The History of Ed Shepherd & Daxline
The Original 2017 History of Ed Shepherd, Grand Champion Dax and the Daxline American Bully Bloodline
What Is Daxline?
Daxline is an influential American Bully bloodline developed around breeder Ed Shepherd and his legendary producer Grand Champion Gottyline’s Dax. Shepherd’s program developed through dogs including 21 Blackjack before the breeding of West Coast Gottyline’s Romeo to Barbee produced Dax around 2008. Dax later became the namesake of the Daxline program and one of the most influential producing dogs of the American Bully movement.
Ed Shepherd is one of the original founders of the breed known as the American Bully. He started breeding these dogs at a time where American Pit Bulls for the most part, were tall, skinny, and followed the APBT breed standard. When Ed first started breeding, he did some research on the internet and purchased a couple of pit bulls. He soon realized that him and his kids loved the temperament of these dogs and it was the breed of their choice from that day forward.
The Purchase of 21 Blackjack
Things really started to take off after Ed purchased Blackjack from Cruz at Bow Wow Pits. He purchased Blackjack at the time when Cruz was first getting into the Razors Edge bloodline. At the time, Cruz wasn’t interested in Blackjack, because Blackjack wasn’t a Razors Edge dog. At the time, there was no gottyline.
Cruz was most well known for his stud dog Blow, who was a Monster G son. He went on to create his own clothing line based off of his stud Blow. The clothing line is simply known as Blow Genes.
How Gottiline Started
Richard Barajas from west side kennels was breeding Juan Gotty at the time. His kennel name was west side kennels. So Ed came up with the idea of creating the name Gottyline for his yard. Richard was a friend of Eds and at the time, he didn’t really like the idea Ed using the name “Gottyline”. However, he didn’t make a big deal of it and began to use the name as well. Ed chose to spell gottyline as it reads on Juan Gotty’s papers with the letter “Y”. However, Richard started using the name with an “I” and spelling it Gottiline. This is the reason you will see this bloodline spelled both ways from time to time.
Notorious Juan Gotty of West Side Kennels
Tony is a breeder of Greyline pitbulls and bred Juan Gotty. He sold gotty to Richard when gotty was just a puppy. He was a 100% greyline dog. The dogs Tony breeds are all well driven and far from the American Bullies that you see today. Gary Moore of Blue Star Kennels refers to dogs without drive as “Kibble Munchers” and wants nothing to do with lazy dog without drive.
Gary’s ideal dog would be able to climb trees, take down criminals, and have and extremely high energy level. This is a temperament that Ed of Daxline is not interested in breeding. This extreme drive is not found in today’s American Bullies and is only find in 100% greyline dogs, also known as old school bloodlines.
Old school bloodlines as well as most 100% greyline dogs carry the original pitbull temperament and drive. New Troijan Kennels in Los Angeles for example have 100% greyline dogs. Their dogs for the most part have extremely high energy levels and are able to preform well in dog sports such as weight pulling, and protection training.
How Ed Shepherd Created Daxline
Ed started to show 21 Blackjack and soon championed him out. From popularity of 21 Blackjack, he began to start to build his Kennel. After years of line breeding and inbreeding his dogs, he created a solid recognizable look, and had a yard full of amazing bullies. Around 2008, Ed bred West Coast Gottyline’s Romeo to his female Barbee. This is how he produced his now world famous stud Gottyline’s Dax. After Dax began to mature, Ed realized that he produced a truly awesome stud that was his best production to date. He then renamed his kennel and bloodline Daxline
Dax is considered an extreme Bully. He has a very easy going temperament and is completely non aggressive. Ed has no interest in breeding dogs with aggressive or high energy temperaments (Also known as the original Pit Bull Drive). Dax is an ABKC champion that stands 15 inches at the withers, weighs 75 pounds, and has a 24 inch head. He is Ed’s only house dog. Ed simply states that he is too valuable to leave outside.
Dax Productions
Grand Champion Dax will probably go down as the best producing bully in the American Bully movement. There is some debate as to whether Dax was an F1, F2 or F2b dog but what isn’t up for debate is whether Dax could produce. Dax could lay dick to a Chihuahua and drop a Champion or two. We’re kidding of course, but his ability to produce was legendary. Dax Sired CH Magoo, CH Lucky Luciano, GRCH G-Train, Phenom, Cashpot, Havoc, Uso, Wyatt Earp, and many others. Several of the top programs in the country have utilized what only Dax could bring to a yard. The signature head, neck and shoulders.
Ed Shepherd Before Daxline
Later BULLY KING Magazine coverage expanded on the shorter account published in The Bully Bible. Ed Shepherd entered the breed during a period when many American Pit Bull Terriers were substantially different in type from what eventually became associated with the American Bully. The later archive described many of those dogs as taller, thinner and more closely aligned with the traditional APBT standard.
According to that expanded account, Shepherd initially researched the breed and purchased several pit bulls. What connected both Ed and his children to the dogs was temperament. That emphasis would eventually become an important part of his breeding philosophy: he was interested in powerful, heavily built dogs without the aggression, excessive drive or difficult temperament he did not want in his program.
Gottiline, Greyline & Notorious Juan Gotty
Understanding the development of Daxline also requires understanding the bloodline environment that preceded Dax. BULLY KING Magazine’s expanded archive identifies Richard Barajas of West Side Kennels as the owner associated with Notorious Juan Gotty and the rise of the Gottiline/Gottyline name.
According to the archived account, Richard purchased Juan Gotty in 1997 from Tony Moore for approximately $1,300. Tony Moore was associated with Greyline in Los Angeles, and Juan Gotty was described in the article as a 100% Greyline dog.
The article also distinguishes the temperament and drive associated with many older Greyline dogs from the temperament breeders such as Shepherd increasingly sought in the developing American Bully. The older dogs were described as higher-drive animals suited to activities such as weight pulling and protection work.
This distinction is important historically because the American Bully did not emerge fully formed. Breeders selected different combinations of structure, mass, temperament and type over generations. Programs began developing their own recognizable looks, and those programs eventually became associated with individual kennel names, dogs and bloodline labels.
Why Is It Spelled Gottyline and Gottiline?
One of the recurring points of confusion in American Bully history is the spelling of the bloodline name. The BULLY KING Magazine archive explains that Ed Shepherd used the spelling Gottyline, corresponding to the way Juan Gotty’s name appeared on his paperwork. Richard Barajas later used the spelling Gottiline.
As a result, historical publications, pedigrees, breeder websites and discussions may contain both spellings. When researching older material, searches for both Gottyline and Gottiline can therefore surface relevant records.
The Importance of 21 Blackjack
Before Dax became the dog most closely associated with Ed Shepherd’s program, 21 Blackjack played an important role in establishing the kennel. The expanded BULLY KING Magazine account states that Shepherd acquired Blackjack from Cruz of Bow Wow Pits while Cruz was moving more heavily into Razors Edge blood.
Blackjack was not a Razors Edge dog, and the article explains that this made him less central to the direction Cruz was pursuing at that time. Shepherd, however, saw value in him.
Ed began showing 21 Blackjack and eventually championed him. As Blackjack gained attention, Shepherd’s kennel also gained recognition. Years of linebreeding and inbreeding followed as Ed worked toward a consistent and recognizable look.
Cruz was also associated with another influential dog named Blow, a Monster G son. The BULLY KING Magazine archive notes that Cruz later created the Blow Genes clothing line around the dog.
The Breeding That Produced Dax
The defining moment for what became Daxline arrived around 2008. Shepherd bred West Coast Gottyline’s Romeo to his female Barbee.
That breeding produced the dog who would become known worldwide as Gottyline’s Dax.
As Dax matured, Shepherd recognized that he had produced something different. The expanded BULLY KING Magazine article describes Dax as Ed’s best production at the time. The impact of the dog became so central to Shepherd’s program that Ed eventually renamed his kennel and bloodline Daxline.
Shepherd begins breeding pit bulls and developing his preferred temperament and type.
Blackjack becomes an important early dog and helps build recognition for Ed’s kennel.
West Coast Gottyline’s Romeo is bred to Barbee.
Dax emerges as a standout production and ultimately becomes the namesake of Daxline.
Grand Champion Dax: Structure, Size & Temperament
The later BULLY KING Magazine account described Dax as an Extreme Bully with an easygoing, non-aggressive temperament. Shepherd’s stated breeding philosophy did not prioritize aggression or excessive drive; temperament remained central to the program.
Dax was reported at approximately 15 inches at the withers, approximately 75 pounds and with a 24-inch head.
The later archive further records that Dax completed his show career as an ABKC Grand Champion in the Extreme Class. The article notes that his show career was not without controversy, another reminder of the intense debate surrounding type and direction during the breed’s formative period.
The archive also described Dax as Ed’s house dog. Beyond his monetary and breeding value, the later article characterized him as part of the family.
Dax Productions: The Dogs Behind the Legacy
Dax’s long-term significance did not rest only on his appearance or show career. His greatest influence came through reproduction.
The expanded BULLY KING Magazine archive described Dax as one of the most successful producing dogs in American Bully history. Debate existed within the community over how Dax should be classified genetically, but his ability to consistently produce recognizable, influential offspring was far less disputed.
The later article records a substantially larger list of Dax offspring than the abbreviated list contained in the printed chapter.
- CH Lucky Luciano
- Louis V
- CH Magoo
- Cashpot
- Dual GRCH G-Train
- Spartacus
- Phenom
- Boss
- Kill Bill
- Heat Stroke
- Lil Sitch
- Status
- Havoc
- Goku
- Uso
- Wyatt Earp
The historical archive also groups several of Dax’s notable productions together: Lucky Luciano, Louis V and Magoo; Cashpot, G-Train and Spartacus; Phenom, Boss and Kill Bill; Heatstroke, Lil Sitch and Status; Havoc, Goku and Uso; and Wyatt Earp alongside Apolo Anton Ohno.
The Daxline Signature
BULLY KING Magazine’s later coverage identified the combination of head, neck and shoulders as part of what breeders came to recognize as the Daxline signature.
Dax was used by numerous programs seeking those traits, and his descendants spread through pedigrees across the American Bully community. His influence therefore extended far beyond dogs carrying the Daxline kennel name itself.
This is one reason bloodline history is difficult to understand only by looking at modern kennel names. An influential producer can affect generations of unrelated programs after descendants are bred into other families and bloodlines.
Dax’s historical importance is ultimately tied to that genetic reach: recognizable traits associated with him continued appearing through descendants in programs across the breed.
Ed Shepherd’s Place in American Bully History
The expanded BULLY KING Magazine article did more than document Dax. It also recognized Ed Shepherd’s role in the broader American Bully movement.
The publication described Shepherd as approachable, humble and willing to share what he had learned with breeders who were prepared to listen. Despite his success, BULLY KING Magazine noted that he remained respectful of other breeders and dogs rather than building his reputation by attacking competitors.
BULLY KING Magazine subsequently announced that Shepherd would receive the publication’s first Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to the breed.
Why Daxline Still Matters to Bloodline Research
For anyone researching modern American Bully pedigrees, Daxline matters because its influence extends beyond one kennel or one generation. Dax appears behind numerous well-known dogs, and descendants of those dogs were subsequently incorporated into many other breeding programs.
Understanding Daxline therefore helps explain how certain structural traits became widespread across parts of the American Bully population. It also illustrates how rapidly a single producer can influence a breed when that dog consistently reproduces traits breeders want to preserve.
Daxline should also be viewed in historical context. It emerged during a period when breeders were still debating what the American Bully should become, how much mass was desirable, how compact certain dogs should be, what temperament breeders should prioritize and where the boundaries between the American Pit Bull Terrier and the developing American Bully should be drawn.
Those debates did not occur after the breed was finished developing. They were part of the development itself.
Daxline in The Bully Bible
Chapter 6 was one part of a much larger historical and educational project. The Bully Bible contains 31 chapters covering breed history, Razors Edge, Gottiline, Remyline, Daxline, tri-color genetics, ownership, socialization, nutrition, conditioning, health, breeder education, stud service, reproduction and kennel development.
The book's bloodline chapters were intended to document some of the dogs, breeders and programs that helped shape the American Bully before much of that history became fragmented across social media, deleted websites and changing online platforms.
Primary Source & Archive Context
This page combines two clearly separated historical sources from BULLY KING Magazine: the original Chapter 6 text published in The Bully Bible in 2017 and additional Daxline material later published by BULLY KING Magazine. The later material expands the historical record but does not replace or rewrite the original book.
Continue Researching American Bully History
This Chapter 6 archive is intentionally focused on Ed Shepherd, Gottyline’s Dax and the development of Daxline. Use the related Venomline resources below for broader breed history, modern bloodlines, breeding programs and current producers.
Daxline Bloodline FAQ
Who created the Daxline bloodline?
BULLY KING Magazine’s historical account identifies Ed Shepherd as the breeder whose program developed into Daxline.
Who was Gottyline’s Dax?
Gottyline’s Dax was the influential American Bully produced from West Coast Gottyline’s Romeo and Barbee. He became the namesake of Ed Shepherd’s Daxline program.
When was Dax produced?
The historical account places the Romeo × Barbee breeding that produced Dax around 2008.
How big was Grand Champion Dax?
BULLY KING Magazine recorded Dax at approximately 15 inches at the withers, approximately 75 pounds and with a 24-inch head.
Was Dax an ABKC Grand Champion?
BULLY KING Magazine’s expanded historical archive states that Dax finished his show career as an ABKC Grand Champion in the Extreme Class.
Which dogs did Dax produce?
BULLY KING Magazine’s historical archive names dogs including Lucky Luciano, Louis V, Magoo, Cashpot, G-Train, Spartacus, Phenom, Boss, Kill Bill, Heat Stroke, Lil Sitch, Status, Havoc, Goku, Uso and Wyatt Earp among his productions.
What traits became associated with Daxline?
BULLY KING Magazine's historical description particularly emphasized the head, neck and shoulders associated with Dax and his descendants.
What role did 21 Blackjack play in Daxline?
Blackjack was an important early dog in Ed Shepherd’s program. Shepherd showed and championed him, helping build recognition for the kennel before Dax was produced.
Why is Gottiline sometimes spelled Gottyline?
The historical archive states that Ed Shepherd used “Gottyline,” while Richard Barajas used “Gottiline,” which is why both spellings appear in older American Bully records.
When was this Daxline history first published?
The original Chapter 6 appeared in The Bully Bible, published by BULLY KING Magazine on May 30, 2017.