Buying apart with American bully around the block , worried about child safety ?

[Peppenero]

We are close to exchange on apartment, where we just found there is an American bully live floor below us, and uses the same lift and communal areas. We have 1 yr old. Should we drop ? The owner of the dog is a gentleman and nice person. We are scared of all dogs and bully looks very scary to us. Are we being overreacting ?

Its a dog, not Godzilla!

Those worried about OPs child developing a fear of dogs. Fear is also there to protect so it’s not a terrible thing for children to be cautious around XL Bullies. The statistics speak for themselves.

Why are posters going on about XL Bullies when the OP said its an American Bully? Different breeds altogether.

They have the same power as a mountain lion and it’s living in flat

Those dogs have killed grown men in the street. It's very normal and a sensible survival instinct to be wary of a powerful animal with teeth that's capable of ripping you limb from limb - and is of a breed that has done so unprovoked to strangers walking past on multiple occasions.

I wouldn’t want to live there. It’s not just the danger but the fact you will be constantly in fear of the danger.

Yeah, a dog that has a 305 PSI bite force, and a known temperament of mauling and killing humans, even fully grown ones. A one year old child would be like a chew treat to an American Bully.

Oh, and American Bullies actually exist.

My dog had a jaw strength of half what a Bully has. Guess what? If my dog wanted to kill me, it probably could. Difference is my dogs jaw doesn’t lock - Bullies do. That means, once it latches on…you’re fucked.

I was one of the posters who called it an XL in one of my posts, going by a post above mine, however I did call it an American Bully in my first I believe.

However, an XL is a type of American Bully. Anyway, I’ve seen the damage done by both, and it’s not pretty and often not provoked. These dogs kill and maul, fear of them is healthy.

That’s actually not true, their jaw structure isn’t significantly different to other dogs, and the locking thing is a myth. They are, however terrifyingly powerful and sometimes aggressive dogs, and absolutely do have the ability and propensity to do serious damage, including taking people’s lives.

I wouldn't move in. Those dogs are dangerous as fuck.

Pp dismissing and downplaying your fears are being naive. I work with dogs and I would never go near these breeds in a thousand years. Terrifying, unpredictable, and should be banned.

@WhiteWidowWithAttitude perhaps the dramatisation of it is. But I can certainly unlock my dogs laws when they’re clamped around something - tell me of one time someone has successfully wrestled an XL bully off them or made them let go once they latch one. There’s a reason once these things turn, that the person ends up either horrifically injured or dead - and it’s not through lack of effort on their part to live.

Oh I wasn’t for one minute trying to suggest that these dogs aren’t nigh on impossible to stop once they get started, just pointing out the “locking jaw” myth, as the Bully defenders always leap on that to try to make some sort of point that “see, people just make things up about them to make them seem more dangerous, they’re actually lovely soppy things!” 😳🙄

As I said, I’ve seen (more than I’d ever have wanted to), the damage and destruction they do.

British XL Bullies are totally different to American Bullies.

American Bullies don’t have that particular ancestry that causes the problems.

So the American Bully is a strong dog, but not more vicious than any other dog. In fact, they tend to be a bit soft and playful, rather than snappy and territorial like a Jack Russel.

Seriously? You are being ridiculous.

There’s no such thing as a British XL Bully. There are American Bullies, which were introduced to the UK sometime around 2008 I believe, (and incidentally, whose ownership increased dramatically during Covid), of which XLs are a variation, like the Micro, Pocket, Standard and Classic Bullies.

There are British Bulldogs, which are a completely different breed.

Edited to add- I take it back. I was thinking of American Pitbull. Not American Bully.

But it’s the XL variation that has the issue. As far as I know, American Bullies don’t have the same problems as they aren’t likely to be descended from that one inbred line.
I’ve seen docile, well behaved XLs on the lead, before all the news reports, and they still looked alarming in a way the American Bully doesn’t.

But of course it depends on the dog and what we are referring to by ‘American bully’.

Yes you’re overreacting. Don’t pass your fear of all dogs on to your child. It’s irrational.

I wouldn’t take the risk either. I’ve lived in too many flats with large dogs that have had to be physically held back from running at us whenever they’ve had their door open and we’ve been walking past, or both of us walking up/down the stairs and the dog is actively trying to come at us and having to be held back on their leash. Absolutely not for me. Over people with huge dogs that can’t control them. Wouldn’t live anywhere near one.

Is it an American bully (bulldog) or an XL bully as there is a huge difference? American bulldogs are perfectly legal. XL’s are the ones which have been in the news and have been banned.

I own an american bulldog and a Great Dane and they both look scary if you don’t know them. However, they are both the most placid dogs and have been brought up around and are fantastic with children.

My suggestion would be to go and speak to the owner, explain your worries, meet the dog and see if you still feel the same after this.

Yes you're overreacting. You will undoubtedly come into contact with this dog on a regular basis...if you can't/aren't able to address your fears then no dont live there. I'd suggest even if you dont live there you work with someone so you dont pass your fears onto your child and potentially put them in harms way in the future.

That said would you feel the same of it wasn't a bull breed? Most of these poor dogs are absolutely fine, but then all dogs have the potential to bite if mistreated or provoked. Dogs never bite without reason just most humans are not educated enough about dog behaviour to see the warnings.

If it's an issue now and you dont live there....but there are 13.5 million dogs in the UK i strongly suggest you do some work to cope with your fears.

You’re not overreacting. I don’t want a bully in my neighbourhood let alone my building! You’ll probably come across him less than you’re fearing and every time you see they’re in the lift/about to get in, you can not go in the lift.

But I personally wouldn’t be able to relax and let my kids play fully and freely knowing that that dog can come along at any moment. For the next like 10 years or more. By which time that dog will be dead hopefully, but they’ll no doubt get another.

if you can't afford anything bigger than a flat, perhaps look for another one that has its own entrance and not in a communal block.
Or as another person has suggested, actually go and meet the dog and the owner. You might find that he is totally fine. An American Bully could be more placid than a yappy jack russell for example. It sounds like you're basing your fears on nothing at the moment.

She's not.

This isn't a fear of dogs in general - it's an entirely rational fear about one particular breed.

This breed has a hair trigger which no-one - not the owner, not you, not the OP - can predict or really understand. It might be buried deep, or very close to the surface. No-one knows.

Its strength is such that the owner's credentials - being 'a gentleman' or a 'good owner' - are entirely irrelevant, because when the dog's trigger goes, the man will not be strong enough to restrain it. If it attacks a child, that child is likely to die.

These facts are clearly illustrated by the many events that we've all read about - and any bully defender who ignores them is pursuing an irrational and irresponsible agenda.