Champion American Pit Bull Terrier Breeder: On the Road With Erica Noseworthy (Bully Max Sports Ep. 3)
What does a champion American Pit Bull Terrier breeder actually do all year? In Episode 3 of Bully Max Sports, we follow Bully Max sponsored handler Erica Noseworthy, a breeder, owner and handler of American Pit Bull Terriers, from Mississippi to Texas to Pennsylvania as she competes in weight pull, ADBA Top Dog and conformation. Here’s what she does, how she trains and what she feeds.
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Erica says it plainly in the episode: “All of my dogs are on Bully Max—all of my dogs.” The episode highlights Bully Max at 535 calories per cup: our 30/20 High Protein Chicken.
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Episode 3 at a glance
- Who: Erica Noseworthy, breeder, owner and handler of American Pit Bull Terriers and owner of Blue Antics Kennel.
- Where we followed her: the Heart of Dixie American Pit Bull Terrier Club and the Deep South Bull and Terrier Association (Mississippi), the Top Dogs of Houston Club (Texas) and Laurel Highlands Working Dogs (Pennsylvania).
- Her sports: weight pull (her main sport), ADBA Top Dog and conformation.
- Results mentioned: second place in Top Dog with her main dog, first points for his young daughter, and Best Puppy for a new puppy in her program.
- Her secret: consistency. “Every night we go drag dogs.”
Who Is Erica Noseworthy?
Bully Max first met Erica at the Empire State Working Dog Club event in New York. With “unmatched energy and a voice that carries across the field,” she stood out right away, and Bully Max has sponsored her since. She got into the breed about 10 years ago:
“I happened to get one that had a lot of drive. One day I said, ‘I think my dog can do this,’ and I've been doing it ever since. It's super fun. Nothing loves you like a Pit Bull.”
— Erica Noseworthy
Erica is also a groomer. “I deal with hundreds of dog breeds all day, and I will still pick my dogs every day of the week.” Her goal, as the episode puts it, is to breed an all-around dog that excels at conformation and has the drive to win in anything she asks of it.
Weight Pull: Her Main Sport
“So, weight pull is something that I truly love. I really feel like it's a great partnership between the handler and the dog.”
— Erica Noseworthy
The episode shows three details that separate serious pullers from beginners.
1. Sharp nails for grip
“We sharpen the dog’s nails before every weight trial, even if it’s just a local one at home,” Erica says. Points on the nails help the dog “hook into that carpet and use their feet and every part of their body to move that weight.”
2. A harness that fits
Erica’s harnesses are custom made by Leanne of Max Performance Harnesses. Fit is about safety and efficiency:
“If the neck is too small, the dog can kind of be getting pushed in the neck and choke. If the neck is too big, it might be rolling off their shoulder, and it might feel funny or cause some kind of discomfort.”
— Erica Noseworthy
3. Consistency
“So, the way to get better is consistency. Every night we go drag dogs. We live in Maryland. It's cold there. The other night I was outside in the field dragging dogs, and it was 21°.”
— Erica Noseworthy
New to the sport? Start with our guide to how to train your dog to weight pull, then see a full event in Episode 4: the first UPF Bully Max Weight Pull.
ADBA Top Dog
Erica also runs two dogs in ADBA Top Dog. She explains the format:
“Top Dog is usually three events. There are four that the club can pick from. So, it's wall climb, treadmill race, and either drag sprint or lure course.”
— Erica Noseworthy
This club chose the drag sprint, which Erica says “is kind of what sets Pit Bulls apart from other breeds because you got to have that power to keep that sled moving and that determination to get to the end.” The lure course runs on the dog’s natural prey drive. The drag sprint needs more handler teaching. For the other events, see our guides to wall climb, slat mill racing and treadmill training.
Her results that weekend: “I got second yesterday—that was with Lionus, my main guy.” His young daughter earned points at her first official event. Erica’s stiffest competition was Kasanova, a dog she also faced two years earlier at Nationals in Texas.
Conformation: Why a Breeder Cares
Most clubs also host conformation, which judges a purebred dog’s appearance and structure against the written breed standard. For Erica, it ties directly to performance:
“To me, conformation is important. Form follows function in dogs. If you are not very conformationally correct, you're kind of straight in the rear, straight in the front—your dog is not going to be as athletic as a dog that is.”
— Erica Noseworthy
She recently added a puppy from another breeder to her program, and he won Best Puppy at the event. “He’s uber confident, always willing to go. Whatever you throw at him, he handles it like a champ.” Our American Pit Bull Terrier breed guide covers the ADBA standard judges use.
Transcript Highlights
- 0:58 Erica introduces herself as a breeder, owner and handler of American Pit Bull Terriers.
- 1:51 On the road: Mississippi, Texas and Pennsylvania events.
- 2:15 Weight pull as a partnership, and why she sharpens nails.
- 2:44 Custom harness fit and safety.
- 3:20 Consistency: dragging dogs at 21°.
- 3:58 How Top Dog works and why the drag sprint suits Pit Bulls.
- 5:38 Conformation: “Form follows function in dogs.”
- 6:44 “All of my dogs are on Bully Max.”
- 8:01 Why working breeds need more than a walk around the block.
How Champion Handlers Feed and Condition
Erica’s view on feeding is about results on the dog, not the bowl:
“All of my dogs are on Bully Max—all of my dogs. I have seen great changes since feeding the food. My dogs are definitely leaner and have bulkier muscle. I saw that change immediately.”
— Erica Noseworthy
“So ideally, you want your dog to be as fit as possible—as lean and as strong as possible for what they weigh. Bully Max definitely helps me with that, because I don't have to feed a whole bunch of it.”
— Erica Noseworthy
That last point matters in a sport scored on strength for body weight. A calorie-dense food means smaller portions for the same energy, which helps a dog stay lean. Bully Max 30/20 High Protein Chicken has 30% protein, 20% fat and 535 calories per cup, and like every Bully Max food it is made in the USA, triple tested for safety and from a family-owned company with zero recalls since 2009.
If you are matching a food to your dog’s workload, here is how our sport formulas compare:
| Bully Max formula | Protein | Fat | kcal/cup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO Series 31/25 High Calorie | 31% | 25% | 600 | Hard keepers, working and sport dogs |
| 30/20 High Protein Chicken | 30% | 20% | 535 | Active adults that need muscle and energy |
| 30/20 High Protein Beef | 30% | 20% | 530 | Active dogs that need a chicken-free food; all life stages |
Protein and fat are guaranteed-analysis minimums; calories per 8 oz cup. Figures from each product's label data on shop.bullymax.com.
Her conditioning lesson is just as simple: “The time you put in is what you get out.” For structured routines, see our dog muscle building exercises.
Give a working breed real work
“Do you think that a dog that was bred for centuries with this working ability is satisfied by going for a walk around the block? No. They like to do stuff—stuff they were bred to do.”
— Erica Noseworthy
Her advice to owners: proper training, correct outlets and staying on top of your dog. Sports like weight pull, a spring pole or a flirt pole give that drive somewhere to go.
In our customers' words
“My dog has been eating this since he was 6 weeks old. He is now 4 years old and is solid, muscle definition in his legs.”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
“It's for large bully breeds with a lot of great testimonies”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
Behind the Scenes
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A Family Sport
Erica’s kids now compete as junior handlers too. For her, the weekend is about people as much as points: “It’s just like having a fun cookout with your family all weekend.” Many of her dog’s littermates competed at the same event. “And to be pulling against them, it’s fun. It’s a nice little rivalry that we have going on.” For more events, see our dog sports coverage.
FAQ
Who is Erica Noseworthy?
A breeder, owner and handler of American Pit Bull Terriers, owner of Blue Antics Kennel, and a Bully Max sponsored handler who competes in weight pull, ADBA Top Dog and conformation.
What should you look for in an American Pit Bull Terrier breeder?
Erica’s answer from the episode is structure and drive: “Form follows function in dogs.” A good breeder cares about conformation to the breed standard and about a dog’s working ability, and proves both in the show ring and in sport.
What does Erica Noseworthy feed her dogs?
Bully Max. “All of my dogs are on Bully Max—all of my dogs,” she says in the episode.
Why do weight pull handlers sharpen their dogs’ nails?
For grip. Sharp nails help the dog hook into the carpet and use its whole body to move the weight.
Build your dog like a champion
30/20 High Protein Chicken: 30% protein, 20% fat and 535 calories per cup for active, muscular dogs.
TRY BULLY MAX 30/20 HIGH-PROTEIN DOG FOOD
Fuel strength and energy with meat-based nutrition, 30% protein, 20% fat, and 535 calories per cup.
Save 10% with autoship and get each bag delivered on a schedule.
Family-owned since 2009 · Made in USA · Every batch triple tested · Zero recalls · 50,000+ 5-star reviews · Dog Food Advisor 5/5
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