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?

And this exactly the issue 'He will protect her at all costs' For God sake.

100% no way would I let my children near that breed

No one in their right mind would have an XL Bully around their children let alone brag about it. They're all 'gentle giants' until they flip and tear someone's throat out or rip a child to pieces.

The problem with this is that you will never, NEVER react faster than a dog. You can be standing beside it and you will not be quick enough.
Also, wrt observation: yes, it's important but it won't protect you in this case. The vast vast majority of dogs, in common with every other animal, do NOT want to resort to aggression. They will show a dozen signs before they are 'forced' to bite.
Conversely, a dog which has been bred for generations to win fights won't dick about raising its hackles and licking its lips and showing the type of body language that's intended to warn off its 'opponent' or avert conflict. It will likely bypass all of that and just get stuck in, inflicting violent life-threatening injuries faster than you can scream "Oh my God!" The odd gentle one is a breed failure, in fact. THAT is what makes them lethal.
People are notoriously bad at reading animal body language but an XL bully won't show you much body language anyway.

I'd not let my children anywhere near it - or her - ever again. It shows an incredible lack of judgement

So sadly naive….many XL Bully owners have had this view until their dog has mauled someone. Unfortunately this “blindness” of reality affects many dog owners that ultimately they are an animal and can never ever be 100% trusted….it is just some breeds are far worse.

2yr is right around the magic mauling age for XL Bullies. Hence the huge numbers of attacks a couple of years after so many people got their pitbull puppies in lockdown.

That poster is so naive, and I just hope if anyone pays the price it's her, the one who has chosen to bring this dog into the child's home, and not the daughter, who absolutely has no say in it. And I sincerely hope strangers aren't harmed, who have done nothing wrong other than try to go about their day.

Being mauled to death by an animal is a horrifying, painful, terrifying way to die. Just the relentlessness of it, knowing you're seriously in danger, and nobody coming to help or being able to stop it. I have no sympathy for anyone who willingly chooses to bring a pitbull into their home against all sense.

@hjytrjulykuyh ….if people want to see what it is like, view videos on Facebook of people on Safari. Total raw nature as it is but seeing a lion maul a buffalo is exactly the same except in relation to the Bully’s and Pitbuls the victim is usually a human being

@Popcornlassie28

I see this is a thread you started in 2023. It was commented on recently again.

How is the situation now? Does your sil still have the XL bully dog?

They often turn rogue after two.
look at statistics.
The one that savaged The little American girl to death was “ Her dog” he was so say “sweet and protective “ of her til he flipped- and then he “wanted her” according to her devastated mother - he smashed through a door to get to the child.
Mia Derouen.

Unhinged, unstable dogs for insecure people.

I'm actually scared that "sad" poster's little girl will be the one that is harmed. Especially if her XL is now 2 which seems to be the trigger age. I was out with our small toddlers before Christmas at a park and as we got back to our car someone walked by with an XL bully unmuzzled. The owner was effing and blinding at his girlfriend beside him and the lead was more like a rope. I was genuinely terrified. The thing's shoulders were like rippling muscle. It whipped it's head round as we walked by and I tried to fast walk and pull both my small children away towards our car as fast as I could.