Bully breeds

[Jenzine]

There are many understandable concerns regarding these types of dog, and as a dog owner myself, I have taken to avoiding places that I’ve encountered them, as a precaution, because dog aggression is common in them as a breed instinct, just as ratting is to terriers and herding to collies.
Areas I can walk my dogs (I always walk them individually, I don’t trust other people’s training of their dogs, and want to be sure that I can manage any situations that arise, which is always infinitely harder when walking multiple dogs) are vanishing at a fast pace with the baffling popularity of these mutants.
Defenders of these dogs always claim it’s the owner not the breed, however there are bad owners of every breed and most breeds still aren’t killing people fairly regularly. There also seems to be no consideration among the defenders and deniers that even if the dog is genuinely nice and loving, that it could become unwell (brain tumours, neurodegenerative conditions, general sickness) which can make even the friendliest Labrador have a sudden change in behaviour.
If any of my dogs, god forbid, ever get poorly in a way that makes them react aggressively, I know that I’m physically capable of preventing serious injury to myself and others by restraining the dog; I don’t believe the same could ever be said of an American bully XL or their owners.
All this to say, what is the justification for an otherwise reasonable person (not the drug dealers and chavs buying status dogs) with or without children to get one of these dogs? Just “liking them” surely is not an acceptable answer when weighed against the lives of human beings? What can they offer as a companion animal that you cannot get from any other breed of dog that you are actually physically capable of controlling?
How are these enormously heavy and powerful dogs not automatically in violation of the dangerous dogs act just by existing as a creature capable of exerting about 240kg of force at the higher weights of 60kg (dogs being capable of exerting force at 4x their own weight)? I don’t believe any human is capable of controlling these animals physically, and verbal control of dogs is never 100% and as someone with a lurcher, I know that no matter how well my dog recalls in general situations, the moment her prey drive is activated, she will not even hear the command to be able to follow it, which is why she’s only off lead in enclosed fields.

I don’t believe in any of the myths about these dogs perpetuated by either side (E.g the locking jaw myth of the anti-bull breed brigadiers, or the nanny dog myth of the staffy/APBT nutters) dogs are dogs, they can be good/bad, well treated/abused, but I don’t believe that owning dogs is a right, I believe it’s a privilege that is too often abused, even by well-meaning people.
How many times do we have to mourn children and adults before “[dog’s name] has never done this before!” Is no longer something we hear all too often from people with dogs that can’t be restrained by anything less than a cruise ship anchor, after their “loving family pet” has mauled a grown man to death in a park, or dismembered a toddler in their own home?
People often compare this argument to the argument against guns in America, however, a gun is not an autonomous animal capable of physically overpowering its owner and firing itself at will; dogs are.

Saw one of the lead in a beer garden full of kids and another small dogs. Owners were not drug dealers and and kids there too. I’m scared sh**less of these animals. Just why would you have one ?

There is also a family with a boerbol , they live in a 2 bed semi. This dog is used to hunt lions. In what world did they think a 2 bed semi was appropriate for that kind of dog ?

I live in fear walking my very average dog!

Honestly, I’d like a couple of owners to tell me what this breed gives them that another one doesn’t!

A husky ? I’ve never thought of a husky as intimidating tbh, plus I’ve never seen one off the lead. Chow the same.

GSD fair enough, they can be. But most people could control each one of these dogs.

Yeah, those and malamutes were popular in certain circles for a while because they look “wolfy” (not in my opinion, but apparently people think that)

It was the Game of Thrones link - they looked a bit like the direwolves in the show

YABU here's my very handsome xl bully. Oh and we live in the three counties 👍🏼

You might think handsome. I think it looks bloody lethal, and I quite like dogs!

I have an old english bulldog, she is the loveliest dog ever. I don’t allow her to be alone with my young dc as she is strong. Stop bullying bullies!!!

@sanityisamyth there's an old expression "never judge a book by its cover"

You're a fool if you don't recognise that you've brought an unstable predator into your home.

The Bully XL is a larger, more inbred, version of the pitbull and has the same issues:

High gameness.
Bloodsports genes.
Attacks without warning.
Enjoys attacking/mauling.
Fighting ability - bite, hold and shake to tear off huge chunks of flesh.

It is the same as having a small bear or lion in your house. Maybe it will never turn on you, but if it does you'll most likely end up with life changing injuries or dead.

@ThisOldThang oh leave off. Do you know every xl bully? How you condemning a whole breed because of what a few have done? Any large breed can do the same. Rottweilers are known as baby shakers yet they are acceptable? Thousands of these dogs all over the world but because of the media and scaremongering you think every ones gonna turn? Behave

But other large breeds don't do the same, do they.

Bully XLs make up a miniscule proportion of dogs in the UK, but account for 50% of deaths. The other bull breeds kill pretty much all the rest.

That's not to mention the serious maulings that don't result in death.

You're deluded if you think they're a safe breed or that your one is somehow special because you 'love it'.

No, every one of them isn't going to 'turn', but yours might one day. I hope to God you don't have any kids as if it turns on you, so be it, as that's your choice, but not theirs.

Also, did you post that picture to be provocative or did you think it might change some opinions? If the latter then, no, it won't.

@shadowchancesassy If your dog decided it really wanted to go and see something on the other side of a busy road - anything from a squirrel to a dog friend - would you actually be physically capable of stopping it dragging you into the road?

If so, how much do you weigh?

If not, if something did go wrong - regardless of who started it - how would you expect to ever pull your dog out of a fight?

@AlwaysTheSupplierNeverTheBride he's with a walker and trainer everyday and my husband walks him so I've no need to walk him what so ever. We've 4 other dogs that I walk. He's 50kg I've no business walking him when I'm 9st.

@ThisOldThang large breeds don't do the same? I don't get what you mean?

@AlwaysTheSupplierNeverTheBride why you acting like they are the only large breeds on the planet.Plenty of other dogs the same size but there isn't the same drama? Rottweilers were the deadly breed when I was growing up.

I'm glad you're taking your own physical capabilities into account; unfortunately many others seem not to. I hope that your husband and the dog walker are physically strong enough to restrain the dog if came to it.

I'd apply the same principle to any large dog. DP loves the idea of a Newfoundland - by all accounts huge but soft natured. I've said no because I wouldn't have a dog that was ultimately stronger than me and I couldn't control if the need arose.

Why the drama around XL Bullies? Because they're responsible for half the dog attack deaths in the UK over the last 3 or so years - which is hugely disproportionate to the numbers of XL Bullies in the UK. If XL Bullies were half the dogs in the UK you'd expect half the deaths to be attributable to them, but that's not the case.

@AlwaysTheSupplierNeverTheBride but who's counting how many there is? Because I know thousands. Ok they not as populated as say labradors or spaniels but there is thousands. We are very much in the bully world, we go to meets, shows etc I've watched them grow up and not once has there been an incident with human or other dog. They are all well behaved, yes you get barking but there's been no fighting. Our photographer handles bully's day in day out never come across an aggressive dog. The attacks that have happened happen to scumbags who buy one and don't feed them right, don't walk or socialise them. Probably live in a flat with small kids, and let the kids maul them. Dogs are pent up and used as climbing frames by the kids. People who don't know the breed and don't do their research about how much it costs to keep one or how much exercise they need. They are then selling them on to anyone because they can't cope, they get passed on from home to home until one day they snap.

50kg = 110lbs

That's the same size as leopard, but with much higher muscle density. I think a Bully XL would easily kill a leopard and a leopard wouldn't be nearly as aggressive or neurotic as a pitbull.

Do you have any grasp of how dangerous that dog is?

@ThisOldThang that's not all lovey. He's still got another years growing to do yet 😱 whatever will we do!

So, your dog hasn't even reached the 'magic' age of two when pitbulls begin to randomly maul and you're mocking the idea that your dog is potentially dangerous?

You've got a 'zero mistakes' animal living in your house. I genuinely hope there aren't any kids living with you. If you want to take the risk, it's your choice (until they're banned), but children shouldn't be put at risk.

It isn't just irresponsible owners that make dogs turn though.

Heat, illness, injury etc, can all lead to a dog acting out of character and possibly turning aggressive. When you add that to a dog that has been bred for it's aggression and is ridiculously heavy and muscular, you've got a problem.

You seem very smug about owning such a potentially ticking time bomb. Personally I couldn't live my life knowing I was sharing my house with something like that. And for what? You like the status you think it brings you? Or you just think it looks handsome? Utter madness.

Also, who owns a dog they can't even walk (disabilities aside)? Isn't that one of the joys of having one?

Did you choose it, shadow? Or was it your husband's choice? Any misgivings at all?

@ThisOldThang no one's mocking anything 🤦🏻‍♀️

@CellophaneFlower he brings no status to me he's my husbands dog.

@SidekickSylvia it's was a joint decision but ultimately he's my husbands dog. I have spaniels and Cockapoos. And know he's just treated like any other dog only thing we had to give more thought about was the cost. He's good and the fact he can't be insured.

*no