State your name, and where your kennel is located.
My name is Caitlin O’Neal, of Trailerhood Bullyz, located in Advance, Indiana.
What type of dogs do you breed, and what inspired you to get involved with that particular breed?
We own, show, and lightly breed American Bullys. I personally got into the breed through my fiancé, Matt Baker. He has been around them since they were first created basically. The first ones I ever met were through him and I fell in love and have been actively learning more about them and showing more and more the past couple of years.
What type of diet do you keep your dogs on throughout the year?
We usually just feed kibble. Occasionally I will add raw before shows. They get fed once a day, usually in the morning.
What is your favorite bloodline?
Well, we have several Daxline dogs. But personally, I don’t really have a favorite. I feel like each line brings something different and helpful to the table.
Do you currently show, any of your dogs?
Yes. We have 2 ABKC champions, 1 ABKC Grand champion, and a couple of prospects coming up as well. We are also starting to compete in BRC. I would also like to try out UKC and some others.
What advice do you have for any upcoming breeders?
Sit down and plan out what you are wanting to do. Figure out what your vision is, stick to the standards for the breed, and breed the best quality you can. Things happen sometimes that’s not a part of the plan, but just try to roll with the punches and do the absolute best that you can.
What do you think, is the most difficult thing for people in the bully game to overcome?
Kennel blindness and all the different looks in the varieties.
How do you think they can overcome this thing?
For kennel blindness, I’m not sure there’s a whole lot that can be done when people truly believe their dog is the best. All we can do is try to talk to them and get them to see things from a different point of view, point out the major flaws the dog may have and get them to truly see it. As for the different looks of the varieties, we just need to keep tightening those standards up and continue to breed better quality dogs that match those standards. It’s not an easy job, but there are many good breeders who can help with this.
Who do you look up to in the bully game, and why?
That’s a tough one. There are several I look up to and have learned different things from. One I look up to is Jeff Thompson, owner of Streetking Kennels. Half or so of our yard is from him pretty much. Haha. He helped us get an amazing start. Devyn Garner is another. When I first started out, she was willing to talk to me and answer any questions I had and if she didn’t have the answer, she would help me get it someway or another. Matt has taught me so much as well. He’s very knowledgeable about the breed and history and is always willing to talk to me, or anyone else to try and help out. There’s so many other people who I have learned from though as well. And so many top notch Kennels that I look up to, but haven’t personally talked to yet. I just sit back and watch and have my eyes on a few different ones. 🙂
Tell us about one of your most memorable moments, in 2017 so far.
The most memorable moment so far was champing out our Kennels 3rd dog. I am very proud of him. It took him a little under a year to champ out, with minimal showing.
Describe how you would want things, in the bully Commuity, to be 10 years from now.
In a perfect world, haha, I would like to see more people work together to actually better the breed. And I would like to see more people acknowledge that maybe some of their dogs are not breed/show quality and should be pet homed, or kept as a pet and fixed. Really need to stop with the kennel blindness and be realistic about what is good and what isn’t.
What separates your kennel from the competition?
I think we would like to consider ourselves as just a really laid back, small, family ran kennel. All of our dogs are inside dogs, no Kennels outside, no dogs kept outside. We do plan on getting some to help with rotating the dogs and making sure they all get plenty of time outside when it’s nice out though. Show wise, we will show up and show out everytime to the best of our ability. But we lose gracefully. After all, not gonna win them all. 😉
What other hobbies or interests do you take part in?
I enjoy 4 wheeling, riding horses, spending time with my family, relaxing at home, whatever sounds fun pretty much.
What motto do you live by?
I don’t really have one honestly. I just try to take things day by day. I do like this one a lot though;
“Seek to be worth knowing, rather than being well known.”
What do you think of Bully Girl Magazine?
Love it! Seems to be a great company. I bought some sweatpants a couple years ago at a show in Ohio, and still have them and wear them weekly. They are my favorite.
