What is an XL bully?
The American Bully was recognised as a breed by the US United Kennel Club in 2013. The organisation describes the breed as a “natural extension” of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed, that has been crossbred with breeds including the American Bulldog, English Bulldog and Olde English Bulldogge.
American bullies come in four standard sizes; pocket, standard, classic and XL. They tend to be between 33-50cm in height and weigh between 20-60kg, with the males usually being larger than the females.
What breeds are banned in the UK?
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, there are currently 4 breeds of dogs that are banned in the UK:
- Pitbull Terrier
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro (Brazillian Mastiff)
Owning, breeding, selling or buying one of these dogs is a crime and carries with it a hefty fine and up to 6 months in prison upon conviction. It is also a crime to abandon these types of dogs, or to arrange for the dog to be moved to a different country. It is also a crime to breed one of these dogs with another breed of unbanned dogs.
All of these dogs were banned in the UK due to their aggressive personalities and the fact that they were all bred to be hunters. The Dogo Argentino for example was bred to hunt wild boar, so you can imagine the sort of strength that such a dog possesses. These dogs are also very easy to train and, unfortunately, are bred and trained to be aggressive fighting dogs.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act though, any banned breeds are not immediately put down. They must first go through rigour testing to check their behaviour and temperament and if they pass this (I intend to do a whole article on this because the actual process is barbaric and traumatic), the dog and the owner becomes subject to strict restrictions. These can include having to wear a muzzle at all times when out in public, not being allowed off the lead at any time, having to be in a cage whenever someone visits the family home or having to carry specific paperwork that must be presented upon demand. Failure to adhere to these restrictions will result in a criminal conviction and the euthanasia of the dog in question. These restrictions can also be placed on cross-bred dogs that are suspected of having genes or characteristics of a banned breed.
Why are XL bullies in the spotlight?
In the United Kingdom there seems to have been a large increase in the amount of fatal dog attacks taking place. Now we could take this with a pinch of salt – have these attacks always been reported, but just never given the media coverage, or is the media coverage of attacks causing more and more reports to take place? Regardless of why these reports and articles are now coming forward, the reality is that since 2020, there have been multiple dog attacks reported and of these, 12 were by XL bullies.
Due to the increase in attacks, there have been calls by the Metropolitan Police to add XL bullies to the list of banned breeds and amending the Dangerous Dogs Act to reflect this change.
Needless to say this debate has sparked very emotive responses from both sides. I for one personally believe that any dog – any animal for that matter – can be aggressive and dangerous, and it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their dog (or any animal) is well trained and safe to be around. This does not mean just safe for people to be around – if your dog is not safe to be around other dogs or pets, then it is your responsibility as an owner to ensure that every animal that comes into contact with your dog is kept safe. If you are not willing to put in this work to make your pet a safe companion, then you should not be allowed to have said pet.
Now as I have said, I believe that any dog and any animal can be aggressive. It is a well known joke that chihuahuas are very aggressive dogs, despite their very tiny size. There is even a whole collection of dogs that are known as ‘yappy little dogs’, who will take any opportunity to bark and growl and snarl at anyone who so much as looks at them. I am not condoning this in anyway – I still believe that if you cannot control your dog then you should not be allowed to own a dog – but there are so many options out there now that to NOT train your dog to be safe around people or other animals, is plain stupid ignorance. If your dog is highly nervous, or highly reactive, you can get specialist harnesses that say ‘unsafe to be around’ so that other owners know to keep their distance or to approach with a degree of caution. There may be some dogs who are perfectly fine to be around children and other pets, but as soon as a man comes near them they lash out biting. Every dog is an individual and as a result they should all be treated like one. Never assume that just because your last dog was a literal angel to be around, does not mean that your next dog will be the same.
But regardless of how you feel on this matter, the reality is that many people have died as a result of terrible owners raising aggressive dogs who they have trained to fight. I for one fully support the need for tighter regulations and stricter laws when it comes to pet ownership, however I do not believe that it is solely the dog who is to blame in these situations.
What are the options to resolve this?
As mentioned above, the main change that people are asking for is for XL bullies to be added to the list of banned breeds. As of this post, there is no confirmation that such a change is even in the pipeline – I have not been able to find any bills before Parliament or even any sort of Parliamentary debate around this topic – it is a change that would help to curb the amount of XL bullies currently being bred and sold within the UK. It would hopefully also act for a deterrent for anyone who thinks that this type of behaviour is acceptable, and one would hope it would encourage many owners to rethink how they train and raise their dogs.
Another option I have seen during online discussion threads is bringing back licences for dog ownership, which personally again, I think I would fully support. however I do not think this should be just for those who wish to own a banned breed or a suspected banned breed. I think that anyone who wishes to own a pet should be able to demonstrate that they have the adequate knowledge and resources required to properly care for that pet. Just sticking with dogs, should you be allowed to own a husky if you are only able to walk it for 20 minutes every day? Should you be allowed to own a highly reactive and nervous dog if you live in a house with 6 other people? Should couples be allowed to own a dog when they live in a one bedroom flat in the centre of London and work in the office for 60 hours a week? Oddly enough, licenses were in force in the United Kingdom until 1988 when the law was abolished altogether. previously, this law had been no more than a tax on owning a dog and there was little enforcement in place to ensure owners were indeed licenced. however, with the new laws around microchipping, it might be possible these days to ensure that all dogs and their owners are registered and licenced to do so.
Another option would be to increase education efforts. Before a person gets a dog – either through adoption or private sale – they must attend mandatory training to ensure that they fully understand what owning a dog will entail. Puppies are cute, but they only stay a puppy for about 6 months. After that time you will have a big, boisterous bundle of fur on your hands and people need to be equipped to know how to handle this situation. It will also help to increase dog welfare as a whole as people will be more informed on what exactly their specific dog breed needs and how to ensure their safety and wellbeing is always the main priority.
A big issue that needs to be addressed on a whole new level though are breeders. Again, I plan to do a whole article on whether breeders are immoral or not, but the reality is that many dog breeders are unregulated, unlicensed and in most cases super, super dodgy. Whilst I appreciate that accidents can sometimes happen when you own dogs and unwanted litters can occur despite best efforts, in most cases breeders are only interested in one thing: money. The welfare of the animal is rarely ever considered and if it is considered, then the money will still come first. Tighter regulations and stricter laws need to be put in place to ensure that any breeder (for any animal too not just dogs) adheres to strict animal welfare policies and is regulated in the same way any other business would be. They should pay taxes and have to disclose their finances as part of that business, and be subject to the same rules and restrictions any other company would need to. Whilst the Kennel Club does have a list of approved breeders, it is often debated whether this helps or hinders the entire companion animal industry as a whole. There is also the debate that the Kennel Club themselves are not known for high levels of animal welfare and advocacy, so why would they expect this from their approved breeders? Perhaps this option could also link very closely to the licensing option? A nice two pronged approach perhaps.
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