Are HO allowed to advertise for a sitter when they have a banned breed of dog?
I’ve just seen a sit with an XL bully dog 
Would anyone be willing to do a sit like this?
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We have done a sit for a breed that was banned in the area we were in. The dog was lovely & sweet and no one said a word to us while out at parks & restaurants. We are 100% against banning breeds and we would not let that stop us for sitting for a dog.
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In England & Wales XL Bully dogs banned from 1st Feb 2024 unless owner has an an Exception Certificate. Dogs must also be neutered if over one year old by this date. Must wear a muzzle in a public place from 31st Dec 2023.
I would need to check reviews and preferably meet the dog before I made a decision. Having owned Alsations and frequently look after a Rottweiler wouldn’t rule if out.
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To answer you question Home owners are not allowed to advertise for a sitter when they have a banned breed of dog.
It’s against THS T&Cs
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;
But it depends which country the sit is in and whether the breed is banned in that country. The U.K. ban on xl bully’s has been discussed here :
If the dog is banned in the country the sit is in then this is a breach of the T&Cs and you can reported this to member services e-mail
Support@trustedhousesitters.com
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We’ve looked after pitbulls in the US which are banned in England. It seems like a very arbitrary rule. Having said that I’d pause before applying for a sit with a breed that’s often considered dangerous. I’d closely read the listing and look for potential red flags in the wording used to describe the dog. I’d also read previous reviews and only take the sit if I had a very good feeling about it - for me it wouldn’t be one to take a punt on. But I wouldn’t fully rule it out.
This is for sure a little bit of discrimination, to rule out all dogs of a specific race:
Not all banned dogs are dangerous or aggresive.
And certainly not “just” banned dogs are aggresive.
Also not-banned-dogs can be aggresive.
A lot of it depends on the way the owner raises the dog.
I recently read that German Shepards are along the dogs with the procently most biting-incidents?
Are they on the “banned” lists?
I am a housesitter and have looked after a dog that is banned in some Europese countries. So the petowner can’t take him with them when going on holiday.
Yes he is fierce and strong. But also a very sweet, good listening and caring dog.
His behaviour is much better in comparing with some other dogs who are from accepted breeds.
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I am also a bit mystified about which dogs are banned. I generally wouldn’t be put off by a breed. One of my first dog sits was with a bullmastiff and they have to be be muzzled in some countries (not the one I did the pet sit in, thankfully). The dog was one of the gentlest creatures I ever met.
@Silversitters, as always, has done a really good job of outlining the specifics of the T&Cs…X
Several others also make many good points. As @Sarah22 mentioned, they are not banned until 1st Feb; there is exemption criteria, and there are conditions alongside that exemption of ownership.
As @1MA has mentioned, many breed bans are HIGHLY discriminatory and in truth, what is more important is a combination of understanding and meeting a breed type’s specific needs ALONGSIDE how the dog was socialised and raised so that the correct structure, training and management is provided.
@Crazydoglady, If you are concerned or don’t feel you know the nuances of the rules well enough for the sit, or confident in handling a large and powerful breed, do not accept/apply for the sit.
My heart really goes out to all the responsible XL bully guardians in the UK who have perfectly wonderful dogs and will now receive the scarlet letter treatment because of the type of dog they own.
Everyone with an XL Bully is being punished because of the result of people who genuinely have no business owning dogs and it’s not only upsetting, but sad.
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I was about to join THS as a HO but the new rescue cat fitted into the [quote=“Silversitters, post:4, topic:43940”]
any animal with a history of attacks on pets or people
[/quote] category - in the 18 months that she lived with me I ended up at A&E 5 times with infected bites, and she could only go out if she was in a harness & on a lead because she hated other cats so much. She had a very sad ending (I suspect she had a pretty sad start too) but at least no sitters got attacked (the cattery was scared of her!)
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i have just sen a sit in the UK advertising for somebody to look after an XL Bully.
It is now on the dangerous dog list in the UK and banned. Nobody is allowed to sell, buy, breed or give away an XL Bully, Dog shelters are not allowed to take them in or rehiome them. An owner can get an exeption certificate to keep their dog till the end of its natural life but it must be neutured and microchipped. Also it cannot be taken anywhere without being muzzled and on a lead. They are extremely strong dogs. You may not be able to stop it if it should suddenly pull away.
I just saw a sit advertising for somebody to look after an XL Bully here in the UK. I cantacted Trusted Housesitters to make them aware of this dog that is now on the dangerous dogs list. The reply I received was that It was not considered a dangerous dog or a banned dog on their platform and perfectly OK for them to advertise the sit.
It seems they ignore UK law. But if you are resposible for an XL Bully and it gets out of control you could face a prison term of up to 14 years. There are cases where dog sitters have been attacked and killed by these dogs. Practically every other day there is yet another case in the media of an XL Bully attack.
I know I certainly would not wish to risk putting a muzzle on it, in case it objected in a very violent way.
Also XL Bully’s make up 1% of the dog population in the UK yet they are reponsible for 44% of all dog attacks and fatalities.
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THS is a British company, so that’s very surprising.
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Hi @Visit
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve passed over your existing ticket about this to the team, and explained what you’ve mentioned, as I can see that we have a help article saying that we don’t accept banned dog breeds.
Membership Services will be able to check and clarify. Bear with us for now, and I’ll make sure someone gets back to you.
Jenny
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Personally, I avoid sitting such dogs, regardless of whether they’re legal in a given country or allowed by THS.
I’ve met sweet ones, but the problem is, animals can be unpredictable, especially with new people. And such dogs have even turned on their owners.
All dogs can bite, but a small dog can’t do the same sort of damage, because they’re more easily controlled even in an attack. And by contrast, some dogs have such powerful jaws and bites that they can kill or maim much more easily, especially with other animals and children.
When choosing sits, I avoid dogs I couldn’t control if they happened to get triggered. That’s especially so with rainy or icy weather, when walking dogs can be much more slippery. In one case, I misjudged the size of a dog in photos and ended up sitting him. He was the most sweet-natured, gentle boy. But I fell while walking him on mossy, wet ground during rain, when he happened to pull. I was lucky to not have wrenched my knee. Because he was so big, he was able to destabilize me more easily than a small dog could. Like my own dog or my small sit dogs will pull sometimes, like when seeing a squirrel, but I’ve not ever fallen because of them.
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Hi Chrissie,
This is what I recieved regarding the XL Bully
I have reviewed the listing and can advise that the dog breed in the listing is not banned on our platform. The pet parents have also advised, per their profile, that the dog does have an exemption certificate.
A certificate does not prevent it from being on the dangerous dogs list. It just means they can keep it but not msell or give away and it must be neutered, microchipped and always muzzled and on a lead.
Hi Jenny,
Many thanks for that. I just feel that the listing does not make it clear all the conditions that come with sitting an XL Bully. A petite person from another country may be completely unaware. And they now have to always be on a lead with a muzzle on. If an XL Bully pulls, they are so strong that you would have no chance of keeping hold of them.
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Dogs currently banned under the law
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) bans the ownership of four different types of dogs including some traditionally bred for fighting:
- Pit bull terrier
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Braziliero
- The XL Bully will become illegal to own from the 1st February 2024, without a certificate of exemption
It’s a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless you have a valid Certificate of Exemption. It’s also an offence to: sell an XL Bully dog. abandon an XL Bully dog or let it stray.
it has become an offence to breed from, sell, abandon or give away dogs of this type. You must also have your XL bully type on a lead and wearing a muzzle when in public.
In 2023 XL Bullies made up less than 1% of Britain’s dog population and yet, according to Bully Watch UK, the dogs were responsible for 44% of dog attacks on people.
They estimate the breed is 270 times more deadly than all other dog breeds combined. Their ancestry helps explain their aggression.20 Mar 2024
I hear you @Visit 
I noted the concerns from your email in my message to the team, so hopefully we can get this sorted out. I’m finishing up for the day, but someone will be in touch - and if I can provide any updates then I will when I’m back tomorrow. 
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There are lots of extra responsibilities that come with caring for an XL Bully that has an exemption certificate and none of these are noted in the responsibility section or any other part of the listing .
The listing talks about taking the dog to dog friendly pub and on lovely woodland walks - it doesn’t mention that in the U.K. an XL Bully ( that has a certificate of exemption) must always
- be muzzled in public places
- kept on a lead in public places
- the lead must be securely held by someone at least 16 years old when in a public place
- and that the dog must be kept in secure conditions that will stop it from escaping
Also if asked by a police constable or authorised local authority officer, you must provide:
- access to the dog to read its microchip
- confirmation of suitable third party liability insurance within 5 days of their request
- the Certificate of Exemption within 5 days of their request
That’s a lot of important and relevant legal information that a potential sitter needs to be aware of . None of these have been included in the listing.
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@Visit . I highly doubt that anyone from the UK would apply for this sit, given all the terrible publicity about these dogs, especially the fact that they have killed several people, but as you say, someone from another country might.
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It isn’t the breed in itself that would worry me. I just don’t think I’d want to sit for the kind of people who have certain types of dog. I’m in the UK and it may not be the same everywhere, but when you know someone has acquired a dog for their own, the human’s, image… Nope.
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