https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CxnI0fAoQQn\/<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his plans to ban American XL Bully dogs in the UK. The move was in response to mounting incidents of bite attacks, and two fatalities this year. Since that video announcement, Sunak and his government haven\u2019t laid out any specifics on what a ban would entail (guess he\u2019s been busy tanking the UK\u2019s energy net-zero drives), with BBC News reporting: \u201cDowning Street said there had been \u2018no final decision\u2019 on what would happen to people who already owned XL bullies when they were banned or whether the dogs would be destroyed.\u201d<\/em> Oh no please, don\u2019t soften the language on my account, BBC. Whether the dogs would be destroyed?!? No surprise, then, that many devoted XL Bully dog parents are starting muzzle training classes (for the dogs, not humans) and talking about the stigma that\u2019s been increasing since Sunak started ban talks:<\/p>\n Maddie Bell-Ashe is a trainer and pro-muzzles:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ve always been a massive muzzle advocate,\u201d she says. \u201cIf this ban does go through, the cost for owners \u2013 in a cost of living crisis \u2013 is going to be absolutely through the roof.\u201d She says some owners are worried about the prospect of muzzling their dogs as they notice other people are already wary due to the size of their pets. \u201cThere\u2019s a massive stigma attached to it; they\u2019re already scared that people are going to think they\u2019re aggressive and now if they\u2019re having to muzzle their dog, they\u2019re worried about that even further,\u201d she says. \u201cIf they\u2019re not muzzled and they get reported, or if they get stopped, the police come round and if your dog\u2019s not used to being muzzled, it gets seized, they\u2019ll take it to kennels and\u2026 it\u2019s better to just keep them safe and not deal with the emotional trauma further down the line for both the dog and the owner.\u201d<\/p>\n Maddie is also pro-XL bullies:<\/strong> She admits to being a big fan of the breed and regularly walks three XL bullies. \u201cI love them\u2026 they\u2019re just ridiculous, they just want love and they\u2019re really willing to listen. They might take a little bit more work sometimes \u2013 but they walk nicely.\u201d However, she added: \u201cThey do have bigger mouths and we can\u2019t discount the damage that they have done. They can be incredibly soft and a lot of them are more scared of their own shadow than anything else. It\u2019s the small minority who are bringing them up in regards to protection, but if a dog\u2019s got the correct training and the correct owners, they won\u2019t be causing those bites.\u201d<\/p>\n Josie Shanahan has autism and mental health issues, her dog Mars helps her be out in the world:<\/strong> \u201cHe helps my anxiety, he helps ground my emotions and he helps me access the community. I didn\u2019t have a life before I had him; I was a recluse; I couldn\u2019t leave my house \u2013 he gave me a life.\u201d Mars is trained to recognise issues before his owner does, including when her blood sugar levels drop or her heart rate increases due to anxiety. Asked about the ban, Ms Shanahan says she \u201cunderstands, but I don\u2019t completely agree. It\u2019s a minority of the breed and their actions are now causing the majority of the breed to be judged \u2013 and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s fair.\u201d She is concerned if a ban comes into place \u201cMars might not be able to do his job. He loves his job and he wouldn\u2019t have the same life without it.\u201d<\/p>\n Loretta Carson bonded with her dog Annie while battling cancer:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m here purely and simply to protect my dog,\u201d says Loretta Carson. \u201cI got cancer, so for five months I was at home,\u201d she says. \u201cI live on my own and she was just there 24\/7 \u2013 so the bond we made in that time was wonderful.\u201d \u2026 Asked about the potential new laws and ban, she says: \u201cI just want to be a step ahead in making sure I make the right choices for her not to be taken away from me. Yes, there\u2019s good and bad in everything and, yes, it\u2019s upsetting, but I understand they have to do something. It\u2019s not the dog, always, it\u2019s the way they\u2019re brought up. You\u2019ve got to take responsibility [for] something that is that big and something had to be done. \u2026 And I want her to get used to it, nicely, and when it does happen it\u2019s not going to be thrown on her, and make her feel sad. If we have to do that, it\u2019s what we\u2019ve got to do. Nobody\u2019s taking her off me.\u201d<\/p>\n Laura Molloy also wants to thoughtfully introduce her 15-month-old dog Bruce to muzzles:<\/strong> \u2026With muzzle rules and a ban potentially looming, she \u201cdidn\u2019t want to put my dog in the situation of having worn no muzzle \u2013 to having to wear a muzzle. He\u2019s not a vicious or aggressive dog but I don\u2019t want to scare him.\u201d Ms Molloy says that during a visit to a vet, Bruce barked \u201cbecause he was scared\u201d and the vet \u201cforced a muzzle on him\u2026 so now when a muzzle goes near him, he barks \u2013 not aggressively \u2013 but he\u2019s scared again. Bruce is a family dog; he\u2019s the most loving dog I\u2019ve ever had. \u2026 It\u2019s my choice to make sure my dog is trained and that\u2019s why we\u2019re here.\u201d She says she will do \u201ceverything to keep him safe, and he will remain in my care, no matter what\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n [From BBC News]<\/p>\n OK, so this issue is very heated \u2014 I read all your comments when we first covered this story last week and know it evokes strong opinions \u2014 and obviously this article focused only on one side. So to respond to the focus of this article, I really felt for these dog parents, and I give them credit for being responsible pet owners and starting the muzzle training. They are respecting their duty to be in control of their dogs, and they\u2019re also considering the needs of the dog and how to roll out the training so it\u2019s effective (without being cruel). If there were a real possibility that my Girl could be taken from me (and f\u2014ing \u201cdestroyed\u201d), I cannot say I would be so composed.<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CxqxcNdoOt6\/<\/p>\n<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CxWGqFStnCh\/<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n