Banning American XL Bullys will not get rid of the real problem. Here’s what needs to happen
MY love of dogs will never wane. But even as a passionate proponent of them, I cannot ignore the spate of attacks that appear to be on the increase.
When I heard about Thursday’s attack in Staffordshire, which left one man dead, my blood ran cold.
And I couldn’t bear to look at the video circulating on social media of the most recent one in Birmingham — when an 11-year-old girl and two men were savaged by an American XL Bully. It’s too distressing.
News stories like these are becoming very regular.
So much so that Home Secretary Suella Braverman is seeking “urgent advice” on banning this particular breed, dubbed a “devil dog” by some.
I’m no dog expert, but I’ve had four-legged friends in my life for the past 56 years.
I’ve raised them from puppies, I’ve fostered and I’ve adopted. I maintain that dogs aren’t born inherently evil or aggressive.
It’s we humans who encourage bad behaviour in animals through ill-treatment, lack of socialisation or plain neglect.
Despite its prevalence in the news, the XL Bully is relatively rare in this country.
It is not recognised as a breed by the Kennel Club because it is a crossbreed.
A variant of the pitbull, it’s quite new in the dog world as it only started being bred in the US during the 1990s.
Initially, it was used for dog fighting, so it’s little wonder that when this 60kg-plus dumptruck of an animal approaches, you would run the other way.
But dogs of all breeds can be aggressive. In fact, I’ve often felt safer around bigger dogs because it’s often the smaller ones that have attitude problems.
Professor Green made a documentary about dangerous dogs a few years ago, and the RSPCA man he interviewed said he gets more callouts about little dachshunds than for Staffies or pitbulls.
The Bully XL name doesn’t help its reputation either.
I’ve owned British bulldogs for ten years and even have a “Mother Of Bullies” tattoo on my back.
But it might as well be a reference to my children rather than to my dogs, who would more likely lick you to death than show any signs of antagonism. But I’m no fool. I never take any of my dogs’ temperaments for granted.
Despite knowing them inside out due to spending all day (and night) with them, I would never assume they wouldn’t be capable of a moment of volatility.
I couldn’t look you in the eye and promise that they wouldn’t be spooked or feel threatened by something and respond accordingly.
NIGHTMARE ON OUR HANDS
Neither do I ever presume everyone I meet likes or is comfortable around dogs. I always keep my dogs in check.
We can’t avoid the fact a percentage keep these Bully XLs (and pitbull breeds) because of the unspoken protection they give the owner.
People choose these types as it makes them look hard, unapproachable, and the dogs become a warped and terrifying status symbol.
Little wonder these breeds have become demonised. I’ve no doubt they can be as loyal, affectionate and soppy as the poodle next door.
But these dogs are a hefty size with an amazing jaw strength, and under the wrong human influence, any dog would pose a threat.
Breed is just not a reliable indicator of aggressive behaviour.
My dogs have been attacked by other canines. It’s said that the British bulldog’s underslung jaw and short nose make it hard for other dogs to read its mood.
Whatever the excuse, my dogs have been attacked by a springer spaniel, two Labradors (separately) and a collie. None of those breeds you’d consider dangerous or aggressive.
Added to all this, as a result of the pandemic, we have a cohort of dogs who were bought for bored people’s entertainment or loneliness and were never socialised due to the lockdowns.
These poor dogs are now living in rescue shelters, or bandied from owner to owner who cannot properly manage their behaviours.
Many of these dogs become aggressive through fear and neglect and we now have a nightmare on our hands.
The reality on the streets and lanes up and down this country can be terrifying when it comes to encountering dogs.
The Prime Minister announced yesterday that Bully XLs will be banned by the end of the year. But banning the breed is not the solution.
The XL Bully is a crossbreed so we would be banning a dog based on its appearance alone.
A ban will also lead to underground breeding by clueless idiots for the wrong reasons and with the wrong intentions.
This, in turn, will doubtless drive up both price and demand.
What is needed is a greater onus on responsible dog ownership.
We need to find better — and perhaps more difficult — ways to buy a dog. And legislation must be put in place to enforce that.
Behaviour classes — for both dog and owner — need promoting too.
There is no reason why these dogs shouldn’t be muzzled or kept on the lead in public places, for starters.
I can only presume this is an absolute minefield, which is why no one has hitherto grasped the nettle.
We need tougher sanctions for irresponsible owners of dangerous and aggressive dogs.
Otherwise, it won’t be safe to walk our streets.
It’s some-fling best avoided
SO the CEO of BP has stepped down because he hadn’t been “fully transparent” about past relationships with colleagues.
I guess with his salary of squillions, Bernard Looney is bound to have been seen as a catch or an intrigue by female staff members.
But I’m not convinced work romances, or “situationships”, are ever a good idea.
Granted, many, many people meet their future partner at work – and it makes absolute sense on account of the fact that you may spend eight to ten hours a day with colleagues.
It’s even more tempting if you’re in my line of business and you end up going away on location and spending time with new and different people in circumstances that couldn’t be further removed from reality if you tried.
Look at the so-called Strictly Curse, for example.
Over the years, I’ve met a few people who then went on to become partners away from the work sitch.
Mostly it was a case of the meeting or encounter happened at work but then the relationship blossomed after the project was over.
But on the one occasion when the relationship continued into another stint of work, it was a nightmare.
It just became very difficult to navigate how to behave around each other in a professional capacity when there were personal expectations at play behind the scenes.
Despite not having worked in an office for some 35 years now, I can well imagine the thrill of striking up an illicit romance by the water cooler, a flirtation by the photocopier or even a full-blow relationship while trying to keep it a secret from everyone else.
But the problem is that everyone else does end up knowing about it and starts judging your personal and professional behaviour on that basis.
And what about the many cases where there’s a power imbalance – when the big cheese is having a bit of slap and tickle with his subordinate?
A lot of American corporations have made it a sackable offence, which seems a bit harsh.
But I think I’d always prefer to keep business and pleasure separate.
Which may be the reason I work from home with two dogs.
It just helps keep me out of trouble.
Having a ghostwriter is a Millie-on miles from producing novel yourself
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN has already achieved so much at the tender age of 19.
And this week, the actress, who rose to fame in Stranger Things, brought out a novel she has written – to great critical acclaim.
Except, she hasn’t quite written it, has she?
The story is very much hers – it stemmed from her deep relationship with her grandmother and the stories she told the young Millie over the years.
Critics say it’s a corker of a book and I really look forward to reading it.
But I think it should be a bit clearer when stars use ghostwriters – in whatever capacity.
Sounds like Millie had a huge amount of input into this novel but the first draft was, in fact, written by someone else.
I have no objection to ghostwriters – it provides a fruitful living for many.
But saying you’ve written a book – Katie Price, Naomi Campbell, to name but a few – is quite, quite different to actually sitting down and formulating the story and the words.
It just becomes another cash cow – something a sleb slaps his or her name on.
Apart from anything else, reading someone’s own words gives us a real insight into how their mind works and their personality.
So says Ulrika Jonsson, who has personally written two and is working on her third. Legit.
