XL Bully Ban Information & Advice

How will I know if my dog will be classed as an American Bully XL?  

The law is concerned with the type of dog rather than the breed, and prohibited types are identified according to their appearance rather than their breed name, genetics (DNA), or parentage.  The Government has developed an official definition of an American Bully XL. It includes details on height, shape and other features. 

Glossary of language used in Government definition: 

• Bite: the relative position of the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed.
• Coat: the hairy outer covering of the skin.
• Croup: part of the back from the front of the pelvis to root of the tail.
• Forequarters: the front part of dog excluding head and neck.
• Hindquarters: rear part of dog from behind the loin.
• Loin: the region between the last rib and the beginning of the pelvis.
• Muzzle: the length from the tip of the nose to the stop.
• Pasterns: the pastern is the lower part of the foreleg, just above the foot and below the wrist. Similarly, in the hind leg, the pastern is the portion located above the foot and below the heel (also known as the hock). Every canine possesses a pair of front and rear pasterns.
• Scissor bite: the upper front teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
• Spring of rib: degree of curvature of rib cage.
• Tail set: the position of the tail on the croup.
• Topline: an outline after the withers to the tail set. Viewed from the side of the dog or from above.
• Withers: the highest point of body immediately behind the neck where height is measured.

What happens if I own an American Bully XL? 

Check if your dog is an American Bully XL type dog. Use the Government’s Official definition of an XL Bully dog to identify if your dog may that type. This involves checking the dog’s physical characteristics such as its size and height.

From 1 February 2024 it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in England and Wales unless you have a Certificate of Exemption for your dog. You will have until 31 January 2024 to apply for this exemption. The Government will provide more information on how to apply for an exemption for an American Bully XL dog soon and we’ll update this page when they do. The application costs £92.40.

To keep an American Bully XL dog, you must ensure they are:

• microchipped
• neutered (or if your dog is less than one year old on 31 January 2024, they must be neutered by 31 December 2024)
• kept on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public
• kept in a secure place so that they can’t escape.

And owners must:

• have third party liability insurance against your dog injuring other people
• be aged over 16
• show the Certificate of Exemption when asked by a police officer or council dog warden, either at the time or within 5 days
• let the Index of Exempt Dogs know if you change address, or your dog dies.

If you own an American Bully XL type dog, you can start preparing by making sure your dog is neutered, microchipped and trained to wear a muzzle. watch our handy training video below. You can also obtain third-party liability insurance. You can find more information about preparing for the ban on the Government’s website.