Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelley Waffle.
Shelley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been showing and training dogs since I was about 13 years old. My mom used to train dogs in several different areas like protection work, obedience and Schutzhund before I was born. She taught me everything I know about dog training from an early age with our own dogs. My love of dogs is what got me into the business I have now.
I breed, show and train American Bullies. I fell in love with the breed when I bought my first bully in 2015 and realized what an amazing breed it is and how misunderstood they are because of their looks. Many people just assume that American Bullies are Pitbulls, but they are a completely different breed with different physical characteristics as well as a different temperament from the American Pitbull Terrier everyone mistakes them for.
American Bullies are not a new breed but they are becoming more popular and are just recognized as it’s own breed by the UKC in 2013. They are big strong muscular dogs that have a tough look, but a heart of gold. They are actually bred to be a companion dog and their only job is to be a family dog. They are classified in the companion group with other breeds that are also only bred to be companions like Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, French Bulldogs, Pomeranians, Pugs and more. They are bred to be friendly, outgoing dogs and that is why I fell in love with the breed and decided that furthering this fairly new breed was something I was passionate about.
It’s been a bumpy road in this business with highs and lows, but I love what I do and I wouldn’t trade my business or my dogs for anything.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road in the bully industry. I originally started with a few other people and we started a kennel together, but after a few years, I realized that my vision for the betterment of this breed was different than those of my partners. So I left the kennel to start my own kennel, The Bully District.
There is a lot of drama and animosity from one breeder to the next in the bully industry and I always try to stay away from it and never involve myself. It is difficult at times but I don’t ever want my reputation to be damaged by something as silly as an argument online between breeders or even with people that get angry with me for being a breeder. I feel like my work, my happy clients, my champion titled dogs and my productions should speak for themselves. I have made some amazing friends with some amazing breeders that feel the same way I do about this breed and they breed, like me, for the right reasons, which is to better the breed.
My goal is to breed American Bullies that are healthy, happy and have a great life with the families they deserve while educating the public on this breed that is commonly mislabeled and misjudged.
Please tell us about The Bully District.
We are well known for producing flashy, beautiful, tri-color dogs which are a favorite among clients, the internet, and even people we see on the street. We are also known for the ability to have so many dogs in one home that are trained and happy. We currently have eight dogs in our home with five American Bullies, two rescue Pitbulls, a rescue poodle mix and a cat. We additionally have another two dogs that are part of the program that we show, train and take pictures with. We will be expanding our program this year and we are so excited!
We shoot a lot of videos that have gone viral across many platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, Reddit, etc. and people always love the themed photoshoots we do. We always do a themed photoshoot for every holiday like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc and we do other unique photoshoots like maternity photos for the pregnant dogs and newborn puppy photo shoots. People love that we can dress up our animals for pictures and videos but also that our dogs are trained and sit still for pictures or lay down or whatever we ask them to do.
As a company, I am most proud of the fact that I was able to branch out and do this on my own and be successful, which is hard to do with the amount of competition in the industry. I’m proud that I have so many amazing clients that support me and people that aren’t clients, just fans of my program that support me as well. And I am most proud of my amazing dogs because I wouldn’t be here today without them!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, if I hadn’t seen and gone through the things I did with people in the past, then I wouldn’t be where I am today. I worked hard for years to grow my name and reputation as a responsible breeder and even though I chose to leave people in my past, friends and business partners, I feel like everything you go through is part of what makes you who you are today. I couldn’t be happier with where I am with my business and the new people I have met along the way!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheBullyDistrict.com
- Instagram: @thebullydistrict
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBullyDistrict/
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