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.
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!)