The French Canadian legend

By Frank Rocca
Andre Giroux was a French Canadian who showed Americans that we did not have the monopoly on game bred American Bull Terriers. He is kown as, and definitly was, a top handler, conditioner, and match maker. I feel that his greatest talent was the ability to know which dogs to use for breeding and how to most effectively cross them. He was similar to one of his peers, Maurice Carver, in the respect of producing some of the best American Gamedogs of his time, although Andre lived in Montreal, Canada his entire life. Andre found good dogs where he could, was extremely selective on individuals, but he never became overly focused on one bloodline.

Andre culed or lost testing what most dogmen would have used for a foundation. He owned some of the best, then defeated the rest. While I was still a novice, Andre versed me on how in order to be successful in the dog game that I must learn to keep my heart in my wallet. He versed me on other ideologies regarding the dog game during our many conversations about the breeding, schooling, and training of American Gamedogs, and as to the importance of tending to a dog’s mental well being.

Those bits of advice still carry the same impact as I continue to learn as I go along. The reason that most of his lineage has not continued as most had expected is that many people were mating a pair solely because the name Giroux appeared on the pedigree. Giroux was clever enough not to limit his focus on an ego tunnel, but instead on a realistic objective promoting world wide success amid one of the most enigmatic of sports.

Such is a practice that Andre almost never allowed himself to slip into, but one of his instincts did directly backfire on a large scale. The exception was when Andre stopped a brother to Brousseau’s CH. Ben named Gunner Jr, which was sired by CH. Gunner ROM, and out of Giroux’ Bonnie in a roll while not fully matured but matched him anyway because of his punishing mouth.

CH. Gunner Jr. won 4 and then was used for stud by many Canadian enthusiasts only to find that he was throwing mostly hard mouthed curs. Gunner Jr. was the dog Andre rolled against his recently purchased aging, retired stud from Patrick, GR.CH. Hank. After 20 minutes with Jr., Hank was for sale again and was fortunately purchased by Captain America to be used with much success, just as the Californians were enjoying with the Hank blood through CH. Little Boots ROM and GR.CH. Double Trouble.

Captain America reached the pinnacle of his breeding program when a son of Hanks named Sir Douglas was put over his Alexis bitch, resulting with Captain America’s GR.CH. King Arther that won his final outing as game as the game ones come by winning a war over PSK of NY’s Assassin at 41.5lbs.

Danny 'Tattoo' Powell was a protege of Giroux and he seemed to be the only man beside of Alan Waldman, Louis Vinagro, James Crenshaw and Camp who knew how to successfully continue to propagate the Giroux lineage by keeping a mixture of the old Trahan’s CH. Rascal and Carver’s Black Widow blood through CH. Gunner over the Tudor stock through either Maloney’s Davis or GR.CH. Hank. Danny Powell purchased one of the best sons of Giroux’ Trip, named CH. Rocky that was a dog winning 2 mathces in one night, back to back, though the 2nd was not counted as a legitimate win. The other Ace Tattoo aquiredfrom Giroux’ wife, Lise, was CH. Our Gal Sunday, one of the hardest bitches of modern times as she won all of her matches while never passing the 21 minute mark.

Andre phoned me a few times over the years to fill me in on the progress of his dogs and to ask about mine. Once was when Andre unfolded a story about how the old Bear dog which he purchased from Joe Orday came up missing. Andre told me that he found out who had stolen his old stud, and took a drive to see if what he had heard was true. After looking in the man’s backyard he walked to the front door and politely knocked. As the man opened the door asking “Yeah, what do you want?” Andre answered with 3 spent .38 caliber cartridges. He then calmly walked into the backyard again to get his dog, and went back home. Serious charges were pending an investigation, but Andre justly walked away from that mess with out doing any time.

Although Andre lived in the city, in an apartment building with virtually no yard to speak of, he never had a dog stoeln from him gain. In fact when people moved into his apartment building, he would farm out a pup to them as he had with his other tenants so they could raise it for him. Imagine if that man owned acreage. We may still be reading and talking of his dogs today.

I have know Tattoo R.I.P.and liked him a lot and we'd a lot of fun while he's visiting us several times over the years and through Alan Waldman ( have owned Gr Ch Buck) R.I.P.and his partner Ross and B&W we got the Giroux blood through Ch Booger ROM which was second to none
F.W.K.

 

A Memory of Danny Powell. In the shop where I worked I sold something to three black men and they were difficult. One didn't want to pay and I couldn't possibly pass that up. Tattoo stood close to me as he was our guest. Those three, much bigger men than us were really becoming too difficult and Danny, a little blocky man with fire in his eyes and an appearance like the old Hells Angel he once was, told the biggest idiot that they had to pay me immediately and fuck off for all their sakes and welfare. Within 10 seconds I had my money and they were gone. Danny was already a terminal liver cancer patient at the time, but did not step aside for anyone. Truly a man with character and he liked with we're feeding at that time.

 

Danny and Rocky.

 

Did you ever meet or speak to Andre ,Fink ,or had he passed away by then? Years ago there was a post somewhere on the forum that asked members who they would like to have been mentored by ,i chose Andre without even having to think about it.

 

I liked them Andre Giroux dogs a lot, even talked to the owner of Island Kennels Reflex aka (Chinaman's Reflex) about breeding the dog to one of my females..
Giroux Booger was an outstanding producer IMO.
Greenwood's Miss Holliday grandmother [Kennedy's Spring] was litter sister of Mayfield's Pit General and I actually think Miss Holiday looked a lot like General, or maybe (like other people) I only see what I want to see.. Either way, I liked them Giroux Booger bred dogs.. Highlander's Oz 2xw being one of the best I seen.

 

No in that time Andre was already passed. Recall how much respect they had for the man.

 

I knew the owner of Reflex. Even though Reflex was advertised at stud, don’t think the owner ever wanted to bred him to anyone else’s gyps, as he turned down putting him to some first rate gyps.
When I first met him he moaned that he couldn’t get a show for him, so I got him one. Then it had to a Ch so I asked either Max or Billy’s owners, but it then changed to it has to be another import, needless to say he never did hook him up. He didn’t know owt above shaping one, but the funniest thing was he didn’t know what Cajun rules were. See a few of Reflexes offspring wasn’t all that imo, but I doubt what he was bred was of worth to go under him. Would’ve loved to have seen him bred to some quality gyps as he was a well bred dog.

 

I remember the guy being quite difficult. In fact he asked me, "what's your bitch ever done to deserve getting bred to Reflex?" I told him she's a legit 1xw in USA, disqualified in #2 after she scratched into the referee instead of her opponent, witnessed by Rastaman and reported to me via NKK..

NKK told me Rastaman even asked him how I'd managed to get her through quarantine? but that's another story! So I asked Reflex owner, "what's Reflex ever done to deserve getting bred to my female?" I suppose you can guess, that was the end of the conversation haha!

 

He certainly thought that a nice pedigree distinguished his dog from the proven rest.

 

As do most with nice peds...

 

Only a few would realize the "offers" I've got to breed a good bitch to absolute HORSE SHIT because 1/4 of her ped would bolster their bs if it worked lol.

Rather not breed her than perpetuate the bs.