Bully Extravaganza attracts big crowd

By: Krystle Sonmore

Updated: Sun 10:53 PM, Sep 11, 2011

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Pitbull owners from across the Grand Valley got a chance to show how friendly and intelligent their dogs are, despite what some may believe. The 1st Annual Bully Extravaganza gave pitbulls the chance to show off their best strut, and even get evaluated by judges. Despite their sometimes not-so-nice reputation, owners and trainers say that pitbulls are great pets, just like any other dog.

"It doesn't make any difference, if it's a pitbull versus a Yorkie, versus a golden retriever. They're all the same, they're all dogs," says James Kohout, a certified dog trainer at the event.

Pitbulls could enter in the professional showing which judged the dogs on obedience. Other pets entered the "fun" round, just a chance for the dogs to be in the spotlight. Organizers hope to run the event again next year, attracting even more "bullies."

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by Sammi on Sep 13, 2011 at 09:16 PM

I would just like to say i attended this show, there were hundreds of people with there pits, and not once did a fight break out, or anyone get attacked, And there was alot of people with dogs and different people meeting, so if the breed is so dangerous then, why did nothing happen? All that show did was take all the negitive energy pits have a turn it into something positive. The responsable pit owners are trying to show that not all pits are dangerous when properly trained. So give us a chance, and attend something for pits. See for yourself what they can do before you hate on a pit and its owner. Thanks so much for putting on the show, I cant wait till next years show. It really helped out we were able to show a landlord what our dogs can do and found a new house for us and our pits. Thanks so much to everyone who is doing positive things with your pits. TO ALL THE PIT OWNERS WITH UNTRAINED PITS, YOU OWN IT TO YOURSELF, YOUR PIT AND THE RESPONSABLE PIT OWNERS, TO GO GET YOUR DOGS PROFESSIONLY TRAINED. ask candace about the trainer at her show, he was amazying with the pits. my youngest pit is going to be going to him for some training on walking. Research people is all it takes to finally change the lifes of our pits in the community.

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by Laura Prowicz Location: Elgin IL on Sep 13, 2011 at 03:16 PM

firstly those are not pit bulls. :-( sorry. second why does every story have to have two comments: "I love my pit bull she's such a baby cakes kissy pie" and "I hate pit bulls they are dangerous killers"?? how about "It was a nice day out, glad everyone had a chance to enjoy it with their dogs" or "Great that people can exercise their right to free assembly and right to free choice of what type of pet they care to keep in this manner." Why does it ALWAYS have to be about PIT BULLS?

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- by Robert on Sep 15, 2011 at 11:25 PM in reply to Laura Prowicz
  
  Laura, with all due respect those are pit bulls and the reason it is about the dogs is because there are a lot of bigoted hate full people that want to not just take away the freedom to own a beautiful, friendly affectionate animal but want them killed as well simply because of ignorance and prejudice.
  
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by Brissa V. Location: Longmont on Sep 12, 2011 at 05:47 PM

It would be nice to hear that the dogs that are being shown are American Bullies, which are different from pit bulls. If you go to the ABKC web site it will clearly define the difference. Please check it out. www.theabkcdogs.org

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- by 970BulliesUnderground on Sep 12, 2011 at 06:39 PM in reply to Brissa V.
  
  I agree, i love pitbulls of all sorts. Red nose, blue nose, american bully, papered and non papered as well. But I am a fan of American Bullies and own a few of my own and would not trade them for any other breed of dogs. They are all loving and caring and I do also have 5 kids at home with them always, and they are the best behaved around them, sleep with them and eat with them & any and everything in between. But please do..... Do the research between the difference of a bully and a pitbull, they ahve different characterictics, both physically and mentally. It is a personal choice of which you perfer but there is a difference, they are a little differently bred. And Congrats to the kennel throwing the show, good to see mesa county coming together and supporting the breed, all the pitbulls and the bullies that came too. Alot of people are going to really start researching the breed. Good Job!
  
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  - by Scotty on Sep 12, 2011 at 07:03 PM in reply to 970BulliesUnderground
    
    We also have and show american bullies but the truth is they come from staffy and pitty lines and their love for their human counter parts comes from those lines! Why don't we just stop calling them pit bulls since none of them fight in the "pit" anymore and call them bull & terrier or bulldogs, cause there is nothing pit about them.
    
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    - by Anonymous on Sep 12, 2011 at 07:42 PM in reply to Scotty
      
      beg to differ slightly, they are from staffy and terrier and bulldog lines but they originated from pitbull breeds with bulldogs. They are completely different in the dna and genetics but along the same family.
      
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by BMC Location: Grand Junction on Sep 12, 2011 at 01:30 PM

I once believed in the pro-pit logic as well. I owned a Colorado Bulldog (American Bulldog/ Staffordshire Terrier) that was a total baby until people would come in the yard. One day he bit a child. I figured it was the dog just getting older and perhaps the child had antagonized him. The child ended up with one puncture wound on his hand but my dog had to be put down or locked up as a "violent offender". A couple of years ago I decided to get another dog, this time a blue nose pit. He was the sweetest most well mannered dog I have ever had. One day I'm sitting and watching TV and he was sleeping on the couch. He looked over at me and totally freaked. I had always been his primary care giver and this dog was in total attack mode. You cannot tell me I did anything to trigger this in him. He was mellow one second and violent the next. I will never own another one. I have seen pit's that were complete baby's, but why would I own a dog knowing I was always going to have to look over my shoulder waiting for him to flip? No thank you.

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- by mck on Sep 12, 2011 at 04:16 PM in reply to BMC
  
  Dogs especially pits can tell what kind of a person a person is... maybe yours could tell something about you that wasn't so great.. just something to think about. It's rarly the dogs fault.
  
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by Dog Lover, ex handler on Sep 12, 2011 at 09:29 AM

The best way to get the trust back for the Pitt Bull breed is to regulate the breeding. A chance of attack on a person or another animal is not worth you telling me your Pitt is friendly, they are good dogs until they are inter-bred or how they are raised to be mean or watch dogs. They should be pets as you have them so regulate breeding and who is allowed to raise them.

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by Mackenzie Location: Colorado on Sep 12, 2011 at 09:22 AM

Ignorance kills.... Some people are unpredicable, violent and deadly.. does that all of us bad? Do research before you open your mouth please.

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by clint Location: Gainesville Florida on Sep 11, 2011 at 10:55 PM

Let me see if I have the logic of all the Meth-Addled Pitt lovers out there: "My dog is currently behaving, therefore it will not hurt anyone." That is incredibly shortsighted. Pits should be outlawed. They are unpredictable, violent, and deadly. Those who have both Pits and children should lose custody of both.

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- by scotty on Sep 11, 2011 at 11:07 PM in reply to clint
  
  I love uneducated idiots who know nothing about a breed except what is said in the media do some real research, talk to a vet and read up on them so you don't sound like such an idiot. My dogs are more socialized and trained than any dog you will ever own and all three are pits. so if you dont like them dont get one plain and simple!!!!
  
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- by scotty on Sep 11, 2011 at 11:16 PM in reply to clint
  
  2 seconds of research and there is a whole lot more where this came from so take the time before opening your mouth: The Pit Bull's future has been perhaps irreparably undone and everyone is to blame except the dog itself. This very loyal dog is too set on pleasing his owner, and ironically this is the root of his own undoing. Accompanying this need to please are remarkable abilities of all kinds. Jack Dempsy, Teddy Roosevelt and Jack Johnson are just a few people who have owned Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls excel in practically every canine task including herding, guarding, hunting, policing, cart pulling and ratting. A Pit Bull, named Banddog Dread, holds more canine working titles than ANY other breed
  
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  - by angela on Sep 12, 2011 at 09:27 AM in reply to scotty
    
    @ clint: I have never touched any type of drug especially meth so i am highly offended by your narrow minded accusation that you have place upon me and other pit bull owners. if anybody is short sighted it is you and i really feel sorry for you
    
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- by me on Sep 12, 2011 at 06:22 PM in reply to clint
  
  MY pitbull is over 2 years old and has NEVER--- NEVER acted agressive twards anyone or anything!!! Especially my children who she sleeps with, you are sorry and pathetic to dare say something like that!! I gaurentee that my kids and dogs are not going anywhere and if we could ban anything my vote would go to idiots like you trying to run your mouth about something you probably know nothing about!!! What did a pitbull do to you personally? I bet nothing!! Read the statistics about dogs/death...... a little ankle biter can tear a kids face off just as quick as a pitbull can! Be grateful for people like us who are rehabilitating pitbulls to help them!
  
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- by GVPC on Sep 12, 2011 at 09:10 PM in reply to clint
  
  Wow, I'm not even going to try to be nice about that comment........that is about the most uneducated comment I've seen! Period!
  
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by CANDACE Location: GJ on Sep 11, 2011 at 08:31 PM

THANKS, KKCO! Yes, this event was EXTRAVAGANT!!! We had a huge turn out! All I can say is THE PIT BULLS ACTIONS SPOKE FOR ITS SELF..... Attendance was over 300! Not one Pit Bull attack nor dog fight! Thank you all! And YES, we will be having this event every year!! "CHANGING THE IMAGE, 1 BULLY AT A TIME!"

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- by angela on Sep 12, 2011 at 09:30 AM in reply to CANDACE
  
  thank you candace for making a difference for the best dogs in the world and bring awareness of it to the western slope. God bless you and everyone who brought this even together :D
  
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- by me on Sep 12, 2011 at 06:27 PM in reply to CANDACE
  
  Thank you for bringing awareness about pitbulls to mesa county. It is much needed, we are glad you are starting to shed light on the breed here. The dogs did get along very well and it is impressive what a little TLC can do to ANY dog. I did get the feeling that you were trying to promote yourself and the bully breed as you called it more then the over all concept of all pitbulls. I however never realized how many truely cared about the breed here and was also impressed with the turn-out(300 is over exagerated)but there was like 60, which is awesome!!! Keep up the good work everyone!
  
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  - by reply to me on Sep 13, 2011 at 08:28 AM in reply to me
    
    Thanks for your thoughts, however please watch what you say. This event was to promote the breed known as Bully and Pit Bulls. Thats why we had 2 shows. One for ABKC Bully's and one for ALL non papered Pit Bulls. As with your comment about me promoting myself, please tell me when you watched me show off any of my dogs?? Say anything about myself??? My kids or dogs win trophies??? In fact nothing about that show had to do with me, other than I paid for it and put on the show. Lastly the young lady at the front entrance was counting attendance. 250 people were counted not including other who walked in. Please remember this is not about your opinion. This whole point was and is, "CHANGING THE IMAGE, ONE BULLY AT A TIME" and allowing their actions speak for themselves. If you have a problem with me or the show, by all means please do the work and see what it takes to put on a show then come talk with me.
    
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by Macy Location: Grand Junction, CO on Sep 11, 2011 at 07:02 PM

I love my boy Ares! He has been a fantastic family member for 6 years, and never once shown any type of behaviors that might concern me. I have left him with small children, small dogs, cats, baby rats even and he has never even accidentally injured someone. I have had him stand in between me and two large dogs on a walk and I have seen him wrap himself around a crying baby in a baby carrier. A 20/20 episode on Pit Bulls having a bad name made me want one of these fantastic dogs and I have never regretted my decision. Oh and he has had no specialty training of any kind. The only thing he will do by command is "speak" thanks to a friend. He is still a pretty fantastic dog!

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by knukle energy on Sep 11, 2011 at 05:43 PM

we had a great time at the show!!! Thank you for all the support from everyone who showed up.

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- by CANDACE on Sep 11, 2011 at 08:34 PM in reply to knukle energy
  
  THANK YOU, KNUKLE ENERGY!!!! Thank you for coming out! By the way I LOVED your Energy drink!! And your clothes are awesome!!! Great Company!! We appreciate you all!
  
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