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Original poster

American Bully XL to be banned by end of year

422 replies

SunshineHello · 15/09/2023 11:51

Rishi Sunak has just announced these dogs are to be banned.

Good riddance - who needs a big aggressive dog like that? It’s hardly a family pet.

I do however suspect the ven diagram of ‘people that own an American Bully XL’ and ‘people who will be interested in following this law’ may have a limited overlap however.

OP posts:
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27
AnotherStrongCoffee · 15/09/2023 13:44

The real issue is the awful breeders and the bad owners. This ban will help for a while and I’m certainly in support of it, but while there are still idiots in society ready to exploit dogs, breed badly and those that want a dog to make them look hard, this problem will never go away for good.

We’ll be here again with another breed very soon.

Finteq · 15/09/2023 13:45

Flamedmoth · 15/09/2023 13:41

This is a classic example. One of these is an xl bully, two are cross breeds, 5 are pedigree of another (currently allowed) set of breeds.

How would you differentiate?

https://help.dogs.ie/knowledge-base/irish-banned-dogs/

Maybe they can follow Ireland's lead and make a restricted dog list with requirements that need to be followed.

I think that list would include all the dogs you've pictured.

Irish banned / restricted breeds of dogs - Dogs.ie Help

What breeds are banned or restricted in Ireland? See the list of dogs that have additional laws around ownership

https://help.dogs.ie/knowledge-base/irish-banned-dogs

Sillybillybythesea · 15/09/2023 13:53

Hopefully they’ll ban all the variations. The head/jaw size makes them equally as dangerous and once a person hits the floor, the dog has total dominance. I’m all for every dog being on a lead in a public place - and I’m a dog lover who’s had them as constant companions since the age of 7. Only yesterday, we met a (“he’s harmless, just wants to play”🙄) giant size labradoodle (sigh … mongrel then). It ran up to my dog who was on a lead and jumped on his back. It then ran off and did the same to a small nervous dog being walked by a girl in school uniform; she was petrified. The middle aged owners then watched their ‘baby’ lovingly as he hurled himself into the river and terrorised some ducks. I love dogs more than most but totally respect people who don’t, people who are scared of them or have cultural reasons for not interacting with them for example. What happened to good old decency, courtesy and respect for other people. I’m all for dogs on leads and if you own a dog that you’re not strong enough to control on a lead, you should be surrendering it.

Interested in this thread?

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Dogs
Thurlarder · 15/09/2023 13:55

Not everyone who has one is buying them as a status symbol. Several people I see on facebook have honestly bought them as family pets. It truly beggars belief. I don't much like dogs anyway, being a cat person through and through (indoor cats!), but these things are truly repulsive and I can't see why anyone would want one.

Devilsmommy · 15/09/2023 13:56

RunningFromInsanity · 15/09/2023 13:40

Because most of the time they aren’t walked like normal pet dogs.
Kept in unsuitable backyards or flats with limited exercise and socialisation.

Then, when they escape or are taken out. The inevitable happens.

Show quote history

this describes how the dogs next door were living. small 2 bed flat and what scares me most was the owner has a 2yo son round them, what if the dogs had attacked the child instead of an adult?

Immoralplant · 15/09/2023 13:57

Good news, but I think the existing ones should be put down.

BeautifulWar · 15/09/2023 13:58

We walked past a woman with an XL Bully - trhankfully she had a tight hold of it as it lunged at us, snarling. My 4yo got one hell of a fright, I grabbed her and pulled her behind me, and I've been thinking what would have happened if the owner hadn't had a firm hold of the lead and it had got free? I know a lot about dog body language and this dog was aggressive. It's been almost a week and I still keep thinking what if it had got free and gone for one of my DC, what would I do?

I've had a very similar experience, it was scary. Neither my daughter or me are scared of dogs generally, but this one was going for anyone that walked by (in a public place) and the owner just about it had hold of it.

It made me nervous to go that way again in case we bumped into them again - who should be made to feel like that, just taking their child to school?

Coincidentally, the owners were the local scumbag drug dealers - wonder what affected them to keeping this horrible breed?

spiderwoooman · 15/09/2023 13:59

Have seen some in the area where I live they are a huge menacing looking breed. The RSPCA stance that a dog's behaviour is down to its owners is such nonsense imo. They are bred from fighting stock, and are inherently aggressive so no one responsible is ever going to want to one. Very glad they are being banned.

Beetlewings · 15/09/2023 13:59

Wishahwas · 15/09/2023 12:06

I don’t think it will work as those who have created this mess will simply move onto something else. Needs Much more severe punishment on dog breeders and owners should their dog become a weapon.

Where can you go from an xl bully though?

RunningFromInsanity · 15/09/2023 13:59

No one denies that bad owners make bad dogs.
But we really need to move on from the ‘deed not breed’ mentality.

BeautifulWar · 15/09/2023 13:59

Oh yes, and they also lived in a small flat with a young child.

Devilsmommy · 15/09/2023 14:01

@BeautifulWar its fucking irresponsible dumbassery. these people should have their kids removed from them, its neglect to let that kind of dog be around a baby

Marmite17 · 15/09/2023 14:02

Really awful. I hope you are eventually OK.

BeautifulWar · 15/09/2023 14:03

@Devilsmommy totally agree with you there!

Marmite17 · 15/09/2023 14:05

Devilsmommy · 15/09/2023 13:07

Thank god. I watched my neighbour get mauled to death by two of them yesterday, I'm still shaking now. The most horrific thing I've ever seen

Last comment was in response to this. Can't imagine how horrific this must have been.

Daveismyhero · 15/09/2023 14:06

SunshineHello · 15/09/2023 12:17

Update on existing American Bullies.

They will have to be muzzled in public, and on the lead at all times. They will be legally required to be neutered.

If they have a history of aggression, they will be put down.

@Daveismyhero its pretty breed specific - nearly all fatal dog attacks in the U.K. now involve American Bully XLs.

Where are you getting the statistics from? I've just tried to have a look and all I can find is that dog breeds are not put on deaths certificates and the breed most likely to bite in the UK last year was the Jack Russell terrier. Though I appreciate that the damage that can be done by the XL bully is much more severe due to strength and size. But what does this mean for other large mastif breeds or breeds that are classed as livestock guardian dogs? Will there now be a stigma against these well bred, stable dogs?
I've done a little bit of reading into the XL bullies as they are not my breed so I don't know a lot about them. It turns out they aren't actually a breed, more a type, and they cannot be ethically bred. There is so breed standard in terms of look or temperament for these dogs so surely once the government defines the "type" and has all those dogs destroyed, the non-ethical breeders will continue to breed outside of "type" and the problem still exists.
Dog licensing and heavily regulating dog breeding is the only long term fix for this problem.
Additionally, I can see some comments about neutering etc. The up to date research actually shows that neutering can make aggression worse in dogs. My vet is a huge advocate for keeping dogs intact unless there is a medical reason for neutering. He showed me and discussed in depth with me all of the up to date research when we discussed neutering my dog. Ultimately I decided to follow the advice of the vet and not get him neutered.
I am in no way fighting the corner of the XL bully here, I just think there is far more to take into consideration

SpideyWoman1 · 15/09/2023 14:06

A few years ago I would have been disappointed to read this. But as a mother and someone who has had quite a serious dog bite from a much smaller breed of dog (12kg) that still went down to my bone who was actually really well trained but acting out of fear, not aggression. I’m pleased.

Im willing to get on a hill and say what I see is a growing majority who can’t manage their dogs. The consequence of a bite from a dog like this is drastic and I’d just rather not risk it.

I‘m starting to consider not accepting dogs at my business because I’ve had so many who have presented with aggression and who’s owners 1) haven’t had the courtesy of forewarning me so I can take precautions and in one instance let their dogs jump out the car and snarl/snap in my two year olds face (dog approached my child and it was in an area it shouldn’t have been) and 2) seem to have no idea how to manage said behaviour and have some pretty poor handling.

People don’t value basic dog training and dog behaviour knowledge at all.

SidekickSylvia · 15/09/2023 14:11

DustyLee123 · 15/09/2023 12:21

There’s a young looking Doberman in my village with a stub tail, but then perhaps it was taken off for medical reasons.
The fact is that it needs policing to work.

My dog's brother had his tail docked, due to constantly and enthusiastically wagging it and whacking it on door frames etc. Some dogs are just too happy for their own good 😊.

I'm relieved that something is finally being done about American/XL Bullies. I'm on high alert when I walk my dog, quickly scanning the area for them - particularly in woods or wherever they're likely to be off lead.

LoonyLois · 15/09/2023 14:13

There are so many puppies for sale on the popular sites at the moment, makes you wonder if people will go and get one now before the legislation comes into place. It’s scary

Devilsmommy · 15/09/2023 14:14

@Marmite17 thank you, yes it was horrific. no amount of video footage of dog attacks comes even close too seeing it in real life. im still shaky everytime i think, what if id been walking down the street with my little one? it just doesnt bear thinking about

AIstolemylunch · 15/09/2023 14:17

Daveismyhero · 15/09/2023 14:06

Where are you getting the statistics from? I've just tried to have a look and all I can find is that dog breeds are not put on deaths certificates and the breed most likely to bite in the UK last year was the Jack Russell terrier. Though I appreciate that the damage that can be done by the XL bully is much more severe due to strength and size. But what does this mean for other large mastif breeds or breeds that are classed as livestock guardian dogs? Will there now be a stigma against these well bred, stable dogs?
I've done a little bit of reading into the XL bullies as they are not my breed so I don't know a lot about them. It turns out they aren't actually a breed, more a type, and they cannot be ethically bred. There is so breed standard in terms of look or temperament for these dogs so surely once the government defines the "type" and has all those dogs destroyed, the non-ethical breeders will continue to breed outside of "type" and the problem still exists.
Dog licensing and heavily regulating dog breeding is the only long term fix for this problem.
Additionally, I can see some comments about neutering etc. The up to date research actually shows that neutering can make aggression worse in dogs. My vet is a huge advocate for keeping dogs intact unless there is a medical reason for neutering. He showed me and discussed in depth with me all of the up to date research when we discussed neutering my dog. Ultimately I decided to follow the advice of the vet and not get him neutered.
I am in no way fighting the corner of the XL bully here, I just think there is far more to take into consideration

Show quote history

Gosh you're not looking very hard are you.

Google

List of fatal dog attacks in the UK
List of fatal dog attacks in the US

Reddit
/r/BanPitBulls

LlynTegid · 15/09/2023 14:19

Parliament if in session could pass a law within a week, or even be recalled. End of the year is far too long.

All you need is an amendment to the existing Dangerous Dogs Act.

Wishahwas · 15/09/2023 14:19

Replying to @Beetlewings
I don’t know, maybe various crosses eg bully + non bully, but a clue will be when those awful online pup selling sites have a breed or two increase massively in value thus showing trend and demand. Terrible breeding in certain breeds and here we go again.

I do agree that something needed to be done, even though it won’t work if nothing else is put in place and quickly

SweetBirdsong · 15/09/2023 14:19

LlynTegid · 15/09/2023 14:19

Parliament if in session could pass a law within a week, or even be recalled. End of the year is far too long.

All you need is an amendment to the existing Dangerous Dogs Act.

THIS! ^ No need to wait almost 4 months. Ban them now!

SweetBirdsong · 15/09/2023 14:20

LoonyLois · 15/09/2023 14:13

There are so many puppies for sale on the popular sites at the moment, makes you wonder if people will go and get one now before the legislation comes into place. It’s scary

Exactly why they need to be banned NOW, like today!