chavez” low energy, long-term stamina routine – are
variety – they’re not skin-pinchers, nor do increased in intensity as the conditioning
they end things in one bite. But they can, and period (called a “keep”) progresses week-by-
do, hurt the other one with an accumulation week ... both in intensity & duration of each
of punishment. They’re deep game, durable as workout … while keeping rest days constant.
hell, athletic, and they have incredible natural This is where you adapt the keep to your
air. Now natural air is great, but it is NOT dog’s style: if he’s a barnstormer, concentrate
the same thing as muscular condition. I have on the explosive work; if he’s a “Holyfield”
seen dogs not be winded before ... but watched concentrate on the stamina and the ability to
their wobbly legs tell the tale of insufficient be strong for the long haul.
muscular condition. This is what happened
to Poncho when he lost to CH Leonard. Yet you’re still training your charge at all
He never got tired, but he was too lean and levels, because a hog hunt encompasses all
his muscular strength wore out to the well- levels. It starts out hard, it slows down a bit
conditioned Leonard. That loss taught me after awhile (but is still intense), then it drops
a lot, and that was over 10 years ago. I have off again to a steady and intermittant pace
since learned an incredible amount about how ... and finally it peters out and slows down
to condition a dog correctly, the main theme of considerably to a “hang-on” contest (if it even
which is being offered here to you, the reader. goes that far). Therefore, you need to train
The bottom line most conditioners try to your dog to excel at all stages of the hunt,
achieve (regardless if they have a shotgun dog, preferably maxing out the amount of time he
a skin-pincher – or a dog somewhere in the can perform at the first two and most intense
middle like mine tend to be) is BALANCE. levels. [Realistically, most of the hunt will be
To make sure all potential levels of hunting fought at the moderate level, which is why
intensity are trained for, you have to simulate you generally load up on this level in training.
them as best you can in training. To do this, But again, you might want to load up on hard
you need to implement some sort of (what work, or hang-on work) depending on your
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
dog’s style.] In any event, you definitely want
to train your dog at all intensity levels in some
capacity. Some really serious conditioners
work their dogs out twice a day, morning and
evening, and also feed their dogs twice a day
(an hour after each workout) on this method. I
recommend working a dog once a day, however,
at the time of the designated event; however, I
do recommend feeding twice a day.
Here’s an example of how a well-rounded
conditioning regimen should look:
OVERVIEW
Take heart in the fact that this is the most
successful keep ever written, with an 87-6
(94%) win record so far. Take heart in the fact I
have researched dog contests more extensively
than anyone else has ever thought about doing
in the past. How so? Well, I have recorded the
contest times of thousands of deals, I have
crunched the numbers, and I have discovered
a few critical facts about what these dogs do:
Fact #1: 75% of all contests are decided in :
45 or less; Fact #2: 92% of all contests are
decided in 1:20 or less; and Fact #3: 98% of all
contests are decided in 2:00 or less.
What do these facts mean? These facts mean
that most of these guys who train their dogs
for 4-6 hours in their keeps are WASTING
THEIR TIME and they are HURTING
THEIR DOGS, not helping them. Why on
earth would anyone train their dog for 5 hours,
when the odds are 75% that the contest will
only be :45 and 98% that it will only be 2 hours
or less? I mean, why?! People who do this
just aren’t thinking. They plainly and simply
really haven’t sat down and thought about it,
and really crunched the numbers like I have, to
come up with the most effective conditioning
regimen DESIGNED AROUND THE
PARAMETERS OF THE ACTUAL
CONTEST. And hell, even if your dog
**does** happen to go in one of them-thar
3:00 contests, his chances are still better of
winning it if you haven’t repeatedly over-
trained his ass in the gym! He has a much
better chance of winning a super-long one if
he comes in strong, fresh, and right ... than he
does weak, over-trained, and exhausted.
133
So not only have I designed the actual work of
this keep to best mirror the actual cadence of a
dog contest, but I also have designed the times
and the sequence of each exercise to mirror the
actual duration of a dog contest. In this way,
you will see that this keep follows #3 of THE 5
KEYS TO SUCCESS, which is “Understanding
Your Dog’s Job,” and you will also see that
most of these other keeps are NOT based
upon an understanding of the dog’s job.
Anyway, in preparation for this keep, the first
thing you should do is make sure your dog
starts it at only 2-3 lbs over his show weight
and in perfect health. This keep is NOT for a
fat dog but for a lean, healthy, fit dog. The next
thing you need to do is worm your dog out with
Pyrantel Pamoate, Fenbendazole, Praziquantel,
and Ivermectin a week before you begin Day
1. You can find out more about these wormers
in my “Saving Money” chapter, but you need
to worm the hell out of your dog a week before
you commence his exercises.
Next, you should also get a full CBC
(Complete Blood Count) blood profile on
your dog at the vet, again a week before Day
1. Your dog’s hematocrit (HCT) should be at
least 40 (normal is 36-45). This test will also
evaluate several important body functions,
and you need to review each of them with
your vet. Any abnormal signs that have
to do with kidney function, liver function,
thyroid function, blood count, etc., should be
addressed to your vet and corrected before Day
1 occurs. If this means it will take your dog
6 weeks before he is healthy, then you need
to put off the keep for 6 weeks and get him
healthy first.
Assuming you have a lean, fit, healthy dog,
that’s been wormed-out and who has come
back with a good blood profile, you now want
to get your athlete on a strict schedule. You
want to feed him at the same time every day,
and you want to work him at the same time
every day. Period. A dog forms his security and
his confidence through regularity and being able to
depend on you, without question, so your ability
and commitment to the schedule is paramount.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
This will prime him.
As for the work, be flexible. This keep is a
general framework, not a bible. Not every
dog will work every conditioning devise. If
your dog refuses to work one of the prescribed
exercises, then try to figure out a reasonably-
close substitute for that exercise. Nothing
is set in stone, including the duration a
dog should work. The following is just a
framework, not a law. Some dogs won’t
be able to handle the load of this keep and
they won’t develop as fast in building their
stamina, while for others the work won’t be
enough. Adjust this keep accordingly, based on
your dog. Each dog is unique and has unique
requirements, and you can still capture the
intent and scope of this keep, while making
minor individual adjustments.
Also, each dog has a unique style, and you
should also adjust this keep to suit your
dog’s style. If your dog is a hard-coming
barnstormer, then you might want to devote
more time to Weight-Pulling and Flirtpoling,
and less time to the Jenny and SpringPole. If
your dog is a longwinded, tricky stylist, you
might want to devote more time to Flirtpoling,
the Jenny, and the SpringPole, and less time to
the Weight Pull. Adjust this schedule to your
dog, don’t force him into a box. Really analyze
your dog’s style and then adjust this keep to
fit your dog, rather than trying to force your
dog to fit this keep.
The basic exercises are laid out for a reason,
however, and if you analyze it you will see they
are arranged in the order that events actually
unfold in a hunt. Normally a lot of strength
is burned out of the gate, so to simulate this
in training it is necessary to use a strength
exercise first in the keep, which is why we
begin (after the handwalk to empty) with
WEIGHT PULLING. A dog needs to be strong
out of the gate. Next we do FLIRTPOLING,
because a lot of balance, moves, and speed are
also requited out of the gate, and flirtpoling
addresses this better than any other kind of
exercise. From there we move to a JENNY (or a
MILL) because a contest usually starts to slow
134
down a bit, after the strength is gone and the
fancy footwork is used up, and then simple
staying power and steady stamina come into
play, which the jenny mimics perfectly. And,
finally, we move to the SPRINGPOLE where a
dog has to learn to keep his mouth shut, and
continue to work, even while he is totally
exhausted – and this is exactly what he is
doing on the springpole – he is working hard,
after being totally exhasted, with something in
his mouth.
There is a method to this madness, but again
you can tweak it to fit your own dog’s unique
individual style.
A QUICK NOTE:
A Jenny is preferred over a slatmill, as it is
more natural. If you don’t have a Jenny, then
roadwork on an ATC 4-wheeler would be a
great substitute and is every bit as good as
a jenny. Only use a slatmill if you have no
other choice. Also, if you live in the city, and
can’t find a park to weightpull your dog, a
hard-turning carpet mill can substitute for
the weight pull. A carpet mill and a slatmill
are NOT the same and they do NOT do the
same things. The carpet mill is a substitute
for weight pull, and a slatmill is a substitute
for running (or the jenny), so remember that!
But still, you should try to get a jenny and
you should try to find a place where you can
weightpull, because they are superior to a
slatmill or carpetmill.
WEIGHTPULL:
When you weightpull your animal, it is best to
have two people helping condition, one behind
the dog in control of him, and the other ahead
of the dog baiting him with a hide. The person
in front tries to get the dog to pull and run as
hard as he can after the bait, for as long as he
can, dragging the weight until he peters out.
The other person behind the dog is in control
of him with his leash. When the dog fades, the
person in front may slow down to let the dog
catch his breath, while the person behind the
dog may drop off some of the weight. Still, the
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
dog should always keep walking forward at all
times. When the dog’s breathing stops being
so labored, and goes back to just average
panting, then the conditioners will try again
to get the dog coming on strong and running
hard again, with the rear man adding weight
back on to the harness, while the front man
keeps on baiting the dog. This is trying to
develop a SECOND WIND in the dog. The
conditioners keep doing this until the pulling
workout is complete. Again, you want to (a)
INcrease the amount of time it takes for the
dog to blow hot, and then (b) DEcrease the
amount of time it takes for the dog to recover
from exhaustion, and as the days and weeks
wear on the conditioners want to (c) increase
the amount of weight he is able to pull all the
while.
Have a stopwatch handy and jot down these
times and weights in your journal, so you know
how your dog is progressing. Keeping a daily
journal of ALL the dog’s activities, energy
levels, and performance times is absolutely
critical to a successful keep and to guiding
your dog to peak condition.
You start the dog off on his pre-keep pulling
one quarter his bodyweight just to tone his
muscles and to prepare him for the harder
work ahead. By the time the true keep begins,
the dog should be fairly solid, and to the
point he is pulling about half his own full
bodyweight. As the keep progresses, you will
gradually increase the weight until your dog
can comfortably pull his own full bodyweight
– or more. After all, he will have to be pushing
against something his own full bodyweight in
the show, won’t he? So you have to prepare
him for this and mimic this with a legitimate
weight resistance regimen ... and this is
especially important if you have a hard-driving
body dog as an entry! When the keep gets to the
point where the dog is pulling greater than his
own weight (if he can), you will likely have to
pyramid him up to that point in the beginning
of a workout (so he doesn’t pull a muscle while
cold), and then you will eventually have to
pyramid him down by pulling weight off (so
he is able to complete the workout duration).
135
No dog will be able to go too long pulling a
ton of dead weight, but the idea is to give him
superb muscular endurance, for the long haul,
not to make him into a powerlifter, so ease up
if you have to.
Using lengths of heavy chain is a good way
to allow for this kind of flexibility. If you have
4 lengths of chain, each weighing 10 lbs, that
should be sufficient. The man behind the dog
can clip more 10-lb lengths onto the harness,
when needed, or unclip lengths when needed,
based on the dog’s state at the time. The man
with the bait can help slow the dog down
for these adjustments. You may, or may not,
want to use booties for your dog’s feet during
weightpull workout, depending on what kind
of surface your dog is pulling on. Start the
dog off light, pyramid up to a summit, and
then gradually pyramid him back down to a
manageable weight again as he grows more
and more tired. But keep him pulling as much
as he can handle fairly comfortably at all
times. The dog should NOT over-burdened
with weight to the point he is straining and
struggling just to move; he should always be
moving forward almost fast enough to catch the
man who is baiting him, but not quite. Again,
the idea is to give him muscular endurance,
**not** to try to see how much weight he can
pull. A carpetmill would be a substitute for
Weight Pulling.
FLIRT POLE:
When you flirtpole your dog, you are trying to
get him to run all-out, as well as trying to get
him to change directions continually. You are
trying to stimulate fast-twitch muscle use, as
well as to develop the balance muscles that
simple linear running can’t duplicate. This
is why flirtpoling is so much better than a
mill. At the same time, the dog learns eye-to-
mouth coordination and timing. The flirtpole
can be one of the best conditioning aids of
all, and if I had only one device to choose
from THE FLIRTPOLE WOULD BE IT.
In my opinion, no other workout develops so
many different traits as the flirtpole: strength,
speed, coordination, stamina, reflexes,
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
balance, and you can even use it for bite work.
Do not underestimate the power of a simple
flirtpole!(Especially if you do it with a dog
pulling a little bit of weight attached to his
harness.)
What’s more, you can make a flirtpole for dirt
cheap. Just go to any hardware store and buy a
10-ft. long, 1” thick plastic PVC pipe. Drill a
small hole about 2 in. from one end of the pipe
all the way through. Take a 1 ft. long piece of
parachute rope and put one end through the
hole and tie it securely to the pipe, wrapping it
around several times. You should have maybe
6 in. still dangling from the pipe. Now take
a 1 ft. long piece of rubber (not cloth) bungee
chord and tie one end to the parachute rope.
To the free end of the bungee chord attach
another small piece of parachute rope and
then attach a hide onto that last rope by tying
another knot. Simple! (You can also buy them
from various vendors.) A flirtpole should have
negative resistance. That is what the bungee
chord is for – when a dog happens to grab the
hide, the bungee gives negative resistance.
This does two things: (1) it allows the dog to
tug against the pull of both pole and bungee
for strength work, and (2) when the hide slips
out of his mouth, the negative pull of the
bungee whisks the hide quickly out of reach,
so you can begin the chase again.
When you work the dog, keep the pole close to
the ground, and change directions constantly.
Let the dog build up a good momentum, and
then switch directions, again, and again, and
again. Slow it down when he runs hot, and as
soon as his breathing gets back under control,
speed it up again. Again, this is build-up
his second wind. Repeat until the workout
is concluded. Playing “fetch” would be a
substitute for the flirtpole.
JENNY:
A jenny is another name for a catmill. They
call them “catmills” because you can put a cat
in a cage as bait for a dog to chase, however
this is considered cruel, and in any event it is
unnecessary, as hanging a simple hide as bait
136
is all you need. A jenny is basically a giant
metal pole-arm, about 20’-40’ in diameter,
set parallel to the ground about 4-5’ high,
supported on a central spinning axis. On
one end of the arm is another “T” arm, from
where you attach your dog’s collar on one side,
and on the other side of the “T” you dangle
the bait in front of the dog to get him to run.
At the opposite side of the giant arm is a
counterbalance to keep it level.
I am not going to go into the precise
construction of a jenny, because it is assumed
the reader knows what one is, but basically,
your dog chases the bait in front of him, round
and round, in a giant circle. Care is needed
to use a good running surface (like rice hulls
or soft dirt), and you must make the jenny so
that you can run the dog in one direction on
one day, and then in the opposite direction
on the next day. A jenny is a super piece of
equipment, and you can really put some air
and leg under a dog for the long haul with a
jenny … and you can also develop strength by
adding weight for the dog to pull during this
exercise. What you want to do is let your dog
go at full steam, for as long as possible, until
he has to break stride and trot. Let him trot
as long as it takes for him to collect himself,
and then have him go all-out again. Record
these times daily in your journal to monitor his
progress. As soon as he collects himself again,
encourage him to go all out again, until he
breaks stride again. Repeat this sequence,
until the workout is concluded – or until your
dog cannot go anymore or seems “spent” and
needs a break. Take him off and call it a day at
this point. Again, jot all times down in your
journal, and always keep in mind you’re trying
to develop a second wind in your dog, which is
critical.
If you have a dog that won’t run a jenny, but
only jogs next to a bike, or on a mill, then try
to mimic the same thing. Have him go all out,
until he seems too tired, and then let him trot
until he has recovered, and then have him go
all out again. Keep this up until the workout
is done, or until the dog can’t recover, which
means the workout is over. NEVER FORCE
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
YOUR DOG TO GO ON AND ON
WHEN HE IS TOTALLY EXHAUSTED!
If he can, he’ll start up again. If he can’t, then
right there the workout is OVER! It is better
to risk under-training your dog than it is to
risk over-training your dog. Again, jot down
all times so you can see how he is progressing.
Remember, a jenny is far superior to a mill.
Better surface, more realistic running, it is
just superior. However, a slatmill (or electric
mill), or running next to a bike or car would be
a substitute for the jenny.
SPRINGPOLE:
A springpole is a device with the intent to
strengthen a dog’s jaw power and grip, not
so much for biting power, but for muscular
endurance in his ability to keep his holds
when he’s tired, so he can keep working them.
A springpole is simply a small spring affixed
to a rafter, a contructed stand, or even a tree
branch, by a rope. From the other end of the
spring you tie either a hide, a length of fire
hose, or a thick rope (fire hose is preferred). In
fact, Obrien’s Supply has “Firehouse Tugs”
which are ideal for the springpole.
You want to construct your springpole in such
a way that when the dog has ahold of the
hide, he has his back feet firmly planted on
the ground, while his front feet are just barely
touching the ground. This is to simulate an
actual contest, when your dog has ahold of
an opponent’s ear and is slightly off balance.
Working a dog on a springpole in this way,
especially while tired, gets your dog used to being
able to stay in holds so he can still work, even
while he is tired and off balance. This can be
critically-important if your dog is facing a hard
biter and/or if you have a show that winds up
going the distance! Your dog should be able to
stay in holds, and stay in control, even while
tired ... because if he has to “fall-out” at some
point he is now vulnerable.
To train your dog to stay in holds while tired,
encourage him to be as active and aggressive
on the pole as possible, even though he
is probably dead-ass tired after all of the
137
previous work. That is the whole point!!! Take
a stick and touch his front legs, back legs, etc.
and see if he’ll try to cover up or move out of
the way. You are simply trying to simulate
the thought of defense on the part of the dog
while he works. If he gets too tired to work
anymore, then let him hang on and just chill
for a bit ... but when he seems to recover then
egg him on again by pulling or tugging at the
rope or springpole. As always, this is to develop
a second wind, and again jot everything down
in your journal. Playing Tug-O-War would be
a substitute for the Springpole.
SOME FINAL COMMENTS
As a final note, even during the weightpull,
flirtpole, and jenny work, try to have your dog
perform all of these tasks with a tennis ball (or
something) in his mouth – but don’t let him
swallow it. Some dogs won’t do this, and if
your dog won’t, no big deal. But again, if your
dog will do his other work with something
in his mouth, then this will get him used
to working all the while with his mouth on
something, which can mean the difference of
life and death when it’s for real. Again, staying
in holds is one of the most important things a dog
needs to do in his contest, so like anything else,
this has to all be part of his training. Also, you
should give your dog a Kong Ball after every
workout, before he eats his meal (all to be
outlined later.) Then, on every REST DAY,
give your dog a big, fresh, raw shankbone to
chew. These things will put the final touches
on strengthening his mouth, bite, and jaw
muscles. Remember, the jaw muscles are muscles
like any other, and they need to be conditioned
also!
Ø However, make sure that you discontinue
the use of ANY biting toy, or bone, one week
out from show time; you need to allow for full
recovery of the jaw muscles.
Finally, before each workout, you need to
verify what your dog’s weight is EMPTY.
Therefore, before you weigh your dog, take
him for a short walk, or have an empty chain
space to put him on, and make sure you watch
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 138

and actually witness your dog both urinate professional!!! This will have you coming into
and defecate PRIOR to your weighing him, the show confident – because you know in
and prior to you starting his actual work. This your bones that you are coming in there right!
will give you your dog’s TRUE WEIGHT,
which (of course) is critical to monitor in your
journal, as you are always matched according FEED SCHEDULE
to exact weight. Another part of getting the The next thing to address is the feed schedule.
exact weight of your dog, aside from the You want to be absolutely regular on this as
above, is to make sure your scale is accurate. well, and you want to make sure you have
The first step in making sure you have an all the supplies necessary for each feeding.
accurate scale is to buy a high-quality hanging Much of the supplements listed can be
scale. I do NOT like digital scales, as they obtained through www.naturmix.com and at
require batteries, and if your batteries are www.bodybuilding.com. The others can be
off, so too will your measurements be off. A obtained at any GNC (or similar health food
good Chatillon hanging scale (or other solid stores) – and of course you can get the cheese,
brand) is perfect, so long as the model you rice, and greens at any supermarket (make
select is rust-proof. The third step in making sure they are all organic!).
sure your weight is right is to utilize TWO
Government-Certified Test-P’s: upi want You will want to feed twice daily, and you will
one of them to weigh 25 lbs, and the other to want to space each feeding exactly 12 hours
weigh 50 lbs. These Test-Ps are absolutely apart. The dog should have access to fresh,
essential, because you do not want to use bottled water at all times, changed once or
“barbell plates” or anything inexact like that. twice daily. There should be as much water
Barbell plates are often “off” by up to a full available as he wishes to drink. However, you
pound (or more). By contrast, a government- will notice that gradually he will need less and
certified Test-P weight is the truth! Therefore,less water – as his condition progresses – but
if your scale reads true on both test weights, again that should be his decision. His body
at 25 lb and at 50 lb, then you know that your will naturally tell him how much he needs.
dog is SPOT-ON WEIGHT anywhere in The morning feeding will simply be 4 tBsp of
the middle. You can look in your Yellow Pages Vertex into 1 cup of water (per 20-lb 0f dog),
(or on the Internet) for both hanging scale along with the indicated supplements (see
companies and for outfits that will provide opposite page). That’s it. This is to give him
government-certification of the scale and the a source of energy during the day, yet not fill
Test-Ps. I have also provided information as him up. Approximately 12 hours later, after his
to where to get these things at the beginning workout, you will feed the full feed regimen
of this chapter under “Supplies Needed.” (after the dog has recovered from the work).
Try to arrange everything in relation to the
Meticulous adherence to monitoring your expected show schedule. For instance:
dog’s weight is absolutely critical, as nothing
can blow your confidence going into a show Suppose you had a 9:00 pm show
… as well as your dog’s chances of winning 60 days from now. You’d feed the
the show … like having him be off-weight Vertex, supplements, and the water at
throughout his entire keep. Too many people 11:00 am and you’d work your dog at 9:
think they’re coming in at 45 lbs … because 00 pm (which will be show time 60 days
their cheap scale “says so” … only to find later). The reason you make the feedings two
out on the day of truth that they really are hours later, is that the dog’s max workout
coming in at 43. Don’t do this to your chances will take about 11⁄2 - 2 hours. After the
of winning, and don’t do this to your dog! workout (and after he stops panting and
Get professional measuring instruments, closes his mouth), your dog gets his full feed
absolutely exact in their readings, and be schedule (which will be at approximately
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
11:00 pm, exactly 12 hours after the
first feeding). Like that – each feeding
spaced 12 hours apart, in this case
11:00 am and 11:00 pm, based on a 9:
00 pm show time. You arrange the feeding
approximately 2 hrs after the expected show
time, as this is when he will most likely be
recovering and eating after the real deal too.
You simply adjust your feed times based on
two hours past the time you are planning on
having the show.
As for what to feed, you want to keep your dog
on as natural a diet as possible. I recommend
NATURE’S VARIETY RAW-FROZEN. This feed is what
you adjust, adding more or less, depending
on whether your dog drops or gains weight.
The supplements, vegetables, and oils are
what remain constant: you simply adjust the
amount of bulk diet to keep your dog’s weight
level. Start at about 1 patty of raw-frozen diet
for every 30-lb of dog, adjusting up or down
based on how your dog holds his weight. You
want to keep him at about 1-2 lb over show
weight, throughout his keep, except for the last
two weeks.
Regarding when and what to feed, again,
in the morning feeding you will just use the
Vertex, the indicated supplements, and water.
The evening feeding is the true meal, which
again is after the workout. However, before you
feed the main meal, you want to first give your
dog about a half an hour to recover after the
workout. The reason we give the dog awhile
to recover, just before the meal, is to allow the
dog the time to burn fat after the workout.
A dog will actually burn more fat after the
workout than during it, because (by the time
the workout is complete) the glycogen levels
in his muscles are all used-up. This is when
the dog gets too tired to work anymore, which
is when he should be put up, but it is precisely
at this point that the body will look for an
energy source to replace the lost glycogen in
the muscles.
If you feed a dog at this point of glycogen ♦ Wheat Germ Oil (1.5 Tbsp w/ feed)
depletion, especially if you feed anything with ♦ K-EASE (1-2 Tablets/40 lb, after workout
glucose polymers, like Vertex, then this is what
139
the body will use for glycogen replacement and
so it will not burn fat. However, if you allow
30 minutes to pass, where the dog has nothing
to draw on to replenish his lost glycogen
supplies, the dog’s body will have no other
choice BUT TO BURN FAT to replace it.
Therefore, do not feed the dog immediately
after the workout, like bodybuilders would
eat, as it prevents fat loss. Instead, while
the dog is panting immediately after his
workout, he gets his Kong Ball to chew on.
Put him in a clean 500 kennel for this. Allow
him approximately 30 minutes to chew away
(strengthening his jaws), and he will also
recover and reach full relaxation. This will
also give you the time to prepare the meal and
serve it fresh. The full meal (for a 40 lb dog) is
as follows (adjust to weight if necessary):
MORNING MEAL
♦ Vertex (4 tBsp/20 lb , w/ 1 Cup Fresh
Water)
♦ Bee Pollen (2-3 tBsp w/ Vertex & Water)
♦ Gingko Biloba (100 mg w/ Vertex &
Water)
♦ Germanium (200 mg. w/ Vertex & Water)
♦ Coenzyme Q-10 (60 mg. w/ Vertex &
Water)
♦ L-Inosine (500 mg w/ Vertex & Water)
♦ Tribulus (675 mg., morning w/ Vertex &
Water)
EVENING MEAL
♦ NATURE’S VARIETY Raw-Frozen
Beef & Chicken (1 patty per 30 lb. of
dog)
♦ Cheddar Cheese (3 oz.)
♦ Collard Greens/Mustard Greens/Turnip
Greens/
Baby Spinach (2 cups w/ feed)
♦ Gucosamine/Chondroitin (750/600 mg. w/
feed)
♦ L-Carnitine (1 tBsp w/ feed)
♦ Tribulus (675 mg., morning w/ feed)
♦ Fast Track Probiotic (As Directed)
♦ Atlantic Salmon Oil (1.5 Tbsp w/ feed)
Only if needed)
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 140

You will need to make use of a small postal
gram scale, as well as your vegetable chopper,
for feeding. USE ALL ORGANIC FOODS, IF
POSSIBLE. Take your base Nature’s Variety
raw-frozen diet and put it in the dish. (By
the way, you should use the Nature’s Variety
BEEF diet exclusively throughout this keep ...
until the last 10 days ... where you will switch
to the CHICKEN formula.)
To prepare the full meal, handle your raw-
frozen diet as above. Then you put your raw
greens into your vegetable chopper & chop to
pieces. Simply add 2 cups of the mixed greens
to the chopper, pack it slightly, and then chop
away. After you chop the greens, then you
want to microwave them, but ONLY for 1
min. (on “High”), and then add the greens
to the bowl. Once you have added the meat
and the greens, and the cheese, mix in all of
the supplements and oils, in their prescribed
amounts, and then add 1⁄2 cup of warm, bottled
water. Mix and serve at the proper time. After
you have fed the dog, give him his full-body
massage! With the diet covered, let us now
get into the preliminary conditioning work:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 2:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4
bodyweight) - 5 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 5 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 5 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 5 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.

DAY 3:
THE PRE KEEP MORNING:
Dog should be 2-3 lbs over show weight. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-
DAY 1: cup bottled water.
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements EVENING:
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
EVENING: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until Journal.
empty). ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in and record how he acts and feels in your
Journal. Daily Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4 ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
bodyweight) - 5 minutes. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 5 minutes. talk to him.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 5 minutes. ♦ REST.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 5 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal. DAY 4:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely MORNING:
recovers and stops panting. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 141

with 1-cup bottled water. empties.

♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
EVENING: Journal.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
empty). and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4 ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
bodyweight) - 5 minutes. talk to him.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 5 minutes. ♦ REST.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 5 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 5 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and DAY 7:
record all activities in your Daily Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
recovers and stops panting. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and EVENING:
talk to him. ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
DAY 5: Journal.
MORNING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
with 1-cup bottled water. talk to him.
♦ REST.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty). DAY 8:
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in MORNING:
Journal. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4 with 1-cup bottled water.
bodyweight) - 5 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 5 minutes. EVENING:
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 5 minutes. ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 5 minutes. empty).
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
record all activities in your Daily Journal. Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4
recovers and stops panting. bodyweight) - 7 minutes.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 7 minutes.
talk to him. ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 7 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 7 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
DAY 6: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
MORNING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements recovers and stops panting.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 142

DAY 9: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in

MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4
with 1-cup bottled water. - 1⁄2 bodyweight) - 7 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 7 minutes.
EVENING: ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 7 minutes.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ SPRINGPOLE - 7 minutes.
empty). ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in record all activities in your Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ WEIGHTPULLw/ harness & tracers (1⁄4 recovers and stops panting.
- 1⁄2 bodyweight) - 7 minutes. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 7 minutes. talk to him.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 7 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 7 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and DAY 12:
record all activities in your Daily Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
recovers and stops panting. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
DAY 10: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4
with 1-cup bottled water. - 1⁄2 bodyweight) - 7 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 7 minutes.
EVENING: ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 7 minutes.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he ♦ SPRINGPOLE - 7 minutes.
empties. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in record all activities in your Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed recovers and stops panting.
and record how he acts and feels in your ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Daily Journal. talk to him.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST. DAY 13:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
DAY 11: with 1-cup bottled water.
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements EVENING:
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
EVENING: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until Journal.
empty). ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 143

and record how he acts and feels in your with 1-cup bottled water.
Daily Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
talk to him. empty).
♦ REST. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4
DAY 14: - 1⁄2 bodyweight) - 7 minutes.
MORNING: ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 7 minutes.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 7 minutes.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ SPRINGPOLE - 7 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
EVENING: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
empties. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. DAY 17:
♦ REST. MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1- cup bottled water.
DAY 15:
MORNING: EVENING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
with 1-cup bottled water. empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
EVENING: Journal.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
empty). and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4 ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
- 1⁄2 bodyweight) - 7 minutes. talk to him.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 7 minutes. ♦ REST.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 7 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 7 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and DAY 18:
record all activities in your Daily Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
recovers and stops panting. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
DAY 16: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 144

♦ Give the dog his full body massage and

talk to him.
♦ REST.

By now, your dog should be worked down to

exactly 2 lb. over his show weight. (If he is a
very small dog, you want him maybe 11⁄2 lb over
his best weight; if he is a huge catchweight
dog, you want him maybe 3 lb over his best
weight, etc.; but you get the idea.)

Anyway, you want to keep your dog at this

optimal weight throughout the keep, just a
couple of pounds over, until the very end.

What this foundational Pre-Keep has done,

though, is harden your dog’s muscles, without
over-working them ... and he is now ready to
enter into The Main Keep ...
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 145

DAY 19: EVENING:

MORNING: ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements empties.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until and record how he acts and feels in your
empty). Daily Journal.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
Journal. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2 talk to him.
bodyweight) - 9 minutes. ♦ REST.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 9 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 9 minutes. DAY 22:
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 9 minutes. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
talk to him. empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
DAY 20: ♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2
MORNING: bodyweight) - 11 minutes.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 11 minutes.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 11 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 11 minutes.
EVENING: ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until record all activities in your Daily Journal.
empty). ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in recovers and stops panting.
Journal. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2 talk to him.
bodyweight) - 9 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 9 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 9 minutes. DAY 23:
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 9 minutes. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
talk to him. empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
DAY 21: ♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2
MORNING: bodyweight) - 11 minutes.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 11 minutes.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 11 minutes.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 146

♦ SPRINGPOLE - 11 minutes. empty).

♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
record all activities in your Daily Journal.Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2
recovers and stops panting. bodyweight) - 13 minutes.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 13 minutes.
talk to him. ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 13 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 13 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
DAY 24: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
MORNING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements recovers and stops panting.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties. DAY 27:
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in MORNING:
Journal. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed with 1-cup bottled water.
and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal. EVENING:
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and empty).
talk to him. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
♦ REST. Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2
DAY 25: bodyweight) - 13 minutes.
MORNING: ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 13 minutes.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 13 minutes.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ SPRINGPOLE - 13 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
EVENING: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
empties. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. DAY 28:
♦ REST. MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
DAY 26:
MORNING: EVENING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
with 1-cup bottled water. empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
EVENING: Journal.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 147

and record how he acts and feels in your ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
Daily Journal. record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and recovers and stops panting.
talk to him. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ REST. talk to him.

DAY 29: DAY 31:

MORNING: MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water. with 1-cup bottled water.

EVENING: EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empty). empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal. Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2 ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
bodyweight) - 15 minutes. and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 15 minutes. Daily Journal.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 15 minutes. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 15 minutes. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and talk to him.
record all activities in your Daily Journal. ♦ REST.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and DAY 32:
talk to him. MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water
~ GET ANOTHER CBC BLOOD
PROFILE ~ EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
DAY 30: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
EVENING: ♦ REST.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 33:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄2 ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
bodyweight) - 15 minutes. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 15 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 15 minutes. EVENING:
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 15 minutes. ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4
bodyweight) - 17 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 17 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 17 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 17 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 34:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4
bodyweight) - 17 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 17 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 17 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 17 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 35:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
148
and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST.
DAY 36:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4
bodyweight) - 19 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 19 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 19 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 19 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 37:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4
bodyweight) - 19 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 19 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 19 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 19 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 149

♦ Give the dog his full body massage and bodyweight) - 21 minutes.
talk to him. ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 21 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 21 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 21 minutes.
DAY 38: ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
MORNING: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
with 1-cup bottled water. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
EVENING: talk to him.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 41:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
and record how he acts and feels in your with 1-cup bottled water.
Daily Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
talk to him. empty).
♦ REST. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4
DAY 39: bodyweight) - 21 minutes.
MORNING: ♦ FLIRTPOLE - 21 minutes.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 21 minutes.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ SPRINGPOLE - 21 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
EVENING: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
empties. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. DAY 42:
♦ REST. MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
DAY 40:
MORNING: EVENING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
with 1-cup bottled water. empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
EVENING: Journal.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
empty). and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4 ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 150

talk to him. DAY 45:

♦ REST. MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
DAY 43:
MORNING: EVENING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
with 1-cup bottled water. empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
EVENING: Journal.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
empty). and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4 ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
bodyweight) - 23 minutes. talk to him.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 23 minutes. ♦ REST.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 23 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 23 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and DAY 46:
record all activities in your Daily Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
recovers and stops panting. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
DAY 44: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
EVENING: ♦ REST.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in **TWO WEEKS OUT! You now want to
Journal. gradually get your dog from 2 lb. over his
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (3⁄4 show weight, so that one week from now, and
bodyweight) - 23 minutes. one week prior to the show, your dog will only
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 23 minutes. be 1 lb. over his show weight.**
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 23 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 23 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 151

LAST TWO WEEKS DAY 49:

MORNING:
(Pointing) ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
DAY 47:
MORNING: EVENING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
with 1-cup bottled water. empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
EVENING: Journal.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
empty). and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
(FULL bodyweight) - 25 minutes. talk to him.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 25 minutes. ♦ REST.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 25 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 25 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and DAY 50:
record all activities in your Daily Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
recovers and stops panting. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
DAY 48: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers
with 1-cup bottled water. (FULL bodyweight) - 27 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 27 minutes.
EVENING: ♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 27 minutes.
♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until ♦ SPRINGPOLE - 27 minutes.
empty). ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in record all activities in your Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers recovers and stops panting.
(FULL bodyweight) - 25 minutes. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 25 minutes. talk to him.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 25 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 25 minutes. DAY 51:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and MORNING:
record all activities in your Daily Journal. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely with 1-cup bottled water.
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and EVENING:
talk to him. ♦ Handwalk 30 min (or put on chain until
empty).
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers
(FULL bodyweight) - 27 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 27 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 27 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 27 minutes.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 52:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST.
~ SWITCH FROM VERTEX TO
POWER CHOW ~
SWITCH FROM NATURE’S
VARIETY BEEF TO THE NATURE’S
VARIETY **CHICKEN**
DAY 53:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated ♦ *** NO Kong Ball ***
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
152
Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST.
DAY 54:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers
(full to 11⁄2 x bodyweight) - 30 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 30 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 30
minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 30 minutes.
♦ *** NO Kong Ball ***
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 55:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4
body-weight) - 15 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 15 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 15 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 15 minutes.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
DAY 56:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated ♦ REST.
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ *** NO Shank Bone ***
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST.
DAY 57:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated ♦ REST.
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ WEIGHTPULL w/ harness & tracers (1⁄4
body-weight) - 5 minutes.
♦ FLIRTPOLE - 5 minutes.
♦ JENNY (or TREADMILL) - 5 minutes.
♦ SPRINGPOLE - 5 minutes.
♦ *** NO Kong Ball ***
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 58:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ *** NO Shank Bone ***
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
153
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 59:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ *** NO Shank Bone ***
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 60:
MORNING:
♦ Feed 1⁄4 Cup POWER CHOW in 1⁄2
cup bottled water, plus the Indicated
Supplements.
EVENING:
♦ Travel to Show (Never more than 4
hours!)
♦ Acclimate and Empty Dog
♦ PRIOR to official weigh-in, weigh your
dog, and if he is slightly under (or spot-on)
give him 1⁄4 scoop Cytomax and 1⁄4 cup
bottled water after UNofficial weigh-in,
and 20 min. prior to actual weigh-in.
♦ Continue to walk and empty dog after you
give him this energy drink, as long as he
is not going ballistic, and to prevent this
walk him out it in a secluded spot so he is
calm.
♦ Official Weigh-In.
♦ SHOWTIME!
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 154

SOME FINAL TIPS *do* want to have a certain degree of dryness

in the dog, otherwise he will blow hot. A 1⁄2 - 1
The week before show time, you will want to count for his skin to snap back is all that you
cut the final pound off of your dog and point want to risk.
him to his contest weight come show time,
beginning on Day 54. Most of this loss of Furthermore, if you are traveling from a dry
weight will be WATER weight, as your dog climate to a humid, sticky climate, consider
should have burned most or all of his excess planning for this climate change throughout
fat off by now. How much water weight to his keep. To do this, you might want to switch
lose will depend on the size of the dog and from a jenny work to millwork, and train the
where the show is happening. This is the key: dog indoors instead of outdoors, all the while
As you work a dog throughout this keep, keep in running a pot of boiling water in the same room
mind where your show is happening. every day to simulate the humidity you will
eventually be having your dog compete in. You
If you are going to be in hot, dry, arid weather have to think of things like this all through
you will not want to dry your dog out much your dog’s keep! Not only about what style
at all, so have him only about 1⁄2 - 1 lb. over he is, and what style of dog you are facing, but
by the day before. If you are going into hot, in what kind of weather and under what kind
humid, sticky weather you will want to dry of conditions as well!
your dog out SOME, which will be a greater
weight loss, and which you have to factor in. If you are going in very cold weather, you will
So have him 1- 11⁄2 lbs over the day before. You NOT want to rail your dog down to minimal
will then cut the water you give the dog by fat, but in fact you will want to show your
the appropriate amount the day and evening dog with some fat on him, so he does not get
prior to show time. Never dry a dog out totally, hypothermia, so make sure you contract your
though! dog a pound or two over what you would show
that same dog in desert weather. Hooking in
To dry a dog out SLIGHTLY ... which you do cold weather and compensating for a pound or
for hot, humid weather ... simply withhold the two of fat will again prevent the dog’s getting
water from his evening meal the day before hypothermia ... which he would surely suffer
the show, and only give him maybe one-to- from if you brought him in as a rack of bones
two cups worth of water to drink normally in a freezing climate. Conversely, you want a
during the entire day prior to the show. You dog railed down pretty well in humid or desert
test his water content all day on the day conditions. Again, if competing in a humid
prior, and on show day, by lifting the skin climate, take a little water OUT of your dog
up on his back. If it bounces right back, he is ... if competing in an arid climate, leave the
well hydrated. Again, this is fine for dry, arid water in your dog.
weather, but you do want him slightly dry for
humid weather. Still, never cut back more than
a 1 - 11⁄2 lbs of water, and never get more than ADDITIONAL TIPS
a slight delay of no more than a 1-count, even If your dog doesn’t like driving, take him for
for humid weather. small trips all throughout the keep to get
him used to traveling. You must always be
If it takes 2 or 3 seconds for a dog’s skin to thinking of what will HELP your dog win
bounce back, then he is in some degree of THIS contest in THIS place. If you want
dehydration, which is not good. You NEVER to prevent cracks and splits in his pads as
want a dog to go into a show with a 3-count he does his keepwork, make sure you rub his
level of dehydration, even in most humid feet down with Absorbine Hooflex after every
weather, as your dog’s chances of surviving workout (which you can get in the KV Vet
afterward are slim. This is especially true if it Supply catelogue).
goes awhile. However, for humid weather, you
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 155

Finally, even though this is a balanced keep,

remember not to box your dog into it. Rather
tailor everything in this keep AROUND
YOUR DOG, and his style, as well as to
what he will and will not do, work-wise, and
finally to your own particular situation. If you
don’t have a place to weightpull or flirtpole
(or use a jenny), then just use a treadmill
and springpole – but double the times listed
to make up for the missing two exercises. If
your dog will only run a jenny, then do only
this exercise, but add weights for the first
quarter of the time, and quadruple the overall
time recommended, to make up for cutting
out 3 other exercises. If you have no money
and cannot afford a jenny, or a mill, then just
use the flirtpole and weightpulls, followed
by the springpole. Allow for this kind of
flexibility that must exist to fit each dog and
each circumstance. Nothing is set in stone.
You must be open-minded, watchful, and
imaginative ... and do you best to mimic The
Basic Principles of this keep, not necessarily
every letter of it.

Once again, this keep is a framework, just an

idea of what to do, it is NOT the final word.
The final word is DO ONLY THOSE
THINGS THAT WILL HELP YOUR
DOG WIN this contest against this
opponent! As long as you keep this thought
as a bottom line, you should be all right. Don’t
be afraid to experiment if you have to, to make
up for a quirky dog or lack of space/equipment.
Nonetheless, ultimately you must invest an
adequate amount of TIME and WORK ...
doing SOMETHING for your dog ... that
will simulate what he has to do in The Arena
... and which will elevate his abilities to do it
... or you shouldn’t have him hooked in the
first place.

However, if you have the time, the dedication,

the tools, a good dog, and good common sense,
then the basic concepts contained in this keep
will help your good dog TO WIN.

And with that I wish you Good Luck!

~ California Jack
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 156

The Electric/Slat Mill Keep

Some people simply do not have the room to have to have an eye for what’s happening to
weightpull their dogs, to use a jenny for their see this).
dogs, or sometimes even to flirtpole their dogs.
Because of their living situation (usually in a Once the dog recovers to “normal panting,”
big city), they simply must use a mill. What then you re-introduce the bait and get them
kind of mill they use is up to them. Myself, to go all-out again. Again, log the time he is
I think a slat mill is better for this keep, but able to sustain it. Once he runs hot and has to
plenty of people succeed using an electric mill. slow down, take the bait away (or if you have
Keep in mind, though, that you can also get a partner showing the bait and taking it away,
two mills, a carpet and a slat, and mimic the so much the better), and record how long it
previous keep. The carpet mill would simulate takes the dog to recover. Once he recovers
the weight pull, you could then move on to the again, re-introduce the bait for another all-out
flirtpole, while the slatmill would simulate the set. Etc. There will come a point where the dog no
jenny. You could then use a springpole. longer can go all-out, and that is when you end
the workout for that day.
However, if you only can get your hands on
“one” mill, and it is either a slat or an electric,
Obviously, what you are trying to do is notice
the conditioning strategy on either is the a gradual increase in duration that your dog is
same: you want your dog to run all-out, as able to go all-out, with a corresponding decline
hard as he can run ... for as long as he can run in the duration it take for your dog to recover
... and you want to record this duration of all- and be ready for the next set. You also want to
out sprinting in your Daily Journal. You want see if he can gradually increase the number of
to see how long he can keep this up, until he sets he is able to do like this as well. The main
has to break stride and trot, and then you difference between the slatmill and the emill
want to record the time he trots and see how with this keep, is that you do not need bait
long it takes for him to recover. For instance, for the emill; you just turn up the speed which
on the slatmill, you would face your dog off forces him to run fast ... and when he starts
with another dog (or a chicken or whatever stumbling you then immediately decrease the
gets him to go balls-out), and then you just speed and let the dog catch his breath. By
let him go balls out. Say your dog is able to contrast, you need to use bait with a dog on
run for 5 straight minutes wide-open. At 5 a slatmill. You DO NOT count the trotting
minutes, he can no longer keep it up, and so “down” time as the work; the time you count
he slows down to a trot or a canter, with his toward the dog’s actual work is ONLY the
tongue hanging out. all-out sprinting time. Anyway, here is what
this effort might look like (the feed schedule is
At this point, you back off with the bait and the same as with the other keep):
watch his tongue, and watch how hard he is
panting. After an all-out run like this, he is
going to be running hot. Your job is now to
remove the “bait” and let him trot along steady T
HE RE EEP P K
until he cools off down to normal panting, and Dog should be 2-3 lbs over show weight.
is no longer laboring for air. You want to write
down how long he could go all-out ... and you DAY 1:
also want to write down how long it took him MORNING:
to stop struggling for breath. He does not ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
have to stop panting entirely, he just has to with 1-cup bottled water.
stop looking labored in his breathing (and you
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 157

EVENING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.

♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal. ♦ REST.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
1 Set (or 10 min. total all-out). DAY 4:
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
talk to him. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
DAY 2: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
MORNING: 2 Sets (or 15 min. total all-out).
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
1 Set (or 10 min. total all-out). DAY 5:
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
talk to him. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
DAY 3: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
MORNING: 2 Sets (or 15 min. total all-out).
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he recovers and stops panting.
empties. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 158

DAY 6: record all activities in your Daily Journal.

MORNING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements recovers and stops panting.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.

EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he DAY 9:
empties. MORNING:
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
and record how he acts and feels in your EVENING:
Daily Journal. ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and Journal.
talk to him. ♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
♦ REST. failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
2 Sets (or 15 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
DAY 7: ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
MORNING: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
with 1-cup bottled water. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
EVENING: talk to him.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 10:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and with 1-cup bottled water.
talk to him.
♦ REST. EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
DAY 8: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
with 1-cup bottled water. and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal. ♦ REST.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
2 Sets (or 15 min. total all-out). DAY 11:
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 159

with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
and record how he acts and feels in your
EVENING: Daily Journal.
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until ♦ REST.
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
3 Sets (or 20 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. DAY 14:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and MORNING:
record all activities in your Daily Journal. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely with 1-cup bottled water.
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and EVENING:
talk to him. ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
DAY 12: Journal.
MORNING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
with 1-cup bottled water. talk to him.
♦ REST.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 15:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again. with 1-cup bottled water.
3 Sets (or 20 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. EVENING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
record all activities in your Daily Journal. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely Journal.
recovers and stops panting. ♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
talk to him. 3 Sets (or 20 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
DAY 13: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
MORNING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements recovers and stops panting.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.

EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he DAY 16:
empties. MORNING:
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 160

EVENING: By now, your dog should be worked down to

♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. exactly 2 lb. over his show weight. You want
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in to keep him at this weight throughout, until
Journal. the very end. (Again, this assumes a 40 lb.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until dog. A 30 lb. dog you would want about 11⁄4
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again. over … a 50 lb. dog 3 lb. over, etc.)
3 Sets (or 20 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.

DAY 17:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.

EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST.

DAY 18:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.

EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 161

DAY 19: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in

MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
with 1-cup bottled water. and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal. ♦ REST.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
4 Sets (or 28 min. total all-out). DAY 22:
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
talk to him. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
DAY 20: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
MORNING: 4 Sets (or 28 min. total all-out).
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
4 Sets (or 28 min. total all-out). DAY 23:
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
talk to him. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
DAY 21: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
MORNING: 4 Sets (or 28 min. total all-out).
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he recovers and stops panting.
empties. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 162

talk to him. ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.

♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
DAY 24: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
MORNING: recovers and stops panting.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
with 1-cup bottled water. talk to him.

EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he DAY 27:
empties. MORNING:
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
and record how he acts and feels in your EVENING:
Daily Journal. ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and Journal.
talk to him. ♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
♦ REST. failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
5 Sets (or 35 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
DAY 25: ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
MORNING: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
with 1-cup bottled water. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
EVENING: talk to him.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 28:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and with 1-cup bottled water.
talk to him.
♦ REST. EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
DAY 26: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
with 1-cup bottled water. and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal. ♦ REST.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
5 Sets (or 35 min. total all-out).
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 163

DAY 29: EVENING:

MORNING: ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements empties.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in Daily Journal.
Journal. ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again. talk to him.
6 Sets (or 40 min. total all-out). ♦ REST.
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal. DAY 32:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely MORNING:
recovers and stops panting. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and with 1-cup bottled water.
talk to him.
EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
~ GET ANOTHER CBC BLOOD empties.
PROFILE ~ ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
DAY 30: ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
MORNING: talk to him.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ REST.
with 1-cup bottled water.

EVENING: DAY 33:

♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
6 Sets (or 40 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
DAY 31:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
6 Sets (or 40 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 164

DAY 34: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
MORNING: 7 Sets (or 45 min. total all-out).
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
6 Sets (or 40 min. total all-out). DAY 37:
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
talk to him. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
DAY 35: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
MORNING: 7 Sets (or 45 min. total all-out).
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he recovers and stops panting.
empties. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
and record how he acts and feels in your DAY 38:
Daily Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and with 1-cup bottled water.
talk to him.
♦ REST. EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
DAY 36: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
with 1-cup bottled water. and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal. ♦ REST.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 165

DAY 39: ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and

MORNING: record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
with 1-cup bottled water. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
EVENING: talk to him.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 42:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and with 1-cup bottled water.
talk to him.
♦ REST. EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
empties.
DAY 40: ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
MORNING: Journal.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
with 1-cup bottled water. and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in talk to him.
Journal. ♦ REST.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
7 Sets (or 45 min. total all-out). DAY 43:
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. MORNING:
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
record all activities in your Daily Journal. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting. EVENING:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
talk to him. ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
DAY 41: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
MORNING: 7 Sets (or 45 min. total all-out).
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
EVENING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. recovers and stops panting.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Journal. talk to him.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
7 Sets (or 45 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 166

DAY 44: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.

MORNING: ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements talk to him.
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ REST.

EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
7 Sets (or 45 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
**TWO WEEKS OUT! You now want to
gradually get your dog from 2 lb. over his
show weight, so that one week from now, and
one week prior to the show, your dog will only
be 1 lb. over his show weight.**
LAST TWO WEEKS
(Pointing)
DAY 47:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
with 1-cup bottled water.

DAY 45: EVENING:

MORNING: ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
with 1-cup bottled water. Journal.
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
EVENING: failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he 8 Sets (or 50 min. total all-out).
empties. ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
Journal. record all activities in your Daily Journal.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
and record how he acts and feels in your recovers and stops panting.
Daily Journal. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. talk to him.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
♦ REST. DAY 48:
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
DAY 46: with 1-cup bottled water.
MORNING:
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements EVENING:
with 1-cup bottled water. ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
EVENING: Journal.
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he ♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
empties. failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in 8 Sets (or 50 min. total all-out).
Journal. ♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 167

♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and DAY 51:

record all activities in your Daily Journal. MORNING:
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements
recovers and stops panting. with 1-cup bottled water.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him. EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
DAY 49: Journal.
MORNING: ♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
with 1-cup bottled water. 8 Sets (or 50 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
EVENING: ♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he record all activities in your Daily Journal.
empties. ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in recovers and stops panting.
Journal. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed talk to him.
and record how he acts and feels in your
Daily Journal.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. DAY 52:
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and MORNING:
talk to him. ♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Suppements
♦ REST. with 1 cup bottled water.

EVENING:
DAY 50: ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
MORNING: empties.
♦ Feed the Vertex and Indicated Supplements ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
with 1-cup bottled water. Journal.
♦ Give raw Shank Bone until time to feed
EVENING: and record how he acts and feels in your
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty. Daily Journal.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
Journal. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until talk to him.
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again. ♦ REST.
8 Sets (or 50 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
♦ Give Kong Ball until time to feed and ~ SWITCH FROM VERTEX TO
record all activities in your Daily Journal. POWER CHOW ~
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
recovers and stops panting.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and SWITCH FROM NATURE’S
talk to him. VARIETY BEEF TO THE NATURE’S
VARIETY **CHICKEN**
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 168

DAY 53: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely

MORNING: recovers and stops panting.
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water. talk to him.

EVENING:
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he DAY 56:
empties. MORNING:
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in ♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated
Journal. Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and EVENING:
talk to him. ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
♦ REST. empties.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
Journal.
DAY 54: ♦ *** NO Shank Bone ***
MORNING: ♦ Feed dog 1 hour later.
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water. talk to him.
♦ REST.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 57:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until ♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again. Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
9 Sets (or 55 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. EVENING:
♦ *** NO Kong Ball *** ♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely ♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in
recovers and stops panting. Journal.
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and ♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until
talk to him. failure ... then recover ... then all-out again.
3 Sets (or 15 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min.
DAY 55: ♦ *** NO Kong Ball ***
MORNING: ♦ Feed 30 minutes after dog completely
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated recovers and stops panting.
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water. ♦ Give the dog his full body massage and
talk to him.
EVENING:
♦ Handwalk 30 min or until empty.
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in DAY 58:
Journal. MORNING:
♦ TREADMILL - All-out running until ♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated
failure ... then recover ... then all-out again. Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water.
3 Sets (or 15 min. total all-out).
♦ HANDWALK - 30 min. EVENING:
♦ *** NO Kong Ball *** ♦ Put dog on new chain space until he
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 169

empties. At this point, refer back to the instructions

♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in on Show Time of the previous keep, as
Journal. everything else applies. What you are trying
♦ *** NO Shank Bone *** to do, in this keep, should be obvious: you are
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. trying to maximize the time your dog can go
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and all-out, while shortening the amount of time
talk to him. he needs to recover, so that he can go all-out
♦ REST. again before his opponent can.

If you can afford to get 3 different mills ...

DAY 59: (1) a carpet/belt mill, (2) a slat mill, and (3)
MORNING: an electric mill ... you could actually imitate
♦ Feed the POWER CHOW and Indicated The 2006 Keep conceptually. You could this
Sup-plements with 1 cup bottled water. by substituting a carpet/belt mill for the
weight pulling, the slatmill (windsprints, not
EVENING: trotting) for the flirtpole, and then substitute
♦ Put dog on new chain space until he an emill at a set, gradual pace for a jenny. Add
empties. the springlole at the end and you have a pretty
♦ Weigh dog and jot down weight in good substitute for The 2004 Keep.
Journal.
♦ *** NO Shank Bone *** The bottom line is there is no “one” way to
♦ Feed dog 1 hour later. condition a dog, but there are some principles
♦ Give the dog his full body massage and that need to be adhered to. You want to
talk to him. prepare your dog for the initial heavy pace
♦ REST. that is going to be at the beginning of a hunt
– but you must realize that this pace can’t last
forever. 30-60 minutes of all-out activity (with
DAY 60: a certain mount of recovery mixed in) are all
MORNING: that is reasonable or possible to expect. From
♦ Feed 1⁄4 Cup POWER CHOW in 1⁄2 there you want to establish a decent pace that
cup bottled water, plus the Indicated can be maintained for awhile, with occasional
Supplements. bursts mixed in. But mostly at this point there
is going to be just a solid, strong pace – and
EVENING: you are trying to duplicate this in the work.
♦ Travel to Show (Never more than 4 And from there, it is simply “hanging on.”
hours!) However, no keep can give you an eye or
♦ Acclimate and Empty Dog common sense. You will have to use your own
♦ PRIOR to official weigh-in, weigh your eyes, and your own common sense, to evaluate
dog, and if he is slightly under (or spot-on) your dog at all times. Is the work too much
give him 1⁄4 scoop Cytomax and 1⁄4 cup for him? Does he need more rest? Can he be
bottled water after UNofficial weigh-in, pushed further? Is he losing too much weight?
and 20 min. prior to actual weigh-in. Do I need to add more raw-frozen base feed to
♦ Continue to walk and empty dog after you his diet? Is he drying out? How does he feel?
give him this energy drink, as long as he
is not going ballistic, and to prevent this I can give you a basic guidleine for the exercises
walk him out it in a secluded spot so he is to do, and the reasoning behind it, but I can’t
calm. make you understand what I am saying and
♦ Official Weigh-In. why. Nor can I make you observant for “the
♦ SHOWTIME! details” that only you are there to notice, or
not to notice. That part is on you. So, in the
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 170

end, your dog’s condition, nutrition, and how

he feels each day is UP TO YOU to pay
attention to. Your dog is entirely under your
charge, and he is entirely at the mercy of your
competence and concern for him The two big
“Cs” – Concern and Competence. Those key
ingredients to success are up to you.

If you take your job seriously, pay attention

to detail, and really love your dog and want
the best for him, and if you pay attention to
Correct Principles, then this keep will help
both of you to win, and you should come out
ahead, winners, and you should be able to
bring your dog home and enjoy him for the
next go-around. And in that endeavor, I wish
you Good Luck ... which brings us to the next
section of my 2006 Indispensable Tips ..........
.....................“The Afermath.”
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 171

THE
AFTERMATH
~

Field Care
(Treating a Wounded Dog)
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 172

DISCLAIMER
I do not claim to be a veterinarian, and I certainly don’t claim to be able to give medical advice. Nor do I claim that
the steps contained in this Field Guide will guarantee that a dog will live through whatever trauma he or she has
suffered, even if these steps are followed exactly. All I claim is that I, and other experienced dogmen, have used these
methods on our own dogs to treat severe trauma in the field and that these methods have worked.

This information is given SOLELY as an alternative for those people who either cannot afford veterinary care for
their dog(s) and/or who do not have access to veterinary facilities. By reading or utilizing this information, the reader
agrees to waive any and all rights, claims, causes of action, or any other allegations of injury, property damage,
and/or emotional distress against California Jack and/or its owner John A. Koerner II, affiliated entities, associates,
partners, etc. (Vise-Grip Kennels, California Jack, etc.) Further, the reader/user of this information agrees to defend,
indemnify, and hold harmless California Jack, etc., against any and all such rights, claims, causes of action, or any
other allegations of injury, property damage, and/or emotional distress against California Jack, etc. The utilizer
of this information agrees to use this information AT HIS OR HER OWN RISK TO HIS OR HER OWN
PUP(S)/DOG(S), with the full and total understanding that the effectiveness of the methods described by this
advertised Reference Guide depends on many factors, including user competence, the condition of the animal, the
availability of ALL the described materials, etc. - which can and will affect a dog profoundly in its ability to survive
trauma. By reading, and/or using the material contained herein, the purchaser, reader, or user of this information fully
understands the above and again agrees to utilize this information AT HIS OR HER OWN RISK TO HIS OR
HER OWN PET.

It is also expressly understood that in no way is the production of this Field Guide an encouragement or support
of any illegal activity - but has merely been created for the benefit of dogs who suffer severe trauma, for whatever
LEGAL reason, as a means of assistance to LIFE and HEALTH, where a party does not have access to veterinary
care. The publisher of this Field Guide soundly denounces any illegal activity and actively encourages the use of a
licensed veterinarian over and above the implementation of any of the described procedures, should an individual
have a severely injured dog. This Reference Guide is nothing but a “layman’s guide” to take care of one’s severely
injured dog in the field where veterinary care/advice/literature is often unobtainable.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Overview
The first step in saving your dog’s life is
having enough sense to know when to pick
him up. Really. All of the best medical
techniques known to man will be useless to
you if you have let your dog go to the point of
no return if he’s overwhelmed in a hog hunt or
kennel accident. The key here is to realize that
your dog will continue to go downhill, even
after you pick him up. Think about that for at
least thirty minutes. Just really, truly, think
about that last sentence. Then consider this:
if your dog has been on a hunt for ten minutes,
he seems fine when you pick him up, doesn’t
he? But how does he look a couple of hours later?
All sore and limping, doesn’t he? Well, what
do you think happens when you pick up a dog
right at the point when he’s at death’s door,
after fighting a wild boar? The answer is he
continues to go downhill after he’s picked-up,
and thus he passes *through* death’s door a
few hours later. And the result is that another
good dog just got lost to his owner’s stupidity.
You must understand, if you care about your
dog’s life, that he will continue to go downhill
another 10% - 20% after you pick him up.
Therefore, you must factor in this process in
as you watch your dog hunt, or if you see him
in a yard accident, because picking him up a
hair away from death won’t save him. He will
continue to go downhill and die.
One of the best ways to factor this in and
avoid it, is simply to make a habit of picking
up your dog the minute the idea pops into
your mind. Think about that for another
thirty minutes. Because if the thought,
“I’d better pick him up,” pops into your mind,
there is probably a reason, and that reason is
you feel in your bones that he is in danger, and
so you need TO ACT on that gut instinct.
If you are going to be wrong, it is far better
to error on the side of your dog’s life than it
is to error on the side of your dog’s death ...
It is far better to pick up a dog 15 minutes too
early than one second too late ... It is far better
to be MAN ENOUGH to let the hog get
away, like a good sport, than to be STUPID
173
ENOUGH to lose both your good dog and
the event. Remember: you cannot breed to a
dead dog, you cannot show or hunt with a dead
dog, and most people would be uninterested in
purchasing a dead dog. So even if you have no
heart or compassion at all towards your friend
who’s in there trying his hardest for you ...
even as a business decision, it is still a dumb
move to let your dog get killed in a hog hunt or
yard accident. Hopefully, however, you have
some moral integrity and do not get off on
watching a fine animal lose his life.
Assuming that you’re a concerned enthusiast,
when your dog is getting overwhelmed, or even
if he is winning but the win will cost him his
life, his life depends on your judgment. The first
step in exercising good judgment is to know
when to pick up. There is a big difference
between a dog losing “for now” (when you can
see he still has the strength and the life in him
to be able to make a comeback and catch the
hog), as opposed to a dog that can no longer
defend himself and needs to be picked up.
One of the best ways to learn to distinguish
this is to do a little fighting yourself. Take up
boxing, or wrestling, or some other form of
human fighting (where you’re really in there
fighting an opponent), so you get a sense of
what it’s like to get your own butt kicked. This
will do wonders in teaching you the difference
between when you’re simply losing (but can
still mount a comeback), as opposed to when
you are so tired and beat up that things need
to be stopped. This will give you an eye for
where your dog is when he’s in the trenches on
a hunt. You will note that most of the people
who lack the heart to get in there and save their
dog also lack the heart to fight for real against
a quality opponent themselves. They may
carry a gun, or pick on the weak – but you will
observe a tendency to avoid a real challenge.
Why? Because heart goes both ways – if you
have a good heart towards others, including
your dogs, you’ll have it in the trenches. But
if you see people who don’t have a good heart
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 174

towards others, including their dogs, you’ll find it lacking when they’re in deep themselves too.
It is true every single time.

OK, enough soap-boxing ... So you’ve decided to pick up your dog – or he just completed a
tough, but successful hunt – and he’s pretty banged-up, chopped-up, and he needs your care.
You were smart enough to bring all of the appropriate supplies to the hunt ... RIGHT?!? “What
are those supplies?”, you ask. Okay, fair question, they are:

CHECKLIST
1. LACTATED RINGERS + I.V. CATHETERS FLUID LINES, INJECTION PORTS, ET AL.
Ringers replace the fluids that get lost in a grueling war. You should have at least FOUR
bags of ringers on hand and at least as many IV Catheters, fluid lines, and also have a few
INJECTION PORTS as well. How to use them will be explained in a separate chapter.

2. SOLU-DELTA-CORTEF (OR SOLU-MEDROL) + DEXAMETHASONE (OR AZIUM).

These are anti-Inflamatory/anti-shock injectibles. They reduce swelling and discomfort - and
with Solu-Delta-Cortef (or Solu-Medrol) they can bring one back from a scary downhill turn
for the worse. Also, remember, make sure you figure out the doses before you actually need to
use them. If you know your dog is 49lbs, then figure out how much Solu-Delta or Dex he will
need before he actually needs them, because it saves precious time. You must have at least two
100 cc bottles of Dex and two vials of Solu-Delta or Solu-Medrol. How to use them will be
explained in a separate chapter.

3. ANTIBIOTICS.
These will be used to prevent infection. You should have the following antibiotics, at minimum:
sixty 500 mg. capsules of Cephalexen (or thirty 350 mg tablets of Clavamox) and twenty 68
mg. tablets of Baytril or Cipro. How to use them will be explained in a separate chapter.

4. SALIX [formerly called LASSIX (Furosemide)].

Aids in urination. Sometimes the strain of a hunt can cause a dog’s kidneys to shut down.
Salix can prevent this. Be careful not to over-do, though, as the dog can piss away all the fluids
you’re trying to put in with the ringers. This is what caused the dead game Truman to die – too
much Salix and not enough fluid replacement. This drug can be critical to have, but is best
NOT used if you don’t have to. IV dose = 0.5 mg/lb.

5. BANAMINE.
Narcotic pain reliever, that will help a dog’s will to live if he is real bad off. Some dogs that
won’t move, after given a shot of Banamine, might stand-up and hike their leg to piss 30 min.
later. Dose = 0.5 cc to 1 cc, SC (injected under the skin), depending on the size of the dog.

6. LEATHER SHOESTRING OR EQUIVALENT.

To be used as a tourniquet in case an artery is hit.

7. BLOOD STOP POWDER.

Helps stop the bleeding of severed/cut arteries along with the use of a tourniquet and
pressure.

8. VITAMIN K INJECTIBLE.
Promotes blood clotting and can help stop bleeders, as well as unseen internal bleeding that
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 175

can occur from all-out wars. Give one injection IM or SC at 0.25 mg/kg (or 0.5 mg/5 lb).

9. GAUZE AND LEG TAPE.

The tape can be used to secure the Ringers to the leg of the treated dog, as well as securing
splints and braces if any legs are broken. You can get straight medical tape, and also colored,
non-stick, breathable tape. The gauze is used to wrap around any cotton rolls which may have
to be applied to broken bones. The tape goes over the gauze.

10. 2 FULL COTTON R OLLS.

To aid in setting splints and can be used as a leg wrap by itself, secured with the leg tape.

11. 2 ADJUSTABLE SPLINTS.

These should also be fitted for your dog’s legs prior to leaving for the hunt. Having splints
there in your medical box will minimize any further and unnecessary trauma from a broken leg,
should your dog suffer one, by securing the limb immediately afterward.

12. SPRAY BOTTLE W/ BETADINE IN IT.

You need to spray this disinfectant directly into the holes suffered by your dog to flush out dirt
and kill toxins, which will cleanse the wounds and prevent infection.

13. SPRAY BOTTLE W/ 1 QUART OF BOTTLED WATER MIXED WITH 25 CC OF NOLVASAN

(CHLORHEXIDINE).
See 12 above. Nolvasan should be used in deep cuts to mucous membrane tissues, rather
than the Betadine. It is gentler on these tissues and it lasts longer too. However, some gram
negative bacteria are resistant to Nolvasan, so it’s good to have the Betadine on hand as well.
You can also spray this Nolvasan solution into damaged ears too.

14. PREPODYNE SWABS.

Ears can swell and fill with fluid. These swabs (like giant Q-Tips) help by enabling you to
cleanse and remove dirt, pus, and blood crust from the ears, as well as to help with applications
of Betadine, Nolvasan, etc.

15. STAPLE GUN (+ R EMOVERS) AND ALSO CAT GUT SUTURES.

For closing more serious wounds (after treatment of same with Betadine and/or Nolvasan,
etc.). Once you clean cuts out, then you need to staple or suture the big cuts to both prevent
infection and speed up healing. This also reduces scarring. I personally prefer the ease of
staples **Note however: If you have a severed vein or artery, you can use the cat gut suture
to tie off the end of the bleeder to stop the blood from flowing out, so it’s good to have sutures
on hand, just in case. To stop a completely-severed bleeder, take a length of cat gut suture (and
make sure it IS cat gut, because they eventually dissolve) and then tie a knot withi it right on
the vein, real close to the limb. Then you tie another knot out a little ways from the first knot,
toward the tip of the severed vessel. Then simply push the whole vessel, with two knots tied
on it with the sutures, back into the hole. The vein will eventually rearticulate, but you just
stopped your dog from bleeding to death!

16. BETADINE SURGICAL SCRUB OR NOLVASAN SHAMPOO.

For washing your dog off after the show, cleaning him from head to toe to prevent infection.
(Again, you can substitute a Nolvasalon shampoo for Betadine surgical scrub.)
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 176

17. SCALPEL AND/OR SURGICAL R AZOR.

To cut away dead tissue to prevent infection/gangrene.

18. SURGICAL SCISSORS.

Same as 16, and can be used to cut tape also when applying gauze or bandages.

19. STERILE GLOVES.

To be used while treating wounds, stapling, etc. to prevent infection.

20. R ECTAL THERMOMETER.

Used in monitoring the temperature of a dog in shock.

21. STERILE VASELINE OR KY JELLY.

Can aid in temperature-taking, etc.

22. SUPER GLUE.

Used for repairing split ears and tail-tips.

23. GRANULEX SPRAY / WONDER DUST.

Used during the healing process to remove (debride) necrotic tissue from bad wounds.
Granulex is great for helping bad moutht wounds to heal right, whereas Wonder Dust is great
for external wounds.

24. TWO CLEAN, DRY BLANKETS.

One blanket is used for covering a dog after the hunt while he receives his fluids, and the other
used after he gets his bath and wound treatment. These blankets are critical so your dog can be
kept warm while he is recovering. (Bring more blankets if you are in a very cold area, and you
should consider bringin an ELECTRIC BLANKET if it’s really cold.)

25. FOUR CLEAN, DRY TOWELS.

Two are used for drying the dog after pre-hunt wash … and two are used for his after-hunt
cleaning bath.

26. TWO DOZEN 3CC SYRINGES W/ 22-GUAGE NEEDLES.

For all of the needed injections.

27. CYTOMAX + PEAK CONDITION.

To mix with water to feed/water your dog after a hunt to give life-sustaining fluids, electrolytes,
and nutrients.

28. EPINEPHRINE (“EPI”).***

Adrenaline injection to start a failed heart. Used only in the most extreme emergencies – that
should be unnecessary if you pick up your dog at a reasonable time with plenty of Life in him.
[Misuse of Epi is what killed GR CH Sandman after his legendary hunt with GR CH Buck
... Remember taking a hunt too far takes the sporting aspect out of the game and turns it into
what the humaniacs claim it to be. DON’T BE A PLAYER LIKE THAT! Be sporting ...
pick up at the right time.] Epi can also be used to reverse anaphylaxis. Should your dog have
a total body shutdown, by having an allergic reaction to any medications, Epi can also be used
to reverse anaphylactic shock as well.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS
HUNTING WITH A DOG WITHOUT
ALL OF THESE SUPPLIES!!! EVERY
ONE! Keep these supplies in your Jumbo
Vet Box, which is usually a converted fishing
tackle box. To make such a box yourself, just
go to any sporting goods store, or fish & tackle
shop, to get a great big tackle box to store all
of your meds in. Now here’s what you do:
Immediately after the hunt, or kennel accident,
get your banged-up dog to a quiet (and warm)
room and get his first clean, dry Blanket over
him. This is to keep his body temperature
level and warm which will help prevent him
from going into shock. Turn on a heater, or
start a fire in the fireplace, bring an Electric
Blanket ... whatever you have to do ... don’t let
the dog’s body temperature drop, or he will shut
down. (You don’t want him too hot, either, but
a little too hot is better than too cold.) Speak
kind words to him in a reassuring voice. He
may not be able to understand your words,
but believe me he understands the emotion
that’s behind your words. The power of emotion
and closeness cannot be overstated in your dog’s
will to live. Any child feels better if his mother
is close by when he is sick, and any severely
traumatized dog feels better when his owner
is close by reassuring him. It makes a BIG
difference whether your dog is left behind in a
cold crate to sleep in his piss while you go out
and party (don’t laugh this has happened more
times than you might think) ... or whether
you’re right there petting him and praising
him for the good job he did, or tried to do. His
will to live can very much be dependent on how
much he knows you care.
Immediately after the deal, the first thing to
worry about would be stopping any bleeders
(arteries) from running. If there are no bleeders,
fine. If there are, then apply the Shoestring
tourniquet 2 inches above the wounded limb
fairly snugly (but not too tight, or you’ll cut
of all the blood supply, which is bad). What
you are trying to do is slow the blood flow, not
cut it off altogether. Slowing the blood allows
for clotting; stopping “all” blood flow will kill
off the limb. Once you have the tourniquet
177
properly in place, then use the Blood Stop
Powder to place on the wound, after which
you APPLY PRESSURE. This pressure,
combined with the Blood Stop Powder and
tourniquet, should stop any bleeding fairly
quickly. This is especially true if you give a
Vitamin K injection.
Obviously, if it’s a head, chest, or armpit
bleeder, then you can’t use a tourniquet. In
this case, give the Vitamin K injection (in
the dosage relayed on the checklist above)
to help the body’s clotting abilities. It’s also
a good idea to use Vitamin K anyway, or K-
Plex during your keep, to handle any unknown
internal bleeding.] Sometimes, it can take
HOURS to control a bleeder, but you’ve got
to have someone applying PRESSURE to the
wound until the bleeding stops.
Now, if you actually have a severed vein or
artery, and you can see it hanging out, you can
use a CAT GUT SUTURE (and only cat
gut) to tie off the end of the bleeder to stop the
blood from flowing out. Simply tie a knot with
the cat gut on the vein directly, real close to the
limb, and then tie another knot with another
string, out a little ways from the first knot,
toward the tip of the severed vessel. After
both knots have been tied, then just push the
tied-up vessel back into the hole. Eventually,
the vessel will re-articulate and be fine.
Once you have any bleeders under control, or
WHILE you’re having someone else control
the bleeders, the next thing to do is check his
gums to see if they’re pink. If they’re white,
your dog is in shock and needs fluids. Press
your finger against his gums to see if there’s
any color coming back. If the gums are pink,
get white when you push them, and come back
real pink again, you’re probably all right and
your dog is not in shock. But if the gums are
pale, with little or no color, then he’s probably
in hypo-volemic shock (or headed there). You
can also shine a flashlight in his eyes, and
then turn it off, then turn it on. If the eyes
aren’t dilating, then he’s very likely in shock.
At this point, you will administer the IV
fluids in a bolus dose, as per the next chapter
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
on IV Fluids.
Use Betadine (or Nolvasan) to disinfect the
limb first. In fact, it is a good idea to trim the
fur with hairclippers, so you can see better.
Anyway, carefully cleanse the injection area
(usually the front leg vein, though in some
cases you will use the hind leg vein – or
even the jugular in severe cases). This exact
procedure is outlined in the next chapter.
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO
DO THESE THINGS, THEN BRING
SOMEONE TO THE HUNT WITH
YOU WHO DOES UNTIL YOU
LEARN YOURSELF.
Okay, now while you’re running the fluids
into the dog at a good drip rate (having
first made sure that the fluids are BODY
TEMPERATURE – and to do this the bag
should have been held by your second, under
his shirt, during the entire hunt to keep it
warm), you inject the Dex (Azium, Solu-
Delta, or Solu-Medrol) into the 1000 ml bag
of fluids you’re running. Which cortico-steroid
you should use, and how much to use, will be
discussed in a few chapters. But running the
these drugs WITH the ringers gets them in
there at a gradual rate, which is critical. Once
the fluids are in place, and the Dex (or similar)
has been added to the fluids, at this point
you give the dog his antibiotic treatment, as
another chapter. If your dog is really bad off,
you can also give him a shot of Banamine
to ease the pain (see the dosage previously-
stated).
These basics will stabilize your dog for the ride
home, but if he is really bad off, I would recommend
spending the night right where you are. At least
take him to the nearest cheap motel so you
don’t force him to travel with you too far while
in a weakened condition. Whatever the case,
after you have covered these above procedures,
then keep him wrapped and warm in his
blanket, gently put him in his crate, and go
to where you’re spending the night (home, the
motel, where you are right there, whatever.) If
you have a truck, do NOT but him in the back
if you don’t have a heated shell. Your friends
178
can sit in the back where it’s cold – your dog
needs to be warm or his system will shut down.
In fact, a van is the best thing you can use to
transport a wounded dog, because you can
keep him warm with the heater on at all times
... and you can work on him (and be right there
with him) while your friends drive the vehicle.
Make sure whoever is driving drives easy
so as not to unbalance your dog (and so as
not to get pulled over). Once you arrive at
your destination, TURN THE HEATER
ON inside the dwelling and then gently
carry your dog to the bathroom and run a
BODY TEMPERATURE bath or shower
over him. You don’t want the water either
too hot or too cold – it should be BODY
TEMPERATURE. Utilize the Betadine
Surgical Scrub (or Nolvasan Shampoo) for
bathing the dog from head to toe and then
rinse him gently, but thoroughly. (You might
want to bring one of those snake-nozzles with
you, that you can attach to the shower head
and manuever around your dog.) Then, after
the shower and disinfectant shampoo, gently
dry him thoroughly with your clean towels.
At this point, see if he’ll drink a cup of water
with a little CytoMax and Peak Condition in
it. If he does, GREAT; if he doesn’t, try plain
water. If he doesn’t drink this either, don’t
panic. Remember, you’re speaking kind words to
your friend the whole time, praising his efforts,
and confidently telling him he’ll be all better soon.
[I’m telling you, this makes a difference!]
Whether he drinks or not, isn’t too important
at this point, because you’ve just run fluids in
him. Once he’s clean and dry, then take him
outside and see if he’ll urinate. If he urinates,
you do NOT need to use the Salix. If he
defecates too, so much the better – his innards
are working and you are probably all right.
There may well be “blood” in his urine, but
that should clear in a day or so.
If he does not urinate, however, (or even if he
does) bring him back in and lay him down on
one of the clean blankets, and cover him with
the another clean, dry blanket. Set up another
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
IV catheter and run in the remainder of his
daily allowance of BODY TEMPERATURE
Ringers in him (again, see the next chapter).
While you’re running in the last of his daily
allotment of ringers, GRADUALLY add the
correct dosage of Salix (0.5 mg/lb) to the bag
if he DIDN’T urinate (again, you do NOT add
the Salix if he did urinate).
While the fluids are running, with the dash
of lassix added or not, now is the time to
individually treat EVERY SINGLE wound
on the dog. Take your spray bottle of Betadine
(or Nolvasan) and apply the opening of the
bottle to EACH AND EVERY puncture
hole and FIRMLY squirt in a little of the
Betadine. (Again, you can use your Nolvasan
mixture instead.) This will flush all of the
wounds, and it will kill all gram-positive and
gram-negative bacteria, virus, and fungi that
may have entered the wounds. Nolvasan lasts
longer, and is gentler on sensitive tissues,
but it is not as broad-spectrum as Betadine.
Use Nolvasan on very deep wounds and in
ears, but the Betadine everywhere else. Keep
treating every hole as necessary until EVERY
wound has been properly-treated. For very
small holes, KV Vet sells a special curved-
tip syringe for this specialized use – which
is invaluable! Use this for awkward dental
wounds and such.
If the dog has deep lacerations that require
sutures (I prefer to use the Surgical Staple
Gun), then use these after the wounds have
been cleansed. DON’T FORGET TO
CHECK YOUR DOG’S MOUTH FOR
WOUNDS TOO, as they can become
gangrenous if left unattended. If your dog has
mouth wounds, take the Gauze and dip it in
one of the solutions and scrub out the entirety
of the animal’s inside-cheeks, gums, and
mouth, and then squirt the solution directly
into any holes in the mouth you can see with
the syringe. [Most bulldogs instinctively know
you’re trying to help them and do not mind any
of this. If your particular dog can’t stand this,
then you should already know this, and so you
will have given him the Banamine pain killer
right after the hunt – and/or brought a muzzle,
179
if necessary. (Neither should be necessary
with the more typical, pain-tolerant, happy,
game pit bulls.] After you cleanse ALL of
the wounds thoroughly, but before you either
stitch, or staple, any deep lacerations, use
the surgical scalpel or scissors to cut off any
necrotic (dead) tissue that appears unable to
heal. Then gently dry the dog off of any spilled
solution.
If your dog has any broken limb, now is the
time to apply the splint – after he is cleaned,
disinfected, and dried off (you don’t want
to bandage a wet leg!). First gently feel the
limb and see if it is in fact broken. If it is only
dislocated, see if you can “pop” it back into
place, by stretching it out and snapping it
back in. (You can tell the difference between
a break and a dislocation by weather there is
a “clicking” sound or not.) Then, loosely wrap
some rolled cotton around the dry limb. After
the rolled cotton is in place, you then tape it
off, but again loosely. You then set the splint
in place, in as natural a position as possible. The
cotton around the leg acts as a shock insulator
from the splint and it will also prevent
chaffing.
Once the splint is in place, gently wrap this
dressing with your white leg tape, to secure it,
and over this you will wrap the elastic, self-
stick colored bandage to secure it further still.
But remember, always allow for circulation!!! You
can even use a PVC pipe, instead of a splint,
which you can get at any hardware store.
Having the PVC pipe already pre-cut to your
dog’s leg size, length-wise and diameter-wise
(factoring in the cotton wrap too) sure beats
scrambling around after the fact trying to find
a splint.
In any event, you want to make sure the
application is firmly in place and yet loose
enough to allow for circulation. Make sure you
leave the toes exposed so you can check and
see that the dog’s nerves are still responsive.
You can pinch the toes, or give them pinprick,
to see if he is still feeling anything ... and you
can also pay attention to whether or not the
toes swell. If the toes start swelling, or if the
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
toes are unresponsive to a pinch or a pinprick,
then you need to remove the application
and splint, and then re-apply it less tightly,
otherwise your dog’s leg will go dead.
After the fluids/dex/antibiotics, and wound
treatment (and any splinting) is complete,
let the dog rest for about two hours totally
uninterrupted. After the two hours are up,
then take him outside again to see if he’ll
urinate this time. Even if he can’t walk, you
can physically hold him up and walk him.
The action of walking him is critical, as it
encourages his kidneys and other organs to
function. Conversely, just letting him lie in
one spot for hours will cause his organs to
stop functioning if he is badly off – and you’ll
wake up to a dead dog.
Anyway, if he urinates this time, great. Put him
to bed in his blanket and go to bed yourself. [It
will help your dog’s spirits if he gets to sleep with
you. Who cares about your sheets? Remember
his life is on the line!] However, if your dog
still does not urinate, you can put him back
under his blanket and go to bed – but you need
to set an alarm for every two hours. Every two
hours, take him out and see if he will. Again,
the moving around keeps his innards working
which will aid in this goal.
If the hunt was over at 11:00 pm, and your
dog hasn’t urinated or drunk water by 5 am,
give him another hit of Salix (0.5 mg/lb), plus
another hit of the Azium (or Solu-Delta-
Cortef, etc.) with another small dosage of
Ringers. Then try to see if he’ll drink the cup
of water/CytoMax/Peak Performance drink
(or at least a cup of plain water). Remember:
Eating and drinking encourage elimination. If
his bladder realeases and he pees, you’re fine.
But, if the dog has not urinated or drunk water by
10:00 am the following morning, then you
need to take him to a vet. Explain to him about
the hog hunt, or the kennel accident, but get
him to a vet. If you have an understanding vet
(WHICH YOU”D BETTER ARRANGE
BEFORE THE HUNT), who realizes that
hog hunts and kennel accidents do happen,
180
and will back you, so much the better. But
under no circumstances let your vet put the
dog under anesthesia, as he will 99% be too
weak to come back. If you have to leave him at
the vet, make periodic visits every 4-6 hours to
let your dog know you’re with him – and insist
that someone walk the dog around every few
hours both to encourage urination and to
prevent kidney failure.
If your dog finally does urinate, either at
home or at the vet, and begins eating and
drinking, you can proceed with home care.
Home care consists of flushing the wounds
(as already relayed) every 12 hours, giving
cortico-steroids (if necessary) until normal
eating/defecating occurs. Once normal eating
and elimination have been established, then
you wean him off these cortico-steroids as
relayed in a forthcoming chapter. During this
whole time, you must keep him resting under
a blanket, then trying to walk him every few
hours, so that his organs keep functioning.
Keep feeding him the water/CytoMax/Peak
mixture (or plain water) until he accepts
normal food and drink. Keep giving the correct
amount of Ringers until he eats and drinks
normally, not just a nibble. Until he eats and
drinks normally, keep giving him the correct
daily amount of IV fluids, and don’t exceed
this amount. Give him Azium or Solu-Delta
every 24 hours until he is eating normally also,
also as recommended.
Once the dog is “out of the woods” and no
longer needs the cortico-steroids (dex/solu-
delta), then gradually wean him off these
drugs, per the forthcoming chapter. Once he
eats, drinks, urinates, and defecates, normally,
he should be fine. However, continue to keep him
indoors, warm and rested. Also, feed him bland
foods, per the chapter on kidney failure, until
his wounds are healed COMPLTELEY. Too
many dogs are on a fine road to recovery, only
to be put back on the chain too soon, where
they’re either not ready for the cold weather,
and their scabs get scraped off by their chains,
and their wounds will become re-infected with
dirt. Don’t get your dog “over the hump”
only to lose him or bring him back down
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 181

by tossing him outside too soon. Let him

heal COMPLETELY before he goes back
outside.

Finally, give him his Antibiotics ON TIME

every day, and continue to flush his wounds
until they look totally healed for three days
straight. If he is becomes gangrenous, or if
the infection persists or worsens, despite
antibiotic therapy, then upgrade your
antibiotics (see the appropriate chapter). It is
highly-recommended that you get a Culture
& Sensitivity Test done on any troublesome
wounds to identify exactly what bacteria
is/are involved in the infection. This can be
critical in fighting infection as there are some
bacteria which conventional antibiotics won’t
kill, and unless you identify what bacteria you
are dealing with, the infection can kill your
dog.

However, once his wounds have scabbed over,

are no longer “weepy”, and the scabs have
fallen off, discontinue the antibiotics. Remove
all sutures/staples after two weeks. And then
put your tough, little warrior back on his chain
and be damned proud of him!

~ California Jack
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 182

IV Fluid Therapy
IV Fluid therapy is one of the most important, I’ll address these situations each in turn. When
but overlooked, factors when caring for an I refer to a dog getting “fluids” I will be referring
injured dog. There are times when fluids specifically to intravenous fluids (I.V.). There
can mean the difference between life and are some instances where subcutaneous
death for your dog or at the very least (S.Q.) fluids will suffice and I will mention
make the difference between a quick and those independently. Subcutaneous or S.Q.
comfortable recovery and a slow, painful fluids is when you inject fluids under your
one. Unfortunately many dogmen take a dog’s skin. This is usually done over the back
hard-nosed attitude towards their dogs and and shoulder areas where there is a lot of loose
treat them as if they are indestructible … say skin. I will explain, in detail, the procedures
by forgoing fluids immediately after a hunt involved in administering I.V. fluids along
perhaps to give the impression that their dog with some of the different types of fluids and
was not badly injured. Similar to the boxer what their varied uses are later in the article.
who gets his jaw broken in a fight then gets
up and states emphatically how “okay” he is. I stated “Any time you hunt him in the warm
Well in the case of caring for a hunting dog, months.” I know there are some of you out
having the tough guy “you didn’t hurt me” there saying, “Hell I’ve lived here in Death
attitude makes your dog pay an unnecessary Valley for 30 years and hunted dogs and never
price for your (false) pride. gave them fluids,” or “ I never saw so-and-so
give their dogs fluids and they never lost a dog
Here are situations when your dog absolutely after a hunt.”
should receive fluids:
Well I didn’t say you would necessarily “lose”
Ø Any time you hunt with him in the warm your dog if you didn’t give him fluids after
months. If it’s 70 degrees or over and he hunting him in the heat. It would have to be
exerts himself for any length of time (over 20 pretty damn hot to lose a bulldog to the heat in
minutes). a short hunt, but certainly in a real hunt in the
heat they can die from hyperthermia or “heat
Ø Any time he hunts for over 1 hour, no matter stroke.” A dog cannot sweat like you and I,
what the temperature. so they do not efficiently dissipate heat from
their body. A dog’s natural body temperature
Ø Any time he faces a hard biting boar, no is also between 101 - 102.5 degrees so you
matter the length of time. don’t have much room for a great increase in
temperature. Once your dog’s temperature
Ø Any time he has vomiting or diarrhea for hits 106 it will not begin to come down on its
more than 24 hours. own and then he will begin to suffer from cell
death. Some of those cells that die will be in
Ø Any time he is not drinking for more than his brain. Need I say more? That’s where the
24 hours. fluids come in. They will help bring your dog’s
temperature down, combat shock, reverse
Ø Any time he looses a fair amount of blood. dehydration, and they will stop cell death. So
the bottom line is any dog who has hunted in
Ø Any time he receives any cortico-steroids hot weather must have fluids.
(Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, etc.)
I regard to the short hunt, this is one of the
times where S.C. fluids (under the skin) come
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
into play. No, your dog will not die after a 20
minute hunt in the sun, but he will feel a lot
better afterwards if he gets some fluids into
him. He will also fight off infection better if
he is well-hydrated. Think about this: In a
young dog’s career he learns a great deal from
his practice hunts. Don’t you think a dog will
have a more favorable impression of his schooling
if afterwards there is hardly any suffering? This
goes in line with the article on Schooling
Dogs properly, and leaving them with a good
(not a bad) impression when they’re young.
For instance, take two young dogs: the first is
hunted for 15 minutes in the heat. He takes a
few bites from the boar, but nothing too bad.
What really affects him is after 15 minutes in
the heat is the fact he is tired and laboring,
running hot. Say the first dog gets put back on
his chain spot with no treatment. He is trying
to catch his breath. He is tired, he is thirsty,
he is sore, and he is HOT … for at least 30
minutes afterwards. What kind of impression
does he have from this? Sure he enjoyed the
hunting, that’s what his genetics tell him to
do, but there IS some amount of negative
influence from the aftermath, isn’t there?
Now take the second dog, do the same hunt
– but afterwards his owner give him a big slug
of 0.9% NaCl, under the skin. This second
dog cools down quickly; he’s not so thirsty, the
fluids help wash out lactic acid so he isn’t as
sore. Isn’t this second dog much more likely
to look back on the practice hunt and think,
“Damn that was fun!”? Repeat each scenario
several times and you’ll get the picture. This is
off the subject a bit, but just a little something
to think about.
Dogs who hunt for long periods of time will
always need fluids. It doesn’t matter if you
think he didn’t take much damage. He still
needs fluids. Here’s why: A few things will
happen to a dog when in long periods of
combat. First, he will probably be in some
type of shock. I’m not going to go into detail
here about the various types of shock as that
would take a whole other article. Suffice it to
say that no matter what type of shock your
dog is in he will need fluids. If he has lost
183
blood, whether internally or externally, the
fluids will replace the lost blood volume. If he
hasn’t lost blood there is a good chance he has
put a strain on his heart and the fluids will
help ease the heart’s job. Also he will probably
be dehydrated.
Dogs who face hard-mouthed boars should
get fluids no matter what the damage appears
to look like externally, because a true hard
mouthed boar (some of you don’t really know
what that is, as luckily they are rare) crushes
everything between his jaws. Sometimes they
don’t shake so they just leave small puncture
holes that often don’t even bleed much. What
happens to the tissue in your dog when he gets
bit that hard is that much of it gets destroyed.
Cells get squashed like grapes and these
broken cells are just garbage that your dog’s
body needs to clean up and filter through his
kidneys. Some of the dead tissue forms blood
clots, other parts just get broken down by the
dog’s body, but all this stuff is waste and it
needs to be excreted through his kidneys.
That’s right, your dog needs to urinate-out all
the broken parts of himself from when he got bit.
Some parts are easy to pass. We have all seen
our dogs pissing red 1, 2, or even 3 days after
a hunt. Many people incorrectly think it’s
blood. Unless your dog got bit in the penis or
bladder, it’s not blood. It’s hemoglobin. That’s
the red-pigmented substance that fills red
blood cells. Your dog urinates red because he
is passing free-floating hemoglobin that was
released when red blood cells were crushed
and busted open. Sometimes the urine is dark
yellow or orange afterwards. That is bilirubin.
Not all the substances are as easy to pass and
they can “clog up” your dog’s kidneys. Fluids
will help flush out any waste products from
your dog’s kidneys. Running I.V. fluids help
this flushing-out process immeasurably.
Dogs who have vomiting or diarrhea for
longer than 24 hours stand a good chance of
becoming dehydrated and should get S.C.
fluids. In cases of severite vomiting, like parvo
or pancreatitis, a dog should get I.V. fluids.
If your dog is not drinking water at any time
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 184

greater than a 24 hour period, due to illness him “game.” And yet these same fools will
or damage, then you need to give him fluids. see their dog get 3 bleeders hit in the first 30
It doesn’t take long for a dog to become minutes of a hunt, yet they will acall him a
dehydrated and a dog will not heal either from “cur” when he stands in the corner at the hour
sickness or from wounds if he is dehydrated. mark. There is a good chance that dog did not
even know where he was by then. A broken leg,
Blood loss to the point of shock is common in while serious, is nowhere near as serious as
hunting and deserves special consideration in severe blood loss when it comes to the overall
an article on fluid therapy. For 99 percent of effect on the dog’s body and mind.
you the only way you can treat severe blood
loss (hypovolemic shock) is through I.V. The correct amount of fluids given to a dog
fluids. For a very few, a blood transfusion can in hypo-volemic shock will replace the lost
be done. Let me describe what hypovolemic volume of blood and ease the strain on the
shock looks like. Your dog will be pale but not heart, although if a great deal of blood is lost
always so pale that he looks white or bluish. If your dog may still lack oxygen, so increased
he looks white or bluish when you look at his respiration may remain. The fluids will also
gums or under his eyelids then he definitely replace electrolytes and increase the blood
is in shock. But more subtle signs which sugar levels.
may occur while your dog is still pale-pink in
color are confusion, nausea, severe weakness, If you give your dog any type of cortico-
and dementia. I myself had the pleasure of steroids then you should also give him fluids.
losing about half the blood in my body once, At the very least S.C. fluids but ideally you
and what I felt was comparable to drinking should give I.V. fluids. Dexamethasone, Solu-
a 5th of whiskey. I couldn’t speak correctly, I Delta-Cortef, Salix, etc. are all diuretics and
couldn’t walk straight, I was dizzy and sick as such all of these drugs will cause your dog
to my stomach, and I had a deafening ringing to urinate more than is natural, so if he drinks
in my ears. Imagine your dog feeling that on a one quart of water ... and then urinates one
hunt. and a half quarts ... he is losing bodily fluid
and will become dehydrated. Giving S.C.
When your dog loses a great deal of blood, his fluids is usually enough in these cases to stop
heart will start to work harder to try to supply the dehydration, but chances are if your dog
the organs with more blood, which is not there, needs any of those drugs in the first place then
so the heart tries to work even harder, etc. he should get I.V. fluids. Antibiotics are also
Also, blood contains electrolytes, which are MUCH more effective in a well-hydrated
essential to the body functioning normally. dog than a dehydrated dog, so the use of I.V.
These electrolytes are lost too. Blood carries fluids concurrently with antibiotic therapy is
oxygen to the body, so less blood equals less considered BEST PRACTICE.
oxygen, which in turn makes the lungs work
harder to try to get more oxygen (this works in
conjunction with the heart). With low oxygen T YPES OF LUIDS F
levels, the brain starts to malfunction. There
are more negative effects, but I’ll stop there LACTATED RINGERS SOLUTION
because I think you get the idea – severe blood
loss is a BAD THING. The funny (actually & RINGERS LACTATE:
sad) part is that blood loss is the factor most These are the same thing made by different
dog hunters are willing to accept and think companies. These are used in situations when
their dog will continue on. Yet they see a you want to replace blood. It stays in the veins
broken leg and they go, “Holy shit!”, and get longer thereby increasing blood pressure, plus
a bit worried. If they see their dog scratch on it carries electrolytes and lacate (sugar). Use
a broken leg, they pick him up and proclaim these for hypovolemic shock, traumatic shock,
and dogs that have not taken food or water in
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
over 24 hours.
RINGERS SOLUTION AND
PLASMALYTE:
These are similar to the above but without 30-lb dog
the lactate sugar. All of these type of fluids 2000 mls I.V. the first 24 hours immediately
are made to be osmotically similar to blood so post hunt.
they are used to replace blood loss. 1000 mls I.V. every 24 hours for maintainence
thereafter.
0.9% SODIUM CHLORIDE OR
NACL:
Also called normal saline. These fluids are
made to be similar to the fluids found inside
cell bodies. They do not stay inside the veins
long as they are absorbed quickly through cell
membranes. These fluids are used to treat
dehydration quickly. (Ringers will also, but a
bit slower) and to flush a body out. Use these
fluids to treat hyperthermia (heat stroke),
dehydration, and kidney failure.
There are other types of fluids such as 2.5%
Dextose w/ 0.9% NACL and 5%Dextrose
solutions. You can safely use the 2.5%
Dextrose w/0.9% NACL after a hunt in place
of normal saline if needed. Do not use 5%
dextrose solutions. Dogmen have no use for it.
FLUID R ATES:
Now, I know not all of you can figure out a
drip rate. Those of you who can, good, do it
and run the fluids hourly. It would be far too
difficult to explain drip conversion in an article
so I will give you a better way. I’ll do the math
for you and give you the approximate drip
rates for different-sized dogs. Also I will give
you BOLUS (all at once) doses to give your dog
before you hit the road back home, if you’re
in a hurry. DO NOT EXCEED THESE
RECOMMENED DOSES!!!
185
I.V. DOSES
Here are the approximate DRIP DOSES for
fluids in a 24 hour period.
40lb dog
2500 mls I.V. the first 24 hours immediately
post hunt.
1250 mls I.V. every 24 hours for maintainence
thereafter.
50lb dog
3000 mls I.V. the first 24 hours immediately
post hunt.
1500 mls I.V. every 24 hours for maintainence
thereafter.
THAT MEANS DO NOT EXCEED
THESE AMOUNTS IN ANY 24-
HOUR PERIOD. If you find you have run
this amount into your dog within any amount
of time whether its 2 hours or 18 hours, stop
giving fluids when you reach these levels and
don’t continue until the time you STARTED
the fluids comes round again. For example:
I start fluids on my 30-lb dog who has been
vomiting. I start at 9 pm but they ran too
fast and the whole 1-liter bag was gone by
midnight. Well he got his dose for the 24
hours so no more fluids until 9 p.m. tomorrow.
Another example: I have a 40 pound dog who
was just hunted, I give him a bolus (that’s
1500 mls) at 12 am then drive home. I start a
drip on him at 6 am when I get home and he
gets his last 1000 ml over the next 12 hours.
Now its 6 pm. Stop the fluids because he got
2500 mls in a 24 hour period. He isn’t due for
more fluids until 12 am the next early morning
because that’s 24 hours from when I started.
I know it’s confusing at first. In a perfect
world you would just be finishing the total
amounts at the perfect drip rate, just as the
24-hour period was ending. Then you would
start all over again, with your dog getting a
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
slow constant supply 24 hours a day. That’s Post hunt dose-BOLUS=1000 mls
the way it works in hospitals – but they have Maintainence dose-BOLUS = 400 mls every
electronic I.V. pumps. We don’t have these 12 hours.
devices, so make the best of it. The more you
practice the better you’ll get.
Ø NOTE: There is a danger involved with
giving too much fluid too quickly. You can
send your dog into congestive heart failure
and cause pulmonary edema. The easy
explanation of which is, you can give your dog
so much fluids that his lungs will fill with fluid
and he can actually drown. Stick to these doses
I have prescribed here and this will never
happen to your dog.
Anyway, there are two types of drip sets you
can get. One is a 15-drip set the other is a 60-
drip set. Look on the bag or box to see which
kind of drip set you have. The 60-drip sets are
too slow to use on large dogs so I only list them
on the 30-lb dog rate. The drip rates below are
set as seconds-per-drip. That means you need
to count the seconds between each drip in the
drip chamber so as to set a drip-rate. If you
need a rate of 1 drip every 3 seconds, then you
watch the drip chamber and as soon as a drip
falls you start to count ... 1 second, 2 seconds,
3 seconds ... DRIP! 1 second, 2 seconds, 3
seconds ... DRIP! 3 seconds between each
drip.
You regulate the time between drips by
tightening or loosening the wheel on the fluid
valve, which you will find is part of the fluid
line. Tightening the wheel will squeeze-off the
line and slow-down the drip rate. Loosening
the knob will speed-up the drip rate. You will
have to play with the wheel, making tiny
adjustments, tighter or looser, until you get
the correct timing of seconds-between-drips.
30-lb dog:
Post hunt dose-DRIP RATE
(60-drip set) = 1 drip every 1/2 sec.
(15-drip set) 1 drip every 3.5 sec.
Maintainence dose-DRIP RATE
(60-drip set) 1 drip evey 1.5 sec.
(15-drip set) 1 drip every 7 sec.
186
40-lb dog:
Post hunt dose-DRIP RATE
(15-drip set ONLY) 1 drip every 2. 5 seconds.
Maintainence dose-DRIP RATE
1 drip every 5 seconds.
Post hunt dose-BOLUS =1500 mls
Maintainence dose-BOLUS = 600 mls every
12 hours.
50 lb dog:
Post hunt dose-DRIP RATE
(15-drip set ONLY) 1 drip every 2 seconds.
Maintainence dose-DRIP RATE
1 drip every 4 seconds.
Post hunt dose-BOLUS = 2000 mls
Maintainence dose-BOLUS = 700 mls every
12 hours.
If your dog is more than 5 lbs over a dose, then
move up to the next dose. Example: A 34 lb
dog gets the 30 lb dose but a 36 lb dog gets the
40 lb dose. You round UP after 5 lbs.
Use the post hunt bolus doses for the first
24 hours after a hunt before going over to a
maintenance dose.
It’s always better to get a steady drip going
than just giving bolus doses of fluids because
with a drip-rate the dog is getting a slow
steady supply of fluids. This is the optimum
way to treat your dog. Sometimes, with a dog
that is really bad off, it is a good idea to give
a 1/2-bolus dose quick, and then turn the rate
down to a drip-dose.
The bolus doses are large doses given rapidly
all at once. You simply let the fluids run full-
tilt. This is good for when you are on the road
and need to get going and can’t stay to take
care of your dog. The bolus dose will keep him
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 187

until you can get home. Use these doses only
if you can’t place an indwelling I.V. catheter,
or you just can’t keep a drip going. 1. Take the I.V. bag out of its plastic package.
When giving bolus doses you can use a
catheter which is in place but just not dripping
well. Sometimes this happens because a dog
bends his leg which blocks the flow of fluid
through the vein. If that happens then open up
the fluid valve all the way to get the fastest
drip you can and pull your dogs leg out straight
and hold it while the fluids run in. When the
dose is given stop the fluids and either cap
off the catheter or remove it. If you do not
have or do not know how to use catheters you
can use a needle. Place the needle in the vein
and attach the fluids to it. Run the fluids but
always hold the needle still and keep your
dog still or else the needle will go through the
other side of the vein and the fluids will go
under the skin rather than I.V. If this happens
you will see your dog’s leg start to blow up like
a balloon. Then you will have to find another
vein to use as once this happens that vein is
pretty much shot. Therefore, the use of a catheter
is FAR preferable!
HOW TO SET UP AN I.V. LINE
2. Take the fluid line (tubing) out of its
package.
3. Find the valve on the fluid line. It usually
consists of a little wheel in side a housing that
the tube runs through.
4. Turn the wheel down into the tight, closed
position.
5. Pull the rubber stopper out of the I.V. bag’s
port.
6. Un-cap the large plastic needle on the drip
chamber end of the fluid line and push it into
the port on the bag.
7. Squeeze the drip chamber once or twice. It
should fill about half full.
8. Open up the wheel on the valve and take
the cap of the other end of the fluid line.

S.Q. DOSES 9. Let the air run out of the line, by running the
fluid full-tilt, and once you see the bubbles get
30-lb=400 mls every 12 hours pushed out, then turn off the valve and re-cap
40-lb=500 mls “ the line. It’s now ready to attach to a needle or
catheter.
50-lb=600 mls “
60-lb=700 mls “

You may need to move the needle to a new

location half way through a S.C. dose, as the
fluids will build up under the skin and make it
tight. When that happens just move to another
location of loose skin over the back or neck
and continue giving the fluid. Sub-Cutaneous
doses are not for a dog in shock. S.C. fluids
are best used for cases of mild dehydration
from diarrhea or vomiting, or short practice
hunts in the summer, etc. If you cannot hit an
vein at all, then use S.C. fluids because doing
so is better than giving no fluids at all.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 188
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 189

HOW TO PLACE AN I.V. CATHETER

The two best places to start an I.V. are the
cephalic vein that runs down the front of the
forelegs and the vein which runs down the
outside of the hock on the hind leg. Let me
give you a warning:

Do not think you will be able to start an I.V.

on a shocky dog right after a hunt if you do
not PRACTICE. Use your own dogs for
practice at home FIRST, at least once a week,
until you can hit the vein with precision every
time. Make sure you are capable of doing this
LONG before you have any hunt, and with
someone keeping the dog still for you … Just
keep practicing until you get it right. Using a
needle is an easier technique to learn than a
catheter, but is much harder to keep in place
on your dog. Using an I.V. catheter is harder
to learn at first … but worth it ultimately,
because once you have a catheter in place, and
you cap it off, you have access to that vein
for days without having to re-stick your dog.
Therefore learn how to use a catheter, and
have catheters and injection ports on hand at
all times, especially before a hunt.
While your second holds the dog as previously
depicted, then you come in and hold your dog’s
wrist with one hand while you insert the tip of
the catheter needle with the other. This is done at
a 30 degree angle, gently and smoothly, until you
get the vein.
Do not go through the vein at this point, you
just want the tip on the needle inside the vein.
Lower the angle of the needle to about level
with the dog’s leg and slide the catheter into
the vein being careful to stay straight in line
with the “tube” of the vein or else you will go
through the side of the vein. At this point you
withdraw the needle part, leaving the plastic
catheter in the dog (Illus. C).

When you pull the needle-part out, the plastic

catheter remains in the vein. You will know
if you are in the vein because blood will be
coming out the back end of the catheter. As
soon as the blood starts flowing back out of
the catheter, and you know you are in the vein,
immediately have the person holding off the
vein let go of the pressure on the vein but not
let go of the dog. Just let go of the tourniquet-
The correct way to hold a dog prior to IV fluid hold. This is important as the vein will blow
administration: have your second support the if you try to run fluids while the tourniquet-
head with one forearm, while he grasps the elbow finger is still stopping off the blood flow.
joint with the other as shown. This will allow you
free access to administering to your dog. Next, immediately hook-up the fluid line to
the catheter and start running the fluids by
O.K. you will need a helper to steady the dog opening up the valve all the way. You should
and to act as a tourniquet (See Illus. A). Once see the drips in the drip chamber dropping
the vein is held off feel for it under the skin. very quickly or even pouring in a stream, just
Place the needle tip through the skin and into under the bag of fluids.
the vein at about a 30 degree angle (Illus. B).
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 190

Once the catheter is in place, gently withdraw the needle part, leaving the catheter in the leg. You will
then insert the IV line into the catheter.
Ø NOTE: Do NOT try to run fluids with just Tape the catheter in place (Illus. E) so that it
a needle. A metal needle has a razor-sharp tip, does not move. Once the catheter is in place
and when the dog moves even slightly the needle and taped down you can run a bolus dose or
will poke out of the other end of the vein. This start a drip by timing the drops in the drip
means your dog will not get the vital fluids or chamber.
meds. Do NOT be a bozo. Make sure you use
a catheter for running IV fluids, not a needle.
The next column shows the connection of the
IV line to the catheter (Illus. D).

Once the fluids are running, then tape the catheter

in place, firmly, but not so tight as to cut off blood
flow. You just want to hold the catheter in place.
After the catheter is in place you may now attach Once in place, using a catheter allows for multiple
the fluid line and get the fluids in your dog. fluid administrations; a needle does not.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
If you feel your dog will need multiple IV Fluid
administrations, then place an Injection Port
on the end of the catheter after you are finished
running the first dose.
If you are only giving a bolus dose through a
catheter because you are in a hurry, you will
want to cap-off the catheter hub with an
injection port. An Injection Port is a critical
piece of equipment! Screw or push on the
injection port (cap) on to the open-end of the
catheter, after you withdraw the fluid line (see
Illus. F). Then tape the port to the dog’s leg.
When you are ready to administer more fluids,
or more IV meds, just put a needle on the end
of the fluid line and stick the needle in the
rubber-part of the injection port (Illus. G).
Once you’ve placed the needle, then run your
fluids. The great thing about an injection port
is it allows for multiple administrations. You can
remove the needle from the port when you are
done, but the catheter and port stay in place
for later use. You can use this port to inject
your Azium into also, and this tool is simply
the best way to ensure I.V. access for long
periods of time. It is a MUST HAVE for
your medicine box.
191
When the next 24 hr cycle comes around to
administer fluids (dex, or what have you), simply
insert the needle through the rubber aperture of
the Injection Port to administer the next dose.
You may hear of people cutting the leg open
to find a vein in cases where a vein can’t be
found. This is called a “cut down” and should
only be done by people with a lot of experience
working on dogs. I’ve seen some old timers do
it with the skill of a surgeon and I have also
seen some people butcher a dog’s leg trying to
do it. If someone offers to do this on your dog,
make sure they have done this before with
some success before letting them proceed.
Unless your dog is knocking on Heaven’s
door, then what the heck, go ahead and try as
it can’t do any more harm. If your dog is in
fair shape though, it’s better to go with S.C.
fluids than slice open a leg and risk hitting a
nerve, cutting a tendon, or slicing an artery.
Let me finish this article by saying the best
time and place to give fluids to your hunting
dog is IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
HUNT. Do not wait!
~ Doc & California Jack
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 192

Shock Therapy
“The proper uses of cortico-steroids” is an For convenience, I will use the word “Azuim”
often-debated subject and many a dogman for all 4 drugs, though the are all slightly
has his own method of using these drugs. For different. Now, when do you use these drugs?
the purposes of this article we will not go into I recently attended a hunt that involved
the use of cortico-steroids prior to a hunt, to two hard-mouthed dogs. The event lasted
“dry-out” a dog, but instead we will focus on a total of 35 minutes after which both sides
the proper use and dosage of these drugs. began attending to their dogs after they got
the boar. I was surprised when I learned one
First of all, what is a cortico-steroid or party involved did not intend to use any
“glucocorticoid”? For our purposes here we will Azuim on their dog, even though they had
define them as anti-inflammatory and/or anti- some on hand. It seems they were under the
shock agents. Although they have many other impression that because they had given the
uses, some of their uses can be of great benefit dog some prior to the hunt that the dog would
to a dogman, such as treatment for septicemic be fine. WRONG! It does not matter if the
and bacteremic shock (shock from infections), dog received a few ccs prior to the hunt. The
as well as intracerebral edema (swelling of the doses given to dogs prior to a hunt are much too
brain). Still, we will concentrate on the most small to have any anti-shock properties of any
common usage for now, which is treatment importance.
fro shock and swelling due to combat trauma.
The drugs we will discuss are Let’s bust a couple of myths. MYTH #1:
Azium given the day of, or the day prior to, a
•Dexamethasone hunt stays with the dog and stops swelling.
WRONG! These are fast-acting drugs and
(aka: Dex) are not meant to have a strong prolonged
•Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate effect. MYTH #2: Dogs don’t need Azuim
(aka: Azuim), unless the hunt lasts a long time. WRONG!
•Prednisolone Sodium Succinate Dogs can take severe damage in the first ten
minutes of a hunt. Especially with some of the
(aka: Solu-Delta Cortef) hard-biting monsters out there today. Here
•Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate are some good “Rules” to follow when using
(aka:Solu-Medrol). Azium:
Ø If your dog hunts over an hour, even if you
Lets discuss two major side effects of all these believe he hasn’t taken any damage.
drugs before going into their uses. The first
is, these drugs suppress the immune system. Ø If your dog has had bleeders hit.
That means they stop or inhibit your dog’s
ability to fight off infections. Second, they are Ø If your dog has faced a hard-mouthed boar,
diuretics, which means they draw fluid out of especially if he gets bitten in the guts.
your dog. For these two reasons I recommend
that ANY time you use any of the above- Ø If your dog has run very hot for any period
mentioned drugs you use them concurrently with of time.
fluid therapy and antibiotics, both of which are
discussed in different chapters. And finally, if Ø If your dog is in blatant shock, i.e. a
you can get by without using cortico-steroids, glazed far-away look in his eyes, he cannot
then do so. Use cortico-steroids ONLY when stand up, does not respond at all to painful
absolutely necessary! stimulus, etc..
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Now for dosages. Most people I’ve seen do
not use proper amounts of these drugs, even
when they do use them. Perhaps it has to do
with the fact that these drugs can be hard to
come by so people tend to be frugal with them.
I will list as follows the correct dosages for all
4 drugs mentioned above. For those who may
not know, for the purposes of administering
injectable drugs (ml) and (cc) are considered to
be the same. 1 cc = 1 ml. Also, all doses listed
are for intravenous use. All these drugs “may”
be given in the muscle, or under the skin, but
that is not the preferred route of administration.
Further, the doses would be different from
what is listed here.
AZUIM AND DEXAMETHASONE:
2.5 MG PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT. This
means, if you have a 42 LB dog (42 x 2.5 = 105
mg). You would then check the bottle to get
the strength of the solution you are using. The
bottle may be 2 mg per ml, 3 mg per ml, or 4
mg per ml. Now, if you have the 2 mg strength
you would have to inject 52.5 ml to give 105 mg
of the drug; if you have the 4 mg strength you
would only need to inject 26.25 ml to give 105 mg
of the drug. You see, the strength (%) of the bottle
tells you how many milligrams (mg) of drug in
each cc of the drug. Therefore, if you injected 10
cc of Azuim that was the 2-mg strength, you
just injected 20 milligrams of Azuim. I used
Azium to explain this fact, but this principle
holds true for all of these drugs. Another thing
to note is try to use these drugs only ONCE.
You “can” give this drug up to every 12 hrs,
until the dog is stabilized, if you have to ... but
again these drugs inhibit the immune system
... so carefully assess each situation to see if
the use of Azium is warranted at all. If the
dog needs only one dose after the hunt, then
give him that first dose immediately and right
with his fluids. If he is really bad off, then give
whatever follow-up you deem to be warranted.
For follow-up, keep in mind it is preferable to
give corticosteroids in the morning.
193
SOLU-DELTA CORTEF:
2.5 TO 5 MG PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT. So
a 40-lb. dog would get 100 - 200 mg, depending
on the severity of his condition. Again, try to
use this drug only ONCE.
SOLU-MEDROL:
15 MG PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT. In this
case, a 40-lb dog would get 600 mg of Solu-
Medrol. Again, try to use this drug only
ONCE.
Here are a few things you should know when
using these drugs. First, inject SLOWLY and
if possible place an I.V. catheter in your dog
and give these drugs with his ringers; doing
so makes it easier to give medication, and
you won’t need to worry about finding a vein
multiple times once you have one catheter
in place. If you have a catheter in place, I
recommend you inject the solution over about
a 10-minute time period, 1 ml every minute,
down the same line you are running your
fluids in. This really distributes the drug
well. If you don’t have a catheter, it makes
IV administration much more difficult, and
you may have to stick your dog multiple times
to get the entire dose into him (unless you
have a very steady hand and your dog is not
moving).
You can also inject the whole dose of these drugs
directly into the bag of IV fluids, then mix it up,
and then run these drugs concurrently with the
fluids, right out of the fluid bag.
Next, don’t be fooled if your dog seems to
be “fine” a little while after the injection;
that just means the drug is working! Keep a
constant eye on your dog for the next 48 hours.
If needed, you can repeat the dose as often as
every 12 hours (actually it can be repeated
more often than that, but if you need it more
often than every 8 hours your dog should be
at the vet). However, in most cases after a
hunt, a dog will probably be OK with just one
post-hunt dosage. However, if he’s still a little
shocky in the morning, then give him one more
full injection when you wake up, again IF he
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
needs it.
Don’t be too gung-ho with these drugs. If he’s
fine and “up” the next day, then leave him be
and let his immune system work naturaly. If
he is still bad off, then he needs the full dose,
again, once every 24 hours, given IN THE
MORNING. If he doesn’t seem responsive
to these drugs after 48 hours, then he needs
a vet. However, if after 48 hours, your dog is
eating, drinking, urinating, and is not anemic,
you can then wean him off the drug (see
below).
Third, if you cannot hit a vein at all, your
best bet is using one of the high-strength
drugs like Solu-delta Cortef. You can give
an intra-muscular injection of about 5 mls in
each leg and give the remaining dose (if any)
under the skin (Sub-Q). This is not practical
with Azuim due to the high volume needed for
effective doses.
Finally, do not “just stop” cortico-steroid
therapy, if your dog has needed it for a long
time. Now, if you just give one or two doses,
there is no need to wean a dog off these drugs
... however, there IS a need to wean them off
these drugs if you’ve been using them for
awhile. READ THIS:
According to the MERCK VETERINARY
MANUAL:
“On cessation of steroid therapy, the HPA axis
recovers slowly over several weeks, and animals
are particularly vulnerable to stress if treatment too bright, and anyone who has ever been
is terminated abruptly. Restoration of the HPA
function is best achieved by gradually reducing
the dosage while increasing the interval between
doses ... The abrupt termination of dosing after a ~ Doc & California Jack
prolonged course of treatment may reveal a life-
threatening degree of adrenal insufficiency.”
In other words, you can kill your dog if you
just stop prolonged cortico-steroid treatment.
Therefore, you must wean your dog off of any
prolonged such therapy SLOWLY if your
dog is severely injured. That is, decrease the
dosage by 1/2 of what it was, and double the
interval time between doses, over a week
or two, and then cease treatment. This will
194
gradually wean your dog off of these system-
altering drugs.
Finally, here are a couple of last details: (1) use
the correct drugs for the correct problems. For
instance, if your dog is extremely SHOCKY,
then you will want to use some form of
prednisolone, either Solu-Delta Cortef or
Solu-Medrol. However, if your dog isn’t very
shocky, but he is extremely SWOLLEN and
STIFF, then you will want to use some form of
dexamethasone, either straight Dex or Azium.
The prednisolone group of cortico-steroids has
weaker anti-inflammatory properties, but
much stronger anti-shock properties, while
the dexamethasone group has weaker anti-
shock properties, but are about 10x as strong
in decreasing inflammation. Solu-Medrol has
the greatest degree of both properties.
(2) If your dog doesn’t need these drugs, then
don’t use them.
(3) I know I said we would not go into giving
these drugs prior to a hunt, but I have to give
my two cents. Although many dogmen do
practice this, I only know this, ALL these
drugs can effect blood sugar levels, blood
pressure levels, and affect the adrenal gland.
This can have a profound affect on how your
dog feels, not to mention you can dehydrate
your dog if you are not careful with your dose
and the time you give it. Adversely affecting
the way your dog feels before a hunt isn’t
dehydrated knows this is not what you want
going into a hunt. That’s just our opinion.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Antibiotic Therapy
Most dogmen, whether active in hunting
dogs or not, will at one time or another need
to use antibiotics on their dogs. There is a lot
of ignorance regarding antibiotic therapy, and
many people use these drugs incorrectly, which
can be worse for a dog than not using them at
all. In the chapter that follows I will attempt
to explain, to the best of my knowledge, the
proper uses and dosages of antibiotics. I
will also list the most effective antibiotics
available as well as which circumstances
require their use and some mistakes that are
commonly made.
Having an extensive supply of antibiotics is
one of the most important factors to success
that a dogman can have on hand at all times
... but having a deep understanding of how to
use these antibiotics is even more important
than just “having them,” because these drugs
(like anything else that is good in life) can be
misused and abused.
Most people have absolutely no clue as to how
to use antibiotics correctly, and that is simply
because most people are too damned lazy to
crack open a book and read about them. Most
dog owners automatically defer this kind of
education and responsibility to “their vet,”
but this is a critical error in judgment and
responsibility-shifting. The truth is, your dogs
are your responsibility, not your vet’s, and if
you want to become any kind of a dogman it
is imperative that you become familiar with
antibiotics, and at least learn the basics
on how to use them. Because the more you
learn about antibiotics, and how to use them
properly, the more you will realize how little
many vets themselves actually know about
antibiotics and how to use them properly.
Therefore, I am going to teach you the basics
of antibiotic therapy ... and, if nothing else,
you can make sure whether your vet is giving
you good advice or not.
195
CLASSIFICATIONS
Antibiotics fall into two basic categories,
Bacteriostatic antibiotics and Bactericidal
antibiotics. The first kind of antibiotics slows
down the growth rate of bacteria, which allows
for the body’s own natural defenses to take
over and finish off the infection ... while the
second category of antibiotics actually kills the
bacteria outright. And it is important for you
to understand which kinds of antibiotic fall
under which category, so that you can use the
right ones for the right problems.
Another thing you need to understand is
that not every kind of antibiotic is good for
every kind of problem, and not every kind
of antibiotic is administered in the same
fashion, which is why there are different
classifications of antibiotics. Each type of
antibiotic addresses a specific problem, or set
of problems, and each class of antibiotics has
certain strengths, certain weaknesses, and
certain potential problems and side-effects
associated with its use. I will get into these
things in a moment, so that you have a basic
understanding as to which antibiotic address
what kind of problems, but the point to come
to terms with here is that you need to factor in
all of these things in your decision-making.
Basically, what you need to understand is that
the right antibiotics must be given in the right
way, at the right dose, for the right problem,
and they must be given in the right time
intervals, and they must be given for the right
duration of time in order to be beneficial to
your dog. If you fail to administer antibiotics
to your dog correctly, with all of these factors
in line, you can ultimately hurt your dog far
worse than you will help him.
Mindlessly giving any old “antibiotics for a
week” is not the way to do things ... there is a
lot more to it than that.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 196

R OUTE OF ADMINISTRATION these kinds of bacteria. Certain antibiotics

There are four basic ways in which to just won’t work on certain kinds of bacteria,
administer antibiotics: (1) orally or by mouth, and because of this you need to make it your
(2) by subcutaneous injection, (3) by intra- business to use the right kind of antibiotic for
muscular injection, or (4) by intravenous the problem you are dealing with. A resistant
injection. If you start reading any technical bacteria to one antibiotic may be “susceptible”
books on the subject of antibiotics, you to another kind of antibiotics, and as such
will notice certain abbreviations, and these the bacteria will die-off to the usage of the
abbreviations stand for these various routes of correct antibiotics ... which is why it is so very
administration. The most important of those important that you select the right antibiotic
abbreviations are: for the job. Yet there still remains the potential
that *any* bacteria may develop resistance
PO = Orally or by mouth. to *any* antibiotic you choose, and if this
SC = Subcutaneous injection. happens it will invariably be because of your
IM = Intra-muscular injection. improper administration. Therefore, you must
IV = Intravenous injection. take not only take the the “kind” of antibiotic
you choose, very seriously, and the “route” of
It is important when giving antibiotics administration of your chosen antibiotic very
that you give them via the preferred route seriously, but you must also take the dosage
of administration, because that is how the and frequency you give them very seriously as
antibiotics are best assimilated (used) by the well.
body. Therefore, you need to pay attention
to all labels, and when you see the above It is absolutely critical that you learn to use
abbreviations mentioned in the dosages, the right kinds of antibiotics, for the right
take note of them and give these drugs kinds of problem, and that you give the drugs
accordingly. via the correct route of administration ... and,
finally, it is critically-important that you learn
administer the correct antibiotics at the right
DOSAGE AND INTERVALS dosage, the right time intervals, and for the right
Probably the most vital thing you need to duration of time.
understand about any kind of antibiotic
therapy, is that there is a certain level of There are two ways in which you will see
RESISTANCE that all bacteria have (or “dosage” reflected on your labels: (1) in mg/kg
may potentially have) to any sort of antibiotic or (2) in mg/lb. So here is something you need
you select to use. Since all forms of life are to commit to memory so that you get your
constantly evolving, in order to survive, dosages right:
this means that all forms of bacteria are also
constantly evolving, in order to survive, and Mg/kg = milligrams of drug to kilograms of
the bacteria in your dog are constantly mutating dog.
in order to survive your chosen antibiotic therapy! Mg/lb = milligrams of drug to pounds of dog.
As such, any time you use an antibiotic, there
is some degree of chance that the bacteria It is absolutely critical that you open your
you are trying to kill will be resistant to the eyes and make sure you read whether you
antibiotics you choose ... or that the bacteria are talking about mg/kg or mg/lb! It is also
may *develop* resistance to the antibiotics mandatory that you realize and memorize the
you have chosen. following conversion:

Some bacteria are immediately resistant to 1 kg = 2.2 lb

certain antibiotics, and as such it is improper
to use these kinds of antibiotics to treat
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 197

I will explain this later, but let me give an on the bacteria, as well as the hardiness of the
example of how to calculate the correct dog. Just keep in mind that to get as close as
dosages in lb (for those of you who may not possible to the correct dosage, you can split-
know how). Say I have a 50-pound dog, and I up tablets for division ... you can dump-out
have a drug that is dosed at 6.25 mg/lb, that I the contents of capsules for division ... as well
must give every 6 hours. I simply multiply 6.25 as possibly find smaller-sized pills for division
mg times the 50 lbs that my dog weighs to get ... all of which can help get your dosages as
my answer. This means I have to give 312.5 mg exact as possible.
of this drug for my 50 lb dog, and that I have
to give this amount to him every 6 hours. But But from that point forward you need to keep
suppose the drug only comes in 250 and 500 mg each successive administration of the drug
tablets. How do I adjust? Well, what I would on the right time interval, every time. The
do is make a determination as to how serious reason for this is that the antibiotics lose their
the problem was, as well as how many side- effectiveness in the bloodstream over time, and
effects the drug potentially has. If the drug so an antibiotic that is supposed to be given
carries bad side effects, or if the infection was “every 6 hours” is one that starts losing its
mild, I might just give one 250 mg tablet to my effectiveness after about that time. The key to
dog, as this is “close enough” to the exact 312.5 antibiotics working effectively is to have the
mg calculation I need to use. right concentration in the blood maintained at
all times. The right concentration in the blood
However, if the drug was very mild, and/or of is determined by the dosage, and how to keep
if the infection was pretty bad (and I did not this concentration up at all times is determined
want to risk an under-dose), I might break a by the frequency of administration.
second tablet in half and give 11⁄2 total tablets
to my dog, every 6 hours. Doing this would Some antibiotics need only to be given once/
mean 250 + 125 = 375 mg, which dosage is day to keep their concentrations high in the
slightly higher than the exact dose I calculated, bloodstream, while others will need to be given
but is also “close enough” to be safe. In either up to 4x/day to keep their concentrations high.
case, whether I decide to slightly under-dose, So therefore, while you are taking notes as to
or slightly over-dose, again I must give the “how much” of the drug to use, make sure you
dosage at the correct time intervals, which in also jot down “how often” to use them. As
this case would be every 6 hours. with the abbreviations for dosages, you will
notice that there are certain abbreviations for
Ø Because of potential resistance, however, frequency of dose too, and the most important
I believe that it is always better to slightly of those abbreviations are:
overdose than it is to slightly under-dose.
SID = 1x/day (or every 24 hours).
Now, suppose I had a 66 lb dog and the dosage- BID = 2x/day (or every 12 hours).
math (6.25 x 66) for this particular drug came TID = 3x/day (or every 8 hours).
out that my dog needed 412.5 mg of the drug to QID = 4x/day (or every 6 hours).
be given every 6 hours? In this case, I would
simply use the 500 mg tablets, as again this Therefore, if you have a 30-lb dog that needs
is slightly higher than what I need, but again a drug which is dosed at 10mg/lb, PO, BID ...
it is “close enough.” You don’t have to be in order to translate that into understandable
100% exact in your dosage, but you should be English you need to multiply the 10 mg needed
“close.” Again, whether to go slightly under, per pound by the 30 lb your dog weighs. This
or slightly over, the recommended dose will means your dog needs 300 mg of this drug
have to do with the severity of the infection, (10 mg x 30 lb) ... and you also need to pay
the potential harm from side effects from the attention to the fact he needs to take the drug
drug, the potency of the drug and its efficacy by mouth (PO) and that he needs to take it
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
twice daily, every 12 hours (BID).
The important thing to remember here is
you must use the right dosage, and you must
administer this right dosage at the correct
time intervals, to achieve the maximum
therapeutic benefit of the particular antibiotic.
This is not something to take lightly; this is
something that is critical.
CONVERSIONS
Another thing that is critical to pay attention
to in your dosing is whether the drug is listed
in mg/lb, or in mg/kg. If you happen to run
into a drug that is dosed at mg/kg instead
of mg/lb, simply realize that 1 kg = 2.2 lb
as previously-stated (or, stated in longhand,
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds). Therefore, if you
see a drug that is dosed at “10mg/kg“ this
means that you must give 10 mg of this drug
for every 2.2 lb of dog, not 1 lb. Therefore, if
your dog is 50 lb, to calculate the right dosage,
you would simply divide his 50 lb of weight by
the conversion factor of 2.2 to come up with the
fact that your 50 lb dog weighs roughly 22.75
KILOGRAMS. Since you are supposed to give
10 mg of this drug, per kg of dog, you must
now multiply his 22.75 kg of weight by the
10mg/kg he is supposed to get, which comes
out to be the fact that 227.5 mg of this drug
are needed for your 22.75-kg (or 50-lb) dog.
If the time interval of the drug is BID, then
you give your dog 227.5 mg of this drug twice
daily, or every 12 hours.
Or, you can figure it out in the reverse.
If you need to administer the same 10mg/kg
for your dog, but you want to figure how much
drug you need to use by the pound, instead
of trying to figure out that your 50-lb dog is
really weighs roughly 22.75 kg, you can also
just divide the 10 mg of drug needed by the
same 2.2 conversion factor ... and you will come
to the conclusion that this drug is dosed at
4.55mg/LB. You will soon see that if you do
the math this way, and multiply 4.55 mg of
drug by 50 LB of dog (rather than multiply
10 mg of drug by 22.73 KG of dog), the net
198
result is the same ... you need to give 227.5
mg of this drug for your dog, every 12 hours.
Just remember that the conversion factor is 1 kg
= 2.2 lb. This conversion factor is critical, and
it is critical that you PAY ATTENTION to
whether the dosage of your drug is listed in
mg/kg or in mg/lb. If you see “X mg/KG” you
can either divide the X mg by 2.2 to convert
the dose to mg/LB (and then multiply that
# by the total number of pounds your dog
weighs) ... or you can divide the # of pounds
your dog weighs by 2.2 to convert his weight
to kilograms (and then multiply that # of
kilograms by how many mg of the drug are
indicated per kg). But, either way you do it,
converting the miligrams or converting the
pounds, you will come up with the proper
dosage
INJECTABLES
If you have injectable antibiotics, and you
need to figure out the dosage, again just
read the label to gather the information. The
dosage for injectables will be given either in
mg/ml or in mg/cc (milligrams/milliliter or
milligrams/cubic centimeter). All you need
to know is that “ml” and “cc” are EXACTLY
THE SAME! Therefore, regardless if the bottle
says the drug is dosed at “50mg/ml” or if it
says “50 mg/cc” it is saying the same thing: for
every 1 cc (ml) of this liquid product that you
pull into a syringe, you will have 50 mg of the
indicated drug withdrawn.
Therefore if you are trying to get 312.5 mg
of an injectable drug into a syringe, and
the label indicates the bottle of this drug is
manufactured at a 50mg/ml potency, then all
you would have to do is draw up 6.25 cc of
this liquid product into a syringe. (Remember,
312.5 mg total are needed, so when divided by
the 50mg/ml potency of the liquid, this equals
6.25 cc of said liquid are needed.) When in
doubt, use a calculator. Don’t be ashamed to
ask someone to make sure your dose is right.
It is better to be humble and correct than it is
to be proud and wrong.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 199

Therefore, to give a final exam on this subject, this happens, your dog may not be able to
if you have a 40-lb dog that needs to be given recover from his bacterial infection any more.
an injectable drug, at a rate of 15mg/kg, SC, To prevent this possibility, therefore, you
BID ... and the bottle of this drug you have is must make sure that the antibiotic you choose
indicated at 70 mg/ml ... what do you do? is given for at least 7 days in a row, again at the
right dosage, and spaced-out in the right time
You first translate all of this into intervals.
understandable English. You need to divide
15 mg needed per kg by the conversion factor Example I:
of 2.2 to get the mg needed per lb. This turns • Say your 40 lb dog has an infected bite
out to mean that this drug is to be given at a wound. You give him 200 mg of amoxicillin,
6.82mg/lb dosage. Since your dog is 40 lb, he by mouth every 12 hours, and he really starts
needs 273 mg of this drug (6.82 mg x 40 lb), looking better by the third day. You DO
and he needs to take the drug by subcutaneous NOT stop giving him the amoxicillin. You
injection (SC, or under the skin), and he needs still continue to give the drug for 7 days total,
to take it twice daily, every 12 hours (BID). every 12 hours, just to make sure that the
bacteria are entirely killed. Remember, you
Now, since your bottle of liquid is dosed at give antibiotics for 7 days minimum!
70mg/ml this means that for every 1 ml (cc)
of fluid you draw into your syringe, that you
have 70 mg of the active drug. Since you need SECOND R ULE OF THUMB:
to give a total of 273 mg of the drug to your If you need to give antibiotics longer than 7
dog each time, this means you have to draw days, the second rule of thumb is, you give
4 cc of the liquid (70 mg x 4 cc = 280 mg) antibiotics for as long as it takes to clear an
into your syringe in order to give your dog the infection, plus another 3 days.
proper dosage of the active drug. And since
you need to give this drug by subcutaneous Example II:
injection twice daily (SC, BID), this means • Say you your same dog gets another bite
you give 4 cc of this drug to your dog, under wound, and you decide to use the same 200
the skin, every 12 hours. I hope that this is mg of amoxicillin, every 12 hours, to treat it
now clear. again ... but this time the infection takes a
little longer to clear-up. Say that by 5 days
your dog looks better ... well, this time you do
DURATION OF THERAPY not stop at 7 days ... this time you must now
And, last but not least, there is the question, follow Rule #2 and continue to give the drug
“For how long” should I give this antibiotic for 3 more days, *after* he looks clear, just to
thereapy? Therefore, it is vital that you also make sure. Remember, it’s 7 days minimum
master the follwing 3 Rules of Thumb when OR until the infection clears, plus 3 more days.
it comes “how long” to administer any form of In this second example, the infection is clear
antibiotics: by Day 5, but because you need to keep giving
the drugs for 3 more days after the infection
FIRST R ULE OF THUMB: clears, the total duration of this therapy winds
Generally-speaking, you give any kind of up to be 8 days in all.
antibiotic for 7 days minimum. Stated in the
reverse, you NEVER give antibiotics for Example III:
less than 1 Week. The reason is because (if • Say your 50 lb dog has an ear infection,
you stop the therapy too soon), the bacteria and your vet says to give him 5 mg/kg of
will not be destroyed, and then the remaining Orbax (113 mg), PO, SID, to treat it. Since
living bacteria will react by developing resistance the drug comes in a maximum tablet-size of
to the antibiotic you just used against it. If 68 mg, you need to give your dog two tablets
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
by mouth, every 24 hours. Suppose he starts
looking cleared-up by the 10th day of therapy,
you still continue to give him the antibiotics for
3 more days passed this point (or 13 days total)
to make sure that the bacteria is vanquished.
Remember, you give antibiotics until the
infection clears, plus 3 more days! In this case,
the problem seemed clear by Day 10, but to
make sure the bacteria are totally destroyed,
you continue the therapy for 3 days passed the
date you can see no more problems, for 13 total
days of therapy.
Example IV:
• Say your 37 lb bitch gets a mammary gland
infection (mastitis), and you decide to give her
500 mg of Trimethoprim-Sulfa, PO, BID, for
14 consecutive days “like the last time your
vet told you to do.” So you administer 500 mg
of this drug, by mouth, every 12 hours ... but
only by the 14th day is she actually just about
cleared-up this time, so what do you do? You
continue to give this drug for 3 more days, for
17 days total, just to make sure. Again, Rule
#2 is you give antibiotics until the infection
clears, plus 3 more days!
THIRD R ULE OF THUMB:
Finally, when giving any course of antibiotic
therapy, if the dog’s infection starts getting
worse, or if no improvement is seen after 5
consectutive days of dutiful application, you
need to upgrade to a better antibiotic or you
need to get a Culture & Sensitivity Test
performed.
When you have correctly-identified the
problem, and when you have prescribed the
correct antibiotic to treat the problem, and
when you are givng the drug at the correct
dosage in the correct time intervals, then you
absolutely should notice some improvement
within just a couple of days. If you do not
notice any improvement, or if the condition
is actually getting worse, despite the therapy,
then you have either mis-diagnosed the
problem, or you have used an inappropriate
antibiotic, or you have used an incorrect
dosage (or any combination of these things).
200
“Best Practice” at this point would be to get
a Culture & Sensitivity Test run by a competent
veterinarian. A Culture & Sensitivity Test is
where a vet takes a specimen of pus (or other
fluid) from an infected dog and sends the
specimen to a lab for a microscopic analysis as
to exactly what kind of bacterial infection you
are dealing with. This kind of analysis can be
critical to your dog’s health – and even to his
life.
And while sometimes it is OK to just take
a guess as to which kind of antibiotic to use,
and to trouble-shoot with a “broad spectrum”
antibiotic that will “probably” handle the
infection ... at other times you do not want
to play around and guess. You need to know
what you are dealing with. A Culture &
Sensitivity Test is crucial in very serious
infections, such as those of the bone, the jaw,
the uterus, etc. ... or where a minor infection
(that isn’t responding to what you have) is
fast-becoming a major infection ... and where
any further delay in responding appropriately
could be lethal to the animal.
Again, generally-speaking, most bacterial
infections can be dealt with effectively by
using a “broad spectrum” antibiotic. No tests
are actually run to identify the source of the
infection, but instead a “broad spectrum”
antibiotic is used in lieu of a Culture &
Sensitivity Test. This practice of “guessing”
should only be done when the consequenses
of error will not be grave, which are invariably
minor infections of the skin and flesh.
However, when the consequenses for being
wrong can in fact be grave, then a Culture &
Sensitivity Test is absolutely mandatory.
Example V:
• Say you have a dog with a bite wound. The
condition is not life-threatening, so you don’t
bother going to a vet and instead you simply
administer the “broad spectrum” antibiotic
of 500 mg of cephalexin to your dog, PO,
TID (by mouth, 3x/day, which is every 8 hrs).
However, after a couple of days you notice
that his condition has failed to respond ...
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 201

and by 5 days the infection of the wound is
actually getting worse. It is at this point where
you need to make a decision: (1) you either
need to upgrade to a different antibiotic, or
(2) you need to go to a vet and have him run a
Culture & Sensitivity Test on the infection to
identify the problem, exactly.
have handled *both* of those bacteria put
together. Now, thanks to the lab report, you
realize you need to give BOTH drugs to your
dog concurrently.
Can you now see the value of a Culture &
Sensitivity Test?

Your decision as to which to do should be In this case, had you continued to use the
based on both your experience, your available Cephalexin only, the dog would not have
alternative antibiotic choices, as well as how recovered. Had you tried to upgrade to the
serious the infection is getting. If the wound Cipro only, the dog would not have recovered.
is still relatively benign, and you have a good And had you tried to upgrade to the Clavamox
medical supply onhand, you might choose only, the dog would not have recovered.
to upgrade to Cipro or Clavamox and see Therefore, only by getting the C&S Test were
how they work. However, if the wound is you able to come to the best solution, and
really festering, and/or if it is in danger of that was to use *both* Cipro and Clavamox
infecting the bone too, and/or if cephalexin is combined together to get rid of this particular
all you have ... then you will definitely want to multi-bacterial infection.
identify exactly what it is you are dealing with,
and to do this you will have to run a Culture Simply put, it is therefore *always* “Best
& Sensitivity Test. Practice” to run a Culture & Sensitivity Test
before using any kind of an antibiotic, and
When your vet runs a C&S Test and sends that is all there is to it.
the specimen to the lab, the results you receive
back not only will give you a report as to what However, in real life, sometimes it is just
kind of bacteria you are dealing with, but the not practical to take the time and to spend
report will also indicate the best choice of the money to go get such a test done, and for
drugs you need to handle this particular and this reason you need to have many “broad
unique problem. spectrum” antibiotics to choose from. Even
most vets will not run a Culture & Sensitivity
Example VI: Test on minor cases of skin infection, and in
• Say you decided to run the C&S Test on most cases simply using “broad spectrum”
your dog for the problem above ... just to be anitbiotcs, intelligently, will work just fine.
sure ... and the test comes back positive for
both Pseudomonas flourescens as well as for The fact is Cephalexin *does* work for most
Enterococcus faecium. The lab report tells you infections of the skin ... and Cipro *does*
that the drug you were using (Cephalexin) work for most infections of the skin also ...
affects neither bacteria. Stated in the reverse, and Clavamox *does* work for most such
both forms of bacteria were totally resistant to infections as well, and as such any of these
your choice of antibiotics. Basically, you were antibiotics is a reasonable “first choice” as a
accomplishing nothing by using Cephalexin line of defense for a simple flesh infection.
on your dog to treat his infection. By reading
the lab report, you learned that the Cipro The point of this section is that you need to
you wanted to use as an alternative would be accutely aware of the fact that in some rare
have handled the Pseudomonas flourescens ... cases any one of these drugs might be the wrong
and that the Clavamox alternative you were choice ... and in other rare cases there will be no
also considering would have handled the “one” antibiotic of any kind that will work for
Enterococcus faecium ... but you quickly realize certain problems of a multi-bacterial nature.
that none of your available antibiotics could And so when these times arise, you need to be
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
ready, willing, and able to take your dog into
your vet to run a Culture & Sensitivity Test
if your first choice of antibiotics fails to work.
And you need to do this immediately if there
is a potential for a severe consequence.
The other time to run a Culture & Sensitivity
Test immediately out of the gate is for
bacterial infections that are of a very serious
nature in and of themselves.
Example VII:
• Say your best brood bitch comes out of her
heat cycle, and a week or so later you notice
that she is very groggy. You take her off the
chain and bring her inside for an examination.
Right away you notice a slight discharge from
her vagina that is foul-smelling. Right away
you think, “Pyometra!”, and at that point you
should automatically reject the thought of
using “experimental” antibiotics altogether,
and you should realize that pyometra is deadly
serious, and you should reach an immediate
conclusion that your bitch needs to be treated
correctly the first time. There is no room for
messing around with something as serious as
pyometra.
Therefore, you do not “just try” some
random antibiotic choice for a problem of this
magnitude, but instead you immediately take
your bitch in to your vet, have him take a swab
culture of your bitch’s vaginal discharge, and
you have the specimen sent out to a lab for a
full Culture & Sensitivity Test. Again, the
reason is you do not want to play around with
guessing-games on something as serious as a
full uterine infection like pyometra. You want
to identify the offending bacteria, exactly and
immediately, and then you want to blast those
bacteria out with exactly the right antibiotic
choice(es).
In summation, when using antibiotics, if you
stick to Rules #1, #2, and #3, you will be
doing your dogs a great service.
That being said, let me now introduce you to
some important antibiotics you should have
on hand, and I will give explanation for what
202
purpose each should be used. All of the above
three rules are important, but Rule #3 is the
most important, and that is WHEN IN DOUBT
ABOUT AN INFECTION, TAKE THE DOG IN
FOR A CULTURE & SENSITIVITY TEST.
IMPORTANT ANTIBIOTICS
TO HAVE
THE BASICS
The penicillins are a bactericidal class of drugs,
and that means they kill off the offending
bacteria. There are many, many different
forms of penicillin, but covering every single
form of this drug is not important for this
book. What is important is to cover the most
common forms you will come across, because
they are also the easiest for you to find and
add to your medicine chest:
PENICILLIN G:
Basic penicillin is good to use on dogs only
in the injectable form, which is known as
Penicillin G. Furthermore, simple penicillin is
only valuable today anymore as a preventative
agent, and even this value is becoming suspect
in recent years. By “preventative agent,” I
mean that penicillin should only be used to
prevent an infection from forming in a recent
wound, as opposed to treating a wound that
has become infected. Still, you can find a bottle
of this drug in virtually any feed store, and as
such it is probably the most common antibiotic
agent most of you will have onhand.
However, the fact of the matter is Penicillin
G will not generally work very well to treat
wounds that are already infected (and if it does
work once it will seldom work on the same dog
twice). The best use for Penicillin is to give it
right after damage occurs along with a good
anti-bacterial bath or scrub. The injectable
dose on Penicillin G is listed in “units,” and
the product you have may come in a strength
of 10,000 units per ML (or some other
strength, higher or lower, so check the bottle).
Also, there are different types of Penicillin on
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 203

the market and they all stay active in the body

is also good for wounds of the flesh, and
for different lengths of time. Compare your is also best used as a preventative, given
bottle to the list below for how often you must
before an infection is present. However, like
give the drug. All forms should be given IM Amoxicillin, Ampicillin can also be used to
but can also be given SC (under the skin) if treat infections that are already present, but
the dog reacts to the pain of the injection. again there are better choices. Ampicillin
comes injectable form but you can also give it
THE DIFFERENT PENICILLIN G INJECTABLES: orally. The injectable dosage is 5mg/lb given
• Penicillin G potassium, 12,500 IU per lb, IV, IM, or SQ every 12 hours. The oral dosage
given every 6 hours is 10mg/lb given every 8 hours. You can easily
• Penicillin G sodium, 10,000 IU per lb, obtain the oral version of this drug, labeled for
given every 6 hours fish, in a product called “Fish-Cillin” from
• Penicillin G procaine, 15,000 IU per lb, THOMAS LABORATORIES.
given every 12-24 hrs
• Penicillin G benzathine, 20,000 IU per lb,
given every 2-3 days
STRONGER
The trade names differ on each product so
read the labels. Some common products
FIGHTERS
The following drugs can be used to treat
are Crystiben and Benz-pen. Also, DO an infection that has actually developed in
NOT mix Penicillin with other antibiotics! a dog, where one of the above preventative
Finally, if you are going to use drugs from the medications failed to work:
Penicillin group, the following drugs are better
than straight Penicillin, and should be used CEPHALEXIN:
immediately after a hunt, before an infection This is a very good drug for skin and flesh
starts: infections, as well as mastitis and infections of
the bone. In fact, Cephalexin is one of the best
AMOXICILLIN: “all-purpose” antibiotics you can find. What’s
A good “all purpose” antibiotic, that is more, Cephalexin is also easy to come by, and
compatible with many other antibiotics. very inexpensive. Cephalexin only comes in
Amoxicillin is good for wounds of the flesh. oral form, and the dose is 11mg/lb of body
It is best used as a *preventative* antibiotic, weight given every 6 to 8 hours, depending on
given before an infection is present, but it the severity. If you are using a maintenance
can also be used to treat actual infections dose, give every 8 hours. If the case is severe,
that develop. Still, there are better choices use every 6 hrs. This drug is a “must have”
to treat infections. Typically, Amoxicillin in every dogman’s medicine cabinet. You can
comes in capsule form, but injectables are easily obtain this drug, labeled for fish, in a
available. Both work well. The oral dosage product called “Fish-Flex” from THOMAS
for Amoxicillin is 5 mg per pound given every LABORATORIES.
12 hours. The injectable dosage is 4 mg per
pound given IM every 12 hours. You can CLAVAMOX:
easily obtain the oral version of this drug, This is derivative of Amoxicillin, but is a bit
labeled for fish, in a product called “Fish- stronger. Clavamox is a “potentiated” version
Mox” from THOMAS LABORATORIES (see my of Amoxicillin, having the salt Potassium
“Saving Money” chapter). Clavulanate added to it. This salt prevents
bacteria from resisting the Amoxicillin, and
AMPICILLIN: thus the “potentiated” Clavamox is better at
Another good “all purpose” antibiotic, a little fighting infection than plain old Amoxicillin.
stronger than Amoxicillin, but it is NOT The addition of this ingredient basically
compatible with other anitbiotics. Ampicillin makes it harder for susceptible bacteria to
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
build resistance to the Amoxicillin. Aside
from wounds, Clavamox can also be used
for mastitis, respiratory and ear infections, as
well as pyometra – and is safe for pregnant
bitches to boot. Clavamox is only given
orally. This drug is great but can cause
vomiting occasionally. It is dosed in a 1:4
ratio, that is one part Potassium Clavulanate to
four parts Amoxicillin. For convenience, the
manufacturers lump them all together when
they dose it out. The oral dose is 6.25mg/lb,
every 12 hours. It comes pre-packaged in foil
strips in 3 sizes and also drops for small pups.
There are 62.5 mg for 10-pound puppies, 250
mg for 40-pound dogs, and 375 mg for 60-
pound dogs.
Ø NOTE: There is a human drug that
is the same as Clavamox, but it is called
Augmentin. Although these drugs are
expensive, both Clavamox and Augmentin
are worth their weight in gold to a dogman.
However, Clavamox is very hard to get
without a prescription, but you CAN get
the human equivalent, Augmentin, over the
internet from the following foreign pharmacy,
ONE DRUGSTORE ONLINE (see my “Saving
Money” chapter).
THE BIG BOYS
The following antibiotics are extremely
powerful and should NEVER be used as a
first choice, but only as a last resort for a
severely-infected dog that couldn’t be treated
successfully with the above drugs:
ANTIROBE: (Clindamycin)
All of the above antibiotics so far have been
bactericidal, meaning they actually kill
bacteria when at the proper dose. Antirobe,
however, is bacteriostatic. That is, Antirobe
halts bacteria growth enough so the body can
fight off the infection itself. Still, Antirobe
is a great drug for deep infections of the bone,
deep abscesses, and other ailments requiring deep
penetration, such as lung infections also. As
can be guessed by its name, Antirobe gets
anaerobic bacteria, meaning bacteria that
204
do not require oxygen to survive. Hence it is
one of the primary drugs of choice for deep
infections of injured joints, broken bones,
tooth abscesses, etc. Antirobe is dosed at
4mg/lb, given orally, every 12 hours. There are
potential side-effects to this drug, however, so
caution should be used and the dog watched
closely. Again, this drug should NOT be
used as a first choice, but only for very deep
infections that the preliminary drugs failed
to cure. But this is a great and important
drug. You can order Antirobe from ONE
DRUGSTORE ONLINE.
BAYTRIL: (Enrofloxacin)
This is a very well known drug. People think
it is good for everything, and for the most part
they are right. Again, this drug should NOT
be used as a preventative antibiotic. It is best
used with bad infections or when other antibiotics
have not worked. It is excellent for skin, ear,
flesh, urinary, mammary, and bone infections,
as well as being an effective remedy for
mycoplasma, and sometimes brucellosis.
However, if Baytril keeps being used as a
first choice antibiotic, sooner or later it will go
the way of Penicillin and be useless. This is
especially true if it is used incorrectly. In fact,
already there is a movement to make it illegal
because of imbeciles misusing it.
The dose for the injectable form is 0.25ml/5
pounds of weight in one muscular injection,
but you must then follow this with the tablets,
as the injectable is hard on the kidneys. The
dose for the tablets is either 5.7mg/lb given
orally TWICE a day, every 12 hours … or
11.4mg/lb given orally ONCE, every 24 hrs.
The tablets come in 4 sizes: 5.7mg, 22.7 mg,
68 mg, and 136 mg. Example: If you have a 40
pound dog you would give either two of the
22.7 mg tablets every 12 hours, or four of the
22.7 mg tablets once a day. The easy way to
dose this is: 22.7mg tablet twice a day for a 20
pound dog, 68 mg tablet twice a day for a 60
pound dog. Again, double the dose and you can
give it only once a day. Unfortunately, Baytril
is usually only available by prescription and
there are no “over-the-counter” versions of it.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 205

Ø NOTE: the human equivalent to Baytril There are some potential Side effects: If you
is CIPRO (Ciprofloxacin), and this drug give tetracycline to a pregnant bitch, or a
is available over-the-counter from ONE puppy before the adult teeth have come in, the
DRUGSTORE ONLINE. The dosage for Cipro teeth of the pup will be permanently stained
is 5mg/lb, given twice daily. Unlike Baytril, yellow or light brown. Also tetracycline can
you can NOT double the dose of Cipro and sometimes kill off the natural flora or “good”
give just once daily; Cipro must be given bacteria in the intestines. This can cause a
every 12 hours. However, Cipro is much change in stool or diarrhea. Also, these drugs
less expensive than Baytril and every bit as inhibit calcium formation and should not be
effective in fighting infections. used on an animal with any bone fracture that
requires healing. And, one final note, NEVER
Ø NOTE: Baytril and Cipro are called use expired Tetracycline on your dogs; just
Fluoro-quinolones and again SHOULD throw it away if it goes passed the expiration
NOT be used as a first choice. They also date. Tetracycline becomes highly-toxic once
SHOULD NOT be used in puppies under it becomes outdated. You can easily obtain
8 months old. These drugs can cause damage this drug, labeled for fish, in a product called
to the leg cartilage in pups, rendering them “Fish-Cycline” from THOMAS LABORATORIES.
permanently lame. These drugs also should be You can also order Tetracycline from ONE
fed on an EMPTY STOMACH, one hour DRUGSTORE ONLINE.
before feeding, or three hours after. Also, do
NOT use these drugs with Pepcid AC as it DOXYCYCLINE:
interferes with the potency. This drug is a derivative of Tetracycline, but
(as a rule) it is far superior. From minimizing
the side-effects, to having a broader spectrum
of efficacy, to having deeper penetration into
O THER A NTIBIOTICS cells, Doxycycline is a very important drug to
There are a few other antibiotics I would like have in your medicine cabinet. Doxycycline
to mention, some of which have application is an adequate choice to fight infection, and
to wounds, while others have some good could be placed alongside Cephalexen and
practical applications to our dogs that are Clavamox in this article. It also has a strong
NOT wound-related, but still very important. use in fighting mastitis, kennel cough, urinary
They are: infections, etc. ... but perhaps its greatest use
is in fighting the tick-born diseases. From
TETRACYCLINE: ehrlichia, to babesia, to Rocky Mountain
This is a broad spectrum antibiotic, but it has a spotted fever, Doxycycline is a great choice in
few side effects, so you should use it in wound the treatment of all of the tick-born ailments
care only if you have no other antibiotics to that can plague our dogs. The oral dosage for
choose from. There are some rare bacteria Doxycycline is 5mg/lb, given 1-2 times a day
that are only affected by the tetracyclines, (every 12-24 hours). You can easily obtain
however, so it is a good drug to have in your this drug, labeled for birds, in a product called
medicine cabinet. The tetracyclines are for “Bird-Biotic” from THOMAS LABORATORIES.
the most part bacteriostatic as well, so it is You can also order Doxycycline from ONE
important that your dog have a good immune DRUGSTORE ONLINE.
system when you use this drug. It is a good
choice for treating bronchopneumonia (kennel TRIMETHOPRIM-SULFA:
cough). Another great use for Tetracycline is This is a solid choice for wound care, that can
for the treatment of Lyme Disease. The oral also stand alongside Cephalexen, Clavamox
dose is 10mg/lb given 3-4 times a day (every and Doxycycline, but its real value is in
6–8 hrs), depending on the severity. It is a treating mastitis, as it penetrates deeply
great drug for kennel cough. into mammary tissue and milk and it should
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 206

be in every breeder’s medicine box. Like lb … and for trichomoniasis it’s dosed at
Clavamox (which is potentiated Amoxicillin), 30mg/lb … and you treat either condition for
Trimethoprim-Sulfa is potentiated 5-7 days. You can get Metronidazole, labeled
Trimethoprim, and it is a very good choice for fish, in a product called “Fish-Zole” from
for many infections. This drug is dosed at THOMAS LABORATORIES. You can also order
15-20mg/lb, given orally, one to two times this drug from ONE DRUGSTORE ONLINE.
daily (every 12-24 hrs). You can easily obtain
this drug, labeled for birds, in a product called CHLORAMPHENICOL:
“Bird-Sulfa” from THOMAS LABORATORIES. This drug can cause a human’s body to stop
You can also order Trimethoprim-Sulfa from making red blood cells and nothing can make
ONE DRUGSTORE ONLINE. it begin again. Basically it can kill you or
your dog. It is rare to have this reaction but
GENTAMICIN: do not take the chance – do not mess with
This is a strong antibiotic that is bactericidal Chloramphenicol.
very quickly. Unfortunately, bacteria can
also build resistance to it quickly, and it
also has some negative side-effects to the
kidneys, especially in pregnant animals. COMBINATION HERAPY T
Gentamicin is best used in combination Sometimes, a dog will get 2 or more different
with Amoxicillin, and especially Clavamox, bacteria infecting a wound, for which no
because it is a gram-negative drug and the “one” antibiotic will work. Other times, a
other gram-positive. Used together, they can particular antibiotic “should” work on the
work to great synergistic effect. In fact, a bacteria present, but the infection is so deep
relative to Gentamicin (Streptomycin) used that the antibiotic can’t penetrate effectively.
to be available in combination with Penicillin- In either case, the infection can worsen, and so
Procaine, in a drug called “Combiotic.” combination therapy might be warranted.
However, because of side-effects, and
because of such a wide resistance built-up to First of all, any time you have an infection
both drugs over the years, “Combiotic” was present that does NOT respond to a solid
eventually discontinued. Still, Gentamicin drug choice, like Clavamox or Cephalexin …
can be combined with (Clav)Amoxicillin or especially Baytril or Cipro … you ought to
to great effect, yet there are less risky drug take your dog to the vet and ask him to run
choices to make. The dosage for Gentamicin is a CULTURE & SENSITIVITY TEST on
1.5 – 3mg/lb IM or SQ one to two times daily the wound. Because if the solid antibiotics
(every 12 – 24 hrs). You can get Gentamicin are not working, you could be dealing with
from any vet supply catalogue labeled for a problem that requires a special antibiotic,
cattle and swine, or you can also order it from or several bacteria that require combination
ONE DRUGSTORE ONLINE. antibiotic therapy, and a CULTURE &
SENSITIVITY TEST will tell you exactly
FLAGYL: (Metronidazole) what bacteria are present and exactly which
Generally-speaking, this drug is not used in antibiotic(s) your dog needs. This can be
wound-management, but rather it is used to absolutely critical, so if you EVER have
fight off amoeba-like intestinal infections a dog not respond to one of the stronger
(giardia, trichomoniasis, amebiasis). However, antibiotics, go to your vet to have this test run
Flagyl is a fairly effective anaerobic, immediately.
bactericidal drug that has certain wound
applications (see below). The general dosge However, if you are unwilling and/or unable
rate of Flagyl is 20mg/lb given orally on Day to go to your vet, there are some general
1, followed by 10mg/lb given on the following antibiotic combinations that work very well
4 days. For giardia, Flagyl is dosed at 11.5mg/ together, and there are some that don’t. I will
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
touch on some of the combinations that work,
so that if you are out in the field and can’t
get to a vet you can put some good mixes in
together.
ANTIROBE / BAYTRIL:
This is a combination that would be a good
choice for a deep bone infection or a deep dental
infection that doesn’t seem to respond to any
“one” drug. A deep abscess that is unresponsive
might be a reason to combine these two
drugs.
BAYTRIL / CEPHALEXEN:
This is a combination that would be a good
choice for a deep tissue infection or even a deep
bone infection that doesn’t seem to respond to
any “one” drug. Or use this as an attempt to
“cover everything” if you have a persistent
infection but have not identified the problem,
such as a urinary tract infection.
BAYTRIL / CLAVAMOX:
This is a combination that would be a good
choice for a deep tissue infection or even a deep
bone infection that doesn’t seem to respond to
any “one” drug. Or use this as an attempt
to “cover everything” if you have a serious
infection but have not identified the problem,
such as pyometra. *BEST CHOICE*
CLAVAMOX / GENTAMICIN:
This is a combination that would be a good
choice for a deep tissue infection, or you can use
this as an attempt to to “cover everything” if
you have a persistent infection but have not
identified the problem.
CLAVAMOX / METRONIDAZOLE:
This is a combination that would be a good
choice for a deep absess or a deep flesh infection
that doesn’t seem to respond to any “one” drug.
Metronidazole is a very penetrating drug, and
allows the Clavamox “access” to cell entry
in an abscess that it might otherwise not have
penetrated on its own. Metronidazole also
gets some specific anaerobic bacteria of its
own, while Clavamox is broader-spectrum,
but the two work synergistically together.
207
Remember, though, troubleshooting like this
is a poor substitute for getting a Culture
& Sensitivity test and using exactly the
recommended drug(s). Further, it is unwise to
make combination therapy like this “standard
practice”; use such therapy only in EXTREME
CIRCUMSTANCES, when nothing else
seems to be working. In other words, don’t
even consider combination therapy unless you
have a serious problem. Just stick to standard
choices if you simply have a fresh wound, and
these should suffice quite nicely.
SOME FINAL WORDS
Finally, some injectable antibiotics will be in
dry powder form in their vials and you must
mix them into a liquid. Do not use anything
other than what the label says to use. If it
says use “sterile water for injection” do not
use “0.9% saline solution” – or vice versa. The
local pharmacy will carry these dilutents and
they are cheap. Also, ALL antibiotics should
be given with PLENTY OF WATER for
the dog to drink. A dog being well-hydrated
is critical for the antibiotics to be transported
effectively in the bloodstream! If you are
giving antibiotics to a dehydrated dog, they
won’t work! This is why giving antibiotics in
conjunction with IV Fluid Therapy is considered
Best Practice.
I will say this one last time, hopefully to drill
it in: USE THE RIGHT DRUG FOR
THE RIGHT PURPOSE. In other words
don’t use Penicillin for a deep ear infection,
use Clavamox. Don’t use Baytril for a fresh
bite wound, use Amoxicillin or Penicillin. Get
the idea? Always start by giving the lighter
antibiotics immediately after a wound as a
prophylactic (preventative), and you should
never need to use one of the Big Boys. If
you do get a dog which starts to get infected
anyway, then move to a mid-grade antibiotic.
Only if an infection persists in spite of a
solid antibiotic like Clavamox or Cephalexin
should you pull out the heavier artillary and
move to a Baytril, etc. And if this happens,
again, Best Practice calls for a Culture &
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 208

Sensitivity Test at this point.

Liquid Measure
However, just winging it, if I personally had Teaspoons
to chose only 2 antibiotics to have in the field, Milliliters Cups, etc. Ounces
(ml = cc) Tablespoons
I would chose Clavamox and Baytril (or, in
human form, Augmentin and Cipro). These 1 ml 1/5th Teaspoon 1/240th Cup 1/30th Ounce
2 drugs are extremely effective by themselves 5 ml 1 Teaspoon 1/48th Cup 1/6th Ounce
... they’re easy to come by … and they combine
well together to cover just about anything. So 15 ml 1 Tablespoon 1/16th Cup 1/2 Ounce
between the two of them they can handle most 30 ml 2 Tablespoons 1/8th Cup 1 Ounce
any infection you will ever come across, either 100 ml 6 Tbsp + 2 Tsp 5/12th Cup 3.4 Ounces
by themseves and especially when grouped
together. 240 ml 16 Tbsp 1 Cup 8 Ounces

480 ml 32 Tbsp 1 Pint 16 Ounces

If you can only get “one” antibiotic ... and you 950 ml 63 Tbsp + 1 Tsp 1 Quart 31.67 Ounces
don’t have the money to afford a complete
1000 ml 66 Tbsp + 2 Tsp 1 Liter 33.34 Ounces
medicine chest ... then try to get Cephalexin.
It is a good drug, it’s available everywhere, 3.84 Liters 256 Tbsp 1 Gallon 128 Ounces
and it is cheap. As dogmen, we will most
commonly use antibiotics for accidental bite Teaspoons
wounds, or other minor tissue infections, and Cups, etc Tablespoons
Ounces Milliliters
Cephalexin can get the job done on its own 1/16th Cup 3 Tsp = 1 Tbsp 1/2 Ounce 15 ml
99% of the time.
1/8th Cup 2 Tbsp 1 Ounce 30 ml

~ California Jack & Doc 1/6th Cup 2 Tbsp + 2 Tsp 1.33 Ounce 40 ml

1/4 Cup 4 Tbsp 2 Ounces 60 ml

1/3rd Cup 5 Tbsp + 1 Tsp 2.5 Ounces 80 ml

3/8th Cup 6 Tbsp 3 Ounces 90 ml

1/2 Cup 8 Tbsp 4 Ounces 120 ml

2/3 Cup 10 Tbsp + 2 Tsp 5.5 Ounces 160 ml

3/4 Cup 12 Tbsp 6 Ounces 180 ml

1 Cup 16 Tbsp 8 Ounces 240 ml

2 Cups 1 Pint 16 Ounces 480 ml

2 Pints 1 Quart 32 Ounces 960 ml

4 Quarts 1 Gallon 128 Ounces 3840 ml

Dry Measure
1/1,000,000th
1 Milligram Kilogram
.000035 Ounce

1 Gram 1/1000th Kilogram .035 Ounce 1000 milligrams

100 Grams 1/10 Kilogram 3.5 Ounces 100,000 milligrams

500 Grams 1/2 Kilogram 1.10 pounds 500,000 milligrams

1000 Grams 1 Kilogram 2.205 pounds 35 Ounces

California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Kidney Failure
OK, in the preceding chapters I have provided
you with overviews of three out of the four
most important factors in the aftercare of your
canine athlete. They are: (1) Fluid Therapy,
(2) Anti-Shock Therapy, and (3) Antibiotic
Therapy. There is one final step to consider
in saving a dog after a hunt and that is (4)
Preventing Kidney Failure.
How many of you have had, or have heard of,
dogs who seemed “fine” for several days after
a hunt – they were successfully treated for
shock, infection, and they were well-hydrated
with fluids – only to die about a week or so
later ... for “no reason?” The odds are high
that there was in fact a reason: they died of
kidney failure.
The main symptom of kidney failure is uremia
(poison urine) which is generally evidenced
by lethargy, depression, anorexia, vomiting,
mild diarrhea, dehydration, and ulcerations of
the mucous membranes. Some dogs get non-
regenerative anemia due to lack of production
of a certain factor (erythropoietin) but this
technical stuff is unimportant. Basically,
an increase of nitrogenous waste (unusable
protein) impairs the kidneys and causes them
to shut down. How this happens in our dogs
was touched upon in the fluids article, and we
will go a little deeper into it here.
The important thing to realize is that
the destroyed tissue in your dog has to
be cleaned out by the bloodstream. Once
in the bloodstream, this destroyed tissue
(nitrogenous waste) is then filtered through
the kidneys. Not only is it important to
know that dehydration itself can cause
kidney failure, without any injury, but when
dehydration is combined with an overload of
nitrogenous waste (dead cells and internal
bleeding) from a hog hunt, it is almost sure to
damage or completely shut down the kidneys.
Therefore, while your dog is recovering from
his wounds, and his system is filtering his
209
dead and destroyed nitrogenous tissues
through his kidneys, you must compensate
for this dangerous burden by continuing
to supplement him with plenty of fluids to
accommodate this critical process.
At the same time, it is also important that the
dog NOT be fed too high a protein during this
period! High protein food becomes nitrogenous
waste itself (partially) after digestion, and by
giving high-protein feed to a battle-debilitated
(probably dehydrated) dog, you are simply
adding another burden to the animal’s already-
overloaded kidneys that isn’t necessary. What
most people want to do for their injured dog
is feed him as much “good food” as they
possibly can, incorrectly believing that they
are helping their banged-up dog, when in fact
they are killing him with too much protein for
his weak kidneys to handle in his condition.
So when you have a severely-hurt dog, who is
dehydrated already, and he is being fed high-
protein feed on top of this, you have the very
recipe that makes for a dead dog.
You should actually give your dog very little
protein at this point, mostly IV fluids and rice
as a solid food. What little protein you give
your dog during his recovery time should be
pre-digested, if possible, and of high-usability.
For instance, using a cup of Vertex, sprinkled
over well-cooked rice, and then soak the
meal in Pedialyte for added hydration and
electrolytes, is a good after-hunt feed until the
dog is fully-functional, feeling good, and “over
the hump.” By contrast, not having any water,
or IV Fluids, and feeding the dog super-high-
protein kibble after a serious hunt, is a good
way to make him a memory.
Now of course during this whole time, the dog
cannot just lie in his crate for hours on end. The
internal organs have to be activated to work
by the dog moving around. Many people just
let their dog lie in one spot all day and night,
which by itself will also cause the kidneys to
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 210

shut down – and is almost sure to while a dog

is in that kind of condition. Instead of “leaving
him alone,” you should be making sure that
your dog “walks out” every two hours – until
he is urinating and well-hydrated. Set an
alarm for every two hours and get him up and
moving as such. If the dog cannot get up on
his own, you must physically lift him up and
walk him out. Get him to urinate each time,
if possible. The use of Salix was discussed in
the Overview, but getting the dog to urinate
regularly and frequently, all the while being
hydrated either orally or intravenously, is the
way to gradually filter out his dead, damaged
tissue through his kidneys. Adding some salt
to his diet via the product K-Ease (which is for
racing greyhounds and can be bought through
KV Vet) will assist with this endeavor. Once
the dog is urinating normally, then get him to
walk-out every 4 hours.

As a recap, what you are trying to do for your

badly-injured dog ... after you have treated
him for shock w/ cortico-steroids, infection w/
antibiotics, and fluid loss w/ IV ringers ... is
help him filter his dead tissue out of his body
without damaging those filters (i.e., without
damaging his KIDNEYS) by understanding
their function and handling it accordingly.
Therefore, to ensure proper care for your dog’s
kidneys after a tough hunt, (1) Keep him well-
hydrated; (2) Feed a LOW protein stabilizer
feed; (3) add K-Ease to his diet; and (4) walk
him out regularly. Remembering this 4-step
process will take you a long way towards not
losing another dog to that last step that can
mean the difference between the life and death
of your canine athlete after the hunt.

~ California Jack
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Preserving Gameness
There are many different opinions on the
subject of picking up a game (but losing) dog,
or leaving him in there to see if he can win by
some miracle because the top dog finally quits.
First of all, there is a difference between a dog
that is just behind for the time being … but
who can still mount a comeback … and a dog
who is losing so badly that if he isn’t picked
up he will die. I must state that it is precisely
here, when a dog is left in there with his owner
knowing he will not make it, that creates the
overall general public hatred of our sport. And
in my opinion deservedly so.
It seems to me that this is the cutting edge
which divides the sport of dogs from being
a “sport” ... and instead makes the activity
something other than a sport. The mindset
of “leaving them down” has become almost
a macabre ceremony where dog lives are
sacrificed in the interests of “a win” and/
or the almighty buck. Seriously, how can
someone claim that sacrificing a dog’s life “to
win” involves any kind of “sportsmanship”
whatsoever. I mean, when the participant’s
ego won’t allow him simply to admit defeat
and concede a show like a good sport, when
an animal’s life is on the line, then how can
such a person claim to be a “sportsman?”
When a person values the remote chance of
“somehow winning” (either the money or the
contest) over the lives of his dogs, what is
sportsmanlike about that?
A good sport, by its very definition, is one
who can win graciously and/or who can
accept defeat graciously, without malice.
And, I am sorry but, letting an animal be
brutalized to its death, without the slightest
concern for stopping the activity at some
point to save it, falls outside any conceivable
definition of “good sportsmanship” … and
instead fits every definition of malice and
poor sportsmanship that there is. So why do
so many dogmen put up with people like this
who compete in our sport? Such people simply
211
degrade our sport, and they degrade us when
we associate with them in our sport. To draw a
comparison, most Americans love the sport of
boxing … I know I do! ... but I seriously doubt
that too many people would enjoy boxing if
there were no refs to stop the contests once it’s
finally clear there’s a winner. What if, instead
of a ref stopping a boxing match when one of
the fighters was rendered defenseless, you had
no referee intervention all? And what is you
also had corners who had HUGE BETS on
their fighters, and so who would sit there and
watch their fighters get killed when they were
in a bad spot, instead of throwing in the towel?
Could a society call itself “civilized” (or even
sane) if such boxing matches were legal? Are
not values, especially the value of life, the very
separation of man and animals? Well, are we
dogmen sane, therefore, for allowing this kind
of cruel stupidity to go on in our sport of dogs?
No, we sure as hell aren’t!
Now keep in mind, there is a big difference
between an accidental death as the result of the
unforeseen variables of competition, and an
intended death due to the indifference or even
malice of the participants. All contact sports
involve the potential for fatal injury, and they
should not be abolished just because a fatality
occurs. From race car driving, to football,
to boxing, men can and do get killed on
occasion, accidentally, which is unfortunate,
sure, but this does not mean these activities
are “wrong” or should be abolished due to
an occasional accident. Uncountable deaths
also happen every day in ordinary traffic for
that matter, but that doesn’t mean driving is
“wrong” or should be abolished.
So too, in our sport, if a dog happens to bite so
hard it gets a kill before anything can be done,
then that is just an unfortunate circumstance
and doesn’t take away from the legitimacy of
our sport as a sport. But this is not the same
as intentionally leaving a dog down, when
clearly he has had enough and will die as a
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 212

result, win or lose. Again, the first scenario “When men first come into contact with violent
is an unfortunate accidental byproduct of the crime they abhor it. If they remain in contact
risk of competition. The latter is intentional with it for awhile they grow accustomed to it
killing. There is a major difference! and endure it. And if they remain in contact
with violent crime long enough, they eventually
Now, despite what fanatical “tree huggers” accept it and embrace it.”
have to say, intentionally killing to eat is fine
and is a part of life also. But we’re not talking And this happens every day in our sport
about that here, either. We’re talking about doesn’t it? People growing cold to the abuse of
intentionally killing just to kill – or for sport.these dogs. I mean, how many of us have seen
This is not fine, this is morally-reprehensible, beginners in this game ... who start out really
yet this is what happens all-too-often in caring about their dogs … but who slowly
our sport, which removes it from being a degenerate into dog-butchers within a year
sport at that point, and it is precisely here or so? Happens all the time doesn’t it? And
it’s in accordance with the above quote. Well,
where society at large seeks to condemn and not only do many dogmen slowly become
incarcerate us for our activities. brainwashed into having a dog-butcher’s
mentality, but they thus fulfill the very anger
You see, there is a significant difference that is targeted at our sport by the humaniacs,
in mentality and sophistication between because it is NOT a sport anymore at the
people who understandably enjoy the sport of point we allow these dogs to get killed.
dogfighting … when they witness the skills
and courage of the dogs involved in the contest I submit that those who have the mentality
… in addition to the friendly, competitive spirit to intentionally leave their dogs down to die,
involved between rival kennels. But this is far literally sacrificing their dog in the hopes that
different from immoral killers, who use these they will somehow hit lightning in a bottle
dogs as tools to make money, without any to gain their precious cash, and/or win the
regard for for their lives at all. I submit that contest, are the TRUE problem in our sport.
the former are our game’s fine sportsman and Because it no longer is a sport at that point,
women, but the latter are not. The latter type but becomes an insane sacrificial ceremony
are something much lower and base, and they which enrages the majority of the population
are the ones who make true the humaniacs’ against us. I know of some “dogmen” who (if
anger and war that is continually waged on their dog is getting killed) routinely bet money
us. I mean, if every dogman and woman were on whether their half-dead dog will scratch.
a true sportsman, who competed honestly but And they make this bet with the crowd, over
who valued the lives of their dogs, then the and over again, raking in the money until their
humaniacs really wouldn’t have much ammo dog is finally broken and lifeless to be tossed
against us, would they? aside, forgotten, while his owner counts the
money he won. Then there are those who, if
But the truth is, there is a non-sporting element they cannot win but have real game dog, will
and attitude of death and killing rampant leave their dog down just to make sure that
amongst many in our subculture, that few he hangs in long enough to kill the winning
dog too. Who in their right mind can call
of us address, either out loud and/or within either case “sporting?” In my opinion, both
ourselves. Yet there is no denying it. Plainly scenarios simply represent the insanity
and simply there is a prevailing mindset of present in all-too-many participants in our
tolerance to this kind of flagrant abuse of underground subculture. Yet for some reason
dogs, that not only defies every conceivable this type of behavior is tolerated. Well, why is
definition of “sportsmanship” that there it tolerated?! This is a question that needs to
is, but is best encapsulated in a quote by a be asked. And asked often.
famous criminologist:
But let’s forget for a moment about the ethics
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
of whether or not it is “right” or “wrong” to
intentionally leave a game dog down to die
and focus instead on the preservation of our
great breed to see the crime involved in such
actions from a different perspective. I mean,
what is it that makes a pit dog a pit dog?
The answer, of course, is gameness, and it is
gameness (above all else) that every breeder of
these dogs seeks to preserve. Okay, so what
happens, then, to our breed when truly game
dogs are not picked up, when a dog at last is
forced to show his gameness in a losing effort,
but instead of being picked up and valued at
this point of no return, he is left in there to die
and have his game genetics be wasted?
Does this help our breed (to say nothing of our
class and dignity as sporting gentlemen and
ladies) to leave our truly game dogs in there to
die? No, not at all. The truth is leaving game
dogs down hurts the breed, by intentionally
killing off its gamest representatives, now
doesn’t it? Suppose we took this to the
extreme, and suppose we let every single
truly dead game dog prove he’s dead game,
by letting him die right there as he’s proving
it, what then? Don’t we essentially FAIL to
preserve the gameness in our dogs, every time
we see it, by destroying each individual who
proves to have it! In short, the very essence of
what the breed is all about gets thrown away by
this practice! Think about it.
If every match turned out like this, with no
pick-ups, we would have winners ... or either
shot curs or proven dead game dogs. The losers
would always be lost and so we could never
preserve the uniqueness of the pit bull breed
because these game losers wouldn’t be around
to be bred. Would this be desirable in any
way? Of course not. All great fighters, if they
fight often enough, will have their day where
they can’t win. Ali lost, Louis lost, Leonard
lost, etc., etc. Sometimes these fighters lost
to people they were actually better than, but
they just happen to lose on an issue of styles
... or an issue of conditioning ... or sometimes
just to a lucky punch or a bad day. But what if
these men were allowed to be beaten to death
too, on a bad day, like these dogs all-too-often
are? Not only would this be despicable, but
the world would have been robbed of many
213
great subsequent fights when these fighters
made a comeback.
Well, with these dogs it’s the same thing.
Yet, because we also BREED for the trait
of deep gameness, we also lose the ability to
perpetuate proven gameness by letting the
gamer of the two dogs die. This is an even
bigger loss to the sport than missing out on
a potential future match with that dog. Yet
people constantly brag about the fact they
“never pick up.” What they basically say is, “I
care nothing about my dog’s life, or in furthering
the pit bull breed in general” in the same breath
as they say, “I care only about me, this match,
and the remote possibility of winning on dead
gameness at the expense of my dog’s life.” These
people become intentional killers, yes, but
they also kill-off the potential of furthering
gameness in the breed. The fact is, if extreme
gameness is the essence of the breed, and
instead of being treasured and saved, when
it reveals itself in a show, people just watch
it die off right before their eyes … what they
are really doing is robbing the breed of its
truly game warriors ... and of the potential
of breeding to them. Again, to say nothing
of turning a legitimate sport into a low-class
death ceremony that alienates the public and
brings on the heat. Such base fanciers do all
this out of the totally selfish desire for money
and/or “winning” at all costs.
So the next time somebody brags about “not
picking up,” keep in mind that not only are
you looking at an intentional killer of our
dogs, but you are looking at a so-called person
who hurts our entire breed of dog (1) by his
proving-out and making real the hatred of the
humaniacs against us, and (2) by his killing
off our breed’s gamest warriors, rather than
preserving them. So, instead of tolerating this
type of person in our sport, what we should be
doing is culling them from it. Therefore, don’t
be a player like that, don’t deal with players
like that, and make sure you yourself compete
with class … and make sure you only deal
with players who compete with class like that
… and you will take a giant step in making
our sport a better one all the way around,
especially for our dogs.
~ California Jack
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 214

Tips on Raising Pups

As with any endeavor in life, pups are most of worms in preparation for her task of carrying
successfully raised when one follows a game pups, and she will be in an Above-Ground Pen
plan. That game plan should include the so as to not re-infect herself in the dirty soil.
optimal health of the bitch prior to conception
as well as the optimal health of the pups, ***Tip*** If your bitch has had past problems
both in gestation as well as in whelping. To with mastitis, then also treat her with
begin with, your bitch should be in decent Cephalexin, again beginning on the Day 1
shape long before you even breed her. It does of her heat cycle, and continue Cephalexin
a bitch no good to be fat and un-exercised dog treatment for the next 10 days. Discontinue
anyway, but this is especially true prior to the on the 10th day. After you breed her and she
trauma of pregnancy, delivery, and especially goes through her entire pregnancy, then begin
whelping and raising 6-10 hungry puppies to treat her again with Trimethoprim-Sulfa
for 6 weeks. Your bitch needs to be in lean, beginning 3 days before the expected delivery
athletic condition, to be parasite-free, and she date… and continue this treatment for another
needs to beam with good health prior to you 7 days after the birth of the pups … as the
expecting her to bear the task of having and Trimethoprim-Sulfa won’t hurt the pups …
raising pups for you. but it will kill off any poisonous bacteria
that might be developing in the mother’s
Once you have met your obligations as a produced milk. Further, if you have coccidia
breeder, in keeping your bitch in this kind of in your kennel (and most kennels do), the
condition, the first thing you must do is log Trimethoprim-Sulfa will knock-out the coccidia
down on a calendar the first day she swells as well. Finally, when the bitch has weaned her
and the first day she bleeds. If you have a pups, and they are completely off her, give her
computer, Microsoft Excel is your best friend. 10 days worth of Clavamox/Augmentin so as to
Even if you only have a good old-fashioned prevent any final infection. Remember, this is
paper calendar, keep these records handy not for “every” bitch that comes into heat, but
because they will assist you not just in only for those who get mastitis. You can thank
pinpointing when she’s ready on “this” heat Mr. Hollingsworth for this tip.
… but if you make a habit of logging in this
kind of data, you will quickly see the pattern OK, so you’ve kept your bitch in perfect
of her heat cycles in general and in this way health, you’ve wormed her and (if she needed
you can project the expected times she will it) you’ve prevented the mastitis. The next
come into season for her future breedings as step is targeting the conception date. Simply
well. put, the best way to do this is to take your
bitch to your vet, this time on Day 5, and
Now then, on the first day when she bleeds have a Progesterone Test performed on your
you need to COMPLETELY worm your bitch to test her cycle. You can also order
bitch. Using the Saving Money tips of the this test yourself from Camelot Farms
next chapter, hit her with Fish Tapes, Safe- (www.camelotfarms.com), called a “Date
Guard, and Pamix on Day 1 of her heat cycle To Mate” kit, but whether you perform this
(of course, you have to give the Safe-Guard test yourself or not, you begin testing on Day
for 3 consecutive days). You will also want to 5 of her heat cycle, and then you test your
place your bitch in an Above-Ground Pen as bitch every other day until, for sure, you have
depicted in Chapter 1. Then, you repeat this pegged her date of ovulation. You only need to
exact worming procedure on Day 15 of her breed her once (two days after her first day of
heat cycle. This will completely rid your bitch actual ovulation) and you will get pups. Still,
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
a second breeding two days after that never
hurts is advised. The progesterone tests will
run you about $28 on each visit at your vet,
but you can order the entire test kit yourself
for about $140 from Camelot Farms. You ca
test about four different bitches with the kit,
so this is definitely the way to go.
If you have a young bitch, and getting pups
is no big deal to you, then you might not
bother with the expense or hassle of a series
of progesterone tests and just check her for
ovulation the “traditional” way – waiting until
she flags or until her blood turns light pink.
However, if you have a super-valuable bitch
that you don’t know if you’ll ever get pups out
of again, then running progesterone tests on
her to pinpoint ovulation is definitely the way
to go. It is also strongly recommended that
you have the stud’s semen quality analyzed
prior to wasting a valuable bitch’s last heat on
an infertile, or marginally-fertile, stud.
But, suppose you have a young, healthy
bitch, and the breeding isn’t critical, but you
do want to get pups? Then simply do two
things to calculate her date of ovulation with
a reasonable degree of accuracy:
1) Log her first dates of swelling/bleeding and
wait until the 8th day of bleeding to really look
at her closely, then 2) stimulate her backside,
either with your hand or a stud dog’s sniffing/
licking, and see if she’ll “flag” her tail. This
means she will “present” her ass out and
will whip her tail up, and to one side, in an
“acceptance” position for the male to mount
her. If she is a fight-crazy bitch, you can use
light touches with your fingers back there
and she will do the behavior as if your fingers
were a male’s sniffing nose, assuming she’s
ready. The flesh surrounding the vulva of a
bitch in ovulation (initially very hard when
she first came in) will gradually become soft
and supple the closer she gets to ovulation …
and also the color of the blood (initially deep
red when she first came in) will also gradually
become either clear or pink & CoolAid-
colored. If bitch exhibits these signs, and she’s
seems ready, then breed her. I like to breed the
215
bitch every other day, beginning the day after
the first day she seems ready, for three total
breedings. Or until she stops “looking” ready.
This is typically the 11th, the 13th, and the
15th days of the bitch’s heat cycle, but again
these days can vary greatly .
Again, if the ovulation date is exactly
targeted with a progesterone test, only one
breeding two days after the ovulation date is
necessary. Still, breeding every other day after
she flags or “seems ready” is accurate about
75-80% of the time, so if having these pups
isn’t absolutely critical to you then take your
chances using conventional methods.
Anyway, once the breedings are done, you
DO NOT start feeding your bitch “twice
as much” food as normal. Extra fat doesn’t
equal more pups, it just means wasted food
and a fat bitch. Instead, continue to feed your
bitch normally for the first month after you
breed her, and then bump up her feed by 25%
only after the beginning of the second month.
Bump-up her another 25% the last week before
delivery. In other words, if she receives 2 cups
a day normally, to keep her fit and athletic,
then leave her on those two cups a day, for the
first month after you’ve bred her. However,
beginning the second month of her pregnancy,
bump her feeding ration up to 21⁄2 cups a day
… and then up to 3 cups a day (150% of her
original, normal 2-cup ration) on the last week
of her pregnancy. You can also begin to add
one-to-two teaspoons of bone meal to her feed,
as well as 2 tablespoons of lard, on the last
week of her pregnancy. You can continue this
ration all the way through delivery and birth,
on up to the beginning of her third week of
nursing.
Ø NOTE: I personally prefer to feed my bitches
twice a day, so I’d be feeding 11⁄2 cups of feed,
twice a day (3 cups total), with 1 teaspoon of
bone meal and 1 tablespoon of lard with each
feeding, again beginning the last week out
from delivery. Again, adjust these amounts to
the size of your bitch.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
At any rate, again a week before the
expectancy date, give your bitch a betadine
bath and bring her inside to be kept in a clean
500# kennel. If she’s won’t eat a blanket, then
use a folded blanket on the bottom of the crate
for her comfort. If she’ll eat blankets, then
use shredded newspaper instead. But get her
used to her “nest” at least a week before her
delivery date; that way you don’t bring in a
laboring mother at the last second and toss
her in a crate when she’s all stressed-out. The
key is to make things smooth and tranquil, not
rushed and stressful, for your bitch long before
she’s actually delivering.
Another thing I do either for a first-time
mother, or for a bitch that has had problems
in the past, is notify my vet a week in advance
of an impending delivery. I insist on a cell
phone #, and a home #, for my vet as well. If
the vet won’t give me these numbers to have,
in case of emergency, then he no longer has
my business. A truly concerned vet makes
himself, or herself, available for emergencies
if they are worth their salt. Now the reason
for the notification is I maintain daily reports
to my vet of my bitch’s impending labor, one
week before she is ready to drop. I advise my
vet of the situation that I have a new mother,
and/or that I have a previously-problematic
mother, so that I don’t get caught in panic-city,
running around with my head cut off, should a
C-section or other emergency procedure prove
necessary. If a problem arises, my vet has
known for a week in advance of the impending
expected delivery, he has been given daily
updates by me, and he is also notified when
labor begins.
If you follow this protocol yourself, then
should a problem arise during delivery, you
don’t have all this chaos to condend with.
You’re not scrambling around for emergency
clinic numbers, etc., but instead you merely
advise your already-prepared vet that you
will need his or her assistance now. And,
please remember, if there is NO problem with
the delivery, then you should also have the
courtesy to let your vet know that the delivery
has concluded without incident. Not only
216
does this give you the mark of a professional
to your vet, but it is just plain good manners.
If your vet is a good vet, he or she will actually
be worried for your bitch, in all probability, and
will like to hear the good news that everything
is OK.
In either event, you should be there monitoring
the the bitch as each pup comes out. Be
ready to assist in the removal of placentas,
if necessary, and to give life support to pups
born that won’t breathe, if needed. Other than
that, just make sure all pups are motile and
suckling, and make sure they are warm, as
puppies cannot maintain their body temperature
for the first ten days of life. Also, all of the
immunities they gain from the mother come
via the colostrum in her milk, but which is
only in the milk for the first two days, so make
sure that every pup gets its share of the breast
milk.
A lot of people want to know the answer to the
same basic question, “when should I worm my
pups, and what should I use?” The following
is according to The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, National Center
for Infectious Diseases, and the American
Association of Veterinary Parasitologists,
1999, in a joint recommendation:
PUPPIES
• Begin at 2 weeks of age, every two weeks,
until 4 months of age.
• As adults after that.
ADULTS
• 1-4x a year for adults (depending on
exposure)
NOTE: this does NOT include heartworm
preventative, we’re talking roundworms and
hookworms here. If you live in an area where
there is heartworm, then use Ivomec every
month.
BROOD BITCHES
• Once, pre-breeding
• Once, at parturition (delivery)
• Again at 2, 4, and 6 weeks post-partum
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 217

Now as for what to use, a very safe and (roundworm, hookworm). However, on the
economical wormer for your pups is Pyrantel LAST worming of the pups and the mama,
pamoate. This drug gets all of the roundworms use fenbendazole. Once a pup hits 4 months of
and hookworms, but gets neither whipworms, age, use ivermectin every other month (if in a
nor heartworms. However, since your young heartworm area), or continue to use pyrantel
pups will not likely have these Pyrantel is the pamoate every other month, if not. Continue
preferred choice. to use fenbendazole once every six months. Use
praziquantel only as needed, basically if you
The most effective safest broad-spectrum actually see tapeworm segments in the stool.
wormer for your brood bitch is Panacur I will show you how to save money on these
(fenbendazole), which gets every kind of drugs in the next chapter.
intestinal worm, including whipworm, and
one species of tapeworm (though not every Finally, make sure you feed your puppies twice
kind). This drug is also OK to use w/ pregnant daily, and use a high-grade puppy food, for at
bitches and young pups. The only drawback least the FIRST YEAR of their lives. People
with Panacur is you have to use it 3 days in a only use the best feed possible on their dogs
row and it does not get heartworm. It is also “in keep,” yet the amount of muscle tissue,
fairly expensive. The easiest to use wormer ligament growth, and bone growth a puppy
of them all is Ivomec, but you have to wait experiences during the first year of its life is
until a pup is four months old to use it. Ivomec way beyond anything a show dog experiences
gets heartworm where Panacur does not, but in a 6-8 week keep. So make sure you provide
Ivomec does not get tapeworm or whipworm, your pups with the very best feed you can
which Panacur does. afford, because this is the most critical time to
make sure they get the best nutrition possible,
The bottom line to all of this confusion is, when they are growing and developing, to
you want to use pyrantel pamoate on the make sure you get them headed in the best
repeated wormings of your pups and their direction possible.
mother during weaning. Pyrantel pamoate is
simply the cheapest to use, the easiest to use, The chart below should help make worming
the least toxic to use on pups ... and gets the easier:
worms that your pup is most likely to have

Pups 2 wks 4 wks 6 wks 8 wks 16 wks Worm as adults after that

Expecting Day Heat Begins Day Gives Birth 2 wks 4 wks 6 wks See Adult Schedule
Mama (Loaded Regimen 1) (Loaded Regimen 2) after delivery after delivery after delivery

Jan. Feb. March April May June July August Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
ADULT
* Ivomec * Ivomec
WO R M I N G * Ivomec * Ivomec *Pyrantel * Ivomec * Ivomec *Piperazine

SCHEDULE *Pyrantel *Piperazine * Panacur

* Droncit
*Piperazine *Pyrantel * Panacur
* Droncit
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Raising Orphaned Pups
Even if you do everything you can, eventually you
will run into a situation where a mother cannot take
care of her own infant pup(s). Perhaps her milk went
bad, perhaps she has too many pups to keep track of,
perhaps one of the pups is weak or sick ... or perhaps
the mama is just not much of a mama and winds up
being a danger to her own pups. Whatever the rea-
son, if you breed dogs for awhile, you will eventually
find yourself with a newborn pup that needs you to
care for it, if the little guy is going to live. Well, so
what do you do when this happens?
Figure 1
The first thing you need to do for an orphaned pup is
get him a little box (a shoe box or Tupperware box will
suffice) to keep him in, with a heating pad underneath
him.
You must always remember that a young puppy
cannot maintain his own body temperature, and
as such he must be kept warm by artificial means
at all times. To do this, all you have to do is go to
your local pharmacy and buy yourself a heating pad,
preferably one with a temperature control device. Then
you need to get a small box of some kind, perhaps a
shoe box or a Tupperware box, and you will place
the heating pad on the bottom of this box. Plug-
in the heating pad and adjust the temperature to
COMFORTABLY-WARM, not too hot and not
too cold. Once you have the temperature adjusted to
comfortably-warm, you can then place a little cloth
towel over the pad. Then you place the pup on top of
this cloth (see Figure 1).
218
Ø NOTE: If the air is chill outside, you should
place a hand towel or two, not just under the pup
but him as well, to act as a blanket (not shown in
photo). This will keep all of the warmth around the
pup. In fact, the only reason the pup in the facing
photo didn’t have a “blanket” over him was so that
I could take this picture. Right after the photo was
taken, his little blanket went right back over him.
Again, keeping the pup warm is absolutely critical.
If a pup is allowed to chill, all of his body functions
will stop. He cannot digest his feed, and he will
shut down and die if you do not keep him warm.
However, once you have him warm and comfort-
able, now comes his feeding schedule, which can
vary with circumstance. If he is a very young pup,
I recommend tube-feeding him over bottle-feeding
him. To do this, you will only need a few tools:
Figure 2
The tools you will need to tube-feed your pup will be a
12cc syringe and a feeding catheter Size 8-10 French.
You will need a 12 cc syringe and a feeding tube for a
very young pup. You can get the syringe at any feed
store, and you can get the feeding tube from your lo-
cal vet. The feeding tube is a soft-rubber instrument,
with an adapter at one end (so you an attach it to a
syringe) and at the other end, on the sides, are small
holes to allow the liquid nourishment to go into the
stomach. (See Figure 2.)
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 219

When you get the feeding tube, the first thing you need to do is measure-off and mark the tube so that you
are sure it will reach the puppy’s stomach. You do this by laying the puppy on his side and then laying the
catheter on top of him, from the outside, and them you take a measurement as follows:
Figure 3

Take the catheter and lay it on the puppy’s side, with the feeding-end of the tube even with the pup’s last rib.
Then, mark-off the spot on the upper-portion of the catheter at the point it is even with the pup’s nose. The
puppy’s stomach is located right where the last rib is, so when you mark-off your catheter on the upper portion
like this, you know that it has been measured in such a way that, when you slide the tube down his throat to the
marked-spot on top, you know the feeding-end of the tube is where it should be, which is in the stomach.
The key to tube-feeding your pup is to make sure the you can just go to the local pet store and purchase
tube is placed all the way down into the stomach. Esbilac® milk replacer as your formula, and then
You need to make sure that it is neither placed too all you do is follow the instructions on the label as
shallow into the pup (which will cause his lungs to to how much to feed. Typically, this is around 30
fill with formula), and also need to make sure that ml A DAY of formula for every 4 oz of puppy. This
the tube is not placed too far into his stomach either means that you divide the 30 ml total into six equal
(which can injure him). The way you make sure of parts (or 5 ml) of feed, that you give 6 times a day
these things is to measure-off the length of your (once every 4 hours), again for every 4 oz of puppy.
catheter on the puppy’s side, whereupon you mark-
off the catheter at the appropriate point. This means if your pup weighs 10 oz you need to
(See Figure 3.) feed him 75 oz formula total, divided into six por-
tions (which is roughly 12 cc of formula fed every 4
Once you have made this notation on the catheter, it hours). In order to get the exact weight of your pup,
is now safe to give him his formula. For convenience, you need to buy a gram/ounce postal scale, which
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 220

you can get at Staples or Office Depot. The weight of your pup will tell how much formula to feedHow-
ever, feeding every 4 hours is just for the first week. By the second week, you should be able to feed your
pup less frequently at 4x a day, or every 6 hours. By the third week, you should be able to feed your pup
3x a day, or every 8 hours. The amount to feed stays the same (30 ml A DAY of formula for every 4 oz of
puppy), so you just increase the amount you give per feeding, as the pup grows older and less fragile. If you
have a 12 oz pup that you want to feed 4x a day, you would be feedng him 90 ml of feed total, divided into
four 22.5-ml feedings. As far as how to feed with the tube, see Figure 4.
Figure 4

First, you load your syringe with formula that you have WARMED TO BODY TEMPERATURE. Next, you attach
the catheter to the recepticle of the syringe, and point the syringe upward to MAKE SURE YOU SQUEEZE ALL
OF THE AIR OUT OF *BOTH* THE SYRINGE *AND* THE CATHETER. Then, once all the air is squeezed out, you
lubricate the syringe with some more of the warmed formula, after which you then gently slide the catheter
down the pup’s throat. Keep feel your way with gentle pressure, trying to gradually slide the syringe down
the passage ... until the mark-off spot on the catheter is even with the pup’s lips. THIS WILL MEAN THAT
THE FEEDING-END OF THE SYRINGE IS NOW IN THE PUP’S TUMMY. From here, you gradually depress the
plunger on the syringe, until the syringe is empty and the measured amount of formula has been adminis-
tered. From there, you quickly pull the catheter back out of the pup’s passage so as not to gag him.

Next, after you administer the pup’s feed, you then want to “burp” your pup to make sure there is no air in
him. From there, immediately wash-out your syringe and catheter, several times under running tap water,
AND THEN BOIL THESE ITEMS FOR 5 MINUTES. You boil them to make sure that all the residue formula comes
off, which in turn will ensure that there isn’t any bacteria growth going on between feedings.

Return to your pup in thirty-minutes to make sure he is not bloated. You can tell if he’s bloated as his belly
will be very swollen and uncomfortable. If he is bloated you can use the catheter to run down his throat ...
which will release any trapped gas. This is critical to remember, because this technique can save his life.
You can also give him a few drops of Gas-X to relieve any bloat or gas. In keeping with this, make sure
you do not over-feed your pup. If he still looks full when it’s time to feed him again, wait awhile. These
intervals are guidleines, not rules. Just make sure you keep him warm and feed him regularly ... and Good
Luck!
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 221

Saving Money!
Any of you who has run a yard of dogs for to learn how, in theory, you can start saving
awhile, quickly realizes they can be very literally hundreds if not thousands of dollars
expensive to maintain! Well, after raising and every year by strategically-purchasing your
breeding dogs for going on two decades, I have dog products:
learned a few things on how to save literally
hundreds and thousands of dollars in raising THE 4 KEY STEPS TO SAVING MONEY
them. And that is what I intend to show you Before we get into the steps, get yourself on
in this article, is how to save a ton of money the mailing list of several good vet-supply
on raising dogs: companies. Here are a few that I will use as
examples:
The following information is only theoretical, and it is being here
discussed for informational purposes only, to stimulate thought in
interested parties. This information in no way intends to suggest • KV Vet Supply (800) 423-8211
that any reader of this information should buy items for their • Jeffers Vet Supply (800) 533-3377
dogs which are not specifically labeled for dogs. Any reader of • Lambriar Vet (800) 344-6337
this information who does use such items on their dogs anyway,
in contradiction to this disclaimer, DOES SO AT HIS OR HER • Vet Vax (800) 369-8297
OWN RISK (physically, financially, and/or legally) to his or her
person or pet, and in no way is John A. Koerner II, or any of These are the ones I use most frequently, but
his affiliated entities or partners responsible for the independent remember there are many good vet supply
willful violations of this disclaimer by any reader of this material
(or anyone else). Any reader of this material who chooses to companies out there. You will find that each
experiment with any of the mentioned items not specifically labeled company has something to offer that the other
for dogs, even if the ingredients/drugs involved are identical to the doesn’t, and one will have lower prices where
ingredients in other products actually labeled for dogs, does so at
his or her own risk. Neither John A. Koerner II, nor any of his
the other one doesn’t, so it never hurts to be on
affiliated entities or partners, makes any warranties or guarantees the mailing lists of several such companies to
of any kind regarding the effectiveness, the safety, or the quality of compare and contrast both their prices as well
any of the products mentioned herein. All such products mentioned as their products. So call each company and
are discussed SOLELY AS EXAMPLES, and in no way are these
products guaranteed or endorsed by John A. Koerner II, or any order their MASTER CATALOGUE, not
of his/its affiliated entities or partners. Any injury or damage their “pet” catalogue, but their their Master
claims any individual reader may have regarding the safety, Catalogue. These catalogues are usually
efficacy, or legitimacy of any product mentioned herein SHOULD FREE, and the Master Catalogue will contain
BE DIRECTED AT THE MANUFACTURER of any of the said
product(s) used, but no such claims should be directed to John A. all of their products, not just the ones labeled
Koerner II or any of his affiliated entities or partners. for “pets,” which (as you will see) is the key
to everything. If a particular company doesn’t
With this out of the way, some of the more have a “master” catalog, then order their
seasoned dogmen may already know much of pet catalogue and their livestock catalogue.
the information I am about to relay, but maybe Again, you will see the reason for this in just
not. Regardless, if you follow this information a moment.
I am about to give you, you will save yourself
literally hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars For the sake of this article, I am going to
in running a yard of dogs over the years. The use the Master Catalogue offered by KV
information in this chapter alone is worth the Vet Supply, as they offer about the widest
price of the magazines, ten times over, because variety of prescription drugs (but only to
if you apply it well you will literally save veterinarians), in addition to which they also
yourself thousands of dollars over the next offer probably the widest array of standard
several years of owning and raising dogs. kennel products, and more importantly, they
offer tons of medical products labeled for farm
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the animals ... that can be used for dogs J
major principles you need to master in order
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 222

KV also gives details on the ingredients of where the principles of this chapter come in,
their available prescription drugs, as well as and so the following are the steps you can take
the details of the ingredients of their available to take to SAVE YOU MONEY:
farm animal products, and the key of all of
this is that the farm animal products are STEP 1: Simply look in your catalogue to see if
obtainable over the counter. If, however, the the “by prescription only” product product is
active ingredients of either are not listed, you offered there.
can just call the company’s toll free number
and simply ask the service person what the STEP 2: If you can identify the prescription
active ingredient of that particular product is. product in your catalogue, find out what its
You will find that many times the same active active ingredient is, and also make sure you jot
ingredients which are “by prescription only” down all relevant information as to what the
when labeled for dogs ... are available over the dosage is of this active ingredient.
counter when the product is labeled for large
animals. STEP 3: Look at other similar products in the
general livestock section of your catalogue,
The crux to all of this is that the drugs are labeled for large animals (horses, cows, pigs,
identical, yet while these drugs are “restricted” fish, birds, etc.), to see if these products have
for sale to dog owners, they are not, however, the same active ingredient as the “prescription
restricted to livestock owners. The logic is only” dog products. If the catalogue has a
simple: you can’t bring a cow or a pig into product labeled for large animals, with the
a vet’s office, so the “powers that be” allow same active ingredient as the “prescription
you to purchase these prescription items over only” dog product, then not only will the
the counter for your sick cows and pigs ... but livestock product be available over the counter,
if you own a dog who gets sick they restrict but the price will be a fraction of the cost that
these drugs and make them by “prescription the same product when labeled for dogs.
only,” for the sole reason to make the vets rich.
I’m not kidding! STEP 4: You must check to make sure that
the percentage of the active ingredient in the
In other words, the FDA deems it appropriate large/other animal product is the same as the
to offer the layman the over-the-counter sale dog product. For instance, a liquid substance
of many prescription medications to treat pigs, that contains 15% of the active ingredient
horses, and cows, and yet the FDA makes when labeled for dogs, by prescription, might
these same medications “by prescription only contain 12.5% of the active ingrededient
only” when used for dogs. This fact is simply when labeled for cattle over the counter. If this
the result of veterinarian lobbying, although occurs, then you just use simple mathematics
there can be other factors. Now, this is not to compensate for this slight disparity.
to say that you shouldn’t ever go to your vet;
you should go to your vet any time you are Below I will list some examples of how these
concerned about your dog’s health where you things can be done. In order to appreciate this
don’t know what the problem is. But once you information, however, you really need to get
identify what the problem is, there certainly yourself one of these vet supply catalogues, so
is no need to buy the same drugs from your you can actually see what I am talking about.
vet that you could get through a catalogue Call the suppliers at the numbers listed above
for a fraction of the cost (unless there is an and order your free catalogues as soon as
emergency situation). Nor is there a need to possible:
get these medicines at a pet store, either (if
they’re even available there), as the retail cost
for most of these items is far too great. This
is where your catalogue comes in, and this is
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
EXAMPLES
Example 1) Let’s say you find our that your
dog has roundworms (or if you just know it).
Step 1: You first identify the product to handle
this problem in your catalogue. The most
common pet product used to cure roundworms
is Nemex 2 wormer. Step 2 is look at the active
ingredient. In the case of Nemex 2, the active
ingredient is pyrantel pamoate. Remembering
this active ingredient is the key! Next you
look at the *dosage* of this product. In the
case of Nemex 2, the package says give 1cc
orally for every 2 lbs. of bodyweight – in other
words you would need 25ccs to treat a 50 lb
dog, for instance. The reason for this dosage,
if you looked a little deeper, is because the
concentration of pyrantel pamoate in Nemex 2
is 5 mg. of pyrantel pamoate per 1 cc. The K.V.
Vet catalogue price for a pint of Nemex 2 is
$49.99. [This same pint of Nemex sold retail
at your local pet store would cost $109.95,
so already you’ve saved $59.96 just using a
wholesale catalogue. (Now, if you paid a vet’s
price you’d spend about $25 just to worm one
dog ... and since a pint of Nemex treats 40
dogs, this means it would cost you $1000 to
have your vet treat 40 dogs __ so again you can
see why most people are happy just with the
savings they get shopping out of a catalogue,
as most people would rather spend $49.99
{$1.25 per dog} to treat 40 dogs than $25 per
dog).]
However, if you know what you are doing,
you can save even more money! If you look
carefully at the product Nemex 2, it is dosed
at 1 cc per 2 lbs. of bodyweight, as I said,
because each 1 cc of the Nemex product,
according to the instructions, contains 5 mg.
of pyrantel pamoate, the active drug. If you
look even more carefully, you will see that your
vet very likely *does not* use Nemex 2 when
he worms your dog, but instead your vet uses
a product called Strongid-T ... which contains
the same active drug as Nemex (pyrantel
pamoate) ... but Strongig-T is dosed at TEN
TIMES the potency as Nemex 2. In other
words, 1 cc of Strongid-T contains 50 mg. of
pyrantel pamoate whereas 1 cc of Nemex 2 only
has 5 mg. of the active drug. Unfortunately,
223
Strongid T is only available through a
veterinarian’s prescription, and even your vet
has to pay $74.95 per quart. Since 1 quart = 2
pints, and since Strongid-T is ten times more
potent than Nemex, this means it only costs
your vet $0.19 to treat your dog ... but yet he
charges you $25 per dog! This is a 1300% mark-
up!
But, ah-haha!, this is where Step 3 comes
in J If you carefully peruse the “Worming”
section of the KV Vet Supply catalogue you
will notice that they offer a generic, pure
pyrantel pamoate liquid that is labeled Pamix
(which is supposed to be for humans), but
which is otherwise the identical drug used in
Nemex and Strongid-T. This Pamix product
is identical ... except for three very important
distinctions: 1] Pamix (like Strongid-T) is ten
times as potent as Nemex 2, again with 1 cc
having 50 mg. of pyrantel pamoate rather than
only 5 mg. (In other words, instead of giving
25 ccs of Nemex to a 50 lb dog, you only need
to give 2.5 ccs of Pamix!); 2] Pamix costs only
$31.95 for a quart – as compared to $74.95 per
quart for Strongid-T – as compared to $99.98
for a two pints of Nemex 2 (at one tenth the
potency); and, finally, 3] Not only is Pamix
$40 less than Strongid-T, while retaining the
same ten-times-greater potency, but Pamix is
available over the counter as well … just like
Nemex 2 J
So, now we’ve established that both Nemex
and Pamix contain the same active ingredient,
pyrantel pamoate, and we have established
that they are both available over the counter
to you the consumer. Now then, let’s do the
math on this so you understand just how
much you’re saving: If you consider the fact
that Pamix is ten times as potent as Nemex 2,
this means you really have to get TEN quarts
of Nemex 2 to equal ONE quart of Pamix!
Stated another way, since a quart {two pints
@ $49.99 each} of Nemex 2 totals $99.98,
and since a quart of Pamix costs only $31.95,
this means you’d really have to spend TEN
TIMES $99.98 (or $998.00) to get the same
amount of pyrantel pamoate in Nemex as a
mere $32 would get you in simply buying 1
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
quart of Pamix instead. Think about thatJ
In order to get the same amount of pyrantel
pamoate buying Nemex, as you would buying
Pamix, you would have to pay almost $970
EXTRA for the privilege of having the name
“Nemex” on your label.
What a rip off!!!
Yet dog owners pay this every day. Therefore,
if you simply make a product switch and
purchase a quart of Pamix instead of a quart
Nemex, not only will you only pay .08 (eight
cents!) to treat one 50 lb dog, but you would
have enough left in the bottle for 399 more
treatments! With a quart of Nemex, on the
other hand, you pay about $1.25 per 50 lb. dog,
and you only have 39 more treatments. It is
therefore 156x more costly to buy Nemex
... and that’s the catalogue price! The retail
price for Nemex is $5.49 per dog to treat, with
only 39 more treatments left, which winds up
being over 686x more costly buying Nemex
at the pet store, rather than Pamix from the
catalogue. So, from now on, are you going to
use Pamix or Nemex? J
(BTW, other catalogues have other products
just like Pamix. Therefore, if you have another
catalogue besides KV Vet’s, just follow the 4
steps and you will see in the general worming
section (or the livestock worming section)
there will be some brand of wormer that has
pyrantel pamoate at a 50 mg/cc ratio. For
instance, Anthelban and Pyran-50, are two
different label names for what is the same
thing as Pamix, and likewise these drugs will
have a much cheaper price than either Nemex
or Strongid-T.
And this is where Step 4 comes in, making
sure you do the math and get the right dosage.
We kinda already covered this, but we will
revisit again here, because this is the fourth
and last step you need to take. Remember,
Pamix is ten times as potent as the Nemex,
which means that you only need to use 1/10th
as much of it. Since you needed to use 25 cc of
the Nemex for a 50 lb dog, again this means
you only need to use 2.5 cc of the Pamix
product for the same dog.
224
The list goes on...
Example 2) There are similar savings in the
worming medicine, Panacur. Panacur is an
even broader-spectrum wormer than Pamix,
also getting whipworms and three kinds of
tapeworms in addition to roundworms, yet
(if we follow Step 1, and identify the product
in our catalogue), we notice that Panacur is
likewise only available by prescription, and it
costs $109.99 for 1000 ml. Not only do we have
to pay this large price, but we have to go to our
vet for a prescription just to be able to order
Panacur from the catalogue, which vet visit
costs still more money. If you just asked your
vet to worm your dog with Panacur, he would
charge around $25 for just one treatment! So
how do we as consumers go around this long
and costly process?
Again, we move on to Step 2. We simply
identify the active ingredient in Panacur,
which in this case is fenbendazole. Moving
on to Step 3, we notice that in the cattle
section of our vet catalogue there is a product
called SAFE-GUARD, with the same active
ingredient as Panacur … fenbendazole. And,
finally, in following Step 4 to get our dosage
right, we see that Safe-Guard is dosed in the
exact same 10% suspension as is Panacur.
This means we administer the Safe-Guard
exactly as we would the Panacur. The only
bummer to this example is that the “over-the-
counter” Safe-Guard is priced virtually the
same as Panacur ($109.95 for 1000 ml) but at
least we can save some money by not having
to go to our vet to get a prescription. So we
just pick up the phone, place our order, and the
Safe Guard gets dropped off on our door step
a couple of days later J
(BTW, both Panacur and Safeguard are dosed
at 1 cc per 4.4 lbs of bodyweight, given orally,
three consecutive days in a row. It is best
NOT to use this drug on a monthly basis.
Only use this drug once every six months,
preferably at the end of January and at the
end of June. Choose another kind of wormer
as your monthly wormer, because it is easy for
worms to build resistance to Safe-Guard.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Example 3) What about tapeworms?
Typically, tapeworms are controlled by the
product Droncit, which again is by prescription
only. Your vet would charge you about $229.00
for 50 tablets of Droncit, and one tablet treats
10 lb of dog. If you could get your vet to give
you a prescription, you could order the Droncit
yourself out of the catalogue for the wholesale
price of $164.95, which would save you $64.05
right out of the gate, just using the catalogue,
but there are even more savings to be had J
If we follow Step 1, and identify the product
in our catalogue, we will notice that Droncit
is available by prescription only, so how do we
go around this? Again, we move on to Step
2. We simply identify the active ingredient
in Droncit, which in this case is praziquantel.
Moving on to Step 3, we notice that in the pet
section of our vet catalogue there are many
products with the same active ingredient as
Droncit, praziquantel, but when you crunch all
of the numbers the most cost-effective of them
all is a product called Fish Tapes (by Thomas
Labs) ... but in order to find this product,
we need to put our KV Vet catalogue down,
and pick up our LambriarVet catalogue. This
right here shows the value of having several
catalogues J Moving on to Step 4, getting
the dosage right, we see that Droncit tablets
are 34 mg apiece, which are given at one tablet
for every 10 lb of dog, not to exceed 5 tablets
total.
Well, the product Fish Tapes comes in two
sizes: 34 mg tablets (like Droncit) or 170 mg
tablets (which happens to be 5x 34 mg J).
You can get 30 tablets of the 170 mg size of
Fish Tapes for $112.95, and if you have dogs
smaller than 50 lb you could break the larger
tablets into smaller sections.
How about the savings? Well, your vet would
charge you $229.00 for 50 Droncit tablets at
his office, and even if he wrote you a ‘script
you would save money ($64.05) just by
ordering the Droncit out of the catalogue for
$164.95. Since you would have to use 5 tablets
of 34 mg Droncit per 50-lb dog, this means you
could ultimately treat 10 dogs with those 50
225
tablets ... or ten dogs for $164.95 (which pans-
out to be $16.50 per dog).
However, when you use my methods and
order the 170 mg Fish Tapes, at $112.95 for 30
tablets, remember that these mega-tabs are
already five-times larger than Droncit, and as
such you only need ONE of them to treat a 50
lb dog. Since there are 30 tabs in a bottle, this
means you could treat those same 10 dogs for
a balance of $37.65 (which pans-out to be a
negligible $3.77 per dog), and you’d still have
20 tabs left over. In other words, you can treat
30 dogs for $112.95 using Fish Tapes, whereas
you can only treat 10 dogs for $164.95 buying
Droncit wholesale.
In other words, say you have a kennel of thirty
50-lb dogs. Going to your vet directly, it would
cost you $687.00 to treat your whole kennel for
tapeworm (three $229.00 bottles of Droncit at
retail). And even if you got this product from
the catalogue, with a prescription, it would still
cost you $494.85 (buying three $164.95 bottles
of Droncit at even the wholesale discount).
But when you utilize my methods, your same
kennel of thirty 50-lb dogs would only cost
you $112.95 to tapeworm them all. That is a
total savings of $574 over getting Droncit
directly from a vet; it is a saving of $382.00
over ordering the Droncit wholesale yourself
with a prescription; all this made possible by
simply using my 4-Step Method and ordering
an alternative product (Fish Tapes) instead.
Remember, it is the same active ingredient,
just a different label, and also a vastly
different price J
Example 4) How about heartworms? Most of
the people who have to worry about heartworms
are back east, or down south, but some areas
out west have them too. Heartworms are
a serious problem and can cost us $3.00 per
dog, once every month, every month of a
dog’s life IF we use the prescription drug.
So how do we get around this? Again, let’s
follow Step 1, identifying the product. Well,
the most common drug used to prevent this
infestation is a product called HEARTGARD.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 226

This product must be given once a month light. Instead of paying your vet about $2.50 a
or the dog’s life is at risk from this parasite. tablet to give one dog one tablet of Heartgard,
Heartgard is by prescription only. You can you would only be spending about $0.29
buy it in packs of 12 tablets from the vet at a (yes, twenty-nine cents) to give your one
cost of about $29.95 (which translates to about dog the same amount of ivermectin found in
$2.50 per month __ per 55 lb. dog). But a clever Heartgard by using Promectin instead. That
person would follow Step 2. In doing so, he is a $2.21 difference, per month, PER DOG.
would notice that the active ingredient in Well, again, if you have 30 dogs, you will be
Heartgard is ivermectin (1%). Step 3 is next, saving yourself $66.30 per month doing this!
and here again you go to the “worming” pages That translates to a yearly savings of $795.60
in the large animal (not pet) section of your for an average-sized kennel of animals to be
catalogue, and you’ll notice 1% ivermectin protected from heartworm, just by using my
happens to be available over the counter method and switching labels J
labeled for cattle and swine. The product is
called IVOMEC, and it is an injectible cattle/ Anyway, since Promectin comes in a bottle of
swine wormer which costs $35.95 for 50 cc. liquid, and not tablets, you give it to your dog
simply by squirting it his mouth. To do this
Ø NOTE: Do NOT use Ivomec-“Plus” you would need a syringe and needle to extract
the liquid drug from the Promectin bottle. Just
** Ivomec-Plus contains another ingredient plunge the needle into the bottle, withdraw .1
(clorsulon) that will kill your dogs! Use cc (1/10th of 1 cc) of the fluid per 10 lb dog. In
ONLY Ivomec 1% solution. Do NOT use other words, a 30-lb dog would get .3 cc, a 40-
the pour-on versions either, and do NOT lb dog would get .4 cc, etc. Once you get the
use the .27% solution as well. Only use the dosage right, and suck out the correct amount,
standard 1% Ivomec injectible solution. The you then leave the needle bottle, detatch the
other mixtures are too strong ** syringe, and then squirt the withdrawn liquid
into the dog’s mouth with the plunger of the
Anyway, 1% Ivomec injectible is just fine, but syringe. Just get in the habit of doing this once
you can save even more by ordering generic a month, instead of using Heartgard.
Ivomec in a product called Promectin for $28.95
for the same 50 cc of the active ingredient 1% Ø NOTE: IF YOU OWN A COLLIE
ivermectin. Step 4: The label indicates the BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN USING
dosage of 1% ivermectin is 1 cc per 110 lbs. IVERMECTIN, AS THIS DRUG
bodyweight for livestock, and it is essentially (FOR SOME REASON) CAN BE
the same for dogs to control heartworm. UNUSUALLY TOXIC – AND EVEN
Another way to look at it is 1/2 cc would treat FATAL – TO COLLIES. CONSULT
a 55-lb dog. Looked at in another way, you use YOUR VET IF YOU HAVE ANY
1/10th cc for every 10 lb of dog. In other DOUBTS OR QUESTIONS.
words, because there are 50 cc in one bottle
of Ivomec (and because 1/2 of 1 cc would treat Folks, this book here has already paid for itself,
a 55-lb. dog), this means you have enough several times over, hasn’t it? J
Ivomec for 100 treatments of 55-lb dogs (at
about the same cost that your vet charges you The list goes on...
for 12 treatments). This means you could treat
your one 55-lb dog for over 8 years for the same
Example 5) What about if your dog has
price as your vet charges you to do so for one Demodectic Mange? Again, Step 1: the drug
year. Does it sound like you’re being robbed byof choice for this condition is called Mitaban,
the system again? You bet you are. and it is another drug that is available by
prescription only. Once again, Step 2: take
Well, let’s look at this saving in a different a look at the active ingredient. The active
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
ingredient in Mitaban is called amitraz which
is at a 15% potency in the bottle. Guess what?
Step 3: look at the “anti-mite” section in your
vet catalogue and you will notice that amitraz
is available to the consumer, over the counter,
labeled for cattle and swine, in a product
called TAKTIC. However, you need to realize
that the amitraz in Taktic is only at a 12.5%
potency. This is easy to compensate for using
Step 4: Realizing that the “prescription only”
Mitaban (15% amitraz) is dosed at one 10.6
ml bottle being added to 2 gallons of water
for a dip, which solution is to be applied to
all furred areas of your dog until they are wet,
simply pull out your trusty calculator to do the
math on what this equates to in the TAKTIC
product.
Well, since Mitaban is a 15% amitraz solution,
and TAKTIC is only a 12.5% amitraz solution,
this means TAKTIC is 1/6th less potent than
Mitaban (although the active ingredient is
identical). To apply the same ratio of amitraz
in TAKTIC-to-water as you would in Mitaban-
to-water, simply keep in mind that TAKTIC
is 1/6th less potent than Mitaban. Since
Mitaban calls for a 10.6 cc bottle to be diluted
into 2 gallons of water, what do you do? You
simply take away 1/6th of the 2 gallons of
water recommended in the Mitaban ratio.
Well, 1/6th of 2 gallons is roughly 3 pints.
This means you would take 2 gallons of water,
remove 3 pints of water from it, and then just
add-in your 10.6 ccs of TAKTIC J
Now, keep in mind you don’t need a gallon and
a half of this stuff to treat a dog by “dipping”
him either, so you can save even more money
by being frugal. Simply reduce the amount of
total mixture while keeping the same ratio of
TAKTIC-to-water. That is, if the original ratio
was 10.6 ml of TAKTIC to 1 gallon, 1 quart, and
1 pint ... then you can divide everything in half
and just add 5.3 ccs of TAKTIC to 3 quarts, 1
cup of water, can’t you? In fact, you can keep
reducing the amount of mixture down to
adding only 1.3 ccs of TAKTIC to just 3.25
cups of warm water, which tiny amount can
be put in a small stainless steel water bowl
(NOT used for feeding or drinking).
227
Then, rather than “dipping” your dog, merely
dip a sponge into your mixture and scrub your
dog with it. You must use great caution to
yourself, however, when using TAKTIC. Wear
industrial-strength rubber gloves, a bib, and a
face mask when you apply this drug to your
animals. Protect your dogs as well by avoiding
their eyes, ear canal (outer ear is OK), nose,
genitals, anus, etc. Just dip the sponge into
the mixture and scrub all furred areas of your
dog, but DO NOT DRY. Just leave it on the
dog and let him run around in a pen, wet.
Again, I repeat, the active ingredient amitraz
is a very toxic substance, so don’t just dump
the remainder out. Dispose of it as you would
a contaminating substance – and don’t get
it on you. It works like a charm though, and
by using my method you don’t need to waste
nearly as much of it per dog, nor do you have
as much to tote around and dispose of after
you are done with each application.
What are the savings, though, by using my
secrets and switching to from Mitaban to
TAKTIC? First of all, a vet charges his clients
between $30 to $45 just to treat one dog for
mange in his office. Well, if you asked him
for a ‘script instead, and ordered your own
Mitaban from the catalogue, you would find
that Mitaban is sold in a 10.6 cc bottle for
$14.95, which is enough to treat 8 dogs (if
broken down into 1.3 cc increments as described
above), which breaks down to a cost $1.87 per
dog. That right there is still a helluva savings
over the robbery that your vet would charge
you, but again Mitaban can only be obtained
through a veterinarian’s prescription, which
costs you another $30 for an office visit.
By contrast, TAKTIC costs $48.95 for 760 ml,
not 10.6 ml, which is enough to treat 585 dogs
instead of just 8! Put another way, it would
cost you $1,092.50 to treat those same 585 dogs
(using Mitaban) that only cost you $49 using
my secrets and switching to TAKTIC. Worse, if
you took those same 585 dogs to a vet to have
him dip them for you, this would cost you
between $17,550.00 and $26,325.00!!! Yeah ...
HOLY COW! is right J
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 228

This means, by utilizing my 4-Step Process, the Albon product (when labeled for cattle)
you would only be spending about $0.08 (yes, is a 12.5% solution with its natural yukky
eight cents) per dog simply by using 1.3 cc of taste. Therefore, not only do we need to
TAKTIC to treat a dog for mange, as opposed to pull out our trusty calculator again to get
spending $1.87 per dog by ordering the same our dosage correct, but LOOK AT THE
amount of Mitaban from your catalogue ... DIFFERENCE IN PRICE! The catalogue
as opposed to spending $30.00 to $45.00 to price for prescription Albon (when labeled for
have your vet dip one dog for you. Therefore dogs) is $54.95 per pint, and since the drug is
Mitaban is 23x more costly than TAKTIC, and “by prescription only,” this means you will
going to your vet is between 375x to 563x wind up spending another $30+ for a vet visit
more costly than TAKTIC! Put another way, to get that prescription. Well, 1 pint = 480 ml,
it would therefore cost you about the same which I want you to keep in mind for later ...
amount of money to have a vet dip one of your
dogs at his office as it would for you to be able
Now, the catalogue price for Albon (when
to treat over 500 dogs (for the next several labeled for cattle) is $59.95 for a gallon! Well 1
years) using TAKTIC J gallon = 3840 ml, and what’s more, the Albon
labeled for cattle is 21⁄2-times more potent
Are you getting robbed again? You bet you than it is when labeled for dogs! Further still,
are! Albon for cattle is available over-the-counter
when used for farm animals. But it gets even
Ø NOTE: better J
I REPEAT, EXTREME CAUTION
MUST BE USED IN THE HANDLING If we cross-shop our catalogues, we again
OF TACTIC OR MITABAN, AS THE find that the LambriarVet catalogue has an
ACTIVE INGREDIENT (AMITRAZ) IS advantage over the KV catalogue, as Lambriar
A POTENT SUBSTANCE, AND ALL carries a generic sulfadimethoxine product, also
PRE-CAUTIONS ON THE LABEL by the gallon, and also at a 12.5% potency ...
MUST BE FOLLOWED. for only $38.95 ... so right off the bat we’ve
just saved $21.00 J
But, once again, here is a drug that is
available over the counter, incredibly cheaply, Now, let’s do the math and see what kind
when labeled for other animals __ whereas of total savings we come up with here, using
it is otherwise “by prescription only” (and generic sulfadimethoxine using my method
incredibly expensive) when labeled for dogs. vs. getting a prescription and using the
This may not seem like that big of a deal conventional method. The 5% Albon solution
for the person with one dog, but for the labeled for dogs is dosed at 5 ml per 10 lbs
professional with a kennel-ful of dogs these on Day 1, followed by 2.5 ml per 10 lbs for
savings are incredible. 4 more days. Therefore, since the prescription
Albon is $54.95 per pint (480 ml), and since
Example 6) What about Coccidiosis? Again, it would take 15 ml of Albon to treat one 10
it’s the same procedure: Step 1: the drug of lb puppy to the end (5 ml initially + 2.5 ml
choice is Albon. Step 2, the active ingredient four more days in a row), my calculator tells
in Albon is sulfadimethoxine. Step 3, since in me it cost me $1.72 to treat one puppy myself
the KV Vet catalogue Albon is still called with 15 ml of the prescription drug. Well,
“Albon,” whether it is labeled for dogs or that doesn’t seem too bad, does it? But what
cattle, we can then move on to Step 4. would it cost me to use my secrets and instead
use the generic Albon labeled for cattle? The
The product Albon (when labeled for answer is … it costs $0.06 (yes, six cents) to
puppies) is a 5% oral suspension … with a treat that same pup to conclusion! J
palatable carmel syrup added ... whereas
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 229

How is this possible? Well, let’s take a look This means it is 18.3-times more expensive
at it. If the prescription Albon is $54.95 per using the prescription drug … and a whopping
PINT … and if a pint is 480 cc … then this 903-times more expensive to go to your vet …
boils down to the fact prescription Albon costs than it is when you shop smart and know
just over eleven cents per 1 cc … and since it what you are doing J
took 15 ml to cure the pup … this means it
adds up to $1.72 per pup. OK? Heck we’re saving so much money here, we
could even spend some extra and concoct a
Now then, since the over-the-counter Albon BETTER DRUG than prescription Albon,
is $38.95 for a gallon (not a pint) … and since 1 going 100% first class, and still come out a
gallon = 3840 ml this means that the over-the- winner J
counter Albon costs just over 1 cent per 1 ml
… and since the cattle Albon is also 2.5 times How so? Well, let’s take a look:
MORE POTENT than the prescription
version … this means that it only takes 6 cc The only advantage to buying Albon by
of the cattle Albon to do what it takes 15 cc prescription for puppies, over the cattle Albon,
of the prescription equivalent to do … which is the fact the prescription form comes in
balances out to about SIX CENTS per pup a tasty, smooth, minty-caramel, stomach-
using my method. coating suspension that is easy on a sick
pup’s tummy. By contrast, straight cattle
But it gets worse than this! Since it costs Albon is full-strength, nasty, and horrible-
$54.95 to buy the prescription version, and you tasting. While puppies will lap up the smooth
only get 1 pint of it, you would actually have prescription Albon, and immediately feel
to buy 8 pints of the prescription version to better ... they will gag if given the nasty, harsh
get the full gallon of the cattle version, which cattle Albon, and they will drool in misery for
would cost you $439.60. But it gets still worse an hour or more afterward. But, hell, we’re
folks! Even after you foolishly spent $439.60 saving so much money using my Tips, we
on the prescription version to get a full gallon can afford to splurge and create a better drug
of it, you would then be smacked in the head altogether … and still save ourselves money!
again with the fact that the prescription So let’s do it J
verion is 2.5-times weaker than the cattle
version. This means you would actually Let’s put down the KV Vet catalogue now and
have to spend $1,099.00 on the prescription again pick up our LambriarVet catalogue. You
version of Albon to get what $38.95 would will see that LambriarVet has a product called
have gotten you, by shopping smart and using Omega-3 Plus, that is a nutrient-dense liquid
my methods. diet with essential vitamins, minerals, and
has a high caloric value. Since this product is
Think you’re getting reamed by the system? specifically-designed for sick animals anyway,
Well, how about your vet? There are some it is actually perfect to blend with the cattle
people out there who just pay their vet $30 for Albon, whereby not only will the Omega-3
the examination and another $25 for a squirt Plus mask the unpleasant taste of the cattle
of the drug to treat their pup... which is $55.00 Albon, but it will also add nutritional value for
total to do what SIX CENTS would take a sick pup that even the prescription Albon
care of. In other words, if you spent $38.95 to can’t duplicate … *and* … the whole mixture
buy the gallon of cattle Albon you could treat will still cost us far less than the prescription
640 ten-pound puppies. To treat 640 puppies Albon. Let’s pull out the calculator and see
with the prescription version would cost you how so:
$1099.00 ... 2.5 gallons’ worth ... and to treat
this many puppies at the vet would cost you Well, Omega-3 Plus is priced at $39.00 a
$35,200!!! gallon. Again, since 1 gallon = 3840 ml, this
California Jack’s 2007 Indispensable Tips 230

means Omega-3 Plus costs about one cent per prescription drugs and seeing if the active
ml ($0.0101 per ml to be exact). Well, keeping ingredients in these drugs are available over
this in mind, you could create an exact 5% the counter labeled for large farm animals.
mixture where your dosage is the SAME as Very often-times they are. And, when they
prescription Albon. are, the savings you will enjoy are literally
astronomical.
Just take 10 oz (300 ml) of Omega-3 Plus and
mix it with 8 oz (240 ml) of 12% cattle Albon … As you can clearly see by this time, you can
and you balance out to 18 ounces of a palatable literally save hundreds of dollars, or even
5% Albon solution [just like the 1 pint (16 oz) thousands of dollars (if you run a large kennel)
prescription version] that you can give to sick in the yearly maintenance of your dogs by
pups at the same prescription-dosage of 5 cc following these guidelines. And I have proven
per 10 lb on Day 1, followed by 2.5 cc per 10 this fact, beyond any and all doubt, with the
lbs for four days. This concoction is actually above information. Some of the prices I listed
better than the prescription version – and yet for the products above will change over the
it is only a costs you $5.40 for 18 ounces, rather
following months and years after this book
than $54.95 for a 16 ounces J goes out, but they were valid as of November,
2006 ... yet the PRINCIPLES of this section
BY NOW YOU ARE BEGINNING TO SEE A PATTERN!!! Or will remain true forever.
at least you should be J
The Table below is a recap of some of the
The biggest savings you can get in dog savings you can realistically enjoy using these
ownership are by shopping shrewdly for your principles:

PRODUCT Retail Wholesale MY WAY ü

*Savings*
Cost Cost J (Per month)

Albon $1.72 per dog $0.09 per dog $0.06 per dog Save Up to
(Sulfadimethoxine) 30 dogs = $51.60 30 dogs = $2.70 30 dogs = $1.80 $49.80 /month! !

Nemex II $2.75 per dog $1.25 per dog $0.08 per dog Save Up to
(Pyrantel pamoate) 30 dogs = $82.50 30 dogs = $37.50 30 dogs = $2.40 $82.50 /month! !

Mitaban $45.00 per dog $14.95 per dog $0.08 per dog Save Up to
(Amitraz) 2 dogs = $90.00 2 dogs = $29.90 2 dogs = $0.16 $89.84 /month! !

HeartGuard $2.50 per dog $0.05 per dog $0.29 per dog Save Up to
(Ivermectin) 30 dogs = $75.00 30 dogs = $1.50 30 dogs = $8.70 $66.30 /month! !

Droncit $16.50 per dog $7.48 per dog $3.77 per dog Save Up to
(Praziquantel) 30 dogs = $495.00 30 dogs = $224.40 30 dogs = $113.10 $381.90 /month! !

Total Monthly Savings >>>> of up to $670.34

California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 231

Sure, you will have to get used to treating Of course, you have to order the needles too,
your dogs yourself, but it’s not too hard to but again you can order a box of 100 needles
do. If you’re thinking “it’s too much of a and syringes for only $13 (which makes each
hassle,” think again. What’s really a hassle? needle cost only thirteen cents), and which
In my opinion, driving to a vet’s office (or a also gives you a considerable supply of
pet store), waiting in line, waiting further in needles for the future. When ordering shots
a little room, and then getting robbed by the you must make sure you use a good brand, like
vet (or the pet store) by their astronomical Vanguard Plus by Pfizer, Progard by Intervet,
prices is much more of a hassle than having Galaxy by Schering Plough, or Duramune
the products delivered to your door by the Max 5 by Fort Dodge. These products are
catalogue company, at a fraction of the cost, the best in their class, as many kinds of shots
and all you have to do is use these products in don’t cover any of the new strains of parvo,
your own home at your own convenience. It’s like the above products do, so giving your dog
all a matter of perspective. inferior products by using any other “cheap”
brands is like injecting water into your dogs:
Not only that, but the price you pay when they afford no protection.
you order these items from your vet supply
company is for an amount of products with You give your pups their first shot at 6 weeks
which you can treat your dogs on numerous and their second shot at 9 weeks. For the 6
occasions, whereas you pay a vet tons more week and 9 week shots, use Vanguard Plus 5,
money and it’s only for one treatment. Progard 5, Galaxy DA2PPVL, or Duramune
Concerning pet stores, the few prescription Max 5.
items you can get there are still way over-
priced, and getting these products involves When your pups reach 12 weeks of age use
you going to the store, on top of that, just to Vanguard Plus 5/CV-L, Progard 8, Galaxy
pay these ridiculously high prices. Ordered DA2PPVL+CV, or Duramune Max 5-CVK/
from the catalogue, these supplies come to 4L, which should conclude the regemin.
you, and again they are but a fraction of the
cost. So, if you think deeply, what’s really the Once your pups reach maturity, you no longer
hassle? want to use high-titer “plus” or “max” type
vaccines … you don’t need that much kick.
Here are some more tips on how to spend Therefore, after your pup gets his last shot of
your money wisely by understanding “the the series, you can let him go for a whole year
system”: after that without another booster. From that
year-later on, he can take a yearly booster, but
Example A take a step down from the high-titer shots and
NEVER PAY A VET FOR SIMPLE INOCULATIONS instead give your adults a watered down shot
[6-way and 8-way parvo shots, lyme disease like Vanguard 5/CVL (notice: no “Plus”).
shots, etc. (Some states even allow you to give
your pets rabies shots.)] You may be asking, “Why don’t I just rely
on my vet to give the shots?” Answer: Many
How do you save here? Well, vets usually vets use inferior products (like Solvay) to cut
charge about $25 (or more) to give your dogs costs. Besides the desire of many vets to cut
their shots, yet you can do these things costs, by using inferior products, and then
yourself so easily __ and use the same shots charging your a year’s salary for them ... there
your vet uses (completely legall)y __ by ordering is also another motivation for your vet to use
them out of your catalogue. The price? About inferior products: if your dog gets sick, guess
$2.40 to $5.20 per shot (prices vary depending who is going to make money when it comes
on the brand, kind of shot, etc. ... yet they are time to treat it? Don’t get me wrong, most vet
all cheaper than what your vet charges). are ethical (to varying degrees), but it’s hard
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
to tell which ones are sometimes. And, no
matter how ethical your vet may be, he or she
still charges you a hell of a lot more than what
you really need to pay for easily-accessible
items, such as shots. Why spend $625 to give
25 pups their first shot each, when you can
spend between $57.95 and $99.95 and do the
same thing? Further, since you have to give
out three shots to each pup, why spend a total
of $1875.00 to let your vet give 25 pups their
3-series shots, when you only have to spend
between $175 and $300 to do it yourself?
You really only need a vet for two reasons 1)
to diagnose a problem in your dog which you
don’t understand yourself, and 2) to receive
emergency medical treatment, surgery, and/or
drugs/items which you can’t perform/obtain
yourself. If you know what a problem is
yourself, and/or if you can solve this problem
yourself, by obtaining the solution out of your
catalogue, or over the internet, why do you need
to shower a vet with your money? Unless there
is no other way to obtain a certain item, than
from your vet, or unless true surgery is needed,
or some other emergency or questionable
situation mandates expertise which you do
not have, you are simply “burning your bills
at both ends” by paying your vet to do things
you could very well do yourself __ such as
giving your dog shots. Believe me, it’s a lot
easier on your pocketbook when you become
SELF-RELIANT ... and it’s also a lot nicer to
know that you’re giving your dog top quality
products, because *you* get to read the labels
and choose them yourself.
Example B
IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO A PET STORE AT ALL,
GO TO A PET STORE THAT DOES NOT SELL LIVE
ANIMALS. Why? Because it costs the store
extra money to feed and keep these animals,
and guess how such a pet store finances this
extra cost? There you go ... they finance these
extra costs in the added price you pay for their
products. Who needs to pay a pet store to
help them house their animals? I don’t! Let’s
take this further. If you can go to a feed store,
instead of a pet store (whether the pet store
sells animals or not), you will also generally
232
save a little extra also. Why? Because the feed
store generally deals in higher volume than a
pet store, because they service farmers (who
tend to buy in bulk), and finally feed stores are
generally found in more rural areas than pet
stores (so they pay less in their monthly rental
payments). These factors combine to fomr an
indisputable fact that feed stores’ prices are
usually considerably cheaper that pet stores’
prices. [Still, they are generally nowhere near
as cheap as the catalogue prices for the same
thing.] The point is, use your cataloge in every
instance that you possibly can ... but if you
need something “right now” and have to go to
a pet store ... then go to one that does not have
pets if possible ... and go to a feed store over
even this, if you possibly can. You will plainly
and simply SAVE MONEY by doing so.
Example C
WHAT ABOUT BUYING PRESCRIPTION
ANTIBIOTICS? In other words, what about
when you need a particular drug for your dog,
but you can’t find its active ingredient in your
catalogue labeled for large animals? Now
anyone can get penicillin at their local feed
store (it’s cheaper from the catalogue, though).
However, sometimes you need stronger forms
of antibiotic – all of which are by prescription
only – unless you know where to look. The
truth is, many of these antibiotics actually are
in your vet catalogue, this time labeled for fish
or birds J
First, as a general rule, if you have a serious
infection going on, I would recommend
finding out what kind of antibiotic you need
from your vet first … by having him perform
a Culture & Sensitivity Test of the infection.
This tells you what type of bacteria you’re
dealing with. This test also indicates what’s
the best antibiotic to use for it, and then from
there you can see if you can get that same drug
labeled for fish. Most of these antibiotics are
manufactured by THOMAS LABORATORIES and
are the EXACT same drugs your vet uses,
just with a different label, namely for fish or
for birds. You can order from these right off
the internet from Thomas Labs directly. Here
is their web address:
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 233

you need to know that there are gram positive

http://www.thomasveterinarydrug.com/ and gram negative bacteria out there, and
that tetracycline and metronidazole are for
Their phone number is (800) 359-8387. gram negative bacteria, while the rest are for
gram positive bacteria. Again, find out what
Thomas Labs also carries almost any canine drug your dog actually needs before you go
performance supplement you can think of – so popping a bunch of antibiotics into his mouth.
you should order their catalogue immediately However, if you can’t find out, these seven (7)
as well! Here are some of the common antibiotics listed are broad-spectrum, one of
available antibiotics you can get over the them should address your problem, with the
counter from Thomas Labs, labeled for birds first 3 listed being the most commonly-used of
and fish, and the recommended dosages (give these drugs.
at your own risk):
Well, what about when you need heavy-duty
Ø FISH-CILLIN (Ampicillin – oral): $20.49 antibiotics, or other drugs, that absolutely,
100 caps, 100 mg each 5-11 mg per pound, posi-tively are not in any vet catalogue? Not
2x a day to 4x a day. to worry! You can still get these drugs and
save yourself some money in the process. Did
Ø FISH-MOX (Amoxicillin – oral): $11.95 you know that it is legal to order antibiotics from
100 caps, 250 mg each 5 mg per pound, 2x foreign markets? Yep, it sure is. As long as you
a day. are not re-selling them, and only order a 3-
month supply, you can buy any non-narcotic
Ø FISH-FLEX (Cephalexin – oral): $41.95 drug you want, without a prescription, from a
100 caps, 500 mg each 5 to 14 mg per lb, foreign pharmacy. Here is a great resource for
3x a day – 4x a day. this: ONE DRUGSTORE ONLINE:

Ø FISH-CYCLINE (Tetracycline – oral): $19.95 http://www.1drugstore-online.com/

100 caps, 500 mg each 9 mg per pound, 3x
a day. You can literally get almost any drug you need
for your dogs, cheaper than any pharmacy,
Ø BIRD-BIOTIC (Doxycycline – oral): $20.49 delivered to your door, without a prescription
100 caps, 100 mg each 2-5 mg per pound, needed! You really need to check this website
once a day. out and keep it bookmarked at all times J

Ø FISH-SULFA (Trimethoprim/Sulfa – oral): Example D

$11.95 THIS BRINGS US TO ANOTHER INTERESTING
100 caps, 250 mg each 7 to 27 mg per lb, PROBLEM: BUYING DOG FOOD. “Natural This,”
once a day. “Pure That,” the “Cutting Edge” names
abound. Yet there is almost no food that lives
Ø FISH-ZOLE (Metronidazole – oral): $24.95 up to its name. Almost all have preservatives,
100 caps, 500 mg each 20 mg per pound 4x and almost all the really expensive brands use
on Day 1, followed by 10 mg per pound 4x meat, while leaving out the organs, as their
a day afterward for anaerobic infections … primary sources of protein. (Lousy brands
OR … 11.5 mg per pound 2x a day, for 5 to use corn or soy products as their sources of
7 days, for the treatment of Giardia. protein.) In nature, wild canids almost always
will devour the guts and organs of a killed
Like I said, Thomas Laboratories has many animal before they will eat the fleshy meat,
other products as well, however, the simple because these organ meats are simply more
fact is KV and Lambriar-Vet typically offer nutritious. Yet most dog food companies pride
these same drugs even cheaper J Anyway, themselves in using no meat “by products.”
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
Why? Because the companies are targeting
you, the human customer, and they realize
the thought of eating “guts” and “organs”
is disgusting to most people – whether or not
these things are in fact more nutritious for
your dogs than meat. Since it is you, and not
your dog, who spends the money to buy the
food, the food companies package the food to
attract you as the customer! But, alas, if your
dog could talk, he would ask that you shop for
him, and not you, and he would ask that you
buy the organs .... J
Anyway, so how does one save money buying
dog food? On the one hand, dogfood is
something you should *not* cut corners on,
but in fact you need to buy the very best feed
you can possibly buy. Myself, I use Nature’s
Variety, but there are many other top quality
brands (Canidae, Innova, Wellness, etc.) to
choose from. Therefore, my advice is do NOT
buy cheap dogfood; buy the very best food you
can ... because what you feed your dogs is an
investment into their health, their top fitness,
their reproductive potency, as well as to their
ultimate longevity. So do not cut corners on
your dogs’ feed, but instead try to feed the
very best you can possibly afford to feed, and
believe me you and your dogs will profit in
the long run. Still, there are ways to save on
buying the best feeds, and I will explore them
here:
Suppose you wanted to buy Canidae for your
dogs. By itself, Canidae is usually about $35
for a 40-lb bag when purchased at a pet store.
This translates to about $0.88/lb. To save
money buying this top end feed, you could go to
http://www.canidae.com and punch in your
zip code, and you will be able to find out what
pet stores in your area carry this product ... but
what you really want to find out is who the
WHOLESALER is for this feed in your area.
The wholesaler is the man who supplies all of
the local pet stores with the Canidae product.
He is the middleman between the Canidae
corporation and the pet store. Basically, you
don’t want to pay ratail for Canidae “at the
pet store,” what you really want to do is buy
this feed at the wholesale price, directly from
234
the wholesaler. Now, most wholesalers will
not sell to the general public, but if you buy
a lot of feed at one time you can work around
this.
If you don’t have enough dogs to justify buying
15 - 20 bags of feed at a time, maybe you could
get a group of friends to pool-in their resources
and you all could buy (say) a full ton of this
food at about $25/bag, which would save you
about $10/bag, and would only cost $0.625/lb.
If you order more, you can save more, and hell
you could possibly even go into business for
yourself, selling the excess bags per month
you don’t need to other dogmen … and rake-
in that extra $10/bag profit for yourself … and
wind up spending even less on dogfood.
In the case of Nature’s Variety, their product
retails for $45.00 for a 30-lb bag, which is $1.50/
lb. ... however the company does give a break
to breeders in the form of “Breeder’s Bags”
that are not for resale, but where you can buy
a white, plain-wrapped 50-lb bag directly from
your local Nature’s Variety wholesaler for
$35.00, which is only $0.70/lb.
Regardless of how you try to save money on
dogfood, the key is do *not* buy cheap food;
instead, try to buy excellent dog feed cheaply.
Anything with corn, wheat, glutens, soy,
etc. in the ingredients is trash. Your dog is a
carnivore; he was not designed to eat grains.
Cheap feeds like Diamond, Science Diet,
Eukanuba, etc., will all slowly degenerate your
dogs’ health. I know you have been fooled into
believing these are “high end” feeds, but trust
me they are not. At best, they are mid-grade
feeds. Truly low-end feeds like Ol’ Roy, Alpo,
Dog Chow, etc. are poison to a dog. The will
literally kill your dogs before they ever reach
old age, and I am not kidding in the least on
this subject.
High-end feeds are harder to find, because they
are generally micro-manufactured at small
levels, and again they are generally sold only
through local distributors, but they have much
more attention to detail paid to them. Rather
than using inexpensive “fillers” like corns,
glutens, beet pulps, etc. ... that dogs were not
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
meant to eat ... truly high-end feeds utilize
100% human-grade, hormone-free meats and
fats, that your dogs *were* designed to eat,
and they also have a full complement of trace
minerals, enzymes, etc. You may not see the
difference when your dogs are 2-3 years old
… but by the time they hit 6, 7, and 8 years
of age … the ill effects of feeding low-end
feed will start to take their effects: cancers,
thyroid problems, infertility, etc. By contrast,
the positive effects of feeding high-end feeds
will make themselves very clear as well, in
the form of a longer, happier, more productive
lifespan for your dogs. So do not ignore what
I am saying here. Buy the very best feed that
you can for your dogs, just learn how to do it
cheaply, and you will be paid back a hundred-
fold for your investment over time.
Example E
WHAT ABOUT DOG COLLARS? The best buy
I have been able to find on dog collars are at
O’BRIEN’S SUPPLY, 104 Bedford Street, Drakes
Beach, VA 23937; (434) 568-3148. You can buy
sturdy, 2” wide, 1/4” thick, nylon collars at
16”, 18”, or 20” in length for $11.00. Ordered in
volume, you can get them for even less. They
come in red, blue, or black. O’Brien’s also has
great values in harnesses, tracers, tugs, and an
assortment of other items. I would certainly
call them and order their catalogue as well.
However, if you don’t mind a high price,
and if you want the absolute finest in collar
crafstmanship for your dogs, the proverbial
“Cadillac” of dog collars, then get online and
order your nylon collars at www.hurricaneken
nels.com. There simply is no finer collar made
anywhere, by anyone.
Example F
WHAT ABOUT FRONTLINE? We all know
that babesia is running rampant across the
country and is affecting our dogs, but there
are *other* tick-born diseases that can be
just as bad, like erlichia, lyme disease, Rocky
Mountain spotted fever, etc. For those who
live in tick country, Spring is when these little
buggers begin to come out of hibernation. It
is a big mistake to leave ticks on your dogs,
235
because your dogs can and eventually will get
sick with any of a number of terrible diseases
this way. So, beat the ticks to the punch, and
nip the diseases off at the bud, by buying
yourself some FRONTLINE PLUS ... and then
use this product religiously until winter hits
again. Unfortunately, this medicine can be
prohibitively expensive, especially if you
run a large yard, but again there are ways to
reduce your costsJ You need to hit your pups
too (once they’re passed 8 weeks of age) with
Frontline, and you need to jump on it just
before the weather is warm, before ticks jump
on your dogs, to prepare them in advance. So,
here is a good process to save yourself $$$ in
this endeavor:
STEP ONE: Frontline comes in four sizes. (1)
Up to 22 lb, (2) 23-44 lb, (3) 45-88 lb, and (4) 89-
132 lb. You get three applications per package,
all dosed according to their pre-designed
sizings, which respective sizes are (1) .67 cc,
(2) 1.34 cc, (3) 2.68 cc, and (4) 4.02 cc for each
application – again according to the size of
your dog. If you run a lot of dogs, then here
is how you save: buy *only* the super large-
sized 4.02 cc Frontline-Plus which is designed
for 89-132 lb dogs. Here’s why ...
STEP TWO: If you do the math, Frontline is
precisely dosed to be administered at .1675 cc
per 5.5 lb of dog weight. That means for every
5.5 lb your dog weighs, you need to put .1675
cc of the Frontline-Plus product on his back
for tick prevention. But let’s suppose you buy
according to Frontline’s pre-fabbed dosings,
and you purchase the 2.68 cc size Frontline
tells you to use for a 46 lb dog. Well, if you
do that, you have just wasted over 1.2 cc of
product that you could have applied to a 40 lb
dog ... because a 46 lb dog actually only needs
about 1.4 cc of product ... and you just dumped
2.68 cc on him! The “2.68” size of pre-packaged
Frontline for 45 to 88-lb dogs, so at the end of
the day it is dosed for the maximum size of
an 88 lb dog, and yours was only 46 lb! This
is why you need to forget about Frontline’s
pre-packed “sizings” and just buy the largest
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
doses they sell, and dump all of the contents
together into one vial, and then break it down
yourself, but more exactly, and use a syringe
for applicaton. You simply buy the largest size
possible Frontline offers (three vials of 4.02 cc
of product), and then pour all of the doses into
ONE common container for a total of 12.06
cc of product), and from there, you take a 3 cc
syringe and dose your dogs exactly what they
need based on their exact weight. If you have
a 46 lb dog, you take your 3 cc syringe and pull
out 1.4 cc from the 12.06 cc collection you have.
Now, just apply the 1.4 cc to your 46-lber and
move on to the next dog and (again) pull out
the exact dose for the next dog (based on HIS
exact weight), and when you’re done move on
the next ...
This exact breakdown is as follows:
• .1675 cc = 5.50 lb dog
• .3350 cc = 11.0 lb dog
• .5025 cc = 16.5 lb dog
• .6700 cc = 22.0 lb dog
• .8375 cc = 27.5 lb dog
• 1.005 cc = 33.0 lb dog
• 1.173 cc = 38.5 lb dog
• 1.340 cc = 44.0 lb dog
• 1.508 cc = 49.5 lb dog, etc.
For bigger dogs, all you do is add .1675 cc of
product for every 5.5 lb of body weight. If you
are going to err, then err in favor of adding a
little too much product to your dog, rather
than too little. It is better to make sure you
actually KILL the ticks with too much, than
it is to waste the product by giving your dog
“almost” the right amount, but ultimately not
enough.
STEP THREE: Just go on down the line.
Weigh each dog and then apply the exact
amount of product s/he needs. This way, you
haven’t wasted oodles of valuable product with
236
each application, like you would have, had you
tried to buy the Frontline in accordance with its
pre-packaged sizings. You can save all kinds
of money by (a) buying (say) 10 boxes of the
super-sized doses and get a volume discount
and have enough for the whole summer; (b)
save even more money if you can get ahold of
an independent distributer of Frontline to get
this product from, rather than going to your
vet; and finally (c) then enjoy further savings
by following the dosages & guidelines I
have given you above. For instance, in my
case I have found that Lambriar Vet has the
best deals on Frontline-Plus, so to Frontline
my yard of dogs this month cost me about
$120 worth of prodcut utilizing the method I
relayed above. However, had I followed the
Frontline label, and just bought the product
based upon the manufacturer’s pre-fabbed
sizings, I would have spent well over $250 on
my yard of dog this month, which is more than
double the cost. Ouch!
Anyway, I hope this idea helps some people,
because you need to use this product if you
live anywhere ticks may be!!! FINAL TIP:
Frontline should be applied to yout dogs every
single month for ticks, and you also should
make sure you put the product through the fur
and apply it directly to the *skin* of your dog.
Hope this helps J
G. NEW BABESIA TIP! Like it or not,
babesia is here to stay. If you do not know what
babesia is by now, you indeed are either very
new to this sport, or you live in a glass bubble.
For a full write-up on babesia visit my website
at: http://thepitbullbible.proboards43.com
Basically, babesia is everywhere. I have sent
people the medicine to treat it as far north as
Canada and as far south as the southern tip of
Florida, and from California to New York. If
your dog gets critically anemic, then he almost
assuredly has babesia. What most people do is
get caught with their pants down, they don’t
have the drug onhand to treat it, and so they
run around with their head cut off when one of
their dogs gets critically ill, anemic, won’t eat,
can’t walk, etc., and eventually they will die.
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips
These people don’t bother to read my site
thoroughly, and then they fail to copy my
webpage down on this subject to bring to their
vet, and instead (in a panic) these fools just
go to the vet – who himself has no clue about
babesia. Their vet runs one MISdiagnosis
after another, the foolish dogman has to spend
hundreds of dollars on blood transfusions and
drugs they don’t need, and then their dog
either dies (or miraculously recovers), but he
still remains a shell of itself.
These foolish souls could have saved
themselves a ton of money and time, by
simply having babesia medicine on hand at all
times. The preferred medication for babesia is
BERENIL or MINAZENE, but these drugs
are illegal in the United States. The reasons
are many, but one reason is that babesia still
isn’t considered a “U.S. disease,” but you’d
better believe that is is! Again, go visit my
website to read more about it. And I am
going to tell you right now, rather than spend
hundreds and hundreds of dollars at the vet,
you can prepare yourself in advance and order
Berenil and Minazene, over the Internet, from
a South African supplier at
http://www.vetproductsonline.com
Berenil and Minazene come in foil packets
that contain enough medication to treat 10-20
dogs. You can get a box of 10 packets (which
will treat 100-200 dogs) for $35 - $40, which is
is a lot preferable to spending $600 on one dog
because you did not plan ahead and have some
on hand! My advice is BUY THIS STUFF
NOW – and don’t get caught with your
pants down, and either lose a dog, or spend
237
a fortune at the vet, when all you had to do
was listen to what I am telling your right now
and spend $40 right now to be prepared from
that moment forward. Let’s just put it this
way: babesia is more common than hookworm
and tapeworm now, and is found in over 70%
of the dogs in the south. Sooner or later (and
probably sooner), your favorite dog is going
to need this drug to save his life ... and the
question is: will you have it onhand or will you
be another unprepared dumbass? The answer
is up to you.
H. CONCERNING TOYS, FLY SPRAYS,
VITAMINS, AND OTHER KENNEL SUPPLIES
__
again, simply get them through your
catalogue. Many products such as Adam’s
Flea and Tick Spray have an active ingredient
(just like the prescription drugs), whereby you
can again follow steps 1, 2, 3, and 4: identify
other products in your catalogue, with the
same ingredients, that are considerably
cheaper (either generically or labeled for other
animals), and then check the potencies. [This is
true with medicated shampoos, supplements,
vitamins, etc.] Anything you can buy, you can
save on by following my methods.
In the case of Adams Flea & Tick Mist, the
main ingredient is .15% pyrethins, and the
retail price for 32 ounces is $21.95, but the
catalogue price is about $14.95. But you can
save even more, because you can buy 32 ounces
of “Zonk It” (.35% pyrethins) for only $7.49,
which is half the price for three-wimes the
potency!
Folks, things like this, added over time, really
make a difference in your yearly savings, I
mean we’re literally talking tens of thousands of
dollars here, if you apply all of my methods in
this chapter together, and use them wisely over
time, and I have proven it with the math! For
instance, even with toys such as Kong Balls,
here again there are generic alternatives (e.g.,
“Rhino Balls”) which are about half the cost
of the “name” item. For example, large Kong
Balls are about $16 a piece in a pet store. They
are about $11 in the catalogue. By comparison,
the Rhino Ball is otherwise identical to the
California Jack's 2007 Indispensable Tips 238

Kong Ball (but colored differently), yet it is

only about $7 a piece in the catalogue. Again,
the list goes on, and on, and on, but the result
is YOU SAVE MONEY by utilizing my
methods!

In conclusion, this information is really just the

“tip of the iceberg.” There are so many ways
to save money that I cannot possibly share
them all – however, the principles to do so
remain the same – so I hope I have pointed you
in the right direction as to how to start saving
yourself literally hundreds (if not thousands)
of dollars in the yearly maintenance of your
dogs. These principles are easy to master, but
it takes most people years of “bleeding their
pockets” to find out these secrets, spending
themselves silly, before they are able to learn
all of this on their own ... and that is, if they
ever learn it at all.

I hope that all of this information I have

written will serve you well over the years
to come, that it will help both you and your
valuable dogs ... now and forever more J

~ California Jack
 2007 Indispensable Tips
If you would like to help a friend (and his dogs) by
turning him onto this book, here is how to order:

U.S. Orders = $60.00

All Others Orders = $75.00

John A. Koerner II
P.O. Box 66
Pleasant View, TN 37146
(615) 336-3208
Form of payment must be either (1) U.S. Postal
Money Order, (2) Western Union Wire Transfer /
MoneyGram, or (3) Cash. No other forms of pay-
ment accepted. Thank you!
 The Healthy Bulldog
Magazine
I have backorders of this fine magazine available (5 magazines total)
to anyone who is interested in ordering them. The Healthy Bulldog
picks up where the Indispensable Tips leaves off, and that is on some of
the finer points of health and nutrition, as well as kennel and medical
management. Every single bit of it is useful and critical information.

The Healthy Bulldog is written in the same form as the Indispensable

Tips, and I promise you it contains information of these dogs that you
won’t want to miss either!

If you would like to do yourself, your dogs, and even your friends a favor
and order the back issues of this magazine, here is how to do so:

United States Orders = $60.00

All Others Orders = $75.00

John A. Koerner II
P.O. Box 66
Pleasant View, TN 37146
(615) 336-3208
Form of payment must be either (1) U.S. Postal Money Order, (2)
Western Union Wire Transfer, or (3) Cash. No other forms of payment
accepted. Thank you for ordering!
http://thepitbullbible.proboards43.com