Posts by Richard F. Stratton

byRichard F. Stratton In one of my books I made mention of the 1947 movie The Yearling, and I promised someday to give details about the bear hunt and the Bulldog that was used in the movie. Several times since then, readers have mentioned to me that I never made good on that promise, and…

by Richard F. Stratton Yes, indeed, we must all hang together, or most assuredly, we will hang separately.—Benjamin Franklin Although not religious myself, I recall that Barry Goldwater had an Eleventh Commandment. It was: “Thou shall not speak ill of other Republicans.” In my opinion, that’s a good rule for politicians—but it’s even a better rule…

The Dominion of Size by Richard F. Stratton The bigger they are, the harder they fall.—Bob Fitzsimmons But they always fall on me!—Howard Heinzl Pit dogs are matched to a specific weight, and if one comes in only an ounce over, the opponent can claim the forfeit. That very fact should show the importance of…

People in the show dog community and the public in general tend to think of shy dogs as having been abused. They don’t realize that it is an inherited tendency. One reason for that is that show dogs don’t win if they demonstrate any shyness, so the show breeds are universally pretty much lacking in fear…

It is easy to see why purity has been highly valued. Gold is an example. It has never had much industrial value, but it has nonetheless been a highly prized metal because of its scarcity and beauty. The only problem is that pure gold is much too soft and malleable for use for regular commerce in coins, so…

“Nails” was the name of the very first APBT I ever saw. He was lent to me by Carson Morrow, at the time the Chief of the Border Patrol. I asked Chief Morrow how Nails got that name, and he told me that he was as tough as nails, for one thing. Apparently, he was the smallest dog…

Grand Champion El Titere After having heard all that I had about Titere and reading about him, when I finally met him, I had the feeling I was in the presence of greatness. It was a special honor being photographed with him. It was like being photographed with Man of War or Secretariat. Or Jack Johnson. Shakespeare. Albert Einstein. Yes, he was…

ByRichard F. Stratton I am often asked if the Old Family Red Nose line is still a game strain or is it a passion of neophytes. Well, it’s a little of both. It is certainly true that the red nose coloration is very popular with those new to the breed. I am partially responsible for…

byRichard F. Stratton A long time ago in a Galaxy far away, I was part of a group to select the best dog and the gamest dog in a convention. Okay, it wasn’t really a long time ago or in a different galaxy, but I am in favor of keeping it quiet about good dogs…

Here, I am not just talking about domestic dogs and cats. Rather, I am including the history of wild dogs and cats in the history of our planet and how it is especially pertinent to Bulldogs. I have always thought that the Bulldog head tended to look more like that of one of the large cats than…