Pit Bulls For Dummies

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.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 3Part 1: Getting Started with Pit Bulls 7Chapter 1: Pitting and Petting: The Pit Bull’s Past 9Creating Canine Gladiators 9Showing Off 12Becoming America’s Sweetheart 15Overcoming Pride and Prejudice 17Growing in Popularity 18The Michael Vick influence 19The consequences of no-kill shelters 19Breed-specific legislation 20Finding the Middle Ground 21Chapter 2: Sizing Up the Pit Bull 23Toughing It Out 23Building a Better Bulldog 24The American Dog Breeders Association standard 25The United Kennel Club standard 30The American Kennel Club standard for the American Staffordshire Terrier 31Strutting His Stuff 33UKC conformation shows 34AKC conformation shows 36Chapter 3: Deciding whether a Pit Bull is Right for You 39Making a Commitment 40Making the Match 42Getting to the Heart of the Matter (or Your Pit Bull) 43Facing the Facts 45Chapter 4: Shopping the Bull Market 53Avoiding Bad Blood 53Searching High and Low 54Checking the classifieds 55Buying from a breeder 55Getting a dog from a shelter or rescue group 58Checking the Bona Fidos 64ADBA registration 65UKC registration 65AKC registration 66Picking Your Pit 67Part 2: Giving Your Pit Bull a Good Home 71Chapter 5: Bringing Home Your New Best Friend 73Puppy-proofing Your Home 74Fencing In Your Pit Bull 75Providing a Cozy Doghouse 77Giving Your Dog a Comfortable Place to Sleep 77Crates 78Exercise pens 79Shopping for Your Pit Bull 80Toys 80Food and water bowls 83Collars 83Leashes 85Grooming supplies 86Poop bags 87Travel supplies 87Chapter 6: Living with Your Pit Bull 89Acting Like a Pit Bull in a China Shop: House Rules 89Taking the Pit Stop Outside 90When the Plumbing’s Broken 91Trying Your Patience 92Understanding Pit Talk 93Becoming a Social Animal 95Going to Kindergarten 97Meeting the Children 98Going for a Bull Run 100Making a Splash 102Hitting the Road 103Finding a Pit-Sitter 107Finding a Lost Love 108Part 3: Training and Having Fun with Your Pit 111Chapter 7: Coping with a Pit Bull Terrorist 113Saving Your Home 113Fighting Like Cats and Dogs 114Cats 114Dogs 115Avoiding DogFights 117Breaking Up a DogFight 119Calming the Raging Bull 122All in good fun? 122Biting the hand that feeds 123Dealing with Pit Bull Aggression 124Plucking Up Courage 126Corralling the Escape Artist 127Digging Up Some Dirt 127Tales from the Bark Side 128Chapter 8: Training the Teacher’s Pit 129Training Your Pit to Wag Her Tail 130Working for food 131Making ideas click quick 132Getting the Timing Right 133Following the Ten Commandments 1341 Thou shalt not live in the past 1342 Thou shalt not train your dog to be bad 1343 Thou shalt not confuse 1344 Thou shalt not speak in tongues 1345 Thou shalt not use excessive force 1356 Thou shalt not hurt thy friend 1357 Thou shalt not beat a dead horse 1358 Thou shalt not end on a low note 1359 Thou shalt not go crazy 13610 Thou shalt not lose your patience 136Going to School 136Getting the Right Stuff 137Starting Basic Training 138Coming to terms 138Sitting bull 140Staying power 141Learning ups and downs 141Walking well-heeled 141Trying Every Trick in the Book 143Chapter 9: Going Out to the Bull Games 145Pulling His Weight and More 146Training to pull 146Becoming a S.T.A.R. 148Being a Good Citizen 149Staying in Step with Obedience and Rally 149Overcoming Obstacles 151Following His Nose 152Getting a Grip on Schutzhund 152Rounding Up a Herding Title 153Taking a Flying Leap 154Racing the Clock 154Part 4: Keeping Your Pit Bull Healthy 155Chapter 10: Feeding a Bottomless Pit 157Starting with Dry or Moist Foods 158Considering Raw 160Boning Up on Nutrition 161Eschewing the fat 162Skin and bones 163Feeding Time 164Keeping Your Dog Hydrated 164Chapter 11: Primping Your Pit Bull 165Taking Your Pit to the Cleaners 165Smelling Like a Rose 167Debugging Your Dog 168Making fleas flee 168Ticking off ticks 168Managing mange 169Losing those lousy lice 170Saving Your Dog’s Skin 170Scratching the surface of allergic itching 170Pyoderma and impetigo 171Cooling down hot spots 171Nailing Down Nail Care 172Going in One Ear and Cleaning Out the Other 172Keeping an Eye on the Bull’s Eye 174Keeping Your Dog Armed to the Teeth 176Chapter 12: A Clean Bull of Health 179Examining Your Pit Bull 179Gums 181Body temperature 182Pulse, heartbeat, and breathing rate 182Establishing a Relationship with a Vet You Trust 183Making Sense of Blood Tests 184Giving Your Dog Medicine 185Staying Up to Date on Your Dog’s Vaccinations 187Puppy vaccinations 187Rabies 188Distemper 188Hepatitis 188Leptospirosis 189Parvovirus 189Coronavirus 189Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) 189Lyme disease 190Keeping Your Pit Free of Worms 190Ascarids 191Hookworms 191Whipworms 192Tapeworms 192More worms 192Dealing with Intestinal Parasites 193Coccidia 193Giardia 193Preventing Heartworm 194Chapter 13: Sick as a Dog 195When Your Dog Just Isn’t Himself 195Dealing with Diarrhea 196Saying Vamoose to Vomiting 197Coping with Coughing 198Helping Your Dog with Urinary Problems 199Understanding Endocrine Disorders 200Hypothyroidism 200Cushing’s syndrome 200Investigating Immunological Problems 200Banishing Blood Parasites 201Ehrlichiosis 201Babesia 201Coping with Cancer 202Looking into Lameness 202An arm and a leg 203From the hip 204Doctoring Your Dog 206Holistic medicine 206Homeopathic medicine 206Herbology 206Chiropractic medicine 207Acupuncture 207Trying Home Remedies 207Chapter 14: Pit Bull First Aid 209ABCs of First Aid 211Artificial respiration 211CPR 212Specific Emergencies 213Poisoning 213Seizures 215Heat stroke 216Hypothermia 216Bleeding 217Limb fractures 217Bloat (gastric torsion, gastric dilatation-volvulus) 218Insect stings and allergic reactions 218Snakebite 219Burns 219Electrical shock 219Chapter 15: Helping Your Dog Age Well 221Eat and Run 222Act Your Age 223When You’ve Done Everything 225Eternally in Your Heart 226Part 5: The Part of Tens 227Chapter 16: Ten Pit Bull Resources 229Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Help the Pit Bull’s Reputation 233Index 237