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| The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression | 
 enlarge | Author: Karen Delise
Publisher: Anubis Publishing
Category: Book
Buy New: $24.95
New (1) Used (4) from $24.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 129276
Media: Paperback
Pages: 210
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.5
ISBN: 0972191410
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.7
EAN: 9780972191418
ASIN: 0972191410
Publication Date: June 11, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ IN A LONG TIME June 13, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
OH MY GOD, this was one of the best books I've read. This book should be mandatory reading in schools so young kids can understand the reason why some dogs bite,since obviously their parents dont explain it to them. And it also just goes to show you how ridiculous our politicians are when they have FACTS in front of them about dog bite cases but still rely on the media for their information.This book totally opened up my eyes to the reasons and causes for dog bites that I was unaware of.THANK YOU,THANK YOU Karen Delise for writting this AMAZIMG book.I hope millions of people will read it.
 level headed exploration May 31, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Interesting reading for anyone concerned about dogs, breed specific legislation and the images the media create. I am not a pit bull owner and I do not live in the USA but by the end of the book I had more sympathy for this and other breeds of dog labelled "dangerous". The facts behind specific attacks and the historical news clips are quite compelling. Well written level headed exploration of an issue that puts the responsibility for dog attacks firmly back on the owners supposedly entrusted to care for them and explores issues that if implemented would do more to reduce attack rates than breed specific legislation.
The Pit Bull Placebo April 1, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
A very interesting read for anyone who owns any breed of dog or is thinking about acquiring one. very informative well researched and written. With myself owning an English Bull terrier for 9 years I from a lot of people have been told untruths about that type of dog. Now i know the truth. Recommend it highly
THE PIT BULL PLACEBO December 3, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
EXCELLANT BOOK ABOUT WHAT THE MEDIA CAN DO TO A MAN OR A DOG BREED ONCE IT SETS IT SIGHTS ON THEM. IT TELLS THE HISTORY OF ALL THE BREEDS OF DOGS THAT HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY MAN.
Excellent / Informative / Positive October 18, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
As a pitbull owner who has had to face the condemnation of my dog and myself a number of times this book was a welcome read. The details provided as well as the insight into the mind of the american public and the media over the centuries towards dogs and dog breeds was fascinating. In a way it gives hope to the bully breeds that someday their time of being hated and feared can sometime come to an end.
Read this book if you have ever owned a dog who is feared simply for its breed whether it be a pitbull, German Shepherd, Rottie, Doberman, Husky etc. etc.
The author has researched back to the 1800's to provide actual documented accounst of attacks by bloodhounds and bloodhound type dogs straight up to present time and more importantly examines the circumstances behind the attacks. The moral is as usual, there are no bad dogs just bad owners.
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