I am a dog expert. Would you let someone walk down the street with a mountain lion? The XL Bully is just as dangerous

As a dog behaviorist with four decades of experience, I have worked with every breed known to man and have never refused to work with an animal.

Until now.

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I believe the American XL Bully is the most dangerous dog ever created – predatory, over-reactive, exercise-stimulated, suspicious of strangers, and incredibly strong.

Although there are only a small number of dogs in Britain, they are responsible for killing five people in the last two years.

Three of the victims were professional dog handlers, including Adam Watts, a respected behaviorist who tried to retrain a bully responsible for two previous street attacks when he turned on him.

I was an expert witness when the Dangerous Dogs Act came into force in 1991 and one of my areas of expertise is all types of aggression in dogs.

Not intended as pets

In some cases, there are ways to deal with it – but I can tell you that when a bully attacks, you have about 30 seconds to save your life.

They target the carotid artery in the neck and the only way to protect yourself is to curl up face down and tuck your neck in to protect that area.

Those who defend the bully say there are no bad dogs, just bad owners – but these are dogs that are not meant to be kept as pets.

They were bred for dog fighting, and two of the main breeds from which XL Bullies emerged are the American Bulldog and the American Pit Bull Terrier – both of which are commonly used in protection dog sports.

It is a primarily German sport, also known as IGP, that tests a dog’s tracking, obedience and protection skills.

The goal is to bring a man down.

These dogs have a strong genetic predisposition to be aggressive.

They are the type of dogs used to hunt bulls and bears, and also trace their genetic origins to the war dogs that the Romans used to found their empire.

In America, where they became popular in the 1980s thanks to the hip-hop music scene, these dogs are described as gentle family pets who are good with children.

Unfortunately, the record of this dog’s behavior in Britain does not correspond to any of these characteristics.

I imagine the gene pool in the UK is much smaller than in America and the dogs were bred and bred here.

American XL dogs make up only a fraction of the dogs in the UK, but they are the ones who commit almost all of the killings.

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They have been linked to nine deaths since 2021, including those of three children.

Brits are 270 times more likely to be killed by American bullies than any other dog breed.

If you look at the footage of the attack in Birmingham over the weekend, you can see how big and powerful these animals are.

He was hit with a spade but barely blinked.

When an XL killed 10-year-old Jack Lis in South Wales in November 2021, his mother – who has campaigned against the breed – revealed how he had to be identified by his shoe.

That’s how much damage this type of dog can do.

When bully owners demonstrate their dogs in the ring, XL males must be no taller than 23 inches and females must be 22 inches tall.

The males can weigh between 70 and 130 pounds of muscle and bone.

Of course, these sizes only apply to the show ring.

Many of the examples for sale in the UK are far heavier and taller, and can weigh more than 150 pounds.

Over the years I have had to assess many dogs that were banned breeds or that had attacked or killed someone.

Most were mentally and temperamentally healthy.

I actually felt that the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was flawed and misused from the start because I have always been against breed specific laws as they do not take socialization or training into account.

The breeders who tinker with genetics and DNA for profit or fun are the real villains of the matter.

However, I believe that the XL Bully is so dangerous that the general public should never be allowed to own one.

Mentality of a wild animal

For the first time I feel like something drastic needs to be done to stop this hyper-reactive nature.

We must ban all imports from America and any other country that sells them here.

We then need to stop people breeding and selling these animals in all parts of the UK.

And we should consider introducing a licensing system for all dog owners that requires people to take a short written and practical exam to prove they are responsible enough to own a dog.

In the meantime, Interior Minister Suella Braverman must listen to the experts and look at the clear evidence that the XL Bully is an aggressor, not only towards humans but also towards other animals.

The reality is that these dogs have the size and mentality of a dangerous wild animal.

The bottom line is: Is anyone allowed to walk the streets of London with a mountain lion?

• Stan Rawlinson is a dog behaviorist and expert witness under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. He runs doglistener.co.uk.