Banned dog breeds in the UK (2024)

FAQs

Are any dog breeds banned in the UK? ›

Dogs currently banned under the law

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) bans the ownership of four different types of dogs including some traditionally bred for fighting: Pit bull terrier. Japanese Tosa. Dogo Argentino.

Cane Corso types and colours

Some people believe the Cane Corso is a banned breed in the UK, but this isn't true. There aren't actually any banned breeds, just 'types' which have characteristics described in the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Update — October 31, 2023: The United Kingdom government has confirmed that American XL Bully Breeds will be banned from December 31, The Guardian opens in a new tab . Dog parents who want to keep their dogs will have until the end of January 2024 to register them.

Since 31 December 2023, it has been against the law to sell, give away, abandon or breed from an XL bully. Since 1 February 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate. The government said it received 61,000 exemption applications before the deadline.

Banned Breeds That Must Be Muzzled

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 bans four breeds in the UK - Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos, and Fila Brasileiros. Dogs that are suspected to be one of these breeds must be muzzled and kept on a lead in public, even if they are well-trained and non-aggressive.

What dogs are illegal in the UK? There are currently four illegal dogs in the UK. Those are Pit Bull terrier, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brasileiro.

With any large dog, not having control over their behaviour is considerably more dangerous than in a small dog. There's no room for error when you own such a powerful dog. The XL Bully can be a mix of a variety of breeds, including Pitbulls, American Bulldog, English Bulldog, Presa Canario, and Cane Corso.

The XL Bully breed type is a variant of the wider American Bully breed type. The XL Bully breed type is typically larger (both in terms of height and body shape) and more muscular than other American Bully breed types such as the 'Micro', 'Pocket', 'Standard' and 'Classic'.

A number of breeds have been restricted or banned, including Rottweilers, American Staffordshire Bull Terriers ("Pit Bulls"), Chow Chows, German Shepherd Dogs, and Doberman Pinschers, and the list is growing.

Prohibited dog breeds in Germany

The banned breeds are: American Staffordshire Terrier. Bull Terrier. Pit Bull Terrier.

Is the US banning XL bullies in the US? ›

23 February 2024 – it is now illegal to breed, sell, give away or allow an American Bully XL to stray. It is also now illegal to have an American Bully XL in public without a lead and muzzle. 15 July 2024 – deadline to apply for a Certificate of Exemption by post.

There are other dog breeds that have a reputation for aggression that are not banned under the DDA 1991: Rottweilers, German Shepherds and controversially, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, which share many of the same characteristics of pit bulls and was one of the breeds responsible for the attack on Jade Anderson in ...

Breeders who breed a small number of puppies (i.e. less than three litters per year), and sell them without making a profit will be exempt from the need for a licence. However, the sale of even a small number of puppies with a high sale price would flag up the need for a licence.

The breed has only been recently recognised in the UK and was previously included as an Anatolian Shepherd Dog, but the standard for the Kangal reveals more specific details.

Two in four deadly dog attacks in the UK in 2021 involved the XL Bully breed - rising to six in ten in 2022, including high-profile maulings of children Jack Lis, ten, and Bella-Rae Birch, who was just 17 months.

From 31 December 2023, owners must keep XL bully dogs on a lead and muzzled when in public. It will also be an offence to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon, or allow XL Bully dogs to stray.