A dangerous dog trend is reportedly on the rise after owners are replacing their XL bully interest - amid the upcoming ban - with 'more aggressive dogs'.
Over the past 12 months, a number of XL bully attacks have happened up and down the country, a few of which have resulted in death.
Following government intervention, from February 1, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL bully dog in England and Wales without a Certificate of Exemption, which will cost £92.40 and will need to be done before January 31 2024.
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Dog owners who are on the government’s exemption scheme have to make sure their dog is microchipped, neutered, kept on a lead and muzzled in public places, including cars.
Now, according to data gathered by leading dog marketplace Puppies, the search for XL bullies has dropped by 47 percent in the last three months.
Meanwhile searches for other breeds, which have the potential to be aggressive if not trained properly, are reportedly on the rise.
After Puppies examined the search results from the country’s 50 most populous cities outside of London, they determined the next breed-type dog owners are now looking at, as reported by the Daily Star.
"As we expected, our research suggests that many people are already moving on to other breeds that have aggressive tendencies," a spokesperson from Puppies told the outlet.
"More needs to be done to ensure that pets are not just bought as status symbols and are trained properly.
"Proper training and responsible ownership will be the difference between another spike in dog attacks and people feeling safe to walk the streets and go to the park with their children without potentially being attacked by a dog that hasn’t been cared for properly."
The search results revealed that the demand for Cane Corso increased by 36 percent, while Rottweiler searches had jumped 35 percent in a three month period.
German Shepherds also came in third with 77,000 searches.
According to Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, the bite of a Cane Corso is more powerful than a lion and the second most powerful amongst dogs.
"But more than that, it is a big wake-up call for breeders," the spokesperson added.
"They have a role to play too and need to ensure that the puppies they breed are going to responsible homes, especially if they have the potential to become aggressive
"It is not fair to say that any dog is born to be aggressive.
"However, we cannot ignore the fact that some breeds have inherited tendencies that make aggressive behaviour more likely if not controlled.
"Not to mention, some dogs can do damage beyond a few scratches and pose a real risk to human life."
Anish Vij