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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Xl bully insurance?

63 replies

Catlo · 06/05/2021 20:48

I recently got a beautiful Xl bully but I'm unsure as to what breed she is for the insurance, I want to get it right to ensure she is fully covered.. I asked the vets but even they're not sure and have put her as an xl bully.. This is not an option for insurance...
Hoping that anyone with a bully could shed some light!? 😁

OP posts:
Leonberger · 06/05/2021 21:23

Usually whenever I’ve taken a policy you can put crossbreed and then there’s an option to select the dominant breed.
I would put bulldog?

tabulahrasa · 06/05/2021 22:12

Well it’s not a breed... so...

You want mixed breed

farmerpalmer · 06/05/2021 22:32

Aren't they a American Pit Bull Terrier
And American Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross? Lots of insurers won't insure these breeds or crosses thereof.

bunnygeek · 06/05/2021 22:42

Crossbreed

American Bullies are not a recognised breed in the U.K. and insurance companies don’t like them much as a type either as they’ve had some negative press thanks to some idiot owners :’(

Lou98 · 06/05/2021 22:45

I'm not 100% sure but I think an XL bully is primarily American Bulldog?

In which case, bought by many insures them, they're on their list on their website, you can select cross and them American bulldog as the dominant breed (unless I'm wrong about the mix but I'm sure that's the dominant breed).

We're with bought by many for our staffies and they've been great, good price too!

Flaxmeadow · 06/05/2021 22:46

If you dont know what the dog is, how do you know it isn't banned?

tabulahrasa · 06/05/2021 22:57

@Flaxmeadow

If you dont know what the dog is, how do you know it isn't banned?
Doesn’t matter what a dog is, just what it looks like.

That’s how the law round pitbulls works, it can be any breed or cross at all, if it looks like a pitbull it counts as one.

Flaxmeadow · 06/05/2021 23:01

tabulahrasa

Yes I know.

Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 01:48

I'm well aware what she is, I've studied her breed and temperament at length and I'm aware that they're a mix of many bulldogs but I was wondering for the purposes of insurance how they'd be classed to make sure that if I have to claim in the future, it's paid our with zero issues, my vet believes that if I put mixed, I may have some issues.

Apologies for not owning a labradoodlepoodlecockapooshitzsu but they're just not for me! I like a big dog that has a bad name by uneducated morons in order to prove them wrong.

Now as a responsible owner, I'd like some advice on insurance, not a lesson on whether or not I know the breed. 😁

OP posts:
Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 01:52

@Lou98

I'm not 100% sure but I think an XL bully is primarily American Bulldog?

In which case, bought by many insures them, they're on their list on their website, you can select cross and them American bulldog as the dominant breed (unless I'm wrong about the mix but I'm sure that's the dominant breed).

We're with bought by many for our staffies and they've been great, good price too!

That's great, perhaps I'll give them a call and ask for some advice. I think you might me right about the American bulldog, I know they have lots of different bull breeds. I also have a staffie, wonderful dogs! 😁
OP posts:
Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 01:57

It's to do with measurements, they measure headsize and snout etc etc. It's a terrible law thanks to silly dog owners who spoil wonderful breeds for the rest of us that have dogs for our families.

Xl bully's were originally staffies and amstaff but I think the case is that now they're many versions of bulldogs.

OP posts:
Nobranothanks · 07/05/2021 06:45

Slightly different to you as mine is a deliberate crossbreed of cane corso/am bull/alapaha/ddb/neo mastiff but as there are some breeds in there that insurers don't like and he doesn't have a dominant breed I rung bought by many and checked that insuring as a large mix breed was the correct thing to do.

Give them a call, they're really helpful

tabulahrasa · 07/05/2021 07:54

“my vet believes that if I put mixed, I may have some issues.”

Why? That’s exactly what they are.

Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 09:48

@tabulahrasa

“my vet believes that if I put mixed, I may have some issues.”

Why? That’s exactly what they are.

In terms of if, god forbid I have to make a claim they may say she is more of a certain breed and therefore not pay out. I agree, they're mixed and a cocktail of bully breeds but I just wanted to see as I have read many different answers
OP posts:
Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 09:49

@Nobranothanks

Slightly different to you as mine is a deliberate crossbreed of cane corso/am bull/alapaha/ddb/neo mastiff but as there are some breeds in there that insurers don't like and he doesn't have a dominant breed I rung bought by many and checked that insuring as a large mix breed was the correct thing to do.

Give them a call, they're really helpful

Sounds like an amazing dog!! That's great I'll get in touch with them, I'm sure I'm not the only one with the confusion 😊 thanks for your help
OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 07/05/2021 09:58

I’m not trying to be arsey btw, just... they’re a mixed breed where I doubt even breeders of them could identify exactly what breeds are in there because it’s just multiple generations of mixed breeding.

You’d just be guessing at what breed is dominant or they have most of in there, which definitely isn’t what you should be doing for insurance.

I think it’s a bit odd that the vet thinks it might be an issue tbh, I’d think it’s more of an issue to pick a breed or cross randomly when you don’t actually know.

Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 10:24

I don't think she's ever come across one before, I live in an area that has a multitude of spaniels and poodles etc. When I took my staffie there as a pup, they'd never had one in! Crazy 😂

OP posts:
drinkingwineoutofamug · 07/05/2021 10:39

Just to derail. There's a chap near us who has a XL Bully dog. It's absolutely beautiful. For some reason people give them a wide berth.
He is absolutely massive! And my stupid dog is the only dog that approached wanting to play! Unfortunately they couldn't as she's only 15kg and he was about 12stone at 8 months
Very gentle giant who quickly figured I'm the own with treats in my pocket!

Enjoy your new family member op

PermanentlyDizzy · 07/05/2021 11:05

In my experience with pet insurance, the most important thing is that the breed description on your policy matches what is on your vet’s records. If it doesn’t and you make a claim, the vet’s form/online input will lead to questions being asked and potentially a refusal to pay out or invalidate the policy completely if one says mixed breed and the other something else.

We had an issue with insuring our Lurcher. He’s a mix of 4 breeds, so effectively a mixed breed, but they wanted to insure him as the breed ‘Lurcher’ which was much more expensive. I had to speak to the underwriters and send them information proving that ‘Lurcher’ is just a description of a ‘type’ of cross or mixed breed. At that point they agreed to insure both my Lurchers as crossbreeds and the vet made sure their records said the same. We have since claimed tens of thousands on one of those policies with no problems at all. I could have just accepted them insuring my dogs with Lurcher as the breed, but insuring a crossbreed was significantly cheaper back then (not sure if that is still the case) so I decided to challenge it.

Lou98 · 07/05/2021 12:33
  • That's great, perhaps I'll give them a call and ask for some advice. I think you might me right about the American bulldog, I know they have lots of different bull breeds. I also have a staffie, wonderful dogs *

@Catlo you should, they were highly recommended to us as an insurer and they usually deal direct with the vet aswell in case of a claim.

Please ignore the comments from the people who love to jump on the "aren't they banned" or "they should be banned" bandwagon. These people usually don't have a clue and are following a stereotype portrayed by the media. Even a quick google shows that it's rare these days for XL Bullys to have pit bull in them anymore but rather than take a minute to check they jump on it.

We get it all the time with our staffies from people telling us they're dangerous without even knowing anything about the breed, they're the sweetest dogs!

tabulahrasa · 07/05/2021 13:05

“When I took my staffie there as a pup, they'd never had one in!”

Shock

Mine is a complete mix, no clue what he is as no-ones ever seen his parents (he’s a rescue) some of the insurance companies wanted a guess based on what he looked most like Hmm good job I didn’t because as he’s grown he’s completely different, lol.

Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 14:12

I have been in touch with bought by many and they do not insure American bullies I am glad I did not put mixed breed as I would've been wasting my money

OP posts:
Branleuse · 07/05/2021 14:18

@Catlo does it have its ears cut?

Original poster
Catlo · 07/05/2021 14:22

[quote Branleuse]@Catlo does it have its ears cut?[/quote]
No 😁 not something I agree with.

OP posts:
Lou98 · 07/05/2021 14:30

@Catlo ah really? Strange they have them listed on their site! Hope you manage to find someone else