Pit Bulls For Dummies [Paperback]

D. Caroline Coile (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2001

Pit Bulls have an image problem. If you’ve never been around Pit Bulls, you may think they are bloodthirsty man-eaters on the prowl for their next meal. If you’ve lived with one you know they are, indeed, on the prowl for their next meal – but they plan to get it by conning you out of your meal by doing something irresistibly cute! A breed of satin and steel, Pit Bulls are a mixture of softness and strength, an uncanny canine combination of fun, foolishness, and serious business.

If you think Pit Bulls should be purged from the face of the earth, Pit Bulls For Dummies will enlighten you. Perhaps you're curious about this breed and want to know what Pit Bulls are really like; if so, this book is for you. Who else needs this handy reference?

• Smart people who realize that all breeds have good and bad points
• New (and not so new) owners who need help with training
• Owners looking for just the right veterinarian
• Potential owners looking to adopt from a breed-rescue group
• Pit Bull owners who need help identifying Pit Bull health problems

Too many dog care books are filled with unrealistic scare tactics that would cause anyone to just give up, while others are filled with hand-me-down dog lore that has no basis in reality. You won't find any of that in Pit Bulls For Dummies. Here's a sampling of the handy information you'll find in this essential guide:

• Understanding the Pit Bull's origins and characteristics
• Caring for a puppy or older Pit Bull
• Keeping your dog healthy with diet and exercise
• Dealing with bad behavior: Biting, barking, jumping, and more
• Training your Pit Bull in the basics such as sit, stay, heel, and come
• Understanding Pit Bull body language
• Helping your dog become a social animal

Owning a Pit Bull isn’t easy, but that’s not because of the dogs. A special commitment to the breed and a special dog owner are needed. Pit Bulls are pretty special dogs, and they have to prove it every day.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Filled with quick wit and accurate information, this is a Must for any Pit Bull enthusiast." Tia Maria Torres, Villalobos Rescue Center

A no-bull guide to a great life with your Pit Bull

Get the lowdown on keeping your Pit Bull healthy and content Contrary to popular belief, the Pit Bull is an affectionate, pleasant-natured breed and can be a great family pet. This fun and friendly guide provides insights into the Pit Bull temperament, tips on taking care of your dog, sensible advice on training your Pit Bull to be a reliable companion, and much more.

Discover how to: Choose the right Pit Bull for you Socialize your new puppy Maintain good health and diet Exercise your dog Solve common behavioral problems

The Dummies Way^™ Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! www.dummies.com Attention pet owners Get a free Dummies Daily^™ for dogs e-mail newsletter Sign up for tips on dogs, cats, or birds Keep your pet healthy and content — the Dummies Way

About the Author

D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D., is an enthusiastic dog breeder and exhibitor. She is the author of 18 dog books and is a winner of the Dog Writers Association of America's Maxwell and Denlinger awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (March 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764552910
• ISBN-13: 978-0764552915
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D. has written 34 books and hundreds of magazine and scientific articles about dogs. She writes the monthly Breeder's Notebook column for Dog World magazine and the bi-monthly Nutrition column for the AKC Gazette. Her dog writing awards include the Dog Writer's Association of America Maxwell Award (eight times), the AKC Canine Health Foundation Award (twice), the Eukanuba Canine Health Award (twice), and the DWAA Denlinger Award. Her best-known book is Barron's Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. She has also written two children's books about dogs.

Caroline holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Florida State University, with research interests in canine behavior, senses, genetics and neuropsychology. She has taught college classes in psychology, behavioral genetics, animal senses, and animal learning, among others. She has served as a canine consultant to the FAA and has served on the AKC Canine Health Foundation President's Council. She has appeared on television and radio shows, including NPR's Talk of the Nation and Australia's Breakfast Radio. She has been quoted in Newsweek magazine and USA Today.

On a practical level, Caroline has lived with dogs all of her life, and has competed in dog events since 1975. She is the only person to have owned Best in Show, Best in Field, High in Trial (obedience), and High in Trial (agility) salukis, and they were all owner-handled. Her dogs have included nationally ranked #1 show and #1 obedience salukis, and top-10 lure-coursing, agility, rally and racing salukis.

www.carolinecoile.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Introduction Book, July 30, 2005

By 

Bobbi Miles-Belding (Mississippi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pit Bulls For Dummies (Paperback)

I own an American Pit Bull Terrier, and read several books on the breed prior to picking up this particular one. Ms. Coile covers many of the basics concerning the breed that any responsible, right-thinking dog-owner-to-be should consider prior to purchasing/adopting an American Pit Bull Terrier (or any dog, for that matter), and provides this in a well-written, easy to understand format. By no means should this be the only book anyone considering bringing an American Pit Bull Terrier home should read ~ because of the modern controversy and circumstances surrounding these courageous, loyal, and amazing dogs, any potential responsible owner should read every book on the subject he/she can get his/her hands on.

I find it unfortunate that the lawyer from Denver, CO, who ~ to my knowledge ~ was never educated in any form of animal behavioral science or canine anatomy, wishes to use this particular forum to spread his own ill-informed political agenda. It strikes me that the prosecutor's office in the city of Denver might better spend it's time actually putting murderers, rapists, thieves and thugs in prison, than trying to work the constituency into a frenzy over the latest media-hyped "monster."

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I expected..., May 12, 2001

By 

Nunya Business (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pit Bulls For Dummies (Paperback)

A decent book, with some good advice, and some good PR for the breed. However, this author is the same one who has written several other 'Breed for Dummies' books, and apparently hasn't had a lot of experience with all of them. This book would've been much better had it been written by someone with a lot of experience in the breed, like Stratton or Jessup. The training section with simplistic and very biased, the author didn't even mention alternate training methods, and gave no suggestions for what to do if this method doesn't work. The breed specific information in this book can be found on many websites and most pit bull books, and the non-breed specific information is available in any all-breed dog book. This book probably isn't worth the money.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, informative book to understand the breed!, July 29, 2005

By 

C. S. Heim - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pit Bulls For Dummies (Paperback)

This book spells out the true nature of a Pitbull. To M. Adamcik, did you read the book or did you use this forum to just vent?? I recommend you read Fatal Dog Attacks, the Stories Behind the Statistics, as this will open your eyes and show you documented facts that precious Golden Retreivers, Dachshunds and even the ever popular Yorkie and Westie can and HAVE killed. One of pits extreme qualities is their ability to please. They will do anything and everything and turn around to their owner with a look "Did I do good?? HUH?? HUH??" That is the appeal to the "hoodlums" that exploit and abuse these dogs for their own pleasure. The book is clear, concise, informative and unbiased.