Samba Kennels: XL American Bully Breeder in Texas

State your name, your kennel, and where your kennel is located.

My name is Aurea Giacomelli, owner of Samba Kennels located in Texas, USA.

What is your favorite bloodline?

There are not many bloodlines out there of American Bully yet. But some kennels are more consistent in their results and for me that’s more important than the bloodline itself.

In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a responsible dog breeder?

In my opinion what makes someone a responsible dog breeder is selecting dogs for their health and temperament, not just structure wise. And mostly selecting the owners.

What type of diet do you keep your dogs on throughout the year?

Premium dry kibble adding different raw ingredients every week. My dogs are on a maintenance diet daily, and a more enhanced diet for show dogs and reproducers.

Are there any specific brands of dog food that you recommend?

Yes, I would recommend Victor and Hills.

How many times a day do you feed your dogs?

My dogs are fed twice a day.

How do you keep your dogs in shape throughout the year?

Daily low energy exercises and a proper diet are what keeps my dogs in shape throughout the year.

Walk us through the process of purchasing a pup from your kennel from start to finish.

• First, I start by having the potential customer answer a prospective new owner questionnaire.
• Following that is a phone interview along with a video chat.
• Once the interview is complete we then move on to signing contracts, taking a deposit and delivery.

Do you currently show any of your dogs?

I have been showing them for many years. We have number 1 and 2 females in the Westminster dog show 2021 in the USA, as well as one of the top females in the USA. Our kennel has over 100 champions and grand champions in 50 countries. We plan to go the same path with the bullies as well.

What advice do you have for any upcoming breeders?

The advice I would give to any upcoming breeder would be to really educate yourself. Select by overall qualities and do not disqualify dogs for small flaws.

What do you think is the most difficult thing for people in the bully game to overcome?

Personally I think the most difficult thing for people in the bully game to overcome are the health issues.

How do you think they can overcome this thing?

I think this can be resolved by doing more health testing and conditioning.

Who do you look up to in the bully game, and why?

I look up to all of the breeders that breed with responsibility and respect to their dogs. I also look up to those who breed with knowledge and consistency.

Tell us about one of your main goals for 2022.

One of my main goals for this year is to bring some amazing Brazilian blood to the USA.

Describe how you would want things, in the bully breed Community, to be 10 years from now.

I would really hope to see better consistency in the XL types. We still see too many pit/bulldog looking dogs. I would also like to see healthier dogs, and more, as well as better organized dog shows.

What separates your kennel from the competition?

Being a dog breeder and exhibitor for 16 years helped me to better understand the breed and define what direction I wanted to take. I also own a shipping company so my puppy deliveries are a benefit to my customers and partners. I’m from Brazil and I have traveled the world for my dogs, so I have a huge network of breeders, friends, and partners. This has allowed me to cooperate with breeders all over the world as far as breeding, showing or simply just learning.

What other hobbies or interests do you take part in?

I love working out daily.

What do you think of Bully Girl Magazine?

Great initiative and full of great content.