Tidworth dog trainer says XL Bully ban is ‘not the answer’

Heather Taylor says a ban would give a false sense of security

Author: Aaron HarperPublished 25th Sep 2023
Last updated 25th Sep 2023

A dog trainer from Tidworth says that banning the XL Bully dog is not the answer and could give people a false sense of security.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on 15 September that the breed would been in the UK following a series of attacks in the summer.

Heather Taylor is a clinical animal behaviourist and training instructor and says a lot the ‘problems’ dogs have come from owners expectations of them.

“There are dogs that have what we would call problems, behavioural struggles, but they are driven by emotion, anxiety, fear, or frustration.

“So the ‘problem’ behaviours are just symptoms of something else going on.”

She said the ban isn’t the answer and that it doesn’t address the problems underpinning dog attacks.

“It doesn't address sort of the issue surrounding like responsible ownership,” she said, adding: “It doesn't address issues of poor breeding and also of poorly regulated other industries. The training behaviour industry is completely unregulated.”

Heather told us that the XL Bully has been poorly bed, with a lot of inbreeding, creating a ‘perfect storm’.

“I think there's a bit of poor education for the Breeders and breeding has been done on looks and colour and things rather than temperament, which obviously has can cause problems.”

Heather says they need an appropriate outlet for natural behaviours, as dogs are a predatory animal.

She says it’s up to us to work with the dog.

“If we're going to say they can't do something, they're going to want to do it more, the same as we would.”

But if a ban isn’t the way forward, would a dog license be effective? Heather said that would be difficult to enforce.

“I do think that breeding needs to be looked at and they need to have a look at like these fertility clinics and all of these sorts of things that are popping up.

“And I think a lot more education for people in general about dog ownership and about the importance of having a dog under control, muzzle training for any dog.”

Heather also stressed the importance of owners understanding the dog they have or are getting.

“I've got two Huskies. It's not a decision made lightly.

“I think people need to understand the breed they've got and what that breed was bred to do and what that's going to look like in a home.”

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