Banned Dog Breeds and Why They Are Banned

We have all seen news articles about dogs attacking people after being trained to fight. To combat this the government has banned dogs in the UK from being brought or sold. Dog training courses can help, but for some dogs the government hoped by banning certain breeds they could end the dog fighting industry that has been illegal for over 200 years. In this blog we are tackling the breeds that are banned in the UK by the 1991 dangerous dogs act and why so you are not caught out by the law.

What dogs are banned in the UK?
Pitbulls

Pitbulls are an old breed which were bred for blood sports such as bear baiting and dog fighting which were both made illegal in 1835. But the breeding of pitbulls happened in secret and dog fighting became hard to police. Most pitbulls can be exempt but the Pitbull Terrier breed which is named as an outright banned dog breed. But because of many dog attacks by pitbulls they have now been banned. If you are allowed to have one you may have to muzzle it in public places no matter how well behaved it is.

Japanese Tosa
Like the Pitbull the Japanese Tosa or Japanese Fighting dog was bred hundreds of years ago to fight. This breed has not only been banned in the UK but in 14 other countries. They are heavy set and because of rules in Japanese dog fighting where the dogs are not allowed to make a noise they are also extremely quiet.
Dogo Argentino
This breed is younger than the others, being first seen in the 1900s. They are bred for big game hunting and for guarding. Some of these have been overtime bred with Mastiffs and Great Danes to produce even stronger dogs. It was then brought to the United States and then to the rest of the world in the 1970s. Their strength is the reason they are banned dogs in the UK as they can easily take down animals such as wild boards and pumas and they have been used in fighting pits in the past.
The Brazilian Mastiff
Known also as the Fila Brasileiro the breed like the Argentino they are from South America but they are much older as they were first bred in the 1400s. The Brazilian Mastiff was originally for farming and guarded herds from predators. The darker side of their history is that they were used for chasing slaves during the 1700s slave trade. This has caused them to be antisocial and violent in the modern day. For that reason this is one of the dogs banned in the UK.
What happens if you have a banned dog breed

If you have a banned dog breed in a public place the police are legally allowed to seize the dog without a warrant. The dog will then be held in kennels until the court date, like our residential dog training in Essex. If you are convicted of owning a banned dog breed or many banned dog breeds you could be punished with a six month jail sentence or an unlimited fine or both. If the court determines the dog as dangerous that dog could also be euthanized. But if the dog is not seen as dangerous by the court you could receive a certification of exemption and be put on the index of exempted dogs. If this happens you can keep your dog under certain conditions.

  • You must be able to prove that the dog is not dangerous.
  • You need to prove that you are able to look after your dog.
  • The dog must be neutered and microchipped.
  • You must take out third party insurance to cover any harm caused by your dog.
  • They must be muzzled and leashed whenever they are in public.
  • The dog must be securely kept at home.

“Always give your dog the benefit of the doubt. .” — Martin Deeley

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