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 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Getting Started with Pit Bulls 7

Chapter 1: Pitting and Petting: The Pit Bull’s Past 9

Creating Canine Gladiators 9

Showing Off 12

Becoming America’s Sweetheart 15

Overcoming Pride and Prejudice 17

Growing in Popularity 18

The Michael Vick influence 19

The consequences of no-kill shelters 19

Breed-specific legislation 20

Finding the Middle Ground 21

Chapter 2: Sizing Up the Pit Bull 23

Toughing It Out 23

Building a Better Bulldog 24

The American Dog Breeders Association standard 25

The United Kennel Club standard 30

The American Kennel Club standard for the American Staffordshire Terrier 31

Strutting His Stuff 33

UKC conformation shows 34

AKC conformation shows 36

Chapter 3: Deciding whether a Pit Bull is Right for You 39

Making a Commitment 40

Making the Match 42

Getting to the Heart of the Matter (or Your Pit Bull) 43

Facing the Facts 45

Chapter 4: Shopping the Bull Market 53

Avoiding Bad Blood 53

Searching High and Low 54

Checking the classifieds 55

Buying from a breeder 55

Getting a dog from a shelter or rescue group 58

Checking the Bona Fidos 64

ADBA registration 65

UKC registration 65

AKC registration 66

Picking Your Pit 67

Part 2: Giving Your Pit Bull a Good Home 71

Chapter 5: Bringing Home Your New Best Friend 73

Puppy-proofing Your Home 74

Fencing In Your Pit Bull 75

Providing a Cozy Doghouse 77

Giving Your Dog a Comfortable Place to Sleep 77

Crates 78

Exercise pens 79

Shopping for Your Pit Bull 80

Toys 80

Food and water bowls 83

Collars 83

Leashes 85

Grooming supplies 86

Poop bags 87

Travel supplies 87

Chapter 6: Living with Your Pit Bull 89

Acting Like a Pit Bull in a China Shop: House Rules 89

Taking the Pit Stop Outside 90

When the Plumbing’s Broken 91

Trying Your Patience 92

Understanding Pit Talk 93

Becoming a Social Animal 95

Going to Kindergarten 97

Meeting the Children 98

Going for a Bull Run 100

Making a Splash 102

Hitting the Road 103

Finding a Pit-Sitter 107

Finding a Lost Love 108

Part 3: Training and Having Fun with Your Pit 111

Chapter 7: Coping with a Pit Bull Terrorist 113

Saving Your Home 113

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs 114

Cats 114

Dogs 115

Avoiding DogFights 117

Breaking Up a DogFight 119

Calming the Raging Bull 122

All in good fun? 122

Biting the hand that feeds 123

Dealing with Pit Bull Aggression 124

Plucking Up Courage 126

Corralling the Escape Artist 127

Digging Up Some Dirt 127

Tales from the Bark Side 128

Chapter 8: Training the Teacher’s Pit 129

Training Your Pit to Wag Her Tail 130

Working for food 131

Making ideas click quick 132

Getting the Timing Right 133

Following the Ten Commandments 134

1 Thou shalt not live in the past 134

2 Thou shalt not train your dog to be bad 134

3 Thou shalt not confuse 134

4 Thou shalt not speak in tongues 134

5 Thou shalt not use excessive force 135

6 Thou shalt not hurt thy friend 135

7 Thou shalt not beat a dead horse 135

8 Thou shalt not end on a low note 135

9 Thou shalt not go crazy 136

10 Thou shalt not lose your patience 136

Going to School 136

Getting the Right Stuff 137

Starting Basic Training 138

Coming to terms 138

Sitting bull 140

Staying power 141

Learning ups and downs 141

Walking well-heeled 141

Trying Every Trick in the Book 143

Chapter 9: Going Out to the Bull Games 145

Pulling His Weight and More 146

Training to pull 146

Becoming a S.T.A.R. 148

Being a Good Citizen 149

Staying in Step with Obedience and Rally 149

Overcoming Obstacles 151

Following His Nose 152

Getting a Grip on Schutzhund 152

Rounding Up a Herding Title 153

Taking a Flying Leap 154

Racing the Clock 154

Part 4: Keeping Your Pit Bull Healthy 155

Chapter 10: Feeding a Bottomless Pit 157

Starting with Dry or Moist Foods 158

Considering Raw 160

Boning Up on Nutrition 161

Eschewing the fat 162

Skin and bones 163

Feeding Time 164

Keeping Your Dog Hydrated 164

Chapter 11: Primping Your Pit Bull 165

Taking Your Pit to the Cleaners 165

Smelling Like a Rose 167

Debugging Your Dog 168

Making fleas flee 168

Ticking off ticks 168

Managing mange 169

Losing those lousy lice 170

Saving Your Dog’s Skin 170

Scratching the surface of allergic itching 170

Pyoderma and impetigo 171

Cooling down hot spots 171

Nailing Down Nail Care 172

Going in One Ear and Cleaning Out the Other 172

Keeping an Eye on the Bull’s Eye 174

Keeping Your Dog Armed to the Teeth 176

Chapter 12: A Clean Bull of Health 179

Examining Your Pit Bull 179

Gums 181

Body temperature 182

Pulse, heartbeat, and breathing rate 182

Establishing a Relationship with a Vet You Trust 183

Making Sense of Blood Tests 184

Giving Your Dog Medicine 185

Staying Up to Date on Your Dog’s Vaccinations 187

Puppy vaccinations 187

Rabies 188

Distemper 188

Hepatitis 188

Leptospirosis 189

Parvovirus 189

Coronavirus 189

Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) 189

Lyme disease 190

Keeping Your Pit Free of Worms 190

Ascarids 191

Hookworms 191

Whipworms 192

Tapeworms 192

More worms 192

Dealing with Intestinal Parasites 193

Coccidia 193

Giardia 193

Preventing Heartworm 194

Chapter 13: Sick as a Dog 195

When Your Dog Just Isn’t Himself 195

Dealing with Diarrhea 196

Saying Vamoose to Vomiting 197

Coping with Coughing 198

Helping Your Dog with Urinary Problems 199

Understanding Endocrine Disorders 200

Hypothyroidism 200

Cushing’s syndrome 200

Investigating Immunological Problems 200

Banishing Blood Parasites 201

Ehrlichiosis 201

Babesia 201

Coping with Cancer 202

Looking into Lameness 202

An arm and a leg 203

From the hip 204

Doctoring Your Dog 206

Holistic medicine 206

Homeopathic medicine 206

Herbology 206

Chiropractic medicine 207

Acupuncture 207

Trying Home Remedies 207

Chapter 14: Pit Bull First Aid 209

ABCs of First Aid 211

Artificial respiration 211

CPR 212

Specific Emergencies 213

Poisoning 213

Seizures 215

Heat stroke 216

Hypothermia 216

Bleeding 217

Limb fractures 217

Bloat (gastric torsion, gastric dilatation-volvulus) 218

Insect stings and allergic reactions 218

Snakebite 219

Burns 219

Electrical shock 219

Chapter 15: Helping Your Dog Age Well 221

Eat and Run 222

Act Your Age 223

When You’ve Done Everything 225

Eternally in Your Heart 226

Part 5: The Part of Tens 227

Chapter 16: Ten Pit Bull Resources 229

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Help the Pit Bull’s Reputation 233

Index 237

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