To think this just sums up XL Bully owners?

[Ozarkz]

Look North last night. Peter Levy is interviewing a woman who owns two XL Bullys. Both cropped and docked which she says happened in another country before she got them (yeah, course it did).

Peter asks her “so why do people want these dogs in the first place, what’s the attraction for you?”

She replies “well I wanted dogs that were good with kids and famines and stuff so we got XL Bully’s cos they’re great with kids”

Wtf? If I didn’t know better I’d swear this was a spoof interview. Good with kids and families?? These dogs have been responsible for the most human deaths in dog attacks in the UK in recent years!!! Just last week an 11 year CHILD was attacked by one of these dogs … so when looking for a child friendly dog she bypasses the golden retriever etc and goes for the breed with the biggest track record of killing humans …

He then asked her if she will comply with the muzzle when the laws are changed - she said NO.

Then the cherry on the cake … he asked her “would you leave your child alone with these dogs?” And she said “yes, absolutely. I leave my two year old alone with them all the time whilst I’m busy making dinner etc”

Honestly the interview couldn’t have been any more gobsmacking.

This just sums up XL bully owners doesn’t it? Thick as pig shit with no regard to their own safety or the safety of others.

Not during the attack, they appeared afterwards and were very upset about their dog. The worrying thing is they had two children with them and were annoyed that we’d called the police as DH had been bitten. I’ve asked the police numerous times for an update if they were charged or anything but it’s very difficult to get information as we’re in Scotland and the couple were from England.

YANBU. It makes me despair when people say ‘It’s the owner, not the breed.’

Yes, but the trouble so often lies with the ‘breed’ of owner! If not wilfully ignorant, like the OP’s example, then actively wanting a potentially aggressive, intimidating type of dog - because that is also the ‘breed’ of the owner.

I say this as a lover of dogs in general.

@Oldsu have you seen, in real life not on video, what happens when a large bully/ pit bull or mastiff does attack another dog? I think if you had, you might see why comparisons with Labradors aren't helpful. Personally I don't think the XL bullies currently around should all be destroyed. I do think they should all be neutered.

As great as it is that some of them, with a huge amount of training from someone who knows what they're doing, are tolerant of other dogs, I don't think it means that they as a breed or type, overall, are safe. It's like saying guns are safe because trained police officers are fine with them. That doesn't, of course, mean it's suddenly ok to retract the gun laws. (And that's before we start on how dangerous the police can be).

The issue with XL bullies is their size and power, coupled with a killer instinct in many of them that can make them absolutely lethal to humans and to many other animals. Labradors can be a bit dubious, but they don't go for your throat and hold on until you're dead, or they are, because you looked at them a bit funny. And honestly, as someone used to reading animal body language, some of these dogs really are hair trigger and change mood in the blink of an eye. You don't get the gradual build up of signs that you get in the majority of other breeds. We don't need a knee jerk reaction to them, but we do need a very careful examination of how they are kept and we need to put measures in place to ensure the safety of all animals and people around them.

Well, us. We are decent people who run a company. We are not involved in any underworld of criminal behaviours and neither is our accountant. I seriously doubt any of his clients are. He is not a stupid, knuckle-dragging low-life, they are a respectable couple who just happen to have a dog of a breed with a terrible reputation. I believe a relative gave them the dog, I didn't know they had one at all until it was "we'll have to get home soon to let the dog out" and I said, "I didn't know you had a dog, Angela. What sort is it?" She said XL Bully and I immediately lost interest because like I said, they're not my cup of tea and I don't see why people like them... so I didn't really listen closely to her explanation of how they got it.

It's extraordinary though how negatively this breed is viewed that everyone who has anything to do with them is automatically suspect. They are nice, decent people we have known for over two decades - they give their time and effort to charitable causes, they are not stupid by any means - and I hope their belief that their particular dog is OK is not unfounded. It's not a guard dog, it's just a pet. It's not docked or anything like that. (She showed me a photo on her phone, I haven't seen it in RL.)

I wouldn't have one for any reason, but I am sure there are owners out there who are not bad or stupid people just because they do.

And as an aside - about a few incidences of "accidental" breeding. Presumably this happens when the dog is off leash and outside the owners control...in the case of both dogs.....but (to me) that doesn't inspire confidence that the owners would have better control in a different situation if it was about to attack for example.

I'm not falling for the 'oh I accidentally bred purebred puppies. Silly me. Now I'll have to sell them for £££s. Oh I'd better make sure I place them really carefully with degree educated people. And maybe my accountant.

?

This. Accidental my arse. If your dog isn't neutered, litters are a possibility. The end.

I put accidentally in inverted commas because I'm equally sceptical it was accidental.....but by saying it happened without their knowledge/planning doesn't inspire confidence they have full control over their dog

Blackpool Police don't seem to mind XL Bullies.

So what if they turned for what ever reason could those police stop them?

No is your answer.

These dogs are dangerous full stop.

How about all the advocates for these ridiculous dogs get put in an arena with a bad tempered pissed of one and if they can come out unscathed after tackling it with their bare hands they can have a licence to keep one. 😂

And police are all decent people who abhor violence?

The new law is NOT to destroy well behaved XL bully's or their ilk, its to demand that they are neutered and muzzled in public which is fair In the circumstances. There is a problem with identifying them though. Those nice responsible people who took on an unwanted dog are doing that because they didn't want to see a dog put down by the sounds of it. Neutering would cut down on the need for this to happen. Muzzling would keep people safer IF the dog turned. It's about why people would choose to choose to pay £1000 s to buy a puppy and then not neuter it...doesn't take Einstein to work it out

There was an interesting thread ( I think it was an AMA - ask me anything) from a dog owner who had a dangerous breed. I did a search and can't find it though.

Very insightful as to why someone may chose to have one of these dogs.

@VeloVixen https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/11/21/telford-baby-death-week-old-boy-dies-after-dog-bite/

This was relatively local to me, unfortunately it does happen.

And? Police also walk around with tasers, batons etc. does it mean that the local drug dealers should have them too just because the police do?

Of course, the owner of the Lab puppy should not have allowed this to happen. He was 100% at fault.

However - the key issue here is that a Lab Puppy does not have the capability to maul in the same way! This was a mere slight inconvenience to the Bully owner.

If the situation had been reversed the Lab Puppy would have been dead.

Do you see the difference?

Two things I’ve always said and will stand by forever.

1. it’s not the dog, it’s the owner/previous owner/breeder
2. There’s only 2 types of people who own breeds like pitties/bullies. 1 type is rescuers saving these dogs from horrible environments. The 2nd type is the people who put those dogs in those environments in the first place.

attacks on humans make the news but attacks on dogs rarely do but they are devastating just the same and a horrible way to die. My dog is a large male and he does get unwanted attention from other dogs sometimes. Some will stare and posture, little dogs often bark. He generally ignores them. But I am terrified if I see an XL bully and I go the other way. I love all dogs and think you can go a long way with good training but there’s just something about them I don’t trust around my dog. They are bold and brazen and have attitude and I can see my dog tense up around them. Plus I know what they are capable of. Most of the time I’m probably worrying about nothing but I stay well clear of them.

Another dog attack

I'd be very interested to see an actual photo of this dog but apparently 'bull mastiff type' and another thread running on MN about a dog killing a cat. Again I think I can guess what type of dog.

Basically there seems to be a huge percentage of the population that think it's perfectly okay to have unrestricted ownership of powerful bull breeds. And actually the more unsuitable the breed, the more the divs seem attracted to them. Funny that.

For those saying 'they'll move onto another breed', maybe but no type of dog is more attractive to 'problem people' than bull breeds. All bull breeds

Restricting bull breed ownership I. E. Making it very difficult to own one and even harder to breed them is one step towards a safer community for decent people. Hopefully those passionate about SBTs/proper KC reg Mastiffs (decent people that show and breed their dogs) will also have the sense to see something needs to be done and will be happy to comply with stricter licencing for bull breeds if it means less attacks on innocent people and animals.

The dog on the video looks too small to be a Mastiff so it is likely to be an XL bully /American Staff type again. It would hardly be a surprise.

Did you see the footage of the boy who was attacked while playing football in front of his house the other day? I cried when I saw it. The horror on his face as he's there, alone, being attacked by a massive brute of a dog. Ban the lot of them.

I completely disagree. There are other factors that you haven't taken into account.

Put it this way, you don't see doctors or lawyers as owners of this breed.
They're definitely going to be one fry short of a Happy Meal.

Not true. They're not just owned by the underclass. Many are, yes. But plenty of 'normal' people have them too.

This in spades.