The XL Bully Question

[@MordorGundogs22]

If you like this episode please can you hit the like button on the video and leave a comment! Greatly appreciated👍

[@darren7896]

This guy gives one of the most balanced un-hyped views out there. Makes a change to just listen to the opinion of a training professional who is not trying to sell everyone some new training plan/ / ‘how to…’ subscription… just views based on years of experience. Well done Charlie. Subbed. (Now please help me with my lab 😂)

[@nickimorley536]

Agree

[@jordanbrant7660]

I totally agree, we recently rehomed Bruce a patterdale terrier, who was sold to a family with no garden and never had a dog, they thought he's a small dog can't need that much exercise ect. But in reality these are hard working loyal dogs that have been bred to kill, they need lots of training, exercise and mental stimulation to be calm in the home. The ramifications this has had on poor Bruce in just 5 months is so sad, when he arrived he couldn't even sit on command and is scared of lots of sounds and especially people, as they didn't socialise him, he lived in a crate 90% of the time as they couldn't control him. fair to say he's coming on well but there's still a long journey ahead of us.

[@nurseyj9]

13 years ago I collected my working Bedlington (then aged 9 months) from a last-chance terrier rescue. He'd been bought as a 'fluffy puppy', the family tried to beat the terrier out of him, so he bit all of them, the more they hit him, the harder he bit. He lives a happy life with me, his hobby is killing things so he goes ratting, rabbiting, picks up what I shoot and has had some success out beating. He decided the day we met I was 'his person', and has never even shown a tooth to me, even if I'm tailing him out of a hole. I wouldn't (and don't) trust him to tolerate children or strangers pulling him about, he isn't a very nice, friendly family dog but he is socialised and will make friends with people who understand dogs better than his first owners did. For years I really resented them, but in reality his breeder should never have sold him to them either

[@minimayhemadventures]

Patterdale terriers are not suitable for 95/100 homes that currently have them, good luck with yours! They're awesome when given the correct needs ❤

[@markhollingsworth3097]

A totally unbiased, sensible take on a very real issue for a lot of us . . . .

[@laurablockley1269]

Indeed. This problem can not continue. It’s been going on years. For me it isn’t just about people being bitten it’s about dogs being bred and being sold and having terrible lives because of bad breeders. I know it’s unlikely to happen but I genuinely think people should have a license and go on training courses to own dogs. Even Labradors cos I’m sure some of them out there aren’t living their best life due to uneducated owners.

[@Chequr_Prostate]

“85% of people should have a Labrador”? I’d say 85% of people shouldn’t even own a dog. I see badly trained dogs, uninterested and self centred dog owners every day. Many with dogs that are too large for them to control, and don’t get me started on the dog walkers with packs of dogs, some even off the leads causing havoc.

[@minimayhemadventures]

The biggest problem we have, is the lack of policing! I 100% agree in your view on this, the reason I have a patterdale is, I wanted a working dog with drive for igp etc, but couldn't house a malinois/dutchy around my 8 year old son, but some people don't look at the long term or all the other effects of having dogs, that's why we're seeing massive influxes of malinois with behaviour issues in the kennels and rehoming sites, which it in itself is just rehoming a problem, most of the time to someone what can't handle the dog without the problems nevermind with! Personally, everyone should require a license for a particular breed of dog they want to own, and a separate for breeding etc. You should have to prove competence, housing requirements can be met, insured, affordability assessment. Problem is, this would and could not be policed correctly in the current state. 😢

[@lauralbriar]

Excellent video and view of the situation. Well done - thank you. I have subscribed and really enjoy your training videos. We are in the process of learning about working cockers with the view of purchasing one in a year or so. Your channel has helped in our education a lot. Thanks again

[@MordorGundogs22]

Thank You! That’s great to hear

[@andrewtweedie9206]

loving your videos Charlie, your passion, common sense and good advice. We have two 7 month Cocker Spaniels and really enjoy the advice you are giving. Thank you keep them coming 🫶🏼

[@marilyndavison8779]

I agree totally. As a groomer I have been bitten by OESs, Scotties, Sealyhams, Yorkies, Poodles, Spaniels and others and have a few scars but I live to tell the tale. What makes the breeds you have mentioned for banning/restrictions is their strength and power with their inherant instinct to shake with the hold and not to let go. Breeding needs to be governed with these 'dangerous' breeds but don't know how that is going to be policed.

[@Winstoncat1]

I agree with most of your points. However ANY large dog can be a problem if not trained properly. I think their should be more emphasis on owners researching breeds, then socialising, obedience training and general dog manners. I'm a dog walker with mostly large dogs. One black lab who has not been socialised & as a result is sometimes aggresive around other dogs & some strangers. He is the sweetest dog but now so anxious & fear aggressive when meeting other dogs. I'm working with the dog to help calm & give him confidence but both he and his owner live an isolated life, which doesnt help. I also walk a Vizsla puppy aged 9 months who weighs 28kg & has been owner " trained" but is so unruly to the point he's a danger to me, himself, pedestrians & traffic. I've been bitten, jumped on, bruised, barked at, pulled over & pinned against the wall. He has no engagement, no attention span, over boisterous & starts biting & no manners. He may be a cute puppy but he's large but at 28kg & still growing, it's no joke. The owners took him to 1 puppy class at 12 weeks old but " he didn't like it" so they never went back. I have now suggested the owners ( professional retired couple) get help. He wouldn't be considered a dangerous breed or a dangerous dog but could seriously harm a child or frail person. So ANY large dog can be a problem if not properly raised.

[@AmazingJane137]

I completely agree. I’ve learnt this the very hard way as someone who adopted an Australian Bull Arab. She’s a gorgeous dog but super strong and athletic and 30kg of very hard work. Her only danger is to herself and she recently got hit by a car. In many ways I wish someone had assessed me first as being unable to manage a dog like her. But that didn’t happen and now I love her like mad but have great difficulties. I should have relinquished her at the first signs of trouble but I kept thinking I would learn what to do. And I am learning but it has been a very very hard journey.

[@filipefaria898]

Amazing work my friend! This kind of information and sanity can help many people. I have a cane corso and they are very demanding to become the dog people want to... Just found your channel (I am from Brazil) and I should say thanks for sharing wisdom!

[@sarahharrison3686]

Well said. Working with dogs, you can easily see which innate behaviours dogs have within them. It certainly comes to the quality of breeding and temperament. Terriers, gun dogs etc have their own 'jobs' The bullies that have come from a specific US line are potentially the dogs that have caused this aggressive disposition - again, few spoiling it for the vast majority.

[@rensha8635]

It is perfectly valid to ask the question why someone would want a breed like a ‘Bully’. A dog that people will naturally be fearful of, a dog people will avoid letting their children go near or their dogs greeting it. That has to for the most part be an anti social person, who wants to create that response - entirely wrong person to own any dog. I know there are always exceptions, of course but if you are breeding these types you know exactly who’s going to be wanting one of these puppies.

[@Kate_Short-For-Bob]

Very well put. It's the people - who breed them and those that own them. Ask the question - Why TF does someone want or need an XL or an Anatolian Shepherd. Especially in an English urban city ? Licencing of breeders (for all dogs really, and x10 for big powerful dogs that have a tendency to aggression) and....licencing for dog owners too. Would you let the local inner city drug dealer have guns ? No (well, not legally). So why are the allowed to have a XL or doberman etc ?

[@evelyn-nm6iy]

i have a working springer and a staffie × american bully XL. its 100% the fault of breeders and people who buy a dog just as a status symbol, even now with the laws in an area with 15+ XL bully type dogs only 2 are exempted, muzzled and kept on a lead if they're even still getting walked at all. if nothing else this ban has highlighted how irresponsible dog owners can be even in small ways, a few examples are not even showing a dog a muzzle until the day it cant leave the house without one, not having a recall trained yet still complaining about not being allowed to let their dog offlead and the sheer amount of dogs that were dumped. theres a general lack of training i see within pet dogs, i've seen more aggressive dogs getting let offlead than i've seen dogs with good recall, i've seen people with akitas, gsd's and XL bullies who probably shouldn't even be allowed to own a hampster. breeding, selling, owning and training need to be regulated and have some sort of license, if someone truly wants to own a dog going through a licensing process should be easy.

[@oscarellenius2007]

I completely agree. I have a LGD and she will not be off lead if there's any chance that we come across people, livestock 9r game. She have a 100 feet lead that she gets on when she needs a good run around outside our home. But other than that she's on a horse lead rope.

[@nigelrudd8999]

Very good post Charles, on the subject of siting to flush, when are you going to discuss your method of training this?

[@cannymoose]

They should have never got rid of dog licensing. There should be a suitability to own a dog. And provably withing that licensing scheme have a training with owner that all must pass or repeat till passed. All my animals are rescues and all the rescues I have used will not let a dog go to an owner its not suitable for. This I believe would benefit the owners, the animals and the wider public at large.

[@davidstevenson5666]

Couldn't agree more. Dog ownership comes with responsibility, they aren't children and they're not an extension of your neighbourhood cred. Breeders need more stringent laws to prevent numpties getting a dog without a clue. Last week, slowing down in my car on a town centre road, for a fella, completely oblivious, with 2 very young puppies (one off lead), headphones on, walked into my stationery car, he was out of his bonce, what bloody chance do those puppies have and who sold them to him? Well argued video.

[@grahamblackall6305]

Great content! One issue is that the problem will migrate to another breed, just as it has always done! The problem is usually the owners Breeds like the Cane Corso, Rottweiler, etc needto watchh out, the problem owners WILL find a way around a ban just as they always have

[@mr-iz8cx]

I would be very interested in your opinion on Ridgebacks, if you have much experience or knowledge of them. Thanks, enjoying the channel.

[@georgebutler7183]

I’d really love to see a video of what you feed your dogs? I really struggle with that with my spaniels

[@martintaylor4620]

No, I'm afraid you can't ban a breed that doesn't exist. And once you go down the 'description fits so it must be true' route you're reliant on someone's opinion. If the KC doesn't have a definitive breed standard who's opinion are you going to use? And if banning dog breeds worked why is there still a problem? The problem lies with the owners. Dogs are bought in the same way that we buy clothes. "This is how I see myself". "This is how I want to be seen". The dog is seen as an extension of the person. As trends change (or are forced to change) a replacement 'breed' will become predominant. There aren't nearly as many Rottweilers around today as there were in the 90's but the people who owned them remain the same. The reasons for having such dogs will remain the same and so the instances of dog attacks will remain constant. Sadly, the law can only ever play catch up. The police and the justice system can only ever arrive after the event. To tidy up after something has gone wrong. The only way members of the general public can be persuaded to give careful consideration to what they are buying is by making the image of a fighting breed socially unacceptable. It's not laws which change society. It's society which changes society. Example - drink driving. This used to be so normal it could be bragged about. Not today. But it was always illegal to drink and drive. Only when society's attitude changed as a result of injuries to innocent victims did we see a shift in social conscience. When someone is made to feel uncomfortable about their own behaviour they will choose a different path. I'm afraid governments cannot answer this problem. I don't know who can.

[@simonmorriss9511]

Could not agree more.

[@rubyjohnson6683]

I owned a female Pittbull in my early 20ies in GY for 12 years. She set the incredible standard I'm trying to avoid to compare her successors with. I applied to her these silly pack leader rules and she thought me that humans and dogs aren't packs. And these rules are bonkers. We form families and as a "parent" and resource manager I'm the leader anyway. As long as I'm fair, consistent and set boundaries. Her successors are still profiting from these experiences. And so do I having switched from female to male and from a 50 pound Pitbull to a 90 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback.

[@jillallerton9147]

Agree

[@dustinfisher29]

Here in Germany there is a similar problem and some states have made it law that you need a "handler license" to have a dog. I don't think you can really enforce this all the way through. I share your view that there should be a "green list" of breeds for the general public.

[@batmantiss]

Here in the states, I treat pit bulls like bear traps

[@washout04]

Thanks for speaking the truth. Too many people attracted to owning a strong intimidating breed or breeding them do it for the wrong reasons and aren’t (I’m sorry) generally considerate and responsible people. There is a dire need for more regulation.

[@nickimorley536]

Once again totally agree. Several points, the XL Bully is a American 'designer' breed, crossing of pit bull breeds with the vast powerful Dogue de Bourdeau type for a certain purpose or type of person. Its become a status symbol of sorts and as you say the breeders are at fault in many ways. Sadly all Bull breeds are being labelled, I put the blame at the feet of the handler and breeder. Bull breeds are as soft as a labrador, but mishandled ill trained and you're asking for a problem. A chihuhua can be as vicious and feisty but the size means it gets away with that bite at the neighbours ankle! In my lifetime I have had bull breeds, long dogs, gundogs of all sorts (as you know) and my true love German Shepherds. All need individual handling and training. I have been bitten by one dog, a mongrel rescue, who mis read my signs and I misread his, no problem, we learnt to cope! Breeders need to be made responsible, owners licenced. Of ALL the breeders we have come across the hardest to obtain was the Irish Wolfhound The society has made it extremely hard, strict guidelines, evaluation of prospective owners etc. The Gentle Giant is protected from misuse and the gimmicky 'horse dog ' image. Thankfully this measure has saved the true characteristics of the breed and benefitted its immense size and none structure. All breed societies should have STRICT guidelines for breeders and owners. I could go on, as usual, but you have broached a touchy subject objectively and I wish more people took time to understand dogs thoroughly, as have you. Thanks😊 addendum BONE STRUCTURE

[@patmunro3531]

I have a Working Bred GSD [ too small for the Police]. Went through 3 DAYS of interviews, assesments, with the breeder before she offered me a choice of 3 bitch puppies. She is 5 now. I've had dogs continuously for 30 years. Competed Crufts Obedience level. This dog is the best, and the worsed, She has a "make me" attitude, which has to be used in her training, ie the games are ROUGH, she had to learn to control that. I iced my bruises!! Now she is THE friendliest dog around, with humans and dogs. Not cats though!!

[@IvyWhiskeyDram]

Agree 💯 most people who look for pitbulls or xl bullies or certain other breeds for the most part are uneducated and not proficient enough to handle/train such dogs. I think to own a certain breed of that nature requires some kind of license and have dog training classes with the puppy until early adulthood. And breeders of such breeds should only breed from sound animals and are educated in such a breed so they can make sure they're going to the right home. Labs and cockers can go bad, but much less likely and usually much easier to re-educate.

[@lifeasafish]

The sheer size and capabilities of these dogs makes them too much of a risk to be in public: coupled with their incredible tolerance for pain, they are near impossible to stop. This breed along with some of the large mastiffs like the Cane Corso and Presa Canario are totally unsuitable for suburban living, as are many the livestock guardians like the Kangal. The dangerous dog act must be revised to encompass more of these breeds to ensure the safety of our communities. I’m sorry but most of the people that feel the need to buy these dogs are not going to be educated into being better dog owners.

[@davidpalmer8591]

Well said- oh; and thanks for making the Waffle videos- we have a 16week cocker and he is coming along nicely already! 👍🏼

[@MordorGundogs22]

Our pleasure!

[@Kate_Short-For-Bob]

Our current Lab... the breeder was the height of responsibility. Lots of thought and checks on minimising things like the inter-breeding score, sire wirh a perfect hip score and similar size to the bitch, etc. Etc. And before we even got to go see the pups, they wanted to talk to us, understand why we wanted a Lab, why now, where we lived / how we'd exercise and train, not leaving them home alone all day, etc. Ie. All the right questions to make sure their pups went to the right homes. In fact we didn't even touch on the £££ until we were doing the paperwork. Wonder how many XL bully breeders or buyers went through this process🤔. You're right about the dog hair on the sofa too 😖

[@johnwalker1]

New to gsp but had whymarenars Makes scence of wat you say thanks

[@sirumodogtraining]

Couldn’t agree more but the issue lies within as the govt had the chance 10 yrs ago to get stricter on breeding but did nothing. The new legislation covers XL bully breeding but who’s going to police it? An XL bully cross dog de Bordeaux still big and powerful but not in new legislation.. totally agree with all you said but we all know nothing will change

[@Wob-rt1sc]

Absolutely loved this video. Please discuss breed differentials more often-not many trainers do this. 100% agree re licensing breeders and I also think that any would be owner should have to pass a test before that breeder can home to them. How it would be policed is more problematic I guess.

[@buffywhatever1093]

If they are to be banned it will cause untold difficulties for rehoming centres and pressure put on vets to put down perfectly healthy dogs. It’s a super tricky one. I met an XL Bully the other day, 7 months old and very well socialised and happy being in a busy pub. Astonished at its size. Owner seemed very good thankfully. Nice video.

[@mssdn8976]

I adopted a female Rottweiler. She became a therapy dog and visited a special needs school for primary school children. She also visited nursing homes. She was protective of her home and she made me feel really safe, I’d walk anywhere with her. I wasn’t ever scared that she’d hurt me

[@fitzg002]

I agree and kind of disagree, I agree there are specialist breeds that should ideally should be restricted, I just disagree that well bred rottweilers and German shepherds are on this list. They are fine as family dogs imvho.

[@catherinetremerryn]

Well said.