UK ban on American XL bully dogs boosts demand for muzzles

Demand for muzzles and training classes for American XL bully dogs has soared since Rishi Sunak announced the breed would be banned by the end of the year.

Businesses that sell dog muzzles said they had been deluged with orders and requests for advice, while dozens of dog training organisations have offered free muzzle classes for XL bully owners.

“Our sales of bully muzzles have quadrupled in the last week, we’ve been absolutely inundated,” said Fiona Delahunty, the owner of The Muzzle Shop, based in West Yorkshire.

“I’ve been up until midnight answering emails from people because they’re worried and scared. No one is sure what is going to happen next but people are trying to get ahead of the curve and they want to make sure they’ve got a muzzle their dog is comfortable in and doesn’t make them more aggressive.”

The UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said there would be an amnesty before a ban on XL bullies, under which owners would be required to register their pet, have them neutered and microchipped and keep them leashed and muzzled in public.

Details of exactly how owners can register their dogs, and when the new rules will come into force, have not yet been released.

Maddie Bell-Ashe, a dog walker and trainer at TLC Dog Academy in Milton Keynes, one of a number of organisations offering free muzzle training classes for XL bully owners, said: “People have only got a few months to help condition their dogs to wearing a muzzle and they’re really worried. Owners need to know how to fit them properly.

“The first class we announced was booked up really quickly and the next one is filling up fast, distressingly fast. We’re getting the responsible breed owners, they want to look after their dog and they will do anything in their power to keep their dog.”

She added: “Many of the owners are devastated. So many people are taking these massive soft lumps of love who want nothing more than to just lick people and are having to restrict them.”

Sunak’s announcement came after a number of attacks by XL bullies. This month, Ian Price, 52, was mauled to death in Staffordshire by two dogs believed to be XL bullies. Six of the 10 fatal dog attacks in the UK last year were linked to XL bullies, and at least three of the seven this year.

Animal welfare organisations have criticised the ban, saying it will not stop dog attacks and that “unscrupulous breeders and irresponsible owners” are to blame.

Delahunty said the increased media coverage of dog attacks had affected all dog owners, and her company had seen increased demand for muzzles for all breeds.

“I think people are worried it is going to go down the road where all dogs have to be muzzled in some places,” she said. “The manufacturers are actually struggling to keep up with the demand.

“We’ve also had more demand for different colours. There was one muzzle we only had in black but more people were wanting a soft, feminine colour, because people want to put something on their dog that doesn’t scream their dog is aggressive.”

Bell-Ashe said getting dogs used to wearing a muzzle could be a challenge, especially for animals that are nervous or anxious. She said her classes involved firstly encouraging the dog to put its nose inside a cone or jug, before working up to putting their face in a muzzle without the straps for 10-15 seconds at a time.

“Most dogs pick it up within a couple of weeks, but it depends on the dog and also the type of muzzle,” she said. “Some of them clip at the back and that sound alone can be a lot for some dogs and you have to work separately to desensitise them to the sound as it’s right at the back of their ears.

“If you don’t do it properly, dogs can scratch their faces up trying to claw it off.”