Toxic men are breeding XL bullies – that’s the real problem with dangerous dogs

Bull breeds are loving, silly and playful, writes Louise Glazebrook. But they are being hijacked by certain types of people who use them as status symbols, and it’s having a devastating impact. Banning certain dogs will not work – we need to properly protect all of them

Powerful dogs are not necessarily dangerous dogs (file photo) (Getty)

Few people watching the horrific Birmingham attack on an 11-year-old would disagree that something needs to be done regarding dogs in this country. No wonder the home secretary Suella Braverman is calling on a ban for this breed – the XL bully.

The footage of a terrified child being pursued by an aggressive animal will haunt parents forever. The attack was nothing less than horrific, with thousands of people calling for an immediate ban of this “breed” of dog. But if that was your first thought, your next thought should be: where was the owner? And that is the crucial part of this debate that’s missing.

Dogs are bred by us and then they are raised by us. That XL bully did not create itself, feed itself or train itself. A human was responsible for that, and without tackling the toxic masculinity driving the growing trend for the “strong dog”, any ban could be a misfire. Organisations such as the RSPCA and the UK Bully Kennel Club believe that “taking a breed-focused approach is fundamentally flawed.”