A dog behavioural specialist has warned against the increase in popularity for a certain breed of dog that is said to be “worse” than the notorious XL bully breed
A dog behavioural expert has sounded the alarm over the rising popularity of a “dangerous” breed in the UK, which could be even more threatening than the infamous XL bully breed.
Following current restrictions on XL bully ownership, there’s been a spike in interest for the Cane Corso, an Italian mastiff breed believed to descend from ancient Roman war dogs.
The increasing presence of this breed has sparked concern among dog behaviour specialists, with fears they could pose a significant danger to the public.
Rob Alleyne, who runs the Canine Instructor Academy in Suffolk, was forthright in his assessment of the breed: “The Cane Corso is like an XL bully on steroids. It’s a killing machine and they’ve become much more popular now.”
He warned that the ban on certain breeds might inadvertently drive people towards an even more perilous dog that doesn’t require registration, expressing his concern to the Times: “[The ban] has just pushed people towards an even worse dog that doesn’t need to be registered and God help us if they become too popular.”
Alleyne, who has noticed an uptick in the number of Cane Corsos at his facility, believes we are witnessing “history repeating itself”.
He reflected on past experiences, saying: “We saw it happen with the Pit Bull Terrier. When they banned the Pit Bull Terrier, what did we get? We got a dog far more dangerous than the Pit Bull Terrier. They just made a new one worse than the preceding one: the XL bully,” reports the Express.
Mr Alleyne’s warning follows an incident where a woman in her thirties needed plastic surgery after trying to separate her XL bully and Cane Corso during a fight at home, as reported by the Independent in October.
At present, there are 220 Cane Corso puppies listed for sale on the Pets4Homes website, with prices ranging from £380 to £2,000.
The expert noted that the number of Cane Corsos has reportedly increased due to the measures taken against XL bullies. Since February last year, it has been illegal to own an XL bully in the UK without an exemption certificate.
This allows owners to keep their dogs provided they are securely housed and kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
The ban on XL bullies followed a spate of attacks and incidents on members of the public, including one that saw one attack a four-year-old boy in Liverpool in 2022, leading to a fractured skull and surgery needed.
