A canine behavioural expert has issued a stark warning about a dog breed which could overtake the XL Bully as the nation's new 'status dog'.
The controversial XL Bully breed was effectively banned last February. Following a number of attacks across the country, it is now illegal to sell, breed, or abandon the dogs in the UK.
Now, enter the Cane Corso.
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Cane Corsi are an Italian mastiff breed who reportedly descend from the Molossian war dogs of ancient Rome, according to the American Kennel Club.
Roughly translating to 'guard dog', Cane Corsi typically live up to their namesake in being companion or guard dogs due to the fact that they're large in size, weighing up to 50kg, with a muscular build.
Trained properly and Dog Time states that a Cane Corso can be a loyal and dedicated protector; however the breed's defensive nature coupled with their strong body means they can be dangerous if not controlled properly.
The breed is currently in the news for all the wrong reasons with former Love Island star Jack Fincham having been handed a six week jail sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of being in charge of a 'dangerously out of control' dog.
The charges are in relation to two separate incidents, one where his Cane Corso dog bit a man in 2022 and another where the animal was behaving 'out of control' in Essex last year.
Following the incident, a dog behavioural expert has issued a stark warning to would be Cane Corso owners, referring to the breed as 'XL bully on steroids' and 'killing machine'.
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"The Cane Corso is like an XL bully on steroids. It's a killing machine and they've become much more popular now," Rob Alleyne, owner of the Canine Instructor Academy in Suffolk, told The Express.
Noting that he has seen an increase in Cane Corso dogs arriving at his training centre, Alleyne went on to add that he believes the ban on XL Bullies is leading owners to seek out unregistered breeds which could potentially be even more dangerous.
"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." he added.
Meanwhile Dr Samantha Gaines, the Dog Welfare Expert and Dog Control Lead for the RSPCA, added to ITV that she hopes the Government will prioritise championing responsible dog ownership and introduce strong punishments for 'those who use dogs dangerously'.
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"Dog aggression is a complex issue. Sadly, there will always be people who wish to use dogs as weapons or for antisocial behaviour," she said.
"But whether a dog chooses to show aggression comes down to their breeding, how they were raised, and their experiences with people - and not just their type."
Brenna Cooper