The American XL Bully Breed Overview
The XL Bully is a large, muscular breed known for its gentle temperament and loyalty.
Training and socialization are essential to ensure they become well-balanced family members with appropriate rules and boundaries.
Owning an XL Bully requires selecting a sensible and responsible breeder, and be given proper nutrition & exercise.
The American XL Bully
The XL Bully is a relatively new breed that emerged in the 1980s - 1990s known for its size and gentle nature. This breed is a result of crossbreeding between the American Bulldog, English Bulldog, Old English Bulldog, American Staffordshire Terrier, English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and other bully breeds, creating what we know as the American XL Bully. While the breed is recognised by the American Kennel Club, it is not a recognised breed in the UK, and has recently been added to the banned breed list.
The American Bully XL typically weighs between 80-150 pounds, with a broad skull, wide mouth, and short, dense coat and have a range of colours.
The XL Bully's Temperament and Personality
The American Bully XL is known for its friendly, affectionate, and loyal temperament, making it a perfect fit for families and individuals alike. They are intelligent and eager to please their owners, which makes them very trainable and able to adapt to various situations. It is crucial to point out that proper socialization is essential for an American XL Bully to develop into a well-behaved and safe pet.
Socialization should start early in the puppy’s life, exposing them to new people, animals, and environments to help them become comfortable and calm in various situations. A well-socialized XL Bully will be easy going with visitors, gentle with children, and friendly towards other dogs, making them an amazing addition to any household.
Positive Reinforcement Techniques
Positive reinforcement techniques, such as treats, toys and praise, are highly effective in training your American XL Bully. This intelligent and eager-to-please breed respond well to rewards, which makes them more likely to repeat wanted behaviours. By rewarding your XL Bully for good behaviour, you strengthen the bond between you and your dog while also encouraging them to continue displaying positive behaviours.
It is important to point out that due to the XL Bully’s appearance, some owners choose to use strong punishment-based training with their dog believing this to be the most effective approach. This is highly irresponsible and may have resulted in some of the attacks that have been prevalent in recent times. Using these methods will result in negative results, as it will cause underlying frustration, stress and anxiety that will almost certainly result in the development of unwanted aggressive behaviour in the dog.
Setting clear rules and boundaries, as well as providing clear direction for a dog is not the same as punishing a dog, and any owner should make themselves clear of the differences before choosing to own a particular breed, such as the XL Bully, particularly as they are a large very strong breed and can easily over power in the wrong hands if clear direction is absent.
Creating a strong bond and trust between you and your dog through training sessions can be highly rewarding for your relationships development and ensures a well-behaved and happy companion, reducing the risk of dog attacks, including fatal dog attacks. Owners of an XL Bully need to be aware that as a banned breed, when out in public they need to be in a muzzle and on a lead. Owners should also have applied for a certificate of exemption allowing them to own the dog.
Whilst this can pose issues attached to providing sufficient exercise, long training leads are an option as are private dog exercising fields.
The issues that I actually see on a regular basis are mainly XL Bullies pulling on a lead. However, I also have experience in a number of cases where the dog has unfortunately become reactive towards other dogs and occasionally, humans. This is not helped by public perception of the breed which can result in people actively avoiding XL Bully owners (reducing opportunity for socialisation), but also showing nervous or fearful behaviour when close to the dog which are all things a dog can pick up on and potentially react negatively to. If the nervous passer by is also walking a dog then their dog can pick up on their fear and also react negatively to it as well, which may result in a potential aggressive situation.
Owners of an XL Bully need to present confidence in interacting with their dog at home and also when walking their dog, and not allow it to pull out in front of them. This can often result in the dog feeling the need to control situations that might make them feel uncomfortable, resulting in unwanted behaviour.
Just like any other breed of dog, I would always advise that children should never be left alone without supervision around them.
Socialization
Socialisation is essential for the American XL Bully. This should start with the breeder and be continued by the new owner with safe, positive interactions involving people, animals, and various environments. This early exposure helps your dog become more comfortable and relaxed in different situations, reducing the likelihood of aggressive or fearful behaviour.
It is also important to observe how the breeder interacts with their dogs, as this can provide valuable insights into the puppy’s early socialization experiences as this can set the precedence for a well-adjusted adult dog.
To make sure that your XL Bully has safe, positive interactions with others, you can take them out for walks to experience new sights and smells. Enrolling in puppy classes can help with basic obedience training and socialization with other people and strange dogs. Check first that the puppy classes are professionally run and managed appropriately. Be aware that some training classes sadly may not accept XL Bully breeds.
As with any breed of dog, regular exercise good diet and clear direction in a positive way will secure an amazing relationship with your dog.
Get in Touch
Azz Rainey has worked with, and owned large breeds and bull breeds for many years and is all to familiar with the problems that can develop when it comes to unwanted behaviours such as reactive aggression towards other dogs. One to one sessions are available in Oxfordshire, Gloucester, Swindon and surrounding areas.
If you need help managing your American XL Bullies behaviour, don’t hesitate to get in touch below.
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