 The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression - $23.00
First it was the Bloodhound, sensationalized in the dramatizations of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Then it was the Doberman, symbol of the Nazi menace. Today, it is the Pit bull that is vilified for the depravity of his masters. Today, police chase down fleeing Pit bulls in the street, firing dozens of wild shots in response to media-fed rumors of supernatural Pit bull abilities. Politicians coach and nurture this fear with their own brand of rhetoric used to assist in the passing of quick and ineffective legislation created to pacify communities ignorant of the real cause for dog attacks. Hundreds of animal shelters throughout the country kill all unclaimed Pit bull-looking dogs, as they are deemed "unadoptable" solely on their physical appearance. This has occurred because the human/dog bond, the most complex and profound inter-species relationship in the history of mankind, has been reduced to a simple axiom: Breed of dog = degree of dangerousness. We have come to accept that hanging entire breeds of dogs in effigy for the sins of their owners is an acceptable solution to canine aggression because we have been placated by a Pit Bull Placebo. Like the pharmacologically inactive sugar pill dispensed to pacify a patient who supposes it to be medicine, eradication of the Pit bull is the placebo administered to ease the public's anxiety about dog attacks. The book, The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression, explores how our views and beliefs about canine aggression have changed over the last 150 years and how our perceptions about the nature and behavior of dogs has been influenced by persons and organizations who often times disseminate information about dog attacks which is tailored to further an agenda unrelated to the improvement of the human/dog bond. We are in the midst of a social hysteria about Pit bulls because we have abandoned centuries-old common-sense and have been duped by inaccurate reporting from the "Pit Bull Paparazzi" and by politicians who traffic in rumors, myths and pseudoscience in their efforts to pass legislation that demonizes dogs while exonerating criminal and abusive owners. If we truly believe that the extremely rare cases of fatal dog attacks merit extreme measures in the management of dogs, if our concern and shock is genuine, then we must be equally genuine and sincere in seeking out and addressing the real causes for these incidents. Only by stepping back from the swirl of present-day hysteria surrounding isolated cases of severe canine aggression and examining the problem from a broader and more objective perspective can we hope to understand and address the human and canine behaviors which contribute to these incidents.
|  The Working Pit Bull - $25.95
If you want to learn a lot about the American pit bull terrier, this is the book to pick up.
This book talks about every aspect of the breed, starting with its history as a hunting and bull handling dog. It touches on related breeds, common "pit bull myths," and the modern American pit bull terrier today. It also talks about the specifics of acquiring and keeping a pit bull, without turning into a generic book on dogs or dog care.
The book is also full of nice color pictures (vintage and modern) of a wide variety of dogs. The photos alone are worth the price of the book in my opinion.
It was written by the incomparable Dianne Jessup (check out her website at [...] ) If you're interested in pit bull dogs you will enjoy this book!
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 The American Pit Bull Terrier (History Of Fighting Dogs Series) - $26.99
Originally published in 1936, this book is extremely rare in its early editions. Hugely informative and in-depth, it is a complete treatise on the breed covering the entire field, with particular emphasis on dog-fighting. Colby discusses selection, breeding, conditioning, gameness and care of the pit dog. Interviews all the trainers of the day, pictures and discusses all the greatest dogs, including Donovan's Boxer, Tige and Pilot, Brown's Tacoma Jack, Leeming's Butte and all of Colby's kennel. Details of many famous battles and lists of champions. Also includes conditioning, breeding and whelping chart. Contents Include: Origin of the Pit Bull Terrier - History of the American Pit Bull Terrier - American Pit Bull Terrier Standard - The American Pit Bull Terrier - An All Purpose Dog - Selecting a Puppy - Selecting the Brood Matron - Selecting the Stud Dog - Selecting the Pit Dog - The Greatest Pit Dog I Have Ever Owned - Mitchell's Prof-Spike - Barber's Hobo Joe - Colby's Pincher Pr. Exeter Ace - Colby's Bunch - Colby's Gully - Mexico's Champion Sordito vs Exchave's Jeff - Miller's Buddy vs Breeding's Tom - W.H.D. Vose and John P. Colby - The Treadmill or Conditioning Machine - Gameness and the Pit Dog - Preparing the Pit Dog for Battle - Conditioning the Pit Dog - General Care of the Dog After a Battle - Helpful Suggestions in Fighting Dogs - Rules Governing Recognized Pit Contests - Champions of Record - States Requiring Veterinarians Certificate - Suggestions on Shipping a Dog - Cropping the Ears - Technical Terms as Applied to Dogs - Condition Chart - Stud Service Chart - Breeding Chart - Whelping Chart
|  Marc Joseph: American Pitbull - $19.27
One of the most beloved dogs of the 20th century, the American Pit Bull Terrier has in recent times become one of the most maligned and misunderstood. Marc Joseph’s photographic exploration into the culture of Pit Bulls dogs and their people presents an alternative view of the controversial world revolving around this uniquely American breed of dog, and the human beings who live for them. Granted unprecedented access to homes, yards, events, and celebrated figures (including hip-hop recording artists such as Big Boi from Outkast, and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill), Joseph reveals this culture through captivating photographs taken across the United States. Issues of identity are addressed through elements of image, race, pride, and background, while the images simultaneously serve to further an understanding of our perceptions of unconditional love, beauty, danger, and strength. Rich with metaphor, themes of family and shelter are prominent; throughout the series a cast of characters emerges, themselves defining the context of the work. Interviews by Cory Reynolds; with an historical and personal essay from best-selling author James Frey (My Friend Leonard, A Million Little Pieces). in truth, a breathtakingly original view of American Culture. DAVID SCHONNAUER / AMERICAN PHOTO MAGAZINE / MARCH 2005 Joseph may have found the perfect totem animal for contemporary AmericaÉthe often contradictory traits of loyalty and fearlessness, pugnacity and menace, obedience and rebellion EDGAR ALLEN BEEM / PHOTO DISTRICT NEWS / NOVEMBER 2003 I believe it is very important to look squarely at societal issues, and a photographic typology is the perfect vehicle for looking at this one. Mr. Joseph has created a suite of pictures that are as powerful as they are revealing. Seen alone the pictures are tender or frightening or dignified. Cumulatively they are a riveting photographic manifestation of American culture. JOEL STERNFELD, PHOTOGRAPHER AMERICAN PROSPECTS, STRANGER PASSING Marc Joseph's handsomely packaged photography collectionÉAmerican Pitbull is a complicated expression of how objects transform into icons, and how this courageous, unstoppable breed serves as a symbol to owners glorifying those same qualities in themselves. FELICIA FEASTER / CREATIVE LOAFING / ATLANTA, GA 01.08.04 BESTSELLERS (#14) LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER LIST FOR NOVEMBER 23, 2003 American Pitbull challenges facile assumptions... Joseph provides a fascinating visual portrait of the nation's most vilified dogs [which] makes us re-evaluate just who is drawn to these dogs and why. DENISE FLAIM / NEW YORK NEWSDAY APRIL 26, 2004 I am reminded of Bill Owens’ photographic essay and book, Suburbia. His posed photos of big-haired ladies and empty swimming pools seem deliberately campy. Just when you start to think how desolate these people’s lives must be, you turn the page and there is a portrait of Owens’ own family. He was not photographing the Other, he captured his own experience and in so doing, marked a point in social history. Such is the case with Joseph’s work. He did not approach this project from the outside... [American Pitbull] is one man’s view of the dogs and their people... a personal journey of his connection to a special breed of dog. LILLIAN SIZEMORE / PROGRAM DIRECTOR, FIFTY CROWS INT'L FUND FOR DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY MARC JOSEPH was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and has been making pictures since his father presented him with the gift of a camera, at age 17. After college and a year in Paris, he relocated to New York City in 1987, where he now lives and works. American Pitbull is his first book. JAMES FREY is the author of the memoir A Million Little Pieces, a New York Times bestseller that was named the best book of 2003 by Amazon.com. It was subsequently published in thirty countries and became a bestseller around the world. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he and his family live in New York City with their two dogs, one of which is an American Pit Bull Terrier. His latest work, My Friend Leonard, is published by Riverhead. CORY REYNOLDS served as editor of the monograph, Peter Halley: Maintain Speed, and is the former editor of Index Magazine, where she interviewed Abel Ferrara, Isabel Huppert, Jurgen Teller, and many others. Paperback, 8.75 x 11 in./248 pgs / 220 color.
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American Pit Bull Terrier puppies for sale or adoption
