Please read this as hopefully it is going to provide some help.
Importantly – the number of people seeking help is unprecedented, I know that I cannot answer all your questions, over the last two days I have done around four hundred enquiries and my work email box crashed. I can’t let that happen because of the owners in criminal cases that I am involved in. There are some questions that I can answer here so read on.
1) Height – if you say your dog is under the height and ask if you should exempt – if your dog is under the height set by DEFRA it does not classify as an XL Bully.
2) Dogs – If you say your dog is a known breed then it is not an XL Bully
3) DEFRA state the ban is for XL Bully’s or cross breeds that look like XL Bully’s – not for other known dogs. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier, English Bull Terrier, English Mastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux, American Bulldog, etc are not XL Bully’s
4) Pictures – if you are sending pictures to anybody to ask for their help with your dog please do not send sofa pics or pics of your dog wearing things that cover its body. Take the following pictures with the camera at dog head height – full front on, full side on, back end, overhead from nose to tail. Any expert needs to fully see the dog to form an opinion.
5) Please go to the ABKC website, look at the standard for the American Bully, they have descriptive pictures in the standard to help. It will help in understanding what a unique dog the XL Bully is.
6) Please remember whoever you ask for an opinion cannot tell you what decision you should make. Advice on type of dog can be given but ultimately you the owner must make the decision.
7) Puppies – with young puppies what did you get the puppy as? What are the parents like? None of us can tell you exactly what a puppy will look like in seven months – but if you have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy from Staffordshire Bull Terrier parents you do not need to exempt that puppy.
I hope the above helps, please use this and follow it before you message/email. I and the other experts are not going to be able to answer everyone for which I am so sorry.
