State your name, your kennel, and where your kennel is located.
My name is Gustavo, founder of Khalifa Kennels. We are located in Santa Rosa, California. For those that don’t know California, it’s on the northern side of the state.
What type of dogs do you breed, and what inspired you to get involved with that particular breed?
I breed American Bullies. The class they fall under are XL, because of their large size. I was inspired to begin breeding bullies by my brother-in-law, Peter from Coleone Kennels. I’ve always wanted a dog, but never really pulled the trigger on getting one. When Peter moved in with me, he asked if he could bring his dog Luna over. Of course i let him bring her. I thought it would be cool to finally have a dog.
She was about 6-8 months old when she came over, so I watched her grow and helped raise her. I witnessed and experience her first breeding with Markoff. We drove her down to Murrieta to get bred to Bossy’s Staxx. It was then that I finally decided to buy a dog. I came across Aly’s Instagram page from Top Dog Bullies. I saw Rose on one of her posts, and the rest is history.
In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a responsible dog breeder?
Obviously, being responsible is one of the major characteristics. Responsible breeders care for the breed, and have patience, because working with pups can drive you crazy at times. You need to be able to understand the breed, and each dog’s “persona”. Every dog has different likings, as well as things they don’t like. You should know what gets them angry, and what makes them happy. As breeders, we need to determine what we need to do to make breeding easy for them us as well.
What type of diet does Khalifa Kennels keep it’s dogs on throughout the year?
At Khalifa Kennels, we keep our dogs on a dry food, mixed with a wet/raw food diet. I also give my dogs supplements that promote healthy bone growth, immune system, teeth, and coat.
What is your favorite bloodline?
My favorite bloodlines at the moment have to be Saul’s RBG, Ellis, Bossy, Primeyard, and of course Khalifa.
Does Khalifa Kennels currently show any dogs?
Not at the moment. However, I do plan on showing dogs at some point. Right now I don’t have very much time to train any of my dogs, to get them show ready.
What advice do you have for any upcoming breeders?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. For the most part, most kennels are willing to help and answer questions. Do your homework, and research anything and everything about this breed. If something seems odd about your dog, or he/she is acting strangely, research it or call your vet. Don’t try and wait until it goes away. It could get worse.
I like to log everything when pups are growing up. This way I can conduct weekly checkups, from weight, eating habits, sleeping, etc… Most importantly, don’t worry about other kennels. Worry about your own, and how you can better it.
What do you think, is the most difficult thing for people in the bully game to overcome?
People need to overcome the jealousy part of the bully game. We all have something to offer. If breeders would just focus on “what they have”, and “not what they don’t have”, their kennels will be better off. If you see a kennel doing really good, applaud him/her for the work they put in to get to where they are in life. Use it as fuel to push your kennel out there even more. Everyone loves a little friendly competition.
How do you think they can overcome this thing?
Focus on your kennel and how you can better it, or get your name out there more.
Who do you look up to in the bully game, and why?
There’s a lot of great kennels out there, but no one that I really look up to. I just do my own thing and focus on my breeding’s. I’m always trying to get something out of a breeding, whether it be size, color, gender, height, etc…
Tell us about one of Khalifa Kennels main goals for the year 2019.
Khalifa Kennels would like to have multiple successful litters this year. Another important goal would be to help people and animals in society. I don’t just want to focus on dog breeding. I’m working on a few projects that i’ll be announcing once the time comes.
Describe how you would want things, in the bully breed Community, to be 10 years from now.
I would like all flying restrictions against Bully and Pit Bull breeds to be lifted. I feel like the stereotypes of this breed will never go away. However, if people focused on the good these animals can offer, and not just what the media portrays, society would get a better feel for them.
What separates Khalifa Kennels from the competition?
This isn’t what I plan on living off of. I have a day job that pays me well enough. Also, i’m getting ready to start my own electrical company. This is just something I enjoy doing, because I love the bully breed. I also like the fact that my kids can learn the responsibility of caring for another life.
What other hobbies or interests do you take part in?
I like working out at the gym early in the morning. In my opinion, it’s the best time, because no one is there and you can really forget about everything for the next couple hours. Anything that has to do with technology really catches my attention. Lastly, doing photo shoots and going through the thousands of pictures taken.
What do you think of Bully Girl Magazine?
I think it’s great that Bully Girl has created this magazine for breeders, dog enthusiasts, or just society in general. Sports, video games, and bodybuilders have their magazines. Now Bully Breed dogs have their own.
