State your name, your kennel, and where your kennel is located.
My name is Natalie Collins, co-owner of Nitros Bullies with Scott Burns. We are located in Delaware.
What type of dogs do you breed, and what inspired you to get involved with that particular breed?
We are a hobby breeder of XL American Bullies. When I met Scott he previously had two litters of J.P. Colby American Pit Bull Terriers. He owned the father, mother and kept the 1st pick male from the first litter. This is how I fell in love with bull breeds. What I admired most was their intelligence and willingness to please. I am also a very active person and love going on hikes outdoors. So having a functional and athletic companion is essential.
Naturally, we came to own American Bullies. We started with our male Munchkin from Leash Candy Bullies, and our linebred Xtreme Bully foundation female, Blair.
In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a responsible dog breeder?
Responsible dog breeders should be conscious of overpopulation. As breeders, we should not hand out breeding rights to every puppy in a litter. On the same note, responsible breeders should also take care in placing these puppies into their new homes with a formal contract to protect both the breeder and the adopter.
Other characteristics include:
caring about the conditions your dogs and puppies live in
caring about the health and temperaments
not allowing puppies to leave the home until they’re fully vaccinated, health checked and at least 8 weeks old.
What type of diet do you keep your dogs on throughout the year?
We feed our dogs Victor Select: Salmon and Sweet Potato with Tripett Beef tripe. We supplement their diet with Dogyzmes Complete and Vetoquinol Omega-3s.
What is your favorite bloodline?
Our favorite bloodlines are Greyline, Gottiline, Ganghis Kon, and Razors Edge.
Does Nitros Bullies currently show any dogs?
We will be showing Blair, Elsa and Zazu at our next local ABKC show. I work full time, so unfortunately I am unable to travel more than a few hours away for shows.
What advice does Nitros Bullies have for any upcoming breeders?
Do a lot of research. Study the breed standard, the bloodlines, history of the breed, basic animal breeding and genetics. Be prepared to invest a lot of time and money, and not see a return on investment for a very long time.
What do you think is the most difficult thing for people in the bully game to overcome?
The most difficult thing for people to overcome is “color chasing”. A lot of kennels focuses on producing colorful dogs, but forget about the pedigree behind the dog when selecting a stud. The structure, health and temperament of the dog should always come first.
How do you think they can overcome this thing?
Study your dog’s pedigree and the dogs in front of you. Research other kennels who have bred dogs with similar pedigrees together to see what works. If you find a colorful stud, put that dog’s pictures in black and white, and ask yourself if you’d still use that stud.
Who do you look up to in the bully game, and why?
I look up to my good friend Emma at Leash Candy Bullies. She’s extremely knowledgeable about the breed, especially pedigrees. I also look up to her yard, from her foundation dogs to her productions, they are all extremely impressive. Pictures do not do justice!
I also look up to Howard at Spartabullies in the UK. He is a dog man to the core and focuses his every waking moment to his dogs. Howard has bred and worked with bull breeds for many years, and is a wealth of information.
Kat at Bossy Kennels is another person I look up to. She is an influencer and disruptor in the business. I really admire how Bossy Kennels focuses on health testing their breeding stock, as I think this will inspire other kennels to do so as well.
Lastly, I look up to Chris Davis who owns UKC and ABKC CH. BSK Sincere, the sire to our first litter. He is extremely passionate about the breed and his brand. Chris is one of the hardest working people I know. With everything that he does, he gives Sincere the opportunity to reach his fullest potential, and that is truly commendable.
Tell us about one of Nitros Bullies main goals for the year 2020.
Our main goal this year is to compete in Dock Diving with our production Elsa! We are really looking forward to it.
Describe how you would want things, in the bully breed Community, to be 10 years from now.
We would love to see more kennels health testing their breeding stock. We would also like to see all American Bullies registered as UKC American Bullies, and not UKC American Pit Bull Terriers. Hopefully by then, the American Bully will have a National Breed Association and gain recognition from the AKC.
What separates Nitros Bullies from the competition?
We are striving to better the breed, while maintaining a cohesive look that reflects the breed standard. What really separates us from the competition, is that we make time to help others, even if there is no benefit for us. We want to see other kennels succeed, and we believe in supporting one another to achieve a common goal.
What other hobbies or interests do you take part in?
We enjoy being outdoors, either out hiking with the dogs, kayaking, paddle boarding, or fishing. I also love Yoga and hope to get my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification in the next few years.
What do you think of Bully Girl Magazine?
We love Bully Girl Magazine. I particularly enjoy reading the interviews from the other breeders and kennels. We are very honored to be one of them. Thank you Bully Girl Magazine!
We’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to read our interview. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to reach out to us on Instagram @nitros_bullies.
