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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Worried about this XL bully

154 replies

brookie26 · 29/09/2023 16:18

We often park our car the back of our house rather than the front as we live on a busy lane. This means our back door is basically our front and we leave through the back majority of the time.

Anyway, today I was leaving my house to pick DC up. There are 2 women walking with an XL bully off the lead. The dog wasn't displaying any aggressive behaviour but I was still really cautious and got in my car quickly.

It turns out the dog lives on the street behind us as it entered via a back gate a few doors down at the bottom of our backstreet.

What worries me is the fact I have a 4 year old who will often run off as soon as we leave the house. I'm forever telling him not to run off in case of cars coming etc but he doesn't listen. I would hate for us to be leaving the house and the dog be there again, off the lead.

Am I worrying about nothing here?

OP posts:
1FootInTheRave · 29/09/2023 17:49

I am a dog owner and dog lover and this would worry me tbh.

My local dog walking field is frequented by a woman and her 5 dogs off lead. One of which is an alsation with zero recall. It hasn't shown aggression so far but I no longer go on there. Mainly because if it runs into my small dog whilst playing, it will really hurt her.

HikingforScenery · 29/09/2023 17:50

No reason for the dog to be off lead. What is wrong with people?

Frequency · 29/09/2023 17:53

@Spanne It wouldn't surprise me if it was real. Having owned dogs all my life I've witnessed unfathomable levels of stupidity from parents in the past including but not limited to the mother and grandparents who allowed their toddler to crawl along the pavement towards my leashed dog growling and then blamed me when my dog decided this was The. Best. Game. Ever. and started barking and play bowing thus startling the child and making it cry.

DelightfullyDotty · 29/09/2023 17:53

I don’t really understand why people are saying you’re hysterical when new laws relating to this type of dog are about to be brought in. Of course all dogs should be on leads in the street. I’m absolutely sick of being intimidated by big dogs and their stupid owners. If someone wants to let their dogs run up to my nervous dog without me screaming they should get a poodle!!

But you need to come up with a plan so there’s absolutely no way that your child can run off. I do understand…I’ve got two autistic children.

Spanne · 29/09/2023 18:04

Frequency · 29/09/2023 17:53

@Spanne It wouldn't surprise me if it was real. Having owned dogs all my life I've witnessed unfathomable levels of stupidity from parents in the past including but not limited to the mother and grandparents who allowed their toddler to crawl along the pavement towards my leashed dog growling and then blamed me when my dog decided this was The. Best. Game. Ever. and started barking and play bowing thus startling the child and making it cry.

Infuriating. I’ve had a toddler throw stones at my dog in a beer garden and another time one wanted to keep bouncing a balloon off his face.

I thought the timing (Friday night, ready for another weekend and a huge dog bashing thread) and the provocative content was a bit whiffy but who knows?

ManateeFair · 29/09/2023 18:08

One thing I've noticed during the whole XL Bully furore is that the vast majority of people now just think all large, muscular bull-terrier or mastiff type dogs are XL Bullies.

First of all, the XL Bully isn't even a recognised breed, so there is no official definition of what an XL Bully even is. What you saw could have been an American bulldog (generally a really affable breed) or a cross between any number of other affable breeds.

What worries me is the fact I have a 4 year old who will often run off as soon as we leave the house. I'm forever telling him not to run off in case of cars coming etc but he doesn't listen

OK, so THIS ^^ is the thing you should be really fucking worried about. What is wrong with you? Your child runs off and doesn't listen when there are cars around, and you're worrying about one dog that doesn't behave aggressively? How many kids do you think get injured by XL bullies in comparison to the number of kids that get injured by cars?

Frequency · 29/09/2023 18:10

It was the same with Pitbull types. Police appointed experts and qualified vets could not tell if a dog was type based on sight alone but Joe Bloggs down the road could swear blind he saw three pedigree pit bulls last week.

ManateeFair · 29/09/2023 18:12

Frequency · 29/09/2023 18:10

It was the same with Pitbull types. Police appointed experts and qualified vets could not tell if a dog was type based on sight alone but Joe Bloggs down the road could swear blind he saw three pedigree pit bulls last week.

@Frequency Absolutely this!

Verv · 29/09/2023 18:12

ManateeFair · 29/09/2023 18:08

One thing I've noticed during the whole XL Bully furore is that the vast majority of people now just think all large, muscular bull-terrier or mastiff type dogs are XL Bullies.

First of all, the XL Bully isn't even a recognised breed, so there is no official definition of what an XL Bully even is. What you saw could have been an American bulldog (generally a really affable breed) or a cross between any number of other affable breeds.

What worries me is the fact I have a 4 year old who will often run off as soon as we leave the house. I'm forever telling him not to run off in case of cars coming etc but he doesn't listen

OK, so THIS ^^ is the thing you should be really fucking worried about. What is wrong with you? Your child runs off and doesn't listen when there are cars around, and you're worrying about one dog that doesn't behave aggressively? How many kids do you think get injured by XL bullies in comparison to the number of kids that get injured by cars?

Edited

It's probably an elderly Staffie, but oh no, put that on a muzzle and lead because Usain Bolt lives in the next street.

Puffinsandcreeks · 29/09/2023 18:15

Was this dog being walked on a pavement or next to a road without a lead on?

If so you can report them for breaking the law, this comes under the road traffic act. The only exception to this is emergency service working dogs.

They ABU for having a dog off lead in a residential area, I hate it when people do this regardless of breed.
YABU for not having control over your son if he is a known bolter.

Bananalanacake · 29/09/2023 18:16

Lakeyloo, Thanks for that, makes sense, I moved to London in 2001 and they weren't around then, interesting how they are cross bred to come up with new breeds,

PandaExpress · 29/09/2023 18:18

YANBU! They should at least have that dog on a lead! I'd feel the exact same way.

Sunnyeggyp · 29/09/2023 18:19

YANBU. Vile creatures and the fact that it was off lead in a neighbourhood shows the sort of owner it has. Unsurprising really.

Puffinsandcreeks · 29/09/2023 18:19

*One thing I've noticed during the whole XL Bully furore is that the vast majority of people now just think all large, muscular bull-terrier or mastiff type dogs are XL Bullies.

First of all, the XL Bully isn't even a recognised breed, so there is no official definition of what an XL Bully even is. What you saw could have been an American bulldog (generally a really affable breed) or a cross between any number of other affable breeds.*

^ this. I've worked professionally with dogs for 10 years and live in an area that has a LOT of dogs. I think I can count on one hand the amount of XL bullies I have seen.

Dogs people are confusing for XL bullies:
Mastiffs
Cane corsos
Rottweiler crosses
Old tyme bulldogs
Dogue de bordeaux

vodkaredbullgirl · 29/09/2023 19:43

I'm yet to see one of these dogs. Should have been on a lead the dog's.

TomatoSandwiches · 29/09/2023 19:51

vodkaredbullgirl · 29/09/2023 19:43

I'm yet to see one of these dogs. Should have been on a lead the dog's.

I've been face to face with an XXL sized one and trust me you would never forget or wrongly identify one afterwards.
We had new neighbours move in opposite and they had a car and a big black van, I knew they had some smaller dogs, a Jack Russell and a mixed fluffy thing at least.

Any way, one day after school drop off I was walking back and he pulled up ahead of me in the van, as I got to the car behind he opened up the back and this thing was sitting there ready to get out.
It stopped me in my tracks, it was the biggest, widest muscular dog I've ever seen, it's head was grotesquely large, it's jaw was like looking into a sharks mouth, absolutely shockingly frighteningji

feelingalittlehorse · 29/09/2023 20:16

The dog being on a lead won’t stop your child running up to it though? So whether it’s on a lead is a bit null and void in that scenario.
Although I think having an unrestrained dog or child in an area where there may be traffic is generally unwise.

Weedoormatnomore · 29/09/2023 21:03

You can report to dog wardens if they are walking the dog without a lead by the roads.

cellarst · 29/09/2023 21:06

This is properly batshit...

CakeInAJar · 29/09/2023 21:10

No I would worry too and I’d be telling them to put it on a lead.

XenoBitch · 29/09/2023 21:14

If your son is a flight risk and has no sense of danger, then it is your responsibility to protect him. He could end up approaching any sort of dog, not just an XL bully.

It is not the dog that is the issue here.

TheHateIsNotGood · 29/09/2023 21:31

We can love our dogs but they might not love our dc as much as we do. I wouldn't have trusted any of my previous Collie and Jack Russell dogs alone around ds when he was a tiny baby coz of jealousy.

I haven't come across this XL Bully breed myself yet but a very good friend of mine has a different breed of dog, crossed with a Rhodesian Ridgeback; somewhat embarrassingly it growls at only 'Black African' people. This shows how deeply some canine qualities are set.

The harmless dog of today might not be so harmless in all situations.

Frequency · 29/09/2023 21:47

I haven't come across this XL Bully breed myself yet but a very good friend of mine has a different breed of dog, crossed with a Rhodesian Ridgeback; somewhat embarrassingly it growls at only 'Black African' people. This shows how deeply some canine qualities are set.

What do you mean by this?

TomatoSandwiches · 29/09/2023 21:59

@TheHateIsNotGood your friend has a dog that can distinguish Black African people from other Black people with different nationalities?

Wow.

MoggyP · 29/09/2023 22:08

XenoBitch · 29/09/2023 21:14

If your son is a flight risk and has no sense of danger, then it is your responsibility to protect him. He could end up approaching any sort of dog, not just an XL bully.

It is not the dog that is the issue here.

Completely agree with this.

As you say, you are also worried about your DC and traffic.

I think you need to start nearer to home, and get your DC's behaviour sorted out.

It's really not in your DC's interests for you to try to deflect this as a dog issue.

(Yes, I agree that off-lead dogs are often a problem, but this one was behaving and conducting itself nicely. Worry about the on-lead ones who are straining at the leash).