Pit Bulls For Dummies
2nd Edition
Published on 23. October 2020
256 pages
978-1-119-72080-5 (ISBN)
Description
The good, the bad, and the snugly about your new best friend
No breed of dog is the subject of more extreme feelings--both good and bad--than the Pit Bull. Man-eating monster or heroic nanny-dog: What's the real story? Are Pit Bulls the very best breed for kids? (Not always.) Is it all in how you raise them? (Not totally). Will they lick you to death? (Absolutely!)
In the fully updated 2nd Edition of Pit Bulls For Dummies, Dr. Caroline Coile--Dog Writer's Association of America Hall of Famer and former Pit Bull owner--sniffs out the reality behind the myth, rips through the dogma that both vilifies and sanctifies this unique family of dogs, helps you find the best source for your new family member, and shows you the latest and greatest ways to raise, train, and live with your own partying Pit Bull and reap the rewards of happy canine companionship for years to come.
Understand your Pit Bull's origins and characteristics
* Decide if a Pit Bull is for you
* Evaluate Pit Bull sources, whether adopting, rescuing, or buying
* Care for all ages, from puppies to older dogs
* Deal with bad behavior
* Socialize your new dog
Follow the advice in this book and help show the world that well-brought-up Pit Bulls are some of the most charming, companionable, and fun-to-be-around dogs out there--enjoy!
No breed of dog is the subject of more extreme feelings--both good and bad--than the Pit Bull. Man-eating monster or heroic nanny-dog: What's the real story? Are Pit Bulls the very best breed for kids? (Not always.) Is it all in how you raise them? (Not totally). Will they lick you to death? (Absolutely!)
In the fully updated 2nd Edition of Pit Bulls For Dummies, Dr. Caroline Coile--Dog Writer's Association of America Hall of Famer and former Pit Bull owner--sniffs out the reality behind the myth, rips through the dogma that both vilifies and sanctifies this unique family of dogs, helps you find the best source for your new family member, and shows you the latest and greatest ways to raise, train, and live with your own partying Pit Bull and reap the rewards of happy canine companionship for years to come.
Understand your Pit Bull's origins and characteristics
* Decide if a Pit Bull is for you
* Evaluate Pit Bull sources, whether adopting, rescuing, or buying
* Care for all ages, from puppies to older dogs
* Deal with bad behavior
* Socialize your new dog
Follow the advice in this book and help show the world that well-brought-up Pit Bulls are some of the most charming, companionable, and fun-to-be-around dogs out there--enjoy!
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D. Caroline Coile holds a PhD in psychology with research interests in canine behavior, senses, genetics, and neuropsychology. The author of 34 books about dogs, as well as numerous scientific articles, she also pens the nutrition column for AKC Family Dog. The Dog Writers Association of America inducted her into their Hall of Fame.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- About This Book
- Foolish Assumptions
- Icons Used in This Book
- Beyond the Book
- Where to Go from Here
- Part 1 Getting Started with Pit Bulls
- Chapter 1 Pitting and Petting: The Pit Bull's Past
- Creating Canine Gladiators
- Showing Off
- Becoming America's Sweetheart
- Overcoming Pride and Prejudice
- Growing in Popularity
- The Michael Vick influence
- The consequences of no-kill shelters
- Breed-specific legislation
- Finding the Middle Ground
- Chapter 2 Sizing Up the Pit Bull
- Toughing It Out
- Building a Better Bulldog
- The American Dog Breeders Association standard
- The United Kennel Club standard
- The American Kennel Club standard for the American Staffordshire Terrier
- Strutting His Stuff
- UKC conformation shows
- AKC conformation shows
- Chapter 3 Deciding whether a Pit Bull Is Right for You
- Making a Commitment
- Making the Match
- Getting to the Heart of the Matter (or Your Pit Bull)
- Facing the Facts
- Chapter 4 Shopping the Bull Market
- Avoiding Bad Blood
- Searching High and Low
- Checking the classifieds
- Buying from a breeder
- Getting a dog from a shelter or rescue group
- Checking the Bona Fidos
- ADBA registration
- UKC registration
- AKC registration
- Picking Your Pit
- Part 2 Giving Your Pit Bull a Good Home
- Chapter 5 Bringing Home Your New Best Friend
- Puppy-proofing Your Home
- Fencing In Your Pit Bull
- Providing a Cozy Doghouse
- Giving Your Dog a Comfortable Place to Sleep
- Crates
- Exercise pens
- Shopping for Your Pit Bull
- Toys
- Food and water bowls
- Collars
- Leashes
- Grooming supplies
- Poop bags
- Travel supplies
- Chapter 6 Living with Your Pit Bull
- Acting Like a Pit Bull in a China Shop: House Rules
- Taking the Pit Stop Outside
- When the Plumbing's Broken
- Trying Your Patience
- Understanding Pit Talk
- Becoming a Social Animal
- Going to Kindergarten
- Meeting the Children
- Going for a Bull Run
- Making a Splash
- Hitting the Road
- Finding a Pit-Sitter
- Finding a Lost Love
- Part 3 Training and Having Fun with Your Pit
- Chapter 7 Coping with a Pit Bull Terrorist
- Saving Your Home
- Fighting Like Cats and Dogs
- Cats
- Dogs
- Avoiding DogFights
- Breaking Up a DogFight
- Calming the Raging Bull
- All in good fun?
- Biting the hand that feeds
- Dealing with Pit Bull Aggression
- Plucking Up Courage
- Corralling the Escape Artist
- Digging Up Some Dirt
- Tales from the Bark Side
- Chapter 8 Training the Teacher's Pit
- Training Your Pit to Wag Her Tail
- Working for food
- Making ideas click quick
- Getting the Timing Right
- Following the Ten Commandments
- 1. Thou shalt not live in the past
- 2. Thou shalt not train your dog to be bad
- 3. Thou shalt not confuse
- 4. Thou shalt not speak in tongues
- 5. Thou shalt not use excessive force
- 6. Thou shalt not hurt thy friend
- 7. Thou shalt not beat a dead horse
- 8. Thou shalt not end on a low note
- 9. Thou shalt not go crazy
- 10. Thou shalt not lose your patience
- Going to School
- Getting the Right Stuff
- Starting Basic Training
- Coming to terms
- Sitting bull
- Staying power
- Learning ups and downs
- Walking well-heeled
- Trying Every Trick in the Book
- Chapter 9 Going Out to the Bull Games
- Pulling His Weight . . . and More
- Training to pull
- Becoming a S.T.A.R.
- Being a Good Citizen
- Staying in Step with Obedience and Rally
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Following His Nose
- Getting a Grip on Schutzhund
- Rounding Up a Herding Title
- Taking a Flying Leap
- Racing the Clock
- Part 4 Keeping Your Pit Bull Healthy
- Chapter 10 Feeding a Bottomless Pit
- Starting with Dry or Moist Foods
- Considering Raw
- Boning Up on Nutrition
- Eschewing the fat
- Skin and bones
- Feeding Time
- Keeping Your Dog Hydrated
- Chapter 11 Primping Your Pit Bull
- Taking Your Pit to the Cleaners
- Smelling Like a Rose
- Debugging Your Dog
- Making fleas flee
- Ticking off ticks
- Managing mange
- Losing those lousy lice
- Saving Your Dog's Skin
- Scratching the surface of allergic itching
- Pyoderma and impetigo
- Cooling down hot spots
- Nailing Down Nail Care
- Going in One Ear and Cleaning Out the Other
- Keeping an Eye on the Bull's Eye
- Keeping Your Dog Armed to the Teeth
- Chapter 12 A Clean Bull of Health
- Examining Your Pit Bull
- Gums
- Body temperature
- Pulse, heartbeat, and breathing rate
- Establishing a Relationship with a Vet You Trust
- Making Sense of Blood Tests
- Giving Your Dog Medicine
- Staying Up to Date on Your Dog's Vaccinations
- Puppy vaccinations
- Rabies
- Distemper
- Hepatitis
- Leptospirosis
- Parvovirus
- Coronavirus
- Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough)
- Lyme disease
- Keeping Your Pit Free of Worms
- Ascarids
- Hookworms
- Whipworms
- Tapeworms
- More worms
- Dealing with Intestinal Parasites
- Coccidia
- Giardia
- Preventing Heartworm
- Chapter 13 Sick as a Dog
- When Your Dog Just Isn't Himself
- Dealing with Diarrhea
- Saying Vamoose to Vomiting
- Coping with Coughing
- Helping Your Dog with Urinary Problems
- Understanding Endocrine Disorders
- Hypothyroidism
- Cushing's syndrome
- Investigating Immunological Problems
- Banishing Blood Parasites
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesia
- Coping with Cancer
- Looking into Lameness
- An arm and a leg
- From the hip
- Doctoring Your Dog
- Holistic medicine
- Homeopathic medicine
- Herbology
- Chiropractic medicine
- Acupuncture
- Trying Home Remedies
- Chapter 14 Pit Bull First Aid
- ABCs of First Aid
- Artificial respiration
- CPR
- Specific Emergencies
- Poisoning
- Seizures
- Heat stroke
- Hypothermia
- Bleeding
- Limb fractures
- Bloat (gastric torsion, gastric dilatation-volvulus)
- Insect stings and allergic reactions
- Snakebite
- Burns
- Electrical shock
- Chapter 15 Helping Your Dog Age Well
- Eat and Run
- Act Your Age
- When You've Done Everything
- Eternally in Your Heart
- Part 5 The Part of Tens
- Chapter 16 Ten Pit Bull Resources
- Chapter 17 Ten Ways to Help the Pit Bull's Reputation
- Index
- EULA
