Xl bullies

[StrangerThings1992]

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?

I don’t have kids but I’d be the same @Treesaleaving no way would I have a creature 2,3, 4 times their size sniffing to get used to them. They’re just too unpredictable.

And yes they ALWAYS escape. I remember staying at a friends for a week and the Rottweiler next door didn’t take to me. It was in and out of my friends house as she was friends with the neighbours, and once they all said it was safely in the living room. I came out the guest bedroom to use the kitchen and it was in the hall and nearly went for me. I had to quickly step back in the bedroom and close the door.

I am aware of this but since these laws came in we have continued to have deaths and extremely serious attacks

This is just to pacify peoples fears they are simply too dangerous to be kept as pets

And there’s proper ones who use them without pain

Well, not this one and not any in the professional organisations I belong to (the ones that offer or require externally assessed and verified study/exams/assessments)...

But they are science based modern dog training organisations. Not outdated purveyors of aversives.

you can’t breed from them, sell them, give them away- it will take time but this will end up with little to no XL bullies in the UK - just like how there are no real pitbulls.

there has already been a financial incentive to put xls to sleep

in the meantime - people understandably don’t want their beloved pets PTS, so they are controlled by paperwork and muzzled in public.

i wouldn’t advocate a cull. I think even in 6 months we will see incident rates drastically reduce. it’s tough to see what we could do more tbh.

if you’re looking at reducing harm - stopping alcohol sales should really be the next stop, not killing all xls

@StrangerThings1992 Sadly it’s not such an over reaction as the amount of them around is shocking. I have seen a few locally and worry when walking my dog if we will bump into one.

Very responsible parenting stopping your child going to her friends house. No matter how much people claim they are safe. You wouldn’t send her if they had a pet lion and they are the equivalent in my eyes.

It won't though.

Because you can 'make' an xl bully by breeding a cane corso and a staffy, or crossing that cross back to some other big mastiffy type, or any number of other ways, all involving perfectly legal breeds.

An XL Bully is a type, not a breed. It is identified by physical characteristics, not DNA.

So just as with pitbulls, there will never be an end to their existance, as people will keep on creating them and we do not have any of the necessary resources to stop it.

The 'financial incentive'... was not one. As it typically costs more than that to euthanise a dog of that size. Very few people took up that offer.

I do not think we will see incidences of attacks and deaths reduce as a result of the new ban/law. We may see fewer incidences of them happening outside peoples homes, but the number of attacks on family members/visitors to homes will remain around the same level they have been for the last few years, because the reasons for those attacks has not been addressed at all.

Out of interest . Would you allow your DC into a home of an XL bully whose needs are being met ?

There are videos circulating that the poor victim of yesterday's attack has uploaded to tiktok. Sleeping with 4 of these dogs and ' dancing ' with one in her kitchen. I mean , what are people thinking.

Well if you think the best way to walk a dog with the power of a small horse is on a harness, then you crack on and best of luck!

Good question, though completely hypothetical as I don't have DC.

Probably not is the answer.

Its hard to say, all my xl bully type owning friends are also dog professionals. I think most would say no anyway, their dogs do not live with children and whilst they may be familiar with children in some circumstances (say out for a walk in the park) they are not used to having kids in their home.

One has got kids, 16 and up, she didn't rescue an XL bully until the youngest hit 14 (wasn't described as an XL bully at the time, was just a 'bull breed x puppy'), but again, only her kids mix freely with her dog, and still are not left unsupervised. Visiting teenagers do not meet the dog, ever. So yeah I would probably let a child go to her home, if it were necessary, as I know there are two closed doors between strangers and dog at all times.

Certainly from my POV - I don't have kids in my house. My dogs are friendly (not xl bullies), but one is liable to knock a child over (he can knock an unsuspecting adult over, as although short, he is hefty and 'trip overable' height), and all three are unused to children in their home.

They are not bothered by kids outside, don't approach, just trundle on by, but anyone IN the house is a visitor and thus exciting. I love my dogs, it isn't worth the risk, however small that risk might be.

I would not let kids go to someones home where the owner is not a dog professional, at all. I have seen too many horrific things.

I would also not let a kid go to someones home where they use aversive training methods, no matter what breed or size of dog. Such methods have a far higher likelyhood of causing aggression, particularly towards strangers and particularly towards children.

And I would not let a child go to the home of anyone who trains their dogs in protection work/schutzhund. No matter what methods they used (though none of my friends who do force free ringsport would have a kid in the house with the dogs anyway).

Nah I think the best way to walk a dog is to train the dog to walk nicely on a lead and engage with the owner. Clearly you do not know how to do that, so this is an alien concept to you, but it can be done without using discomfort or pain to achieve compliance.

I used to handle shire horses and clydesdales in nothing but a canvas and rope headcollar. Thats the power of a really large horse without anything causing pain to control it. Training, it's amazing!

My dd will never go into a house if I know an XL bully lives there. Can't see why any parent allow their dc into a situation with a dog who doesn't know them and has the power to kill. Yanbu

As far as I'm aware the only way to stop an attack from a pitbull type dog is to choke it into unconsciousness. Easier said than done of course.
I dont have a phobia of these dogs, a phobia is an irrational fear. I am extremely scared of them, I think that's a normal & rational response to the threat that they pose.
Similar to a PP I joined an anti pitbull subreddit but I stopped reading as I couldnt cope with all the horror. It is very bad in the USA.

You can make whatever assumptions you want and still be incorrect. I’ve trained dogs and horses, and never resorted to any pain. But I also realise that I’m not the messiah, and these animals do still have a mind of their own no matter how well you train them. And if an XL bully decides it ain’t going to listen to you that day, then you’re dead. You can tell me you’re Queen of the Hounds, it matters not.

Collars aren't used to cause pain ffs, it's a control method, if you've trained your dog correctly it will walk with you without pulling on the lead at all.

The problem is people not training their dogs, I personally think harnesses on large breed dogs are a stupid invention, the problem with them is the head is already a good foot or so in front of your control point on the harness, and what seems to happen quite frequently to us when out and about is dogs will lunge at us and they can lunge a good 6-8 feet when you consider arm length of handler, lead length and distance from harness point to the head. By the time the person on the end of the lead has realised, it's too late to control the direction of the dog... they just have to hold on while it uses all the power in it's chest to pull them where it wants to go.. I see it all the time, which is why I cross the road from anyone walking a powerful breed on a harness now.. because they are quite obviously amateurs.

On a collar, you can control the head and direction of the dog if you have to, which then controls the body by default.. Your point about horses just illustrates the point beautifully, you handle horses with a head collar.. because the head collar controls the direction of the horse.. if you had a lead clipped to the middle of it's back you wouldn't be 'controlling' anything.

You can tell me you’re Queen of the Hounds
So many people these days appear to see themselves as Queen/King of the Hounds!!

What about all the cross breeds? It’s not enough just to ban bullies.

I think they should all be PTS.

we know people will breed them regardless of any ban but that doesn’t mean a very hard line can’t be taken

people are being attacked in there own homes

and how many more children shall be killed dog attacks always increase in the summer

I wish there were all muzzled when they are out but they are not owners will take muzzles off knowing fill that no one is going to say anything

yes its sad for owners but unfortunately they have been stupid in buying them in the first place they know their reputation

i am not sure quite where you are going with an alcohol ban comparison

we will see more deaths and this can be prevented

I've read about killer kimbo and it's terrifying. I love animals and have had dogs all my life. I'd be quite happy if these killing machines were all just pts asap.

YANBU re your daughter. A man was killed by an XL, in a neighbouring housing estate, to me. He was walking his dog. Another XL and puppies were seized from the home of the attacker. I'm wary of all bull breeds.

The Killer Kimbo thing is total bullshit as far as UK dogs.

I asked BullyWatch for their proof (dna) that ANY uk dogs are related to Kimbo. Others have done so too.

Still waiting. They do not have it, it does not exist.

Now there are almost certainly a ton of dogs within the XL Bully breeder circles who claim to be related to Kimbo - because ego-maniacs breeding ego-fuelling dogs tell lies to get more money.

I am interested in the A22 gene studies though... it doesn't surprise me we're seeing genetics for an 'unswitchoffable' desire to bite in Belgian Malinois after the extreme breeding for 'very bitey Malis' some (idiotic) bite-sports breeders have been doing over the last 10-15 years.

The one where she's dancing has a voice over: laughing. 'This is my son, and I don't give a f* if you think he looks aggressive.'

It's like some owners don't want to believe their dogs are capable of mauling them to death so become too laid back.

Very sad.

Recently on FB a owner of a XL bully/fur baby set up a gofund me to raise 5k for an operation for its back. The photo was of its teeth snarling, looked evil. I couldn't believe how many people donated.
I was tempted to donate £50 and say 'that's towards putting it to sleep, good riddance'