XL Bully Dogs.........

Offset

axisus said:

Offset said:

I don't know if anyone caught BBC coverage of the rally in London held in support of these mutts.  Some of the owners were interviewed...

All of my preconceptions about the type of person who'd want to own one of these dogs were pretty much validated I'm afraid.  It was like watching vegetable soup being stirred.

In all fairness, I have seen a couple of interviews with couples on TV with these dogs, and they were just normal, nice working people. I'm sure that there are a lot of undesirables with them, but there are also 'regular' owners. One couple was having help in training their dog to get used to a muzzle.

I'm sure there are exceptions as there always are in all walks of life.  I've just yet to see any :-)

I'm just perplexed as to why someone would choose to own a breed with a poor reputation and such deliberately aggressive looks.

digitalscream

Kittyfrisk said:

digitalscream said:

NothingOnTheTele said:

mikeyrob73 said:

Reverend said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67004053
another death

Has it actually been confirmed its an XL Bully or is it just the MSM doing their thing of blaming before confirming ? 

either way, tragic , and the owner should be on a manslaughter charge 

The police have said they 'believe' it was an XL bully. They wouldn't say this unless they were almost certain of it. They just use the word 'believe' to cover their backs on the slim offchance that the dog turns out to be a different breed.

They said that a couple of times before when there was the big thing about Akitas being the most dangerous dog imaginable in the press - they "believe it was an Akita", when it was actually a GSD. Same when there was a spate of huskies being left alone with kids and biting - turned out to be GSDs a couple of times.

So yeah, they do say it even when they don't know. In the above cases, the cynical amongst us might've thought it's because the police use GSDs, so it's less of a PR hassle if the first stories in the press (ie the ones getting the most attention) don't prompt calls for GSDs to be banned.

You were saying?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67015811

I was saying about the UK police, who - unless I'm mistaken - don't regularly talk to the press about the White House

In the case of the Bidens' dog...that poor dog has been thrust into an environment where he's clearly stressed, and for his own good should've been removed at the first sign of it, not the 11th. That's poor ownership, effectively setting him up to fail constantly.

Kittyfrisk

digitalscream said:

Kittyfrisk said:

digitalscream said:

NothingOnTheTele said:

mikeyrob73 said:

Reverend said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67004053
another death

Has it actually been confirmed its an XL Bully or is it just the MSM doing their thing of blaming before confirming ? 

either way, tragic , and the owner should be on a manslaughter charge 

The police have said they 'believe' it was an XL bully. They wouldn't say this unless they were almost certain of it. They just use the word 'believe' to cover their backs on the slim offchance that the dog turns out to be a different breed.

They said that a couple of times before when there was the big thing about Akitas being the most dangerous dog imaginable in the press - they "believe it was an Akita", when it was actually a GSD. Same when there was a spate of huskies being left alone with kids and biting - turned out to be GSDs a couple of times.

So yeah, they do say it even when they don't know. In the above cases, the cynical amongst us might've thought it's because the police use GSDs, so it's less of a PR hassle if the first stories in the press (ie the ones getting the most attention) don't prompt calls for GSDs to be banned.

You were saying?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67015811

I was saying about the UK police, who - unless I'm mistaken - don't regularly talk to the press about the White House

In the case of the Bidens' dog...that poor dog has been thrust into an environment where he's clearly stressed, and for his own good should've been removed at the first sign of it, not the 11th. That's poor ownership, effectively setting him up to fail constantly.

Yes, he's a young rescue dog that is clearly unhappy in that environment, isn't getting any stability, is stressed out & reacting accordingly.Not the dog's fault. I was just amused at on the co-incidence of  the GSD publicity angle.

dano

axisus said:

Offset said:

I don't know if anyone caught BBC coverage of the rally in London held in support of these mutts.  Some of the owners were interviewed...

All of my preconceptions about the type of person who'd want to own one of these dogs were pretty much validated I'm afraid.  It was like watching vegetable soup being stirred.

In all fairness, I have seen a couple of interviews with couples on TV with these dogs, and they were just normal, nice working people. I'm sure that there are a lot of undesirables with them, but there are also 'regular' owners. One couple was having help in training their dog to get used to a muzzle.

You might get  some posh looking normal families who own them, from my observations a few weekends ago in Liverpool City centre, plus some of the estates near me, there vast majority of people who own these dogs are thicko dickheads who have them as a visual prize.

Just ban and euthanize all these killer dog breeds.there isn't a 'needn't have one that outweighs innocent peoples right tongo about their daily busy safely. Its not that different to banning hand guns.

sinbaadi

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-69041493

Another "it's not the dog, it's the owner" advocate of the breed, I expect. 

Absolute madness.  I wouldn't go near one of these things even if it was owned by Cesar Milan himself, let alone have one in my home.

Schnozz

Cats > Dogs. Always.

snowblind

Don't know if this got mentioned before but I have heard that a lot of the XL bully stock can be traced back to one particular male which was known to be particularly aggressive. Dogs are built to order in some respects with particular characteristics intentionally enhanced. The XL bully was designed to be an organic tank with teeth. It serves no other purpose than for its offensive capabilities. Yet another case of stupid humans doing something because they can rather than because they should.

While there are no doubt examples of such dogs that are absolute sweeties 99% of the time the potential for inflicting enormous damage is integral to the breed. Not the dogs fault but I'm going to side with those who suggest these things have no real need to exist.

CloudNine

@snowblind  That seems to make sense re. something having gone a bit awry with the breeding along the way. I always recall hearing that they were originally bred to have very low aggression, despite the fearsome looks, but too many people getting chomped now for any of that to still be valid. 

My wife’s cousin has one, he is not really the stereotype owner, but I would agree that 99% of them do end up in those hands. He seems like a good dog, incredibly intimidating physique though. I kind of feel sorry for him as like any dog he probably doesn’t realise the impact he has visually, and how every interaction he has with other people/dogs is affected by that, i.e. probably nobody except his immediate family is truly relaxed around him and he will constantly get the fear vibes. I doubt he would ever hurt anyone tbh, but would I leave my kids alone with him? Not for a f*cking second. 

Axe_meister

When out on a walk with my four dogs, if there is another dog in the park the first thing I look at is the owner, regardless of the type of breed the other dog is. Are they constantly calling their dog a piece of shit are they on their phone, are they picking up after the dog. Only then will I carry on an maybe let my dogs off the lead.
I'd say 90% of dogs, treated with love and affection will be absolute sweeties.
But out of the 4 I'd only trust the beagle 100%. Even the cocker poos who will lick you to death can be aggressive amongst themselves. The old blind diabetic dachshund keeps them all in check mind.

snowblind

Beware Chihuahuas. Vicious psychos.

Shrews

The breed will just die out now the controls are in place. Only to be replaced by something else, which will kill a few people and go on the list of banned dogs, die out, eventually replaced by something else...

There will always be people, from all walks of life, who want a powerful dog. My experience of walking the doors as a job is it makes no difference about the type of neighbourhood. If people want them, they will get them, and as one breed dies out another will replace it. 

These dogs need space and exercise. Holed up in a small home will make some dogs frustrated, especially those that require a lot of exercise. Buy a powerful dog, hole it up in a confined space, don't walk it enough and it's already on the road to letting that frustration out somewhere. And that's if you treat it well. Treated badly the risk goes up.

Nobody wants to face an out of control dog, especially a powerful one. They all have the potential to bite and kill and much of that depends on your ability to fight it off. A child and OAP will struggle against an out of control powerful dog. 

I think licensing of powerful dogs should be mandatory, and at significant cost. Part of the licensing should include vetting of the home where the animal will be kept and training of the dog as a puppy. 

Anyone caught not with a licence to be heavily fined and the dog seized for rehoming. 

As it stands, the number of bites and fatalities will continue to rise, because some powerful dogs are just too badly behaved or too powerful for their owners. XL Bully included, but by no means the only worry. 

Irresponsible owner + powerful dog + frustrated dog = higher likelihood of aggression. 

breakstuff

snowblind said:

Beware Chihuahuas. Vicious psychos.

Don't mess with mine, they'll have your toes off.

Offset

We  * never * let our big crossbreed rescue off the lead when we're out - ever.  She's big and strong and whilst a sweetie, is both intimidating to look at from a human perspective and if another dog had a go at her, it wouldn't end well.  It really pisses me off when other people don't put their dogs on a lead when walking past us and let them come running up to us when it's obvious we're keeping her under close control.  And doubtless they'd be the first to complain if their yapping mutt had a pop at her and got more than they bargained for.

99% of the problems we see are down to irresponsible owners - but XL Bullies are the sign of a sociopathic society.

sinbaadi

Offset said:

We  * never * let our big crossbreed rescue off the lead when we're out - ever.  She's big and strong and whilst a sweetie, is both intimidating to look at from a human perspective and if another dog had a go at her, it wouldn't end well.  It really pisses me off when other people don't put their dogs on a lead when walking past us and let them come running up to us when it's obvious we're keeping her under close control.  And doubtless they'd be the first to complain if their yapping mutt had a pop at her and got more than they bargained for.

99% of the problems we see are down to irresponsible owners - but XL Bullies are the sign of a sociopathic society.

Fair play to you for having that discipline and not getting complacent in a "well he's never done that before way", but what a sad way for a dog to have to live.

Offset

sinbaadi said:

Fair play to you for having that discipline and not getting complacent in a "well he's never done that before way", but what a sad way for a dog to have to live.

Ha ha!  If you knew her you wouldn't say she was sad :-)

She's nine now and has arthritis in her hind legs which limits the distance she can walk and the exuberance she can expend.  She has a big  8m heavy duty extendable lead which gives her a bit of freedom, but in reality she's quite content to stump along next to Mrs O whilst our labrador runs around with his ball off the lead.  We also have a reasonably-sized back garden which is fully enclosed so on the rare occasions she feels like doing something a bit more strenuous, she can have a quick gallop around that - or we sometimes take her to an enclosed woodland dog-exercise area for £12 per hour.  She never does a lot though and tends to stick close to us (see photo).

She's never been remotely interested in balls or toys, has never done the retrieve bit and isn't keen on being separated from us (she won't go for a walk with just one of us).  She's never happier than when she's either sunbathing in the garden or curled up on the sofa with us watching TV.  So whilst I understand your general sentiment, she has anything but a sad life :-)

* EDIT - if I didn't know her and she approached me off the lead, I wouldn't be comfortable.  We have to appreciate how strangers might perceive her.

guitars4you

Axe_meister said:

When out on a walk with my four dogs, if there is another dog in the park the first thing I look at is the owner, regardless of the type of breed the other dog is. Are they constantly calling their dog a piece of shit are they on their phone, are they picking up after the dog. Only then will I carry on an maybe let my dogs off the lead.
I'd say 90% of dogs, treated with love and affection will be absolute sweeties.
But out of the 4 I'd only trust the beagle 100%. Even the cocker poos who will lick you to death can be aggressive amongst themselves. The old blind diabetic dachshund keeps them all in check mind.

I know where you are coming from - I will add to that - My dog tends to have its own comfort zone and its own judgement of character - If I walk past another dog and my dog is happy about this then I'm generally fine - Often those 'aggressive' looking dogs are the ones that my dog will 'chat' with - I have a springer poodle - Yet it is often the smaller dog that acts in a more 'aggressive way towards him and he'll either stand still or swerve out of the way 

Axe_meister

Offset said:

sinbaadi said:

Fair play to you for having that discipline and not getting complacent in a "well he's never done that before way", but what a sad way for a dog to have to live.

Ha ha!  If you knew her you wouldn't say she was sad :-)

She's nine now and has arthritis in her hind legs which limits the distance she can walk and the exuberance she can expend.  She has a big  8m heavy duty extendable lead which gives her a bit of freedom, but in reality she's quite content to stump along next to Mrs O whilst our labrador runs around with his ball off the lead.  We also have a reasonably-sized back garden which is fully enclosed so on the rare occasions she feels like doing something a bit more strenuous, she can have a quick gallop around that - or we sometimes take her to an enclosed woodland dog-exercise area for £12 per hour.  She never does a lot though and tends to stick close to us (see photo).

She's never been remotely interested in balls or toys, has never done the retrieve bit and isn't keen on being separated from us (she won't go for a walk with just one of us).  She's never happier than when she's either sunbathing in the garden or curled up on the sofa with us watching TV.  So whilst I understand your general sentiment, she has anything but a sad life :-)

* EDIT - if I didn't know her and she approached me off the lead, I wouldn't be comfortable.  We have to appreciate how strangers might perceive her.

If i were to come across that dog, I'd be bending down asking for a cuddle. He looks gorgeous a real sweetie.

Offset

^^ I know she looks like a bloke :-)  She is a sweetie yes but we think she had a very difficult life as a small pup (she was about 6 months old when we got her) as there are certain things she still doesn't like - hi-viz, some men she doesn't know, violence on the TV or perceived threats of violence in real life.  She's particularly triggered by people with sticks or guns.  She can't be tied up and left and if we're away from our property, she has to have both me and the missus firmly in view.  But a fantastic doggie in so many ways - she just comes with rules attached.

Dominic

We have 5 Dax.......not the often seen miniature Dax but the full size Wire-Haired Hunting type properly known as a Tekel (they are larger than a standard Dax ) and to be technical are actually a separate breed but in UK known as a Wire-Haired Dax.
They are half way in size between a standard Dax and a Bassett .......about 18 kg .
Individually they are very sweet and good with other dogs ....likewise in pairs but all together they turn into a pack and can be a bit aggressive as part of the pack mentality when out..........therefore they never go out all together.

snowblind

XLs scored another one today. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-69043371

I'm inclined to say it's more an issue with owners rather than the dogs themselves. I think it is unfair to keep an animal in an environment to which it is unsuited. Sled dog types for example do not belong in an English garden, especially during the summer.  You have an animal designed to pull heavy loads long distances in conditions of extreme cold. Strolling once around the park on a hot day is not conducive to a happy pet. I'm reminded of a Canadian friend living in NW London some years back who kept St Bernards. Poor buggers would struggle once it got warm, despite being shaved to the skin. They always seemed happiest curled up in a pile of snow. 

I get that with suitable training and care most dogs can have a pleasant existence but far too many are just trophies or toys which are neglected or simply miserable.