Book Review: 'I'm a Good Dog: Pit Bulls'

October is Pit Bull Awareness Month and so it is fitting that “I’m a Good Dog: Pit Bulls, America’s Most Beautiful (and Misunderstood) Pet" is being released this month.

The book by Ken Foster is a coffee table book  and like any good coffee table book, is filled with wonderful photos.

Most of the photos show pitties how we pit bull lovers see them, either smiling their big toothy grins they are known for, kissing us in the face or sleeping.

The book also contains some late 19th and early 20th century photos and drawings, depicting the dogs how they were seen in their early days.

I’ve read and written about pit bulls since I became interested in their plight during the 2007 Michael Vick case. Ironically, that is the same year a pittie became part of our family when we saw her being dumped and left on the side of a road. 

When I opened the book, I was eager to learn about some of the history of the pit bull as well as where the dog, as a breed (although hard to define), is going.

“I’m a Good Dog” did not disappoint on either front. It told the story of some of the pitties we already know: Petey, the dog from the early 20th century series, “Our Gang,”the tale of the “Victory Dogs” that survived Michael Vick’s torturous abuse and Wallace, the first pit bull to win a World Flying Disc title.

The book also tells us the stories of many of the pits we haven’t heard before like the many that were rescued after Hurricane Katrina, and reminds us that the dog was once viewed so favorably that it was the pitch dog for advertisements such as Buster Brown Shoes.

Like many books I’ve read about pit bulls, Foster displays his best writing when he is penning his own passions about these dogs and the current prejudice against the breed: “From all forbidden love, from Romeo and Juliet on down the line, each time anyone questions or disapproves of our love, we defiantly love each other even more than before.”

He writes in the afterword that studies have shown that Breed Specific Legislation has done nothing but separate families from their pets. “And that is all it accomplishes.”

This book is definitely a worthwhile read for those in love with pitties and those that may need more education about them. It was a quick read; I finished it in one day.

Perhaps we should band together and send a copy to all of the mayors of the cities that have BSL laws in place.

Do you have an inspiring story to share about a pittie in your life? Share it with us in the comments section.