Pick It Up: What Every Dog Lover in New York City Needs to Hear by Christian Alexander

The single greatest threat to the human–dog relationship is not aggression, or fear, or misunderstanding. It is indifference. The slow, creeping assumption that someone else will handle it. That the rules do not quite apply. That love for your dog somehow exempts you from the responsibilities that come with sharing a city with millions of other people.

I have written this book because I love dogs and I love the people who love them. Because I believe that the relationship between dogs and the communities where they live can be repaired and strengthened. Because I have seen, again and again, that when people understand the full picture — really understand it, not just the rules but the why — they make better choices.

The city we are building together is one where dogs are genuinely welcome because their owners have genuinely earned that welcome. Where parks are safe for children and dogs alike. Where neighbours trust each other to take care of shared spaces.