Book Review: Pit Bull: The battle over an American icon by Bronwen Dickey

By: Stephanie Keesey-Phelan, Ph.D. Behavior Analysis, BCBA

When you hear the term “pit bull,” what do you think of? Given that this is a dog behavior blog, I suspect that you are likely a dog lover and so “pit bull” likely inspires a similar warm feeling as any other type of dog you might encounter. That being said, not everyone feels positively about pit bulls; in fact, it’s quite the opposite - many people express fear and hate of this breed type. As with any polarizing debate, we can be quite sure that there is more to the pit bull type dog than meets the eye. This is where Bronwen Dickey’s 2016 book Pit Bull: The battle over an American icon comes in. I cannot imagine a more thorough and thoughtful book on literally any topic than this one. Dickey provides a comprehensive history of pit bulls (and quickly dispels the myth that pit bull is a particular dog breed), giving consideration equally to the people who love them, and the people who fear them. 

I probably don’t have to convince experienced dog people (like you, if you’ve made it to our blog!) that these dogs are often misunderstood and misrepresented. So you may question if this is a book you need to read. But let me assure you, dear reader and lover of dogs, it absolutely is. I learned more about pit bulls than I thought possible from this book. The myths and misconceptions about these dogs are as expansive and varied as the dogs themselves. Dickey takes each accusation and examines it under a microscope, showing us how information and facts have been distorted over time and blown out of proportion to give us headlines about how dangerous pit bulls are and how easily they’ll turn on you. Then once we thoroughly understand how we got to this place, Dickey presents the facts and the support for those facts -  that essentially “the overwhelming majority of pit bulls, like most dogs in America, live uneventful lives as family pets” (p. 11).

If this had been all the book was about, it would have been compelling enough. But what really makes this book stand out is Dickey’s social analysis. When we talk about dogs, it can be easy - and comfortable, for many people - to think that we are “just talking about dogs.” But the truth is that dogs and humans have a linked history and we would be remiss to consider pit bulls outside the context of their owners and the populace in general. Dickey shows us the pit bull through its associated lens of prejudice including racism, classism, and sexism. Dickey writes, “As long as there are different classes of people, there will be different classes of dogs'' (p. 19), and goes on to say that “much the same way that pit bulls have been systematically ‘de-caninized’ their owners have been dehumanized” (p. 207). This book made me consider how systemic social problems go beyond the human element to these incredible canines that we share our lives with. It also highlighted that the problem with pit bulls is not a dog problem, but rather a human problem and one that comes back to white supremacy and capitalism (as so many problems do). And human problems need human solutions. It’s not the dogs that need to change, but us. 

Given the time and attention given to both pit bulls and the social justice challenges that are connected to them, this was not an easy book to read. That being said, I cannot possibly recommend this book enough. If you’re going to read one dog-related book this year, Pit Bull should be it!