The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression

"In the present day climate of fear and misinformation about Pit Bulls and dog attacks, eradication of the Pit Bull is the placebo administered solely to appease the public's mental anxiety."And so it goes. The Pit Bull: locking jaws, biting and holding while grinding, the dog that attacks like a shark. These are all media myths designed to demonize one particular dog breed.The Pit Bull Placebo traces the media's coverage and the reality of dog bite attacks from the end of the 19th century through to today. Drawing on real cases and quoting from the newspapers' accounts of these cases, Karen Delise makes an incredibly simple case: There have always been dog attacks, some severe, some fatal. But it is the media's focus that has twisted the public's perception of the Pit Bull.The Bloodhound was the original bad guy. Hyped up through plays based on Uncle Tom's Cabom in which the dogs chase down an escaped slave and her newborn child, these dogs were vilified and people were supposed to be frightened of them. But media reports, which did feature the dog's breed, generally focused more on the cause and effect aspect of the dog attack. They gave their readers a true picture of what caused the attack. It did not begin and end with the words "Vicious Bloodhound."Then it was the German Shepherd Dog, which had two major saving graces: police work and Rin Tin Tin. While many substandard owners obtained German Shepherd Dogs for guard work and left them chained outside with little human interaction, many people recognized them as great, noble creatures.The Doberman, which is still sometimes viewed in a negative light, followed on the heels of the German Shepherd Dog. The Doberman acquired its super-predator status through both reality and myth. The image of the Doberman used by Nazis was strong within people's minds. It was hard for them to see the dog as a gentle creature, a canine like any other, and so borne out of the harsh reality of life as a Nazi dog was the myth that Dobermans' heads were too small and their brains would outgrow it, thus leading to headaches that would cause them to snap. The Doberman had no saving grace like the German Shepherd Dog and only fell from this super-predator label when the Pit Bull emerged to take its place.Through each of these decades, when the Bloodhound, the German Shepherd Dog, and the Doberman, were at the height of their turns as the supposed aggressive dogs, the newspapers continued to report dog bite attacks in a fairly realistic light.It wasn't until the latter part of the 20th century when the media would begin to twist things to suit their need to always shock their audience. A good example of the media's twisting of the facts lies in their describing a dog that attacked as the "family dog." To most people, this description brings to mind Rover resting at the feet of his master while his master reads by the fireplace or Rover fetching the newspaper on Sunday morning. It brings to mind a well-socialized, friendly, family pet. What it does not bring to mind is a dog chained out back with a heavy logging chain, ignored for the most part, fed occasionally, often starved, beaten, or neglected. The latter cannot, in good conscience, be described as a "family dog." Delise, instead, describes it as a "resident dog." This is a more accurate term. But the media's use of "family dog" aids in leading people to the conclusion that these dogs will eventually turn on their owners.There is just no basis for this claim. In fact, few, if any Pit Bull has turned on its owner without some sort of provocation.Perhaps the best demonstration of the media's twisting of events can be seen in one particular case Delise outlines.The media report can be summed up as: A 6-year-old girl was mauled to death by the family's pit bulls. The dogs were friendly, had been raised with the girl since they were puppies. In essence, they "turned on her."The reality of the situation? The dogs (one male, one female), which belonged to the woman's recently-deceased boyfriend were intact and young. They had been confined to a basement of a vacant house while the mother and her daughter moved. They were underweight, starving (no food was found in their stomachs), and had ingested rat poison, nails, and rubber bands in an effort to feed themselves.It sounds a bit different when they're described as they really were: Unsocialized, starving, and sick animals vs. family pet.Delise makes the case that in order to truly understand dog attacks, one has to look at the people involved and the situation itself. Divvying up attacks by breed tells us nothing. Dogs that attack have often been chained out and neglected, are starving, have been abused, and are often intact.Instead of looking at the real situation, the media has maligned an entire breed for sensationalism. And this has led to politicians taking up the cause and enacting breed bans.Denver is often sited when discussions of Breed-Specific Legislation is brought up. They first enacted a ban on pit bull "type" dogs in 1989 and recently reinstated it. Their seven points in regard to why pit bulls needed to be banned were based on media sensationalism, twisted facts, contradictions, and "scientific" articles in such esteemed journals as Sports Illustrated. They brought in pseudoscience and anecdotes and called them facts. Even worse, this ban was enacted due to two incidents that happened three years apart: one fatal, one not.What has happened to the Pit Bull has been a horrifying witch hunt that, just like the witch hunts of Salem, has no basic in reality. The Pit Bull is and can be a wonderful, real family pet if raised the proper way, just like any other breed of dog. To think that in less than 100 years human beings could create a monster of dog with anatomy unlike any other canine, is not only the height of arrogance, but is also ridiculous.Unfortunately, this vilification is not likely to change until people start to think with a little bit more logic and the media starts to disseminate facts instead of twisted facts and sensationalized accounts that don't resemble reality.

The author assesses the myths that have grown in our society about 'pit bull' dogs. She also explains and reiterates stories from the past century about how 'bloodhounds' were also similarly stigmatized. She rightly, in my opinion, explains how the owners of the dogs involved in attacks bear a large responsibility for the dogs behaviours. The book is not a rant. It details meticulously the cases involved. It is an excellent book - I highly recommend it. I have never owned a 'pit bull' or Staffordshire terrier. I have owned mutts that were mostly "Collie or Labrador" mixes over my 67 years. I have no personal experience to affirm or refute her research. I do agree that the source of most dog problems lay largely with the dog owner. I bought this book because: I was interested in the subject and because I felt guilty. The author is my niece. I have not communicated with her in over thirty years. Her book has been out since 2007 and I had never read it. I, being a dog owner and a relative, believe I owe it to her to read it.

As the title says, this book should be a must read for all dog owners and law makers and even people looking at getting a dog. I'm not even finished with the book and I've learned a lot I didn't know, like the fact that all the garbage the media is spouting about Pit Bulls being killer, blood thirsty dogs with locking jaws is actually the garbage the dog fighters are spouting to make their dogs seem like mean and ferocious fighting/killing machines. I wish the media could see that what they are saying is the same things the dog fighters are saying and stop, but ignorance is bliss as they say. Why find out, and report, the truth when myth's and lies sell so much better. I also didn't know that almost everyone fighting to ban Pit Bull's uses the arguement that Pit Bull's are different from other dogs. Since when is my question.I bet a lot of people would be suprised by what they'd learn if they read this book, especially about some of the dog breeds that used to be looked upon as vicious. It's very informative and I'd recommend it to anyone looking at getting a dog.

I loved this book. It was fascinating to see how history repeats itself with regards to the current "vicious dog" of the time. I only hope we as a country (as a planet really) can learn from history sooner rather than later. It started with the Bloodhounds, went on the many other breeds, and now it's Pit Bulls who are demonized. A different dog breed is going to have their turn eventually if this pattern continues.For now I will work hard to make sure my Pit Bull is an ambassador for his breed and lives a cushy life as a well loved pet. Something far too many other Pit Bulls are denied because of myths, stereotypes, and ignorant fear.

I’m very impressed. The research on this was incredible. Gave me a lot of new information with out a lot of ‘pit bulls are perfect/deadly’ propaganda. Gives the facts and leaves it there. A good read for all those interested in pit bulls or just dogs in general.

Before the Pit Bull it was the Rottweiler. Before the Rottweiler it was the Doberman. Before the Doberman it was the German Shepherd and so on.The truth is ANY dog can bite, and all do. The truth is ANY dog can be trained for aggression. The truth is ANY dog can be fodder for the media's insatiable appetite for tabloid TV and sensationalism.Karen Delise has written what should become a must have on any dog trainers book shelf or in the library of anyone who cares about and respects dogs.Here is an open ledger of the real Pit Bull. Here is a book that honestly exposes what every dog trainer and behaviourist should know - What our dogs do and how they behave is entirely due to how we interact, train and socialise with dogs.This educative volume should be mandatory reading for every student journalist.Reviewed by the Australian Canine Psychology Centre

I'm on p94 & the pibble hasn't really been mentioned yet.This is a thoroughly researched history of Americans' use and misuse of dogs.They seem addicted to owning status/guard dogs (GSD, Rottweiler, Doberman), large powerful breeds that aren't the best choice for family pet.Aside from it being inhumane to keep an animal chained in the yard, unsocialised, untrained, tormented and frustrated: it's a recipe for trouble.200 years before, it was bloodhounds & bulldogs (types, not breeds). The problem is the owners, the victims are often children.An interesting history of America's use & abuse of man's best friend.