Is this an XL Bully?

[Hungrycaterpillarsmummy]

Photo attached.

Sounds like the dog was better behaved than a lot of smaller dogs. The owner had it under control, noticed your unease and moved the dog away from you, not because the dog might attack but because you were obviously uncomfortable. The XL ruling has led to a lot of confusion over what dogs should be muzzled but just because you felt uncomfortable ( and purely it seems based on the look of the dog) doesn’t mean it needs to be muzzled.

Because it's perfectly legal to take your dog for a walk around the park, even if there is a play area nearby.

The dog wasn't behaving badly or acting inappropriately and neither was the owner. He was waiting for his family and then they walked off together.

The police won't be remotely interred and it's such a waste of time and resources to report this.

I would share your fear OP. Not a dog that should be unmuzzled by a children’s playground.

Because it’s a perfectly legit dog, behaving itself. There is no issue here. They were waiting for friends and family and out with th4 kids. There is no rule that says all large dogs can’t be near kids. Give over.

if the op had ever seen a xl bully she’d know. Irrelevant of all the tests, there is no mistaking it, that is not an xl or banned breed.

Doesn't look broad enough, too tall, head hot big enough but very hard to tell from a picture.

So a happy dog playing with a stick under its owners control gets reported because OP doesn’t know what an XL bully looks like?

I'd just be a bit careful OP. You have put this dog on social media, and described where you saw it, who you were with and what you did, and now stated you intend to "report it".

If the owner of the dog sees this he might (understandably) be quite upset with you. As quite possibly he is a responsible owner of a legal breed, being dog-shamed on line for no good reason.

You are running the risk of getting into conflict and arguments in your neighbourhood I would say. Maybe ask to have the thread taken down.

I understand you are acting out of concern, but please think how this fella might feel, having his (possibly perfectly innocent) dog shared on line like this.

@Hedgerow2 yes they're a banned breed and will one day be gone from the UK altogether as nobody can breed or move on etc

To be fair, regardless of breed, it’s a really stupid idea to have an off lead dog in a playground area.

What a ridiculous comment. It's large dog behaving by all accounts impeccably which is more than can be said for many smaller dogs. The bloke was waiting for people to arrive including children by your logic no parent who owns a larger dog can take their children and dog to the park at the same time.

As for the OP what are you reporting, a well behaved dog playing In a park with a considerate owner... Some people just look for stuff to get worked up about.

I am confused why a random ok behaving dog in a park is getting reported and what for.

Based on the second photo 100% not an XL. Almost looks like a boxer cross with that broad chest and small waist. Sounds like a well behaved dog, who he is completely entitled to have off lead. If you'd seen it running amok and terrorising people and dogs I'd understand, or the owner wasn't responsible, but it seems all was ok and handled well.

It still doesn't look like a xl bully it's a big dog and if you are frightened you are frightened but I don't think you need to be worrying about other people's children because you are intimidated by a big scary looking dog. If you are unsure you can report him to the dog warden that there is a suspected bully in the park unmuzzled and let them deal with it.

I don't think the police would even attend looking at the second picture. Have you seen an XL in real life? They're gigantic, broad, large heads, dipped back, muscular, shorter than that.

@Hedgerow2 they are classed as a banned breed by law.

Are you being sarcastic for sport, or do you really never listen to any news or open a paper? 😆

I would also guess at Corso from these pics. I think a well trained Cane Corso in the right hands is a marvellous thing. I suspect that someone with an apparently cropped Corso off lead in a busy park is not going to be the right owner though, so I’d have been wary too.

It looks like the Cane Corso that lives next door.

Good Lord,how do people actually live their lives being this precious about everything? A well behaved dog with it's family at the park and because you don't like the look of it you want to report it? Honestly.

It doesn’t look like an XL to me and it sounds like the dog and owner were behaving responsibly. I don’t know how seriously the police would take any report of a potential XL bully but if they did I would be worried you could be putting the dog and owner through a great deal of distress for no reason. Sometimes the police hold dogs for months and months to behaviour test or breed confirm them before they release them. Maybe worth it if the dog was being aggressive but it wasn’t

It's large dog behaving by all accounts impeccably which is more than can be said for many smaller dogs.

Yep. In my local park it's the small dogs you need to watch out for. The yappy ones who are "just playing" and who have zero recall or training becauase their owners think they're a baby rather than a dog. 🙄

Why would you stand at a child’s play park
Perfectly reasonable!
Walk to the park, child goes in to play, dog isn’t allowed in so we stay outside and dog potters about for a while, child comes out after a play and we carry on our walk.

There are always a few of us around the perimeter with dogs.

OP didn't say it was in the playground, she said it was at the entrance with its' owner, waiting for its family, then they all walked off together.

If you think a dog will go into 'attack mode' purely based on its breed, you are also very naive.

I agree with pp’s it doesn’t look like an XL bully, we have a few around here and they are very distinctive with massive heads, gorgeous but scary dogs.

It looks like the dog I had growing up which was a staffy mix, she was the sweetest thing who wouldn’t hurt a fly and was scared of her own shadow but people were always scared of her because of how she looked which I totally understand.

I think OP is getting a hard time, I am a huge dog lover but when my DC are with me I do get more nervous when I see a dog running around off lead, especially when they were very little like OP’s DC.

The dog sounds absolutely fine and was causing no trouble but it is never a good idea to have any dog off lead near a children’s playpark and I cannot believe how many people seem to think that it is.

That looks like a well behaved dog, with a responsible owner who was aware of both his dog and other people around them. At a guess I'd say it's a mastiff cross, but not an XL.

For a bit of balance, my Spaniel was attack by a Labrador last year, a breed considered benign and an ideal family dog. Some of the most aggressive dogs I've encountered out and about have been small breeds - of course they can't inflict the harm a 60kg-er can, but they can certainly bite badly and scar. I've owned dogs and been around dogs for years, and I wouldn't be concerned about the dog in OPs photos who seems calm, engaged with his toy and well controlled.