XL bully.

[PinkSyCo]

Does anybody have one? My grown up son’s friend’s bully had pups two months ago and my son has offered to buy me one. I have seen photos and they are adorable, but their mum looks….well scary. 🥺 I have been assured that she’s not at all and have done some research, which tells me that they have had any aggressive behaviours intentionally bred out of them and are fantastic family dogs, but I am still a little bit dubious as I look after my toddler grandson 3 days a week. Can anyone reassure me that bullys are indeed good with children like I am being told.

Why would you even consider this?

No dog should be acquired on a whim because someone else suggests it.

Nobody should get any dog that they haven't researched and aren't 100% sure they can manage effectively and be committed to.

This is clearly even more important with a strong breed that will need proper management like this.

@IllManneredBitch

Why would you even consider this?

This ☝️

No. Don't do it. Dogs should be aquired by responsible experienced owners who have given it considerable thought and planned for it.

Inexperienced owners need to have planned even more, and have a support structure in place. Inexperienced owners should get a 'starter dog', one with a high chance of being easy- smallish, known for being placid. Leave scary looking, bigger, or demanding breeds for people who know what they are doing.

No dog should be bought because it looks cute.

All puppies look cute, it’s no reason to get one

I would consider it because I lost both my dogs to old age over a year ago and have felt ready for a new addition to the family for a few months now. I hadn’t considered a breed like this before but I like the fact that I can see where the dog came from (not factory farmed) and that we can get any advice we might need from son’s friend.

All dogs have the potential to be aggressive. Have you seen the set of cutlery they carry around in their mouths?

All dog owners have to be capable of controlling their dog. As a fit woman of a bit over 60kg, I judge myself to be capable of restraining a dog on a lead if it weighs up to about 20kg.

It only matters a bit if it well bred and well trained, life is full of curve balls and the occasional prat with a thunder flash.

If you really want a dog, research it well, for a whole year and then choose something suitable. Never buy a dog on a whim.

When did I say I was an inexperienced owner? I have had 3 dogs as an adult. All lived for 16/17 years.

XL Bullies around here are owned by twats with small penises who want an intimidating looking dog because they enjoy the sense of power it gives them.

Do you want people crossing the road to avoid you? It won't matter if your dog is nice; Susan won't take the chance. Your toddler grandson's future schoolfriends probably won't be allowed to go to your house.

If your son hadn't suggested this, would you have even considered an XL Bully? If not, I'd revert to plan A.

OP no one is going to tell you that getting a dog that is built like an armoured tank is a great idea with small children around.

All puppies are cute but the thing is going to grow up to be the size of a small and terrifying rhino. Irrespective of what you've heard.

Plus a dog of that size will easily send a toddler flying through sheer exuberance - even with no malice intended it's a scary experience for a small child.

I would take the breed out of this decision personally.

It sounds like you last had pups a wile ago and I always think there's a tendency to look back with rose tinted glasses! 😊

Puppies bite, scratch, mouth, pee and poop everywhere and it takes time to train them not to do these things. Coupled with night wakes, controlling exercise and mental training etc. I just wouldn't do this while I had a toddler in the house 3 days a week.

Labradors are considered easy to train but even I remember being nearly broken by mine as a puppy 7 years ago. I wouldn't have entertained it if I regularly had kids in the house.

Could you consider a rescue that will obviously also need training but may not have some of the same issues as a puppy?

What do your grandson’s parents think?

I would not have an XL bully anywhere near a child. Why on earth would you even consider it? Just because bully owners put out the propaganda that they're good family dogs. Look at the mother. Look at the power in that dogs body and consider what you would do if that dog turned on your grandchild.

Get a normal dog fgs, one that you can handle and manage, not one that is a massive bundle of muscle and teeth. And getting a dog off a mate of your son is not responsibly sourcing a well bred dog. It's buying a puppy off someone who is in all probability cashing in on the popularity of a fad breed

@IllManneredBitch

Why would you even consider this?

agree

If your son hadn't suggested this, would you have even considered an XL Bully? If not, I'd revert to plan A.

Honestly no, simply because they look so formidable. Only now they have been brought to my attention the research I have done so far tells me that they are very child friendly. I still have my concerns, because they look like they could do a lot of damage if they were to turn though, which is why I was asking advice/reassurance from bully owners on here.

All puppies are cute but the thing is going to grow up to be the size of a small and terrifying rhino. Irrespective of what you've heard.

Yes, like I said, I have seen pictures of the mother.

No , just no

As a fit woman of a bit over 60kg, I judge myself to be capable of restraining a dog on a lead if it weighs up to about 20kg.

Probably about right, although the low centre of gravity of excessively muscled breeds makes them even stronger for their weight than a taller dog that weighs the same.

What do your grandson’s parents think?

Hopefully the son suggesting it is the grandson's parent, so at least there will be one parent with no right at all to be upset if their child is injured, either accidentally through size and exuberance or through lack of control/training.

Well according to the American bully kennel club they make great family pets but can be stubborn so not for beginners, which is fine as you’re an experienced owner.

Personally I don’t like the look of them, I don’t like dogs that look/feel overly muscly in the same way I don’t like men that look/feel overly muscly!

You find the mum scary looking but you’re still considering it?

XL Bully’s are the latest “designer” breed for huge, tank like dogs. They are deliberately designed to be the biggest American bulldogs going with very much and American pitbull aesthetic. As such, there isn’t a huge amount of certainty about what type of dog you get and you had better be 100% clear on their lineage going back several generations or you risk having a dog that could be classed as an illegal breed (assuming you’re in England). Either way, be prepared for other people to react and tread you as if you have an illegal breed.
Plus, because they have been bred with mostly their size and looks in mind, they also potentially come with a host of health problems including, but not limited to: hip- and elbow-dysplasia, cataracts, atophy, congenital heart failure, brachycephalic airway, syndrome, gassiness as well as heat intolerance.

And as for avoiding “factory farmed”, it sounds highly likely that you’re propping up a backyard breeder which is just as bad.

You shouldn’t even be considering a breed, let alone one this unknown or large, without spending a LONG time properly researching which means spending proper time with the actual dogs.

@BlusteringBoobies great name haha, actually grandson’s mum is on maternity leave so I actually won’t be looking after grandson now until she goes back to work in May so now would be an ideal time to acquire and train a pup.
I would love to offer a rescue dog a home, but they all seem to be suitable in homes with older children only.

How much will a pup cost? Is the owner a puppy farmer?

Personally I don’t like the look of them, I don’t like dogs that look/feel overly muscly in the same way I don’t like men that look/feel overly muscly!

Same. I much prefer a bit of a dad bod!

I disagree with all those demonising the dog for its breed. If mum is placid then a well treated puppy will be unlikely to turn on a toddler. We had a malamute way before we had kids, we were asked when we were going to rehome him because a dog that size surely cannot be trusted around children.
Yes he's big, yes sometimes he gets over excited and bowls the kids over but he's family and is alot less likely to snap that a small breed that likes to chase ankles. Every dog has potential to turn, but if they're raised right then it's highly unlikely. Just like humans.