To think we're about to see an influx of XL Bully attacks after a rehoming free for all?

[SeattleSpacePlane]

So I know the ban is about to come in. Plenty for it, many against it. Not trying to start a debate about that!

Yesterday someone on my FB shared a post from a woman who was offering to rehome an XL to save it before the ban came in. Someone commented with a group for rehoming XLs before it's too late and banned and I clicked on it for a look.

I was absolutely gobsmacked by the posts on the group. Hundreds of posts going back weeks of XLs needing new homes (I suppose expected) - but a VERY high and panicked volume of posts over the past few days, as the ban approaches.

Lots of pictures of dogs with !!URGENT!! rehoming requests. From people asking on behalf of their friend, because their HA just told them XLs are banned under their tenancy, for the XL they just found abandoned behind Tesco, because they bred an XL litter this year and a buyer has just dumped an 8 month old pup back with them. Lots of reasons. Incredibly sad for the dogs, none of this is of their making.

But it's the reaponses. Comments and comments from people offering to rehome an XL to save them. Highlights were 'willing to take one but must be good with children as I have a 5 year old'. 'I wish I could have both but I'm in a flat so one is my limit, please contact me'. 'I have an XL already who is brilliant with the kids, happy to add another poor baby to our pack'.

Dogs are currently being panic-rehomed all over the Country. People are offering their services to transport the XL from Devon to the family in Yorkshire who've agreed to take it. No home checks, no behavioural checks of the dogs, people aren't even meeting the dog they're agreeing to home. Lots and LOTS being shipped to Scotland in particular where there's no ban.

It's truly frightening the amount of people with young dc agreeing to blindly rehome an XL to save them. I wouldn't rehome a bloody Yorkie without meeting the dog first never mind an XL!

This is going to end in tragedy, surely?

AIBU to think the ban on privately rehoming them should have been immediate at point of announcement to prevent this madness? And also that, sadly, we're likely to be reading several tragic stories in the coming weeks about one of these panic-rehomed dogs turning?

No, I haven’t spared a thought for XL owners, good or bad, except that they should obey the law. They should never have got such a dangerous animal. An animal is not less dangerous because someone dotes on it.

Muzzle training takes time with many dogs. My own dog won't. I doubt you'd like a metal cage attached to your face. But the good bully owners are now going through this to comply with this foolish law, which (as PP pointed out) wouldn't have prevented many of these attacks which seem to have taken place in private homes rather than public spaces.

@MadWifeInTheAttic

Why do you think Mimi's owner specifically chose a dog that even a strong adult male is incapable of overpowering if needed?

Do you think that was a sensible decision on her part?

Yes! How terrifying to be an owner and see your dog attacked out of the blue like @mapleriver - just horrific!

What exemption?

I am, for sure. It must be devastating to wonder if your dog could be seized and PTS.
I hate the whole stereotypes about XL bully owners on here... and then comments about their intelligence etc.

I hope your dog's best friend manages a muzzle soon.

which (as PP pointed out) wouldn't have prevented many of these attacks which seem to have taken place in private homes rather than public spaces.

If people want to keep dogs that can kill their own children then I don't know what to say, that's on them. But at least members of the public who haven't chosen to own them, and their pets, will be safer.

I'm worried there will be lots of strays - doesn't bare thinking about.

If its too difficult to tell them apart just have a height and weight and jaw strength law and pts any dog that is over any of the 3 measures

Any of the 3 measures? That is ridiculous. And thankfully not the law.

She has absolutely no problems controlling her dog. She has owned large dogs before, including other types of bulldog. I am attached to my own particular type of herding dog-- a notoriously gentle one, but I wouldn't become less attached if Daily Mail headline writers and vote-hunting Tory MPs decided to set their sights on them, to win over their witless audiences. So long as you lot have something to hate and fear, they're happy.

Thanks, @XenoBitch - I have noticed your humanity on other threads.

Those stats are so scary. These dogs need to be put down, for everyone's safety.

Honestly disgusted at the amount of owners who has just chosen to give up their dog rather than stick to the new restrictions. Speaks volumes about them.

I agree op it’s shocking the amount of people willing to take an own known dog, let alone one this size, into their home on a whim, without any proper prep or checks.

Madness

Righty, you think the awful attacks and deaths are either untrue or just don’t matter. And people’s views about XL Bullies are all straight out of the Mail. Got it.

Someone on this thread is a vet nurse, and said they had to PTS one dog as the owner was homeless so could not apply for an exemption.
Not everyone is feckless and can't be bothered. Some can't exempt their dogs. People in social housing are also finding that they can't either.

That's horrendous.

@MadWifeInTheAttic

She has absolutely no problems controlling her dog. She has owned large dogs before, including other types of bulldog.

If she has an XL bully and he / she went into attack mode for any reason (fear / misguidedly defending her / brain tumour etc etc) then she absolutely could not 'control' her dog.

It doesn't matter how much experience someone has with dogs, if a dog the size of an adult XL bully goes into attack mode, they cannot be overpowered.

It is not just 'daily mail headlines', the police report after a recent attack confirmed that the dog attacking someone was hit with a hammer in an effort to stop it, but that didn't work. The dog had to be tasered. You're honestly telling me that if Mimi went into attack mode, her owner, your gentle female friend, could physically overpower her?

You can't believe that's true? No sensible dog owner would believe that.

No, it’s not.

Dog fighters will snap them up.

Yet more misery for these innocent, failed dogs.

It baffles me that people who claim to be responsible dog owners and dog lovers believe that an owner could physically overpower an adult XL bully in attack mode.

Sensible owners who truly respect dogs would do research enough to know that isn't possible, and as a consequence choose one of the many other thousands of breeds of dog as a pet. Especially if they have children in the home. Then they aren't just foolish, they're failing to safeguard their children.

Any dog can turn due to things like brain tumours. Completely out of their control, just a terrible bit of bad luck. Which is why choosing a dog that can do so much damage and not be overpowered if they do lose control, is so irresponsible.

As @SomeCatFromJapan says, Lurchers, Greyhounds and Whippets often wear Muzzles and no one makes such a fuss over it as 'XL' owners do..

It really doesn't take long to get a correctly fitted muzzle, and a dog will associate their muzzle with fun things like running with their mates , lure coursing and just being out and about.

Whippets,wear them lure coursing as they can get excited and might nip at each other when they catch the lure {a bunch of plastic straps} .

This is a sensible owner on a Lurcher forum.

''I muzzle , mainly because he cant stand any of the others being faster than him and will bite them as they go past. He is a greyhound x deerhound type. Unfortunatley this bad habit has resulted in several visits to the vets with the others for stitching and stapling. Easier to put a muzzle on him and stop the whole thing.

He loves the frisbee he has had since a baby, but cannot play well with the others, so sometimes I let him play on his own in the park as a special treat.

It's a shame because he loves the others to chase him but it tends to go sour, and I don't want anymore vet's bills!''

We too had a dog that had to be muzzled for a short time and he was absolutely fine with it.
Others use muzzles to stop them scavenging and getting ill.

Getting a well fitted one is crucial for comfort {and safety of others}

There are a couple of large heavy dogs locally that were ordered to wear a muzzle by a Court, and they too are fine.

No, you're spectacularly missing the point. There has been no reduction in bite incidents at all in the 25 years since BSL was introduced - in fact, apart from one year (2000), it's gone up faster than the dog population has every single year.

That's why it's evident that BSL doesn't work and that other measures are required to actually solve the problem rather than just make it look like they're solving the problem to get votes.

My Jack Russell had fits towards the end of her life in which she viciously attacked her beloved older collie ‘brother’, it was how we found out she had a brain tumour.
She was in a terrier red mist when it happened, would lash out at anyone in her way and was fully in attack mode - in several weeks of this before diagnosis I was able to restrain her and protect my other dog without any physical harm to myself.

Multiple fully grown men at a time have been unable to stop an XL bully attack. I don’t know why anyone who knows anything about dogs would want them in their home.

I’ve also noticed that none of the people I know who were reposting pleas from rescues to rehome these dogs in December actually wanted to live with one themselves either. By definition I’d say an XL bully owner is at best, a misguided fool and whichever way you look at it, not competent with dogs.

I’m not missing anything. Banning breeds isn’t about the number of bites. It’s about the numbers of deaths and terrible attacks per breed.

How many times do defenders of massive, vicious dogs need to have this said to them? FFS

A few people have mentioned that dog fighters will love xl bullies. I think they prefer the smaller more agile dogs like pit bulls.