Hi I'm Kim

[Kim Winstanley]

Hi we recently adopted our sweet girl Harley we were told she's a staffy cross. I'm not sure what with and I'm now concerned

 

[Ari_RR]

Hey there. Concerned about what? She is a goooood looking girl!

 

[Kim Winstanley]

Hey there. Concerned about what? She is a goooood looking girl!

That she will fall into the xl category and we go camping as a family I fear being turned away from campsites

 

[Kim Winstanley]

That she will fall into the xl category and we go camping as a family I fear being turned away from campsites

 

[JudyN]

The Dogs Trust has some guidance on what to do if you think your dog might fit the definition of an XL bully: Support for XL Bully owners | Dogs Trust

It's important that you take action on this now so you don't end up in breach of the law. If she's not accustomed to a muzzle, I would start working on this now (we can give guidance on the best way to approach this if you like), and you should also consider getting her neutered if she's not already.

Good luck - it's a horrible situation :-(

 

[JoanneF]

Hello and welcome. I'd also try to get her into a canine good citizen programme. @Ari_RR , the UK is introducing legislation around some bull breeds as a reaction to a number of attacks by xl bully dogs. But there are so many flaws in the system. For one, the means of judging whether a dog is 'of type' are so vague that dogs that clearly are not xl bullies still could fit the criteria - and let's not even get into the issue that not every xl bully is aggressive. Its just so sad. People whose dogs are a particular shape or size are either having to euthanise their pets or being made homeless because they aren't allowed to keep them in their accommodation. Just because of a measurement.

 

[Ari_RR]

Wow.. I just had a read at this, didn't know this was in the works. It seems that a great number of dogs could fit the very vague definition.. But I guess in practical terms there are a few defined things that need to be done - certificate, muzzle training, microchip, insurance, etc. Seems like a pain in the backside for a lot of folks..

 

[Kim Winstanley]

Wow.. I just had a read at this, didn't know this was in the works. It seems that a great number of dogs could fit the very vague definition.. But I guess in practical terms there are a few defined things that need to be done - certificate, muzzle training, microchip, insurance, etc. Seems like a pain in the backside for a lot of folks..

To be honest I don't want her labelled unnecessarily as she only fits the height criteria from the whole list. Surely it can't just go off her height

 

[JoanneF]

If it's only the height category she fits, hopefully you will be fine. If you think about it, dogs like labradors would probably fit the height category.

 

[Kim Winstanley]

If it's only the height category she fits, hopefully you will be fine. If you think about it, dogs like labradors would probably fit the height category.

I actually think she's got labrador in her to be honest

 

[JudyN]

To be honest I don't want her labelled unnecessarily as she only fits the height criteria from the whole list. Surely it can't just go off her height

The complete definition is here: Official definition of an XL Bully dog

To be honest, if she looks like a Staffie but is 19" or over, she could be seen as meeting the definition, as it's fairly vague, e.g. 'Large, blocky body giving impression of great power for size'. And dog doesn't have to meet all the criteria.

As I understand it - and I'm not an expert - if your dog could be seen as an XL, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Apply for exemption, and your dog has to be muzzled and on lead in public places. Don't apply before the deadline, and if someone reports your dog as being 'of type', you may end up with a criminal record and your dog seized.

 

[arealhuman]

Welcome. Would a DNA test help? It might reveal what your dog is crossed with and help stave off any accusations. She does look lovely though

 

[JoanneF]

Welcome. Would a DNA test help? It might reveal what your dog is crossed with and help stave off any accusations. She does look lovely though

Sadly, a DNA test wouldn't help at all. The nature of this legislation is that it works purely on how the dog looks, and a DNA test saying the dog is, for example, a staffy x lab wouldn't count for anything if the poor animal fits the measurements.