Defenders of patently dangerous dog breeds hold fast to the adage that “there are no bad dogs, only bad owners”. Being a reasonably risk- and conflict-averse person, I have avoided any encounter in which that theory would be put to the test. Until I found myself unwittingly involved in the XL Bully culture wars.
Last week, I was on a Thameslink train across London where, along with the usual commuter-y noises, I heard what sounded like a loud, performative voice-over. I looked over the seats down the carriage and saw what looked like a cat’s tail flickering above the head rests. Satisfied it must just be someone filming a video of their pet, I returned to lamenting the salt beef sandwich I’d dropped on the floor.
Five minutes later I would discover that pet was an 80lb Bully dog in muscular pursuit of the remains of my lunch, when its owner paraded him (and I’ll spare you the details, but trust me, this was a him) down the carriage to meet his fellow passengers, insisting that he was “just a big teddy bear” as he smeared saliva on strangers’ coats and testicles across the upholstery.
Since January 2024 it’s been illegal to own an XL Bully unless it is registered, and owners must stick to strict rules including neutering their dog and keeping it in a muzzle and on a lead while in public. The debate around the issue is incredibly incendiary in this country – naturally, given it involves public safety, personal freedoms, animal rights, protective dog owners, and classism – and I had no intention of getting into my personal views on it on a packed train. And I have no way of knowing if this actually was one, as I wasn’t about to ask and am aware that they are a varied mix of breeds.
But this dog was enormous, not muzzled, and attached to the owner by a weak rope lead held in only one hand, as the other was gripping an iPhone upright, filming my reaction to the friendly, happy, good boy.
I’ll be honest – I was panicked. Both about the dog, which I did not want anywhere near me, and about letting my displeasure or fear show, which might lead to an altercation that would get posted on some “Protect the Bully” Facebook page. So I said I was scared of dogs (a lie – a cockapoo was waiting for me at home).
“He’s fine, you know,” the owner, offended, attempted to reassure me. “He’s gentle.”
“I’m sure he is! Just a bit of a phobia and I’ve dropped meat on the floor so he might be able to smell it,” was my spineless reply.
She let the dog sniff about my chair a bit, he bounded into the lap of someone opposite, and I then watched her continue to film through the carriage, explaining to passengers and followers how he sleeps in her bed at night and that all he wants is cuddles. I was relieved when she got off, repeating “he’s alright, he’s fine, don’t worry” as the doors opened and an alarmed family backed away from boarding the train. She was still filming.
By the time I got home I was already deep into XL Bully-Tok and Facebook pages, which I now know are, as well as being spaces for dog owners protesting the ban, the home of relentless vigilante PR campaigns to prove the breed are harmless and misunderstood. There are thousands and thousands of videos of them lumbering about inside homes, snuggled up on sofas, patiently allowing toddlers to stroke and grab and pull at them.
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To me, as someone who supports the ban on XL Bullies, that kind of risk-taking is remarkably imprudent and I cannot imagine that coming across such videos convinces anyone of this breed’s suitability as family pets. Nor will the comments underneath – which seem to escalate often and quickly, straying into ideological and political territory far removed from mere dangerous dogs – convince doubters that this is a community of responsible owners.
I am even less convinced, now I have been in the situation myself, that forcing the public to engage with an animal they are intimidated by (even if it behaves itself) against their will can ever comfort or assure them. I did not ask for exposure therapy, and I did not ask for my reactions to be recorded as evidence of canine prejudice, or proof that dogs bred to attack can be loving and safe. In fact, knowing how desperate their owners are to show them off, I feel less safe around these dogs than ever.
If you have a pet which makes people retreat and requires you to repeat “he’s okay, he’s gentle, he’s harmless” every single time you go anywhere, it is not those people who have a problem with your breed. It is you who has a problem with your boundaries.
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