recommended reading

Our volunteers have put together this suggested reading list. PBRC encourages owners to use positive reinforcement methods when training their dogs. The titles and authors indicated on this list utilize positive training methods. Reading about canine behavior and training can help you to better understand how your dog learns and how to train him to be a great companion. If you are having a serious behavior issue with your pet, PBRC encourages owners to seek the help of a certified trainer or behaviorist who uses positive methods. While a book can help you begin to understand significant behavior issues, it is not a substitute for hands-on help when you have a serious behavior problem. We recommend using the Association of Pet Dog Trainers website, American Pet Dog Trainers - APDT  to search for a trainer.
Many of these books can be ordered here, and you can help pit bulls when you shop:
Breed Information
Working Pit Bull by Diane Jessup
Essential Pit Bull by Ian Dunbar
Pit Bulls For Dummies by D. Caroline Colie, Ph. D.
Canine Behavior
Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell
For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend by Patricia McConnell
How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren
Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide by Brenda Aloff
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas
Dog Behavior by Ian Dunbar
Understanding Behavior and Learning
Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor
Accelerated Learning by Pamela Reid
Basic Training
The Power of Positive Training by Pat Miller
Dog Training in 10 Minutes by Carol Lea Benjamin
Leader of the Pack by Patricia McConnell
Before You Get Your Puppy by Ian Dunbar
After You Get Your Puppy by Ian Dunbar
Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training by Pamela Dennison
Click for Joy! by Melissa Alexander
Family Dog Training by Patricia McConnell
Clicking with Your Dog: Step-by-Step in Pictures by Peggy Tillman
Specific Behavior Issues
Mine! by Jean Donaldson (resource guarding)
Dogs Are From Neptune by Jean Donaldson (general problem behaviors)
Feisty Fido by Patricia McConnell (dog reactivity, leash aggression)
I’ll Be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell (separation anxiety)
The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell (shy and fearful dogs)
Feeling Outnumbered by Patricia McConnell (multiple dog households)
Click To Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog by Emma Parsons
Aggression in Dogs by Brenda Aloff
How To Right a Dog Gone Wrong by Pamela Dennison
Bringing Light to Shadow by Pamela Dennison
Help For Your Fearful Dog by Nicole Wilde
Sports, Obedience, and Foundation Training
In Focus! by Judy Keller
Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt
Disc Dog by Peter Bloeme and Jeff Perry
Beginning Nosework by Roy Hunter
When Pigs Fly: Training Success For Impossible Dogs by Jane Killion
Trick School for Dogs - Fun Games to Challenge and Bond by Manuela Zaitz
Dog Bite Prevention and Research
Fatal Attacks by Karen Delise
The Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise
Dogs Bite, but Balloons and Slippers are More Dangerous by Janis Bradley
Dog Bites: a Position Paper by Janis Bradley
Rescue
The Dogs Who Found Me by Ken Foster
Dogs I Have Met by Ken Foster
Lost and Found by Elizabeth Hess
Rescue Me! Your Guide to Selecting, Adopting and Caring for a Shelter or Rescue Dog by Bardi McLennan
The Sweet Souls of Sanctuary by Tomi DiCapua
Websites
PBRC
Animal Farm Foundation
BADRAP