To report my neighbours XL bully, it is ruining my life

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https://wagwalking.com/sense/can-dogs-jaws-lock

Report the dog but stop believing shit like “XL bullies generally are genetically wired to try to kill and could turn at any moment.”

Any dog could turn at any moment, given the right circumstances.

"Dogs, by nature, are equipped with powerful jaws. Whether they’re playfully grabbing onto a toy or, in less frequent cases, displaying aggressive behaviour, understanding how to safely get a dog to unlock its jaw is a valuable skill for dog owners and professionals alike. This article sheds light on the mechanics of a dog’s bite, preventive measures, and practical steps to take if you find yourself in a situation where a dog won’t release its grip."

Well that took me five seconds to find on a search.

It may not be much consolation, and I know it can look quite intimidating, but lots of bully breeds stare intently. If it's sitting and not showing any aggression, you are probably fine.

not if it looks doesnt look like a camera, I have one that just looks like a flood light, ive had people who know I have a camera look for it and still not spot it.

irrelevant, the effect is the same

Well I wouldn’t spout about ‘educating’ people too much. It’s physiologically impossible for a ANY breed to lock its jaws. 🤦🏼‍♀️
Anatomically impossible.

I'm fairly sure there's an XL bully near us that get walked.... It's hard for me to tell, but every single time it stops and sits alert, looking directly at and watching my child... "Luckily", I'm on alert for it and we go straight to car, with me between the dog and child... we're only ever a few steps away from the car, which we're often getting into when it passes by around 20m away.

I always rush child into the car, (and Child will be thrown in car if needed!) and door shut as soon as possible. It's awful.

It's all we can do :( I don't know if it is a cl bully or not, I just assume it is going to go for her one day and do whatever I can to keep her safe.

I thought it was illegal to keep an XL bully?

For all of those xl bully apologists a little history on the xl bully blood line for you to educate yourself with...

banthebullyxluk.wordpress.com/2023/08/01/finding-kimbo/

Also a little something to think about, xl bullies have an insanely high prey drive. This can be triggered by high piched noises that children make when playing, babies and children crying, babues, children and adults screaming.

Breed for fighting, they show no steps of warning that normal dogs show, so 0 to death in a blink of an eye.

Their jaws lock and they shake their heads to tear chunks of flesh off from their prey. Xl bullies jaws have been known to stay locked and the dog continues to attack even when police have shot the dog several times.

Let that sink in for a moment...

Op if I were in your shoes, I would move away, yesturday preferably.

You're quite right, sorry - however when you posted that the dog "occasionally nips at people when it is guarding food" it made it sound like an ongoing issue - then you go to say it only fid it "once or twice" 3 years ago.

So people would get confused and wonder why the parents biting dog is ok

I do agree with you that the Bully should be got rid of as it is deadly.

I'm definitely not saying that! The XL is a separate problem. Just checking that no one around you (such as your parents) is minimising the risk of any dog, no matter the size, especially one that's shown aggression. 😊

The bully owner is breaking the law from the sounds, so like others have suggested I'd wait a little while then report.

Christ I wouldn't be able to function with that thing wandering about.
OP, your distress is utterly and completely reasonable, your dh is being an idiot about this, your neighbours are c*s and whatever you do to be free of this godawful beast of an animal, this random person on the Internet here wouldn't judge you for it.
I 100% mean that.
Please try to calm down and think first, OK? All the best and stay safe.

Just to say, I really think your decision to move is wise. This stress and very justified fear is no good at all for you.

(fwiw I also think you're handling the idiots on the thread very well; last thing you need, the deliberate distorters and hard of thinking here!)

I feel I have to wade in just to say: from tragic personal experience, I advise that you don't underplay the damage your parents' dog can cause either. Sure, it couldn't kill an adult, but it could easily maim a child's small soft face causing permanent damage, even without really trying to. Trust me on this!

At some point it may be a LTB situation, sadly.

Can OP genuinely trust DP not to do something stupid like put their child on the dog’s back for a photo?

I'd have chosen a gangland boss over him to be honest. He'd have probably 'sorted' the issue by now (which is more than her drip of her dh is doing.)
Seriously, I feel for the OP. She should just move.

I'm in no way trying to downplay what happened to you by saying this, but it would be prudent to learn what to do when an excited dog approaches you. It shouldn't happen of courser, but it does when people share spaces, I have dogs and the amount of dogs that come running over to us when mine are on lead is worse now than it has ever been.. 'awww they're just friendly' or 'they want to play' etc.. these idiotic dog owners are so entitled as to be stupid and there's no cure for that.

If you get approached by a dog off lead do not scream or make any noise (apart from calling calmly to the owner if necessary), just turn your back to it, if it tries to get around the front of you, just turn again, stay quiet and stay still, completely ignore it, don't look at it.. any sort of interaction invites more interaction from the dog.

My previous dog was a big-ish dog (think labrador size), but the most chill dog that ever lived, the amount of children who would walk past us in the street, then as they were passing by, suddenly and for no reason, they would squeal and flap their arms or run off, I used to think the parents are doing them a disservice by not addressing that complete over-reaction to a calm dog showing no interest in them.. creating that level of excitement in front of an unknown dog (at face height to them too!) is an accident waiting to happen IMO, there are so many idiots around with dogs, staying calm is the best chance you have to protect yourself, otherwise it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy that all dogs that approach you will react to you.

Your partner is a bigger problem than the dog.

Have you really chosen the right man to have a baby with?

Yep 'Truffles' would never bite: "'e's a sweetheart".
On a separate note, where does Truffles sleep? Wherever he wants to. You gonna argue with him?
(joke, obviously)

From 2023:

Public awareness of the American Bully problem has grown in recent months, spurred by some especially horrific attacks, as well as a widely-read article by legal academic and YouTuber Lawrence Newport. Lawrence looked at the data on dog attacks and observed that ‘a notable pattern emerges. In 2021, two of the four UK fatalities were from a breed known as the American Bully XL. In 2022, six out of ten were American Bullies. In 2023, so far all fatalities appear to have been American Bullies.’

American Bullies, Newport explains, ‘are a breed resulting from modern mixes of the American Pitbull Terrier. They are known for very high muscle mass, biting power, and impressive strength, and come in several variations. Those that are bred for the greatest strength, weight and size are known as a part of the American Bully XL variety.’

Pitbulls are banned in Britain for a good reason, and in the US are responsible for ‘60–70 per cent of dog fatalities’; yet under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 ‘the American Bully XL is currently permitted.’

What is surprising, Newport writes, is that ‘if you argue these dogs are dangerous, you will get a flood of comments from people…saying it’s the owner’s fault, not the dog’s. You might even be thinking this yourself, right now. But this is wrong. While many Brits would contend that ‘Guns American Bully XL’s don’t kill people, people do’, the reality is different.

‘Labradors retrieve. Pointers point. Cocker Spaniels will run through bushes, nose to the ground, looking as if they are tracking or hunting even when just playing – even when they have never been on a hunt of any kind. This is not controversial. Breeds have traits. We’ve bred them to have them.’

Pitbulls were created for bull-baiting, and when that was banned, they came to be bred to hunt down rats in a locked pen. ‘This required more speed, so they were interbred with terriers to make Pitbull Terriers. In addition to this, they began to be used for dog fighting: bred specifically to have aggression towards other dogs, and to be locked in a pit to fight (some are still used for this today). These were dogs likely kept in cages, away from humans, and bred for their capacity to earn money for their owners by winning fights. These were not dogs bred for loyalty to humans, these were dogs bred for indiscriminate, sustained and brutal violence contained within a pit.’

One reason for the widespread denial about breed violence might be simple animal sentimentality, a particular trait of the British. Newport cites the case of two American Bully types recently shot by police, an incident which led to a million signatures on a petition calling for the officers to be prosecuted, even though the dogs had attacked other dogs and had previously attacked at least one person: ‘Not only this but the woman who had her dogs attacked by the pair said she was “mortified” that they had been shot and had been “crying ever since”. There are plans for a nation-wide vigil for the dogs.’

https://spectator.com/article/blame-the-breed-not-the-owner-the-truth-about-american-bully-xls/

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