Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon

The controversial story of one infamous breed of dog--a New York Times Bestseller ("Animals" list).

When Bronwen Dickey brought her new dog home, she saw no traces of the infamous viciousness in her affectionate pit bull. Which made her wonder: How had the breed—beloved by Teddy Roosevelt and Helen Keller—come to be known as a brutal fighter? Dickey’s search for answers takes her from nineteenth-century New York dogfighting pits to early twentieth‑century movie sets, from the battlefields of Gettysburg to struggling urban neighborhoods. In this illuminating story of how a popular breed became demonized--and what role humans have played in the transformation--Dickey offers us an insightful view of Americans' relationship with their dogs.

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• The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression
• The American Pit Bull Terrier Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks)
• The Found Dogs: The Fates and Fortunes of Michael Vick's Pitbulls, 10 Years After Their Heroic Rescue
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• Training Your Pit Bull (Training Your Dog Series)