American bully XLs added to list of banned dogs in England and Wales
I am not sure which category this news information best fits . To keep in mind as owners will be permitted to keep their dogs( with certain restrictions ) - it will be against THS TOC to request a sitter to house sit these type of dogs in U.K.
5.2.11. not have any inherently dangerous pets (such as venomous snakes or constrictors, primates, wolves or wolf hybrids, non-domesticated cats, alligators), banned dog breeds, or any animal with a history of attacks on pets or people;
I would never accept a sit where I had to look after an American XL Bully, or any other big, strong , powerful dangerous looking dogs. I think TH should ban these dogs from being listed. There have been far too many dog attacks caused by these dangerous breeds. As a single sitter I would definitely not feel safe looking after one.
We’ve all been around enough dogs to know that a dogs behavior is not a result of their breed but the result of how they have been trained & handled. It’s never the dog, it’s ALWAYS the human, regardless of what behavior we are talking about.
We fostered a big Pit Bull that had an intimidating appearance and fearsome bark. But she was the biggest softie and her prime motivation was snuggling on the couch. I would have trusted that dog to care for a baby.
And @MissChef is right, people will just not disclose the breed to avoid issues. My nephew has a wonderful dog that is 1/2 German Shepard and 1/2 German Shorthair. On the advice of an attorney, in any documentation she is described as a “German Shorthair mix”.
Because at least one person has spoken up to encourage THS to ban certain breeds, I feel the need to add my viewpoint. I have sat for large pit bulls, Rottweilers, and a large Boxer, and have known lovely German Shepherds. Wonderful and loving dogs. It is the humans who train (or not) a dog that counts. It saddens me that England is banning specific breeds and I would walk away from THS in a hot minute if they did the same. It is so misguided. The only time I was ever bitten by a dog it was a Jack Russell Terrier.
Miss Chef, I agree that THS should ban these dogs from being listed. Pracrtically every other day here in the UK we are hearing of this breed of dog being involved in dog attacks. Young babies to older adults have been killed by this breed of dog. One case was a woman walking eight dogs. (way too many) and she was attacked and killed by her own XL Bulley. Another case. : - Bella-Rae was just 17 months old when she died after being attacked in her own home. Her 25-year-old mum, Treysharn Bates, from St Helens, Merseyside, was with Bella-Rae when the incident happened and did everything she could to save her daughter’s life. However, due to the severity of the injuries, Bella-Rae was pronounced dead shortly after the brutal ordeal. Treysharn, who is hoping to raise awareness, believes that XL bully breeds are “far too big for people to control” – and says that they need to be banned immediately.
Just wondered if THS could be held liable, if a sitter was seriously injured if looking after a banned breed, or a member of public attacked whilst the dog in the care of a sitter. As to changing documentation to Lab/Boxer/Mix I doubt anybody would get away with that over here. I would only need to see a photo of the dog to know its breed. They are extremely unpredictable, with many owners saying they have never attacked before and then they seriously maim or kill somebody. Just far too many cases with this one breed.
Banning is never the answer. Doesn’t make sense if we are talking about dogs or books, it’s just a fear reaction usually based in ignorance of real facts.
We are all adults here, capable of making our own choices. Afraid of Parakeets? Then don’t apply for a sit that includes one.
I would be tremendously disappointed in THS if they went that route.
I cared for these two (through Rover, so in my own home.) Sweet and friendly, not food aggressive and loved to cuddle. The only “bad” thing is that they both thought they were lap dogs.
I recently sat a westie, through TH, that nipped at me anytime I went near her. Refill water? Attack. Dinner time? Attack.
It’s a shame that little girl died, but there’s no way we can know exactly what happened, or whether any other dog would have attacked in the same context.
If anyone is going to ban an entire breed, base it on STATISTICS & DATA. Here’s a study:
Im afraid i agree that in most cases bad dog behaviour is down to the owners.
But sadly we cant control who can own a dog and how they train it.
Myself i mostly wouldnt sit these breeds, just simply because im not experienced with them. But i never say never, most animals are just like people and have different personalities.
I used to ride horses for years: the chances that you’ll get ripped apart by the teeth of a horse is pretty much zero point zero something vs an aggressive big dog… So not a worthwhile comparison.
And no, not every big dog is the same. I remember when Rottweilers became popular in my country: several people I knew got one, didn’t know how to handle one, and all of these dogs ended up biting people (relatives, friends, etc) and had to be returned or surrendered. That did not happen to the people who got Golden Retrievers. So certain breeds due to their character can be more dangerous in the hands of inexperienced or irresponsible owners. Add to that, that bully breeds have a grip much more powerful than many other dog breeds & harder to release…
“several people I knew got one, didn’t know how to handle one, and all of these dogs ended up biting people”
Your point is valid and I agree with you. You reinforce what I said earlier - It’s never the dog, it’s always the human. The vast majority of the dogs in the breeds being mentioned are wonderful pets. The exceptions are the result of owners who cant (or won’t) train them properly. Most anybody can keep a Golden Retriever in line. But it is also possible to mistreat one until its a biter. Does that make the breed problematic?
What I dont understand is the thought that an animal should be banned on this exchange. If a sitter is not comfortable with a dog, or a horse, or a snake - don’t apply form the sit. I’m not comfortable with large spiders, but I’m not suggesting THS ban them.
The challenge is: how do you weed out irresponsible owners? Or ban such owners from keeping such dogs? - and do so BEFORE they hurt someone? There’s scores of people who don’t know how to properly handle a dog. It’s just not such a public health threat when that’s a toy breed vs a bully…
Re THS: I would never sit a bully breed, no matter how loving it may be towards the owner. My neighbours had an American Staffordshire till it died a year ago. Very loving towards its owners & very docile as long as they were around, but couldn’t be walked outside as it was known to kill small dogs, cats, and they always made it clear that she would kill any burglar to their property as well. In other words: a very dangerous dog, even though you wouldn’t know when stepping inside their home with them around.
If I see a large dog of any breed let alone an XL Bully while I am out walking, I cross to the other side of the road. I don’t want to find out if the dog or the human can be trusted - I simply do not trust either one. Better safe than sorry.
Tbh I don’t even understand why anyone wants to own a dog that weighs 60kg - that is basically the same weight as me.
according to wikipedia:
In the UK, XL Bully dogs were responsible for more than 50% (10 out of 19) of the dog-related human deaths between 2021 and June 2023. The London-based pressure group, Bully Watch, which campaigns for controls on the breed, places the number of deaths related to XL Bullies at 14 between 2021 and September 2023.
I presume that is why XL Bullies will be banned in the UK. Horses have not killed 14 people in 2 years…
All this discussion is great, it’s good to hear other’s opinions and reasoning. Everyone draws on their own experiences to come to their own conclusions. My experience: Lifetime of owning pets, 15 years of walking dogs of all breeds, shapes & sizes as a volunteer at a shelter, and 8 years of sitting. The only time I’ve been bitten was by a 6 month old kitten.
If anyone has not read the article shared by @Shella_in_the_Forum , I recommend it. It’s a balanced view.
Myself, I stand on the position that it’s never the dog, it’s always the human. Blaming the (non-human) animal is misguided. Feel free to disagree.
This is a good thread! Differences of opinion but respectful. It’s an interesting topic. We haven’t done a sit for those big strong breeds. I might consider it if the listing was very thorough and we were able to arrive the day before to meet the owners and get a feel for the dog.
I’ve only ever felt unsafe with a little yappy dog, but we are quite careful in the sits we choose. I do agree with the person who says size matters. Scary as the experience with the little Jack Russell was I could probably have won a fight with it! A huge bully breed I’m not so sure.
