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

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.”

We have many breeds of dogs in the UK which are powerful. The Rhodesian ridgeback was a dog originally used to hunt lions, the great dane has the muscle and weight behind it needed to hunt wild boar and deer and the Japanese akita was originally bred to be used for fighting and hunting work. All these dogs are designed – by us – to do powerful jobs, with weight behind them that could easily injure a person or child. So, why aren’t these breeds making the headlines? Because the men breeding the XL bullies, pit bulls and pocket bullies are not interested in these breeds. Yet.

It is important to note that bull breeds are some of my favourite dogs – they are loving, silly and playful. But the breeding is being hijacked and it is having a devastating impact.

From my experience, they are mostly men. A specific type of man with a toxic notion of what masculinity is and a need to present themselves to the world as being in charge and in control of a powerful dog. A dog that is as “ripped up” or as “shredded” as they are. Or indeed, in their place.

Toxic masculinity has been discussed in great detail in relation to women and the damage it is doing elsewhere in society, yet I’ve been watching it unfold within the dog world for years. Go on Instagram and you’ll very quickly find examples of men showing off their dogs using terminology such as “Hades – just look at that tight body monster”, or, “this boy’s bone chest and overall mass is just crazy.” They’ll be “roped up to charge up” (a way to describe the nose fold above the nose itself) and have had their ears cropped to complete the “hard dog” image. Ear cropping is illegal in the UK, yet is still taking place.

Their social media profiles show dogs jumping up and pulling on the lead – all from behind a hoodie or with motorbikes and big expensive SUV cars in the background. They use a selection of emojis – the gorilla, the flame, the racing car, the hand punch, the rocket – to emphasise how strong, powerful, unique, ripped, and huge the dog they’ve bred is. They remind us that these dogs they are making are “hench,” “massive” and “hulk,” and tag posts with language showing how much they prioritise intimidation: “This girl’s structure and pedigree is different, loads of razors edge some clicks gangster.”

A cult has been created around the bull breed; owning a “strong dog” gives extra kudos to the “strong man” owner. And if they bred it, well: even more accolades are granted, because that is the true sign that you are powerful and need to be respected.

But toxic masculinity is having a devastating impact on our dogs – from the men setting up and running the puppy farms, to drug-dealers-turned-dog-dealers and backyard breeding. These dogs have become status symbols and their owners have little interest in ethics, welfare and proper breeding guidelines.

The Commons Committee has recently been made aware of the issues surrounding “fertility clinics” that have been set up and are legally running across the UK, where anyone can breed and inseminate any dog or bitch that they wish. And it is what they are doing. Hence why we have exotic titles being given to coat colours – “chocolate tri blue and tan,” “fully suited chocolate merle” – not created for the health of the dog, but as a way to market and out-do the breeder before them.

It is understandable why a ban of the XL bully feels like the next step. It feels logical and necessary. But without reaching in and unpicking the filthy depths of the dog breeding world, it doesn’t get us to where we need to be. The Police Have My Dog – a legal team who support dogs that have been seized or who are being investigated by the police – believe that “by adding another breed to the banned breed list is like putting a plaster over a much bigger problem.”

The government has for too long allowed and permitted appalling dog breeding via puppy farms, creating dogs not fit to live in family homes – arriving with a string of behavioural and medical issues. Believe me, I know, as I see it first hand. They continue to turn a blind eye to the kennels making money from dogs, with some councils issuing breeding licences to individuals who have over 50 dogs to breed from.

Instead of a knee-jerk ban, this should be the moment to make a proper commitment and change the way that dogs are bred and looked after. And that is for all dogs and all breeds, not just the XL bully.

If we don’t tackle this problem properly, the toxic men will simply move on to another powerful breed. And we will be back where we started.

Louise Glazebrook is a dog behaviourist and trainer and author of The Book Your Dog Wishes You Would Read. Her website is www.louiseglazebrook.com