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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Xl bullies

223 replies

StrangerThings1992 · 05/06/2024 18:38

Let me start by saying I don't think all these type of dogs are bad but I do have massive anxiety over them, especially when a fatal attack is in the news. I was diagnosed with OCD and GAD so I do tend to obsess over things and catastrophise everything but, everytime I'm out lately I seem to be on the alert thinking an off leash one is going to come and maul my kids and how powerless I would be to stop it.
I like dogs in general but I just feel so uneasy if I ever see one out and I'm with my kids. Even if it's on a lead it still makes me feel sick. I realise this may be an over reaction but I can't help it.
I even stopped my 9 year old going to her best friends house because they got one of these dogs. She works all the time so it's left alone most the day and I felt like she wasn't safe so she's no longer allowed there.

If there's any dog experts here, what would be the best way to protect yourself and your child if this situation did happen?

OP posts:
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6
iamreallyabee · 05/06/2024 22:12

And am not so quick to say they should be put down

QueenCamilla · 05/06/2024 22:13

MouseKeys · 05/06/2024 20:47

Ugh I am so worried about these dogs, one of our neighbour’s has one and walks it off lead every day with a can of beer in his hand. The dog weighs about 50 kg and it’s chest is broader than mine, the day it decides to turn, there’s literally nothing he will be able to do about it, I avoid them like the plague so no you’re not being unreasonable with this

Do the right thing and report to the police.

RickyGervaislovesdogs · 05/06/2024 22:18

INeedAPensieve · 05/06/2024 21:14

I had to look up Cane Corso. Bloody hell. I'm sure there's someone near us that has one of them, it's never on a lead and not muzzled either. I struggle to tell the difference between XL bully type dogs and other large pit bulls. Basically none of them are muzzled round here.

Cane Corso’s don’t need to be muzzled. They aren’t a banned breed. Until idiots decide to start breeding them as a replacement XL.

I’ve walked XL’s, volunteered in rescues, they were temperament tested before being rehomed. Incredibly strong and most tended to dislike other dogs.

They looked like large Staffies, or American pits not like the steroid dogs you see on the news. I’ve only ever seen one of those close up, off lead with the owner saying he had rescued it from a dog fighting ring. Formidable looking dog.

Have to say it really boils my piss when people want to cull them, we made them ffs, humans are the ones who need to be stopped. How about addressing that issue! Stop people breeding! Rescues are full to the fucking brim.

YANBU not to let your child go anywhere you deem unsafe.

aloha90210 · 05/06/2024 22:22

Laiste · 05/06/2024 21:46

Our village FB page recently - a woman on there was mithering about how many people seem to cross the road or pull their dogs away from her 'soft as butter' XL. Even when muzzled.

Then came photos of the dog in her house with the cat and the kids ect. Then with the muzzle on looking all sad 🙄

102 replies - A HUNDRED AND TWO - all saying ooooh she's so lovely how awful to have to muzzle that lovely face, i'd happily walk with her, i'd happily pat her and let my kids pat her and how bad is the law making this fuss and we all know which are the bad owners and you aren't, and these dogs are just big softies, and what's the drama for, ect ect ect.

I was disappointed and rather sad that the IQ of so many of my fellow villagers is obviously a lot lower than average ! 😔

I've seen this on FB too.

I think most people are sheep and follow the crowd or just want to be seen as a cool, inclusive, non judgemental.

Goawayquickly · 05/06/2024 22:27

I wouldn't allow my child anywhere near a house with one of these dogs in.

I'm a dog lover, I love big soppy dogs but think anyone who allows any dog alone with a baby or small child is an idiot. XL bullies terrify me, there's no need to have such an unpredictable dog.

Sasqwatch · 05/06/2024 22:28

ClareBlue · 05/06/2024 21:37

The one in Limerick was shot. That's how a group of fit male adults managed to stop it killing more people than the one it had already killed. So anything about spreading its legs, poking it in the eye, strangling it, just isn't on as an option. There was one where it didn't stop ripping a child to shreds even as an adult male crushed its skull with a concrete block. That's instinct for you.

Apparently it was shot 4 times to stop it…. Imagine that, they seem almost unstoppable.

NorthernGirlie · 05/06/2024 22:34

My next door neighbour had one. She muzzles it when she walks it but it terrifies me. What if it gets out when they open a door? They have a window that opens all the way upstairs- what if it gets out of there?

I'm not an anxious person but I absolutely worry about this killing machine being so close to ds.

Quitelikeit · 05/06/2024 22:37

These dogs and other large breed dogs are terrifying.

To the poster who seen a 8 yo child walking an XL please please call the police if you see it again.

To the poster who is reporting the XL that keeps getting loose I would write to your local MP!

I think anyone who sees them without a muzzle should also call the police too

Copperoliverbear · 05/06/2024 22:38

I think some breeds are just dangerous, I also think all big dogs should be muzzled.

brendafromacrosstheroad · 05/06/2024 22:38

They should all be destroyed! They are awful dogs

Quitelikeit · 05/06/2024 22:38

Also recommend trying to choke them by twisting their collar is never going to work as you’ll be on the deck by the time you’ve slipped your hand under!

Isometimeswonder · 05/06/2024 22:42

iamreallyabee · 05/06/2024 21:38

I thought so before I got my cats, and understand now how innocent these dogs are and how valuable their lives are. There isn't an easy answer

Wtaf are you talking about?
A cat is not like a bully xl.
And if you think those dogs are "precious" you are a fool.

hairtonup · 05/06/2024 22:42

I won't associate with anyone who has an XL bully and I certainly won't allow my DC anywhere near people with one.

XL bully owners are not the smartest and if they are in possession of an animal that has killed so many people, this makes for a very dangerous combination.

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 05/06/2024 22:55

All dogs a toddler couldn’t beat in a fight can get in the sea. What is the point of them ?

NoCoco · 05/06/2024 23:02

My next door neighbour has just got a rottweiler. I'm quite nervous about it, I haven't had any direct experience with rottweilers but I suppose I'm just going on their reputation. Would you say they are a dangerous dog or not in the same league as the xl bully?

Lighteningstrikes · 05/06/2024 23:05

No way on God's earth.

sweetkitty · 05/06/2024 23:08

Until very recently I owned a large breed dog, I researched a reputable breeder who bred for temperament and spent a lot of time training and socialising as a puppy. I never allowed my DC to walk my dog even though she was soft she was still very strong. I could sometimes see people look and flinch when we were about to pass so I always walked her on a short lead and would move her to the outside away from them. It’s things like this a good dog owner should be aware of, some people are scared of dogs, not everyone likes a dog bounding up to them.

I think if you own a breed like a XL bully you have to be prepared for people to be scared of your dog, therefore, you should be muzzling it etc. Unfortunately the majority of people (not all) who get these type of dogs get them to look hard so don’t care about other people.

Would a national dog licensing scheme be an idea? Say £50 a year to register your dog (exemptions for low incomes), licence to breed pups as well???

Ihopeithinkiknow · 05/06/2024 23:12

iamreallyabee · 05/06/2024 22:12

And am not so quick to say they should be put down

You don't have any understanding at all if you are comparing owning a cat to owning one of these dangerous dogs, I'm sure most of these dogs are lovely and are a much loved pet but the damage they can do outweighs all of that for me. Of course it's awful to say that these dogs should all be put to sleep even if they haven't done anything but enough is enough and they need to be eradicated (don't know why but I feel dodgy even typing that out 😬 I'm not a heartless person but this post makes me look like one) I love dogs and I do agree that it's never a bad dog but rather a bad owner but not with these dogs and I think even the best dog owner in the world is taking an unnecessary risk by owning one. This is just my opinion btw before I get piled on by some people saying that their Xl bully is the sweetest dog in the world and wouldn't hurt a fly. It's all fun and games until someone loses a bollock

Thesunisanorange · 05/06/2024 23:15

That’s sad about the young woman in Ireland. I read this in the article : It is understood she was living in a house between Ballyneety and Fedamore, along with her partner and a number of dogs.

So can we assume that one of the dogs she was living with was the one who attacked her? I have to say I’m slightly relieved -for want of a better word - when it’s not a total stranger who has been attacked.

It’s obviously still horrific but I just mean if someone has chosen to take that risk of owning a dog like that like, if it turns vicious I’d rather it turn on an owner and not a random innocent person who had nothing to do with the xl bully being there.

Of course I’d rather it didn’t turn on anyone at all though.

OP, it’s common sense not to let your kid go to a house with that kind of dog. YANBU.

Wotcher · 05/06/2024 23:19

WalkingonWheels · 05/06/2024 18:57

I'm very much a dog person and have trained and showed large breed dogs for decades.

There isn't a chance in hell that a child of mine would be going anywhere near a house with one in it, let alone inside the house. You've done the right thing.

If you see one out and it isn't on the lead, or isn't wearing a muzzle, take pictures and report. This is illegal, and the more people who report, the better.

Don't believe the, "it's not the dog it's the owner" rubbish. People wouldn't say that if a Border Collie herded something, or a Retriever retrieved. They have been bred to kill. It's literally their instinct. They've been bred to actually be killing machines. Exaggerated muscles, a build that can grab and hold and shake. To top it off, most of them in the UK are from the same lines, and the progeny have a screw loose. They can turn at any time, even if they seem like "big softies" 🙄

This.

I’m a dog lover, and I have owned and trained dogs. They all have “breed traits”, which are seen very obviously across all breeds. The trait of these is to be strong and aggressive. I don’t care what the “dEeD nOt BrEeD” brigade say, they are just highlighting their own ignorance.

Any dog can bite, they’re living things. People can train them but they still have a mind of their own. No one has need for a dog that, if it DOES bite for some reason, is so strong it can kill with ease. That’s the difference.

mrlistersgelfbride · 05/06/2024 23:32

I've always disliked dogs. They are too unpredictable for me. Not all dogs, but most, and I hate this breed. It's heartbreaking reading stories about children and adults that have died. Sad and totally preventable. I don't know how anyone can want to own one.
If DD had a friend who had a dog like that, there's not a cat in hell's chance they would be going anywhere near it. And I'd tell them why. I don't care if they think I'm weird or not. They'd have bigger problems.
The worst thing is round here there are scumbags who walk their dangerous dogs next to childrens play areas holding a can of beer totally oblivious, it's all fine haha, oh and we're the unreasonable ones for not loving their fur babies. Fuck off.
Get them put down.
And the dogs too.

ItsHardknocklife · 05/06/2024 23:32

NoCoco · 05/06/2024 23:02

My next door neighbour has just got a rottweiler. I'm quite nervous about it, I haven't had any direct experience with rottweilers but I suppose I'm just going on their reputation. Would you say they are a dangerous dog or not in the same league as the xl bully?

I have 2 Rottweilers never had any issues at all but as others have said big dogs certainly shouldn't be aloud to escape or be off lead in public.

Glorybea · 05/06/2024 23:32

Please anyone reading this thread feeling silly for their anxiety around these dogs, please don't. Your concern is utterly valid and I beg you to never let your children into anyone's home with a pitbull type dog or cane corso or any of their crosses.

I've been around big dogs such as Rottweilers and GSDs my whole life but these things are almost a different species.

I believe strongly that the whole 'it's the owners not the breed' is the biggest pile of bullshit I've ever heard.

They have been literally bred to fight and kill, not bay like some types of smaller terrier. Not guard. To fight and kill. We as a nation have been let down by the authorities when they failed to jump on this problem as it emerged. XL bullies are pitbull types and shouldn't even exist let alone be in every feckin neighbourhood in the country 🙄

I love dogs but I absolutely hate these dogs. Hate them. They all need annihilating.

shittestusernameever · 05/06/2024 23:36

My neighbour was breeding them right up until the ban. She made a tidy profit.
She breeds sausage dogs, frenchies and some fluffy breeds (forgot the breed)
You could always tell who was buying what when they parked outside

She's a breeder and makes an absolute fortune

Carouselfish · 05/06/2024 23:50

No way would I let my child go to a home that had a bull dog of any type to be honest. And any other dog I'd have to have met first. Friend has a lab that detests kids.
And you're right, it not being exercised is a huge recipe for disaster in any dog.
And yes, I do judge any person who has a dog bred primarily for fighting or guarding that is too strong for them. Like the tiny woman at dog training who had a Rhodesian ridgeback with a 'locking-on' stare and dislike of the other dogs.