The following titles are a great start if you just want to learn more about pitbulls. If you haven’t already bought the “dummies” edition on pitbulls, I would advise you to go ahead and skip that one. Don’t feel bad, I bought it too.
The Working Pit Bull: by Diane Jessup. This book is an excellent read. Lots of great pictures and accurate info. Diane Jessup is a well known name in the bully world and is strong voice for the breed. A very informative book and covers a broad range of the bully world.
The Ultimate American Pit Bull Terrier: by Jacqueline O’neil. I liked this book a lot. I found it very informative and used it to help me with my website. I would definitely recommend it.This next list of titles contain books which aren’t all pit bull books, but are must haves for all bully enthusiasts.
Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics. by Karen Delise. I cant tell you how much I love this book. It has a great in depth look on every recorded fatal dog attack from 1965 to 2001. It documents the situation and breed involvement in each attack. It also has some great information on dog aggression. I highly recommend this book.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier: In History and Sport: by Mike Homan. This book is out of print but you can still find it on the web. It will be a bit pricey but its well worth it, let me tell you. It has great historical information and pictures. It will help you understand where the APBT came from.
A Complete History of Fighting Dogs: by Mike Homan. I haven’t bought this book yet, but it’s definitely on my list. It has been highly recommended to me from other bully lovers.
History of Fighting Dogs: by Dieter Fleig. This is a shorter book also with great, large, historical photos. It has some great information on all the blood sports of the original fighting dogs. Yet again another great book to learn about the pit bull’s past.
Fighting Dog Breeds by Dieter Fleig. I enjoyed this book too. While not all about bully breeds, it covers all the breeds who’s history was as a fighting dog. Breeds from all over the world are listed with a brief analysis and lots of pictures to help identify each breed.
Colby’s Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier: by Louis Colby with Diane Jessup. The reason I really like this book is because it’s the only book, that I’ve found, to cover the APBT’s start in the U.S.. Colby was one of the pioneers for breeding game dogs in the states. He has a distinct line and still exists today. I respect the care and diligence that went into his breeding practices. While I may disagree with the act of fighting dogs, I can not help but thank him for maintaining the integrity of the breed throughout history. A really good read in the end.
