brown xl bully dog — © BAUER Alexandre - Shutterstock

Rishi Sunak announces ban of American XL Bully dog breed

By Justine Seraphin Country Manager

Published on the 15/09/2023 16:35

There has been a wave of XL Bully dog attacks in the UK recently, and the government has finally taken action.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the British public today to announce that there would be a new dog in the list of banned breeds in the UK: the XL Bully.

11 people have lost their lives in the UK due to XL Bully attacks in the past two years. The latest of these took place yesterday, when a 52-year-old man named Ian Price was attacked by two Bullies in his neighbourhood. He did not survive his injuries.

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Enough is enough

In his announcement, Sunak said:

"The American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. It’s clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behaviour, and it cannot go on."

The ban will not be immediate as the breed has yet to be officially defined. Indeed, the XL Bully is not recognised by the Kennel Club (or the American Kennel Club or the International Canine Federation).

What is the XL Bully dog?

The breed was developed in the 1980’s with the growth of hip-hop culture in the United States. A variety of different breeds played a part in its creation, including the Olde English Bulldog, the American Bulldog, and the Pitbull (which was banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991). The breed came to the UK in 2018 and has become increasingly popular over the years.

Once the breed has been defined, Sunak assures:

"We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year."

Is the XL Bully dangerous?

Statistically, yes. 75% of dog attack-related deaths in the UK in the past three years were caused by XL Bullies.

The mantra is often "There are no bad dogs, only bad owners." A well-trained dog will be less of a threat to people. However, there are two points to consider.

Firstly, a badly-trained Chihuahua may bite, but the damage will be far less serious than if one is bitten by a larger breed. XL Bullies are powerful, muscular dogs with the capacity to lock their jaws in place as they bite. Not to mention their parent breeds were bred and used for dog-fighting...

This leads us to the second point - these are powerful dogs that should not be put in the hands of inexperienced owners. They should be well-trained and under control at all times. Sadly, XL Bullies sometimes end up in the wrong hands, with families who are more interested in owning a status symbol rather than a dog that suits their lifestyle. These dogs have been "marketed" as tough, intimidating guard dogs - and so, they end up with people who want just that.

For those owners who don't care about proper training and socialisation, this is a tragic recipe for disaster.

What do you think of the ban? Let us know in the comments below.