American Bully

I rescued a golden retriever about 15 months ago. There is a small gated park just a short walk from where I live. I did recall training with him here as it’s a fully contained area. This is I when I became aware of the bully breeds and how popular they were becoming. My dog played with a few of these large puppies, they were lovely and gentle . One year on, the owner warns you not to come near with your dog and ‘ exercise ‘ constitutes being dragged around on a short lead. One owner will only exercise their dog on the tennis court ( until someone comes along to play tennis ! ) They are at least trying to protect people and other dogs. But the frustration these huge dogs must experience at not being able to run and chase and ‘ be a dog ‘ coupled with being handled roughly they must be a time bomb waiting to go off. It is inevitable that the government will have to impose a ban on these breeds.

rosie1959

Callistemon21

I don't know but do these bully type dogs have jaws that, once clenched, are locked into place?

No thier jaws are no different from any dog but there is plenty of power behind the bite should they choose to use it

I've seen a man teaching his dog to hold on and keep its jaws locked. He was holding a big stick and swinging it round while the dog was latched on. Horrible. Then of course he praised the dog if it held on. I can't remember the type of dog, Pit Bull I think.

Awful idiot owner, chestnut. These are the kind of people who shouldn’t have dogs

How do vets cope if a bully dog comes in? In the field, they use various restraining methods.

NoraBone

I found one in the park a few years ago, walking my (female) Border Collie. There was a man walking towards me with his dog on a lead being followed by this big white with brown spots male American Bulldog. I gave him the usual "hi" greeting - he said "this dog keeps following me and I don't know what to do". Yikes! I always keep a spare lead on me (how many times have I gone out with my dogs and come home with additional lost dogs, don't ask)! So I walked my dog and this American Bulldog around the park for about an hour, hoping to come across the owner. The looks on peoples faces I remember very well - they'd see the dog and almost recoil in horror. But he was very well behaved and enjoyed the walk. No owner, so took him home where he tried to eat my sofa (don't think he'd been allowed inside a house). Then climbed on my (startled) 20+ aged niece who was living with me and snoozed. I posted on Facebook local neighbourhood - my dogwalker responded saying the dog probably been dumped (said he'd found some himself in the past). I put the big lad in the car around 9pm and drove him across London to Battersea Dogs Home. I didn't want to take him to a police station (anyone remember the story of a lost dog being taken to a police station, put in kennels and forgotten - found days later dead, horrible, really horrible). Had a reluctant night staffer take him in - I said I'd walk him to a kennel if it helped, which the staff was relieved to hear! The big lad was reluctant to go in but didn't give me any trouble, looked at me with his big sad brown eyes. I kept in touch, Battersea said the dog wasn't chipped, had bad urine burns on his feet from probably being kept in an enclosure with no access to outdoors, and 10 days later he was destroyed, Battersea saying he showed guarding tendencies around food (he'd been fine with my female dog at my home). Have to say, it pretty much destroyed me - I was dreadfully upset, I'd taken him there and felt responsible.

My MIL's minature dachshund bit the postman. But a dachshund jaws aren't the same as an American Bulldog jaws!

I'm firmly of the opinion if there's a problem it's the owner more than the dog, but would agree some breeds really are not suitable for domestic situations.

That is such a sad story 😢

Id like to see this type of dangerous dog banned in the UK.
I feel this way about Rottweilers as well tbh having seen a few out of control ones in the past.
I’s also like to see all dogs muzzled in public areas, that would see an end to the attacks such as happened recently in Birmingham.

Am very much a dog lover but the safety of people comes first.

I have two dogs and in the past often had 3. I’ve posted before about the changes in my area , since lockdown. Our park is dominated by ‘professional’ dog walkers. They collect 7 or 8 dogs from separate homes, where the dogs spend the day alone while owners are at work. The dogs form a pack. They’re allowed to jump out of the vans in the car park, not a lead in sight.
More recently, we have young lads with bull dog breeds, often off lead or on thin extendable leads which give no control. The lads will know nothing about training, or kennel club advice never to let your off lead dog run up to a dog on lead.

I spend a lot of time training and exercising my five stone, muscular, strong young lab on safe enclosed fields and in training groups. He’s lovely but hasn’t had the easy exercise and socialisation all my previous dogs have. My dogs aren’t encouraged to run wild with other dogs. Dog Friends they know when given permission, yes but not random groups of several dogs they don’t know

I fear we’re heading for all dogs on lead and some muzzled.

A man has died today not far from me after being attacked by dogs yesterday. This was in a small village. The school had to be put into lockdown. The breed of the dog/dogs is unknown at the moment. It's getting out of hand.

Just heard on a news bulletin that a man in Birmingham has died from a dog attack. Apparently two dogs attacked him. The breeds are not yet known to the press.
Something will have to be done, but what?

Yeah, another tragic death by dog bite, near Walsall I think.☹️

Oh dear ☹

Something needs to be done and quickly.
At least these dogs need to be muzzled for a start.

The most effective way to stop antisocial dog breeding and possession is to legislate to control breeders. At least half of all breeders should be stopped.

Callistemon, I agree ‘something needs to be done’. One difficulty is who and when will decide which dogs. I’d start with xl bullies but they’ve been inter bred with all bull breeds. People mistake staffies for bull breeds - usually, staffs are lovely with children and people
We need investment. There are many dog trainers who work as expert witnesses, many who have good experience and qualifications. A friend recently did 3 sessions with a family and their xl bully. Her conclusion was they should rehome the dog.

The problem is the people breeding these dogs are not going to abide by any laws.

There was a man interviewed on the radio saying he breeds the dogs to sell on to drug dealers.

Awful to read about the horror outside the primary school.

Sunak has just said the breed will be banned.

It’s just been announced, xl bullies are to be placed on the Dangerous Dogslist.
I expect this means dogs being euthanised.
I’m not disagreeing with the government on this (unusual!) but, these xl bullies have been crossed with many bull breeds. How do you get them on the dangerous list.
Other countries have better rules and expectations of dog owners. Imo we need to invest in that along with the expectation owners commit to 12 months in training groups. Six weeks ‘puppy socialisation’ useless

Yes. As my post above says, this man died in Stonnall which is a nice village not far from us.

Louella12

Sunak has just said the breed will be banned.

By the end of this year too!
Hooray, a good decision.

As I posted on the other thread, this country is dog mad. Saying you don't like dogs is on a par with saying you are a mass murderer.

Kate1949

As I posted on the other thread, this country is dog mad. Saying you don't like dogs is on a par with saying you are a mass murderer.

Don’t be ridiculous

Iam64

These dogs aren’t just bull breeds. I believe they began as a pit bull, which is banned anyway, then crossed with Cane Corsos and Mastiffs in order to create such a huge dog.

The Bulldog (Winston Churchill dog) is the most placid, bombproof dog in the world but humans crossed it with a terrier to make a Bull Terrier and now we have the American Pit Bull which is the starting point for these xl’s. They have tinkered with the genetics and created monsters. There must be very, very strict regulations around importing dogs and breeding.

The man in charge of the two dogs has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The man in charge of the two dogs has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

Quite right too.

It's not so ridiculous Quokka. An exaggeration obviously but, as I have posted before, I have had people say to me on the odd occasion that I've said I don't like dogs 'Oh and I thought you were a nice person' or imply that I'm untrustworthy. It's hurtful and insulting. So now I pretend that I like them when talking to dog owners. It's easier.