Interview with David Foskey

Pulaski County, Georgia Animal Control Officer

Conducted by Heather Wilkins. 

Q. This interview is to be used as a resource of information concerning the WEBs history and it's uses according to Southern WEB breeders and owners. Parts of your answers will be referenced in an up-coming book as well as an online web-site about the WEB.  Before we continue, do we have your permission to quote you in the said works?

A. Yes.

Q. How long have you yourself owned and or bred the WEB?

A. 20 years.

Q. Where and when were you born?

A. Eastman, Georgia. 1967

Q. Where did you grow up?

A. Georgia.

Q. Are they the same today as they were as far back as you can remember?

A. No, most are Pit mixes today.

Q. Did anyone else in your family have or breed them?  What did they use them for?  Did they sell them, trade them, or give them away?

A. No.

Q. How long did they have/breed them?

A. N.A.

Q. What do you use them for? Do you or have you sold them, traded them, or given them away?

A. Hunting. Yes.

Q. How were they around livestock? What types of livestock?

A. Good.

Q. How were they around strangers?

A. Good.

Q. How were they around strange dogs, wild dogs, or coyotes?

A. They did what they were told.

Q. Were they people friendly to visitors at your home?

A. Yes.

Q. Why did you have/breed them?

A. Hunting.

Q. How much training was involved with them? What kind of training?

A. None.

Q. How much catch work were they used for? What were they used to catch?

A. Some. Hogs.

Q. Did you ever use them for hunting? Hunting what?

A. Yes. Hogs.

Q. What do you and others you know do with WEB culls/curs?

A. Gave them away.

Q. How many WEBs did you keep at one time?

A. Four or Five.

Q. How many have you had over the years? 

A. At least 100. 

Q. Were they kept tied, penned, or did they have free run?

A. Free run and tied.

Q. Did they typically bark a lot?

A. No.

Q. How long did they live on average?

A. 7-10 years.

Q. How old was the oldest one you remember?

A. 2 years.

Q. How big were they, male and female?

A. 60-90 lbs.

Q. How do they differ from ABs?

A. About the same, but they're not the same.

Q. Describe a WEB.

A. Stocky and big headed.

Q. Where did they come from?

A. I don't know. 

Q. Where are they found?

A. Everywhere in Georgia.

Q. How effective of a guard dog were they?

A. Good. They did not have to be bad to scare folks.

Q. Why are they so hard to find today?

A. The bad name associated with Pits and the assumption that they're related to Pits. 

Q. Were they common long ago? How long ago?

A. Yes. There were more 10 years ago than today.

Q. What did other people use them for?

A. Guard dogs.

Q. Did they have an on and off switch?

A. Most did. It depends on the blood line. 

Q. Do you remember any specific events about a WEB that stands out in your mind?

A. A 300 pound hog charged me and Shane saved my life. Held him long enough for me to get away.