XL Bully Around Children

[Popcornlassie28]

Hi,

My SIL has decided to buy a XL bully dog (yes I know they are in the process of being banned by the government).

I was bitten by a bully type dog as a child when I was round a friend’s house having a play date so I’m naturally on edge about this.

I have two small children (and she has an older school age child) and I’ve expressed I’m not comfortable with the children visiting the house with the dog there but she is welcome to visit us here.

They think I’m being OTT and said that the dog is fine and not all are aggressive. She is refusing to muzzle or put the dog away as she said it’s a pet that needs to be socialised with people and putting the dog away will add to the issue.

Seeing all the news about these dogs at the moment makes me think I’m being responsible as one bite can kill and be devastating.

I know it’s a nature verses nurture debate and people think it’s how they are raised and not their breed but I don’t know enough about this breed to comment.

Am I being unreasonable to not allow the children over?

I agree.

I have a spaniel who came from a working line.

He is lovely wonderful dog and has been an easy to train in nearly every area. Apart from.. if he gets near a bird. He killed a few when he was a puppy. Once he got one in his mouth, he didn’t even know what to do with it - he just looked a bit shocked and clueless and dropped them, but they died of shock I think.

We have been able to improve his recall since then and he will come back even if a bird is nearby - but I still see his eyes light up when he sees one, and it isn’t in a good way!

That drive is just in him, nothing to do with him being malicious or the type of owners we are. He couldn’t care less about cats or killing any creatures generally (he is even scared of hamsters) but the bird urge is from his breeding.

It's not much comfort if you are attacked and someone says to you it's the owner.

Truthfully it's both. The dog and the owner.

These dogs make my blood run cold they are killers …I’d not go anywhere near one.

nothing would change my mind if they turn that’s it you’ve no chance…they have no place in society and should be banned.

Beggars belief anyone with kids would consider getting one they must have a death wish to do so

Do not let your children anywhere near that dog and do let your sister ever look after your children for fear that she might let the dog near them. I would not trust this at all. Even if she says the dog won’t be there / she’ll take them out without the dog do not believe her.

It's funny how nobody has any issue with acknowledging that sheepdogs like to herd, bloodhounds like to sniff, Jack Russells like to chase small animals, etc... until you get to bully breeds, when suddenly it's a taboo to acknowledge that they like to fight and kill other animals. The absolute stupidity of humans thinking that a dog's genetics and ancestors and bloodline have absolutely nothing to do with the likelihood of a dog killing someone. Oh no, the owners caused that to happen. Just like someone who raises a tiger from being a tiny cub must have raised it wrong for it to snap and maul them one day.

@hjytrjulykuyh it’s usually the same idiots who say deed not breed yet in the next breath say labradors are more likely to bite, or chihuahuas are savages as a deflection from their own breeds terrible statistics. So by that logic breed traits don’t affect bullies but they do others? Or they say all bullies are ‘softies’, so friendliness is heritable but aggression not?

Makes me want to say make your mind up, either breed makes a difference or it doesn’t. These people clearly don’t understand genetics.

I genuinely cannot comprehend the stupidity of people who think having dogs descended from the likes of “Most Wanted (Killer) Kimbo”, “Castros Bull” and “Unstoppable Juggernaught” are destined to be fluffy cuddle-monsters.

Get yourself a lovely, gentle, well-trained tiger. Then invite her and her kids round for tea.

These XL's often turn aggressive when they reach around the age of two.
Most UK ones are massively inbred with ''Killer Kimbo'' in their background several times over {a human aggressive XL Pitbull that killed a sweet little step daughter of it's owner}
She's a complete fool in my opinion, putting her children, other adults and other dogs and cats at risk.
She won't be able to hold the bloody thing back once it's matured.

She won't be able to hold the bloody thing back once it's matured

This is a big problem. So often the large men of the household pick up these dogs, then expect their wife to walk it.

This.
We had a horrible incident with one because of this.
Woman utterly incapable of holding the bloody thing.
I damaged my back and tendons in my hand trying to restrain the wretched thing.

At least my little dog was able to get away because of this- {mine was on a lead and this off lead thing charged}

I am used to horses and the low centre of gravity of this monster was far harder to hold back than a 16.2 TB colt.

This is very true and I have seen this so often not just XL Bully's but other large breeds and the women clearly cannot cope with it.

These men also tend to be the same ones who say they don't need to take their dogs to training as they had them growing up and know it all already 🙄

oh yes- the “ Self training “ Dog that pulls like a tank, is disrespectful of people’s personal space , jumps up, barks non stop and is a complete pain in the backside around other dogs, children and adults .

Too many of those about.
An elderly lady was pulled flat on her face by her son’s Bull breed-
She didn’t stand a chance.

Her son had left her with this massive dog which hadn’t been trained to walk on a loose lead.

@oakleaffy I have horses and as a result walk my big (not bully) dogs in headcollars. It gives so much more control than a collar or a harness. Why do people with large muscular animals think they can hold them back with something designed to be pulled into!

@Popcornlassie28 Is your sister definitely going ahead and getting this dog? Has she researched the puppy's bloodline? Does she have children?

If she is stupidly not prepared to listen to all the warnings of aggression in this dog then has she at least considered the financial implications of owning an xl bully? She will need to apply for an exemption certificate (£93), pay to get them neutered (£200), pay for third party insurance (£££!). She can also forget putting the dog in kennels if she wants to go away anywhere as nowhere would take it due to the risk.

You are absolutely doing the right thing and I would not let myself or my children anywhere near this dog.

Holy smokes
Details of Dogs Trust XLBully they allowed to be adopted out recently that had to be shot
after mauling it’s owner

Details of those severe injuries have now come to public knowledge .
The poor woman was in ICU with her body basically shredded.

The owner said it was “ Soft” til it turned savage and saw the opportunity to seriously maul the woman it supposedly “ Loved”

These are such unstable dogs.

It’s horrifying how they just turn after being “ soft”
Something seriously amiss with them
DNA related I’d think.

They seem to have a vanishingly tiny fuse and are easily triggered to serious savagery.

I know a really big strong dog like an XLB is beyond me, a fit woman of 5'8", to physically control if it chose to misbehave. It took ages for me to be able to take my old rescue lab out walkies without help, it was too tiring being pulled everywhere as, unfortunately, he wasn't loose lead trained or trained at all as far as I could see, and had to be taught everything, including 'sit' from scratch. Having never had walks before, even he got a bit overexcited when we went out and I certainly couldn't have managed a bigger, more muscular, dog safely. Gentle as a lamb otherwise and always tried his best to please, we got there in the end as he was such a good boy. My concern is, how is the poor XLB able to get sufficient exercise and stimulation if it can't be let off the lead to run or socialize with other dogs? Dogs need to have a good run and also companionship. It's unlikely to be welcome in other people's homes and public places, even if it's muzzled and she'll probably have to leave it at home a lot. I wouldn't let my children go to a house where there's a dog which has been bred to be aggressive - the breed was originally developed for fighting. It'll be a liability. I think your sister may be trying to wind you up but if not, what is she thinking of! Maybe she's trying to 'rescue ' this puppy but if so she's in for a bit of a shock as it gets bigger and she will have to comply with the law, which isn't going to lead to a particularly easy and fulfilling life for the dog. That's assuming there's no bad breeding and it's got a good temperament which does seem to be an issue with the breed.

That is such a stupid thing to do . The insurance will be expensive , the food will be expensive , will have to register the dog . Won’t be able to walk it with a muzzle and best of luck with training classes .

I agree keep clear of the dog .

The comments on this sadden me so so much.
I am a single parent of a 7 year old little girl.
We have an Xl bully coming up 2 in February. Just me my daughter and our male xl.

He is our gentle giant, he will play fight with me if I instigate it but no matter how much my daughter instigates a play fight he will not tolerate it. He knows he can't not nibble her fingers or even try and play fight with her.
He will protect her at all costs, and I wouldn't change our dog for the world or worry about him around my daughter.
Think what you will.
Bring your dog up well and you'll be able to trust it, simple as that. And bring your children up well to know how to behave around a dog. Simple.

MANY BIG DOGS CAN DO DAMAGE.
To many to list along side size..
Don't bully my bully.

This thread is a year old you must have been searching specifically for XL bully threads?

Give her time and she will be back writing about the death of her daughter

Yep and how many people have said that *sophgclark191095

“oh it was always so good with the children, oh it never showed aggression before and it was so protective”

sorry but I think having one of them in a house with a child is plain and utterly stupid, why the hell would you take the chance.

can you honestly say hand on heart you are 100% sure it won’t turn. And before you go on that any dog can turn- yes they can but this breed is responsible for the most deaths as they literally rip people to pieces.

You are literally putting the dog before your child. As a mother any sniff of potential danger to my child that I could control would be eliminated. Put the dam thing down and get another breed of dog, preferably one that is not bread for fighting.

If you had a gun with a million bullets but only one is live, would you fire it at your child? That’s what you are doing every time your child is with an XL.

I would not attained any family event with a dog like this.
full stop.
song the rest of your family prefer for the dog to be there than you you also get a sense of their priorities
but I would not attend a family with a dog like this. Full stop.