State your name, your kennel, and where your kennel is located.
My name is Ben Casillas, owner of Safehouse Bullys. You can find us in the Bay Area, California.
What type of dogs do you breed, and what inspired you to get involved with that particular breed?
My uncle introduced me to the micro and exotic bullies. After seeing a couple of them, I started thinking to myself, “How can I change the world?” “Also, how can I show the bully community what I can bring to the table.”
What type of diet do you keep your dogs on throughout the year?
We feed my two pups Taste of the wild. Also, we buy chicken breast from the store, boil it and chop it up. Then we mix it up, and that’s breakfast and dinner. My pups love it.
What is your favorite bloodline?
I wouldn’t say I actually have a favorite bloodline. All the studs I’ve been looking at have Bullseye blood in them. As long the structure and features are there, I’m game. Currently all the studs I want to work with are dripped in Bullseye.
Do you currently show, any of your dogs?
I show my male Uzi, and female Diamond. I take them just about everywhere with my girlfriend, and we don’t walk them with leashes either. They just follow around. Uzi and Diamond hog all the attention from the crowd whenever they are out with us.
What advice do you have for any upcoming breeders?
Be humble, patient, and willing to put in the work and time. Research what you are looking for in a breeding. Spend time on correcting the flaws in dogs. My buddy Simeon showed me how to look at dogs from the feet up. So I might see a dog with a great head piece, but bad foot work and structure. I move on to the next one, because I don’t want those traits in my program.
What do you think, is the most difficult thing for people in the bully game to overcome?
Just starting off, period. Coming up with the money to buy the first pup. Also, putting money aside for unexpected vet visits. Trust me, it will happen.
How do you think they can overcome this thing?
If you are going to overcome anything in life, do it with love and care.
Who do you look up to in the bully game, and why?
My uncle Gerri (@da_kine_bullyz). Checkout his keeper “Mr. Sockxs”. He sold me my two pups, and really put me onto these particular types of dogs. My friend Simeon, who runs a tight program (@707_ssbullyz_simeon). He gave me the eyes and education on correcting dogs, and breeding out the faults. Simeon showed me the way. Right now he’s got a dope looking dog named BLOCK. I blow up his inbox everyday, asking his opinion. Simeon never fails to give me his real opinion about any dog. Also, Interstate Bullies, Nathan Hazeline, Major league bullies, and Ultimate Gottiline. I look up to the success they had in the past, and how they have come up in the world.
Tell us about one of Safehouse Bullys main goals going into the year 2018.
Dropping my first litter. God willing, it will be a healthy litter, with a handful of pups this fall. My female Diamond finished her first heat. I saved all my vacation time to whelp the pups. I gave up a vacation with my girlfriend to Hawaii to make this happen. Like Les Brown once said “You gotta be hungry!”
Describe how you would want things, in the bully breed Community, to be 10 years from now.
I would love to see healthier and correct exotics. People have to start breeding out the incorrect traits, and moving closer to having damn near perfect dogs.
What separates Safehouse Bullys from the competition?
Well for starters, I just have two pups, male and female. I can concentrate more time on Diamond and picking out what dog would be best for the breeding program. Also, by showing Uzi to the bully community, I’ve gotten positive feedback from just about anybody that has seen him in person. I think that’s a plus. However, just these two alone are a lot of work.
What other hobbies or interests do you take part in?
Spending alot time with my girlfriend, Brittany. Thursday nights is mandatory for movie premiers. We also watch a lot of Netflix when the pups are asleep. We try to maximize our binging as much as possible before they wake up.
I also enjoy hanging out with my friends from work, at Mercedes Benz of Walnut Creek! I love those guys to death. They are definitely my family. I used to be real big on my Xbox, but that got cut down quite a bit. I wonder why, LOL. However, I still play when time permits.
What do you think of Bully Girl Magazine?
I think you guys gotta be crazy interviewing a rookie, LOL. No really, I think it’s great. The information that Bully Girl Magazine makes available to public, brings insight into the bully world. You get to see all the different breed types. This gives the viewers a better understanding.
