Southside Muscle Australia: American Bully Breeder

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

My name is Mason Whitaker, and my kennel is called Southside Muscle Australia, located in Sydney, Australia.

What type of dogs do you breed, and what inspired you to get involved with that particular breed?

At Southside Muscle Australia, our focus is breeding American Bullys. After seeing a couple of American Bullys for the first time at our local beach, we instantly fell in love with their sheer “Wow Factor” and muscular frame. We knew immediately we had to get our own!

What is your favorite bloodline?

My favorite bloodline is definitely Muscletone.

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

A responsible breeder is someone who breeds to the ABKC Standards and follows the Code of Ethics.

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

Our dogs are on a dry food diet. The product we use is called Muscletone Body Builder. The protein content is 60%, and there is nothing else like it on the market. It's an amazing product we would recommend to any breeder or dog owner.

How many times a day do you feed your dogs?

We feed our dogs twice a day (morning and night), with treats throughout the day.

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

We live very close to the beach, so we have them do a mixture of swimming and running up sand dunes, which is low impact and great for their health.

Walk us through the process of purchasing a pup from Southside Muscle Australia, from start to finish.

We find that most people contact us through Instagram (@southside_muscle_australia). Once someone reaches out, they generally already know what kind of breeding they want a pup to come from, as our litters are generally sold out before the pups are even born. We then send a contract. Once it’s returned and signed, we take a small deposit to secure their position. They will then get weekly updates from us regarding the pup's development until the pup is ready for their new home.

Do you currently show any of your dogs?

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we are unable to have any shows in our country. But we are very eager for the shows to start up again, as we have some amazing studs we think will do very well in the show ring.

What advice does Southside Muscle Australia have for any up-and-coming breeders?

My advice would be to study different bloodlines. Once you have decided on the bloodline you like most, then you need to find kennels with the same bloodline. Pick a kennel with the type of dogs you like best, and reach out to them. Try and get a first or second pick pup from one of their offered breedings. Be prepared to spend a little more money, but just remember that you get what you pay for.

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

Kennel blindness.

How do you think they can overcome this problem?

To avoid this problem, breeders should always refer back to the ABKC Standards.

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

I look up to Ryan from Muscletone Bullys UK, and Tom from Rayment Boss Bully Kennels. I've purchased four amazing dogs from them: two males (on a co-own), and two females outright. They are one of the biggest kennels in the world, and they have a wealth of knowledge between them. They are my mentors and I wouldn't be where I am in this bully game without them.

Tell us about one of Southside Muscle Australia main goals for 2022.

Our main goal and drive for 2022 is to produce a dog like Magoo. Buying a Magoo son (Bobby Shmurda), a Nemesis son (Fat Tony), Mr Bean’s most extreme daughter (Milla), and a Magoo daughter (Miss Magoo), were necessary to put us in the best position to achieve this goal.

Describe how you would want things in the bully breed community to be ten years from now.

American Bullys in Australia aren't as well-known as they are in other countries. So for us, personally, we would like to see them become more popular over here in ten years’ time.

What separates Southside Muscle Australia from the competition?

I think what separates us is definitely our drive, and our exclusive Muscletone bloodline, which we've brought to Australia.

What other hobbies or interests do you take part in?

I am a keen spearfisherman. and I also compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

What do you think of Bully Girl Magazine?

I think Bully Girl Magazine is an awesome platform to help promote the American Bully breed, and put other breeders and people in touch with one another!