Will my dog be classed as a ‘type’?

[Worried2024]

Hi. So I have a staffie cross called Nova. She’s a lovely dog, I got her through a rescue 6 years ago and she lives happily alongside my 10 free ranging chickens, 3 cats and a wild toddler. I am concerned she will fall into the XL bully type classification because she’s large for a staffie and she obviously has bull breed characteristics. She measures in at 49cm whereas the gov.uk says a minimum of 48cm alongside a list of characteristics which I feel would fit lots of bull breeds generally speaking.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-definition-of-an-xl-bully-dog/official-definition-of-an-xl-bully-dog

I feel like we are in limbo and it sucks because I don’t know what to do. If we apply for an excemption then she loses her ability to walk off the lead, etc which would be a shame. She has excellent recall and I seldom require a lead so would be a big change for her. Whereas if we don’t apply and she is deemed a type, we risk losing her and her safety is paramount to us at the end of the day. Is there anyone I could go to who could clarify whether or not she would be classed as a type? I did consider a vet but I feel like they would just be reading the same guidance as me and she’s such an in-between case. Any advice? Thanks

No one is doing that, calm down, but we are allowed to discuss xl bullies and their appearance.

You've described your child as a 'wild toddler' 😂 Bore off.

Just had to say that she is so beautiful!

I'm not an expert, but she looks very 'Staffie' to me. I wouldn't assume she was an XL bully if I saw her out and about. I realise that doesn't help you when it comes to navigating the legislation though:(

@Frasers

people are doing exactly that.

She doesn't look anything like an XL bully.

You might get some fool who thinks she does when you're out and about but if as you say your dog is recalled to your side and well behaved, you have nothing to worry about.

She's absolutely gorgeous.

I'm not saying this about you as you don't have an XLA bully but no matter how much someone who does have one loves their dog, there's no such thing as a responsible XL bully owner. Their dog cannot be physically overpowered by a human when in attack mode. If one went for your child, or you, the result would be at minimum terrible injuries, more likely catastrophic ones and potentially death.

A recent one in attack mode was hit with hammers and still didn't stop. It had to be tasered by police to render it unconscious in order for them to safely get near it to contain it.

You cannot believe it is ever sensible and fair to have an XL bully in a family home with children, surely? Even dog lovers like me can see what an utterly irresponsible choice that would be.

Rather than a muzzle, what about a jacket or harness that reads ' Staffie' so that if anyone is giving her evils they can read she is a STAFFIE and mind there own business.

But it's a pitbull, so it should be muzzled in public.

Sorry but like I said previously up thread, I really don’t want to discuss BSL. There are lots of threads that you can go to to have that discussion if you like. I’m here to talk about my dog.

Threads take their own life on though OP to be fair and lots of people who have come across this breed feel that if owners are described as responsible / XL bullies are described as suitable pets, it's important to explain why that simply isn't the case. People may otherwise continue to choose them as pets and put themselves, their children and the public at risk. I'm not catastrophising. They can't be overpowered by a human in attack mode. It's important people understand that.

And your dog is absolutely gorgeous, I'm not saying she isn't at all.

@Worried2024

You appear to just want positive reinforcement of your existing beliefs.

You own an illegal breed of dog - i.e. a pitbull.

Your dog should have an exemption, insurance and be muzzled in public.

If you don't do that, your dog can be seized and put to sleep.

Do it or don't do it, that's your choice.

She’s not a pit bull! OP - you are going to get the dog haters on this thread.

Have you never seen a staffy???

A staffy is just a miniature pitbull. In America they'd be classed as pitbulls.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4160292/#:~:text=Although%20the%20UK%20Kennel%20Club,from%20a%201977%20issue%20of

"In this study, shelter workers in the United States and United Kingdom were shown pictures of 20 dogs and were asked what breed each dog was, how they determined each dog's breed, whether each dog was a pit bull, and what they expected the fate of each dog to be. There was much variation in responses both between and within the United States and United Kingdom. UK participants frequently labeled dogs commonly considered by U.S. participants to be pit bulls as Staffordshire bull terriers."

That dog is definitely 'of type' and would be classed as a pitbull if assessed.

Pissing myself that the MN anti-dog brigade are screaming about pitbulls when this is very clearly a staffy 😂😂😂😂

To answer your question OP, I don’t think she would meet ‘type’ criteria as she is slender, not thick and bulky and doesn’t have a breezeblock for a head!

Don't feed it. Not the dog.

The thread is getting derailed.

I've already said it's the up to the OP what she does, but please don't start crying about how unfair it is if/when the dog gets seized.

I'd definitely report it as an unmuzzled pitbull if I saw it in the street.

As someone that has a staffy/rottweiler cross this really saddens me

Well you are an idiot then. Maybe have a Google of what pitbulls look like then compare to OPs dog.

So you’re spiteful as well as clueless, got it.

She's a staffy. She doesn't look anything like an XL bully. Even if somebody who didn't know anything about dogs did report her most people will realize she is a staffy so their complaint wouldn't go far. I would not worry.

She looks Staffie,not xl or as someone said pitbull.Staffies vary in height but she has skinny legs,not bulky like xlarge at all.
However,as we see on here,it only takes one person to accuse and it could be dangerous for her.When you take her for vet visits,does her vaccination card say SBT as her breed?Do you have paperwork saying that from the rescue?
Maybe do muzzle training just in case.She is so beautiful,she reminds me of a Staffie I had years ago,I do love them as a breed.Be very careful,maybe get an extending leash,keep her close if people are around.

I went to see a patient last year who had two ‘staffies’, one was a little hippo and looked as staffy as could be. The other was tall, with light coloured eyes and a slightly different head shape. I didn’t go crying and reporting the dog. I gave her a belly rub, a treat and said “tall for a staffy isn’t she 😉” and that was it. The patient told me where she’d come from after she realised I knew (rescued in the middle of the night from a caravan site after being beaten!) and it was clear on meeting the dog as a stranger in her home that she was as soft as shit.

My point is that APBTs look similar to staffies but there are differences if you know what you’re looking at. I’m looking at OP’s dog and she isn’t an APBT.

Other than height, she doesn't meet some of the other criteria eg heavily muscled, deep wide chest. She doesn't have a wrinkled face.
What about this? "The length from the tip of the nose to a well-defined stop (indentation between muzzle and the head) is equal to around a 1/3 of the length from the stop to the back of the head"