A CUMBRIAN dog trainer has blamed poor owners and poor breeding amid the government's decision to ban the American XL Bully breed in the UK.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed last week that the breed will be placed under the Dangerous Dogs Act before the end of the year, following numerous recent attacks that included one fatality.

This does not mean that they will be euthanized however, only that owners must comply with a number of regulations to best ensure their safety.

These regulations include being on lead and muzzled in public, while they cannot be walked by anyone under the age of 16.

Dogs must also be microchipped and neutered, while it is mandatory for owners to have third party liability insurance, which can be purchased from the Dog's Trust for £25 a year, and this protects the owner should the dog attack another human or animal.

The News & Star contacted Carrie Morgan, a dog trainer and owner of Penrith dog park Welly and Tails, for her thoughts on the ban.

She said: "It’s a really complex issue. It’s quite a knee-jerk reaction to what has happened, and that alone won’t solve all the issues that we’ve seen lately with the number of attacks.

"But there are quite a few things that owners of American XL Bullies should be doing now to get ahead of it.

"I really feel for owners. The owners that are going to comply with these restrictions are more than likely not the owners whom the ban needs to target.

"Bullies are really powerful dogs, it’s not that they’re more aggressive, it’s just that when they do attack, they do more damage. There are certain breeding lines in some American Bullies’ ancestry that have traits for people-directed aggression.

“It’s a mixture of poor breeders and poor owners. It’s certainly a breeding problem, not a problem with the breed. Breeding and genetics are incredibly important.

"I have a large dog of a similar size to a bully and it's very upsetting. Training and how you raise your dog only account for half of it.

"You cannot deny the genetics of the dog. Responsible owners are paying the price for poor breeding."

Carrie, who is also studying to become a dog behaviourist, is considering offering free muzzle training to the people of Penrith and Carlisle, to ensure that American XL Bully owners are well-prepared for when the ban does come into place.

She said: "If your dog is deemed to not have an acceptable temperament, that’s when you could be in real trouble. Under control, according to the law, is not just on a lead and muzzled.

"If your dog intimidates people by barking or lunging on the lead, then you could still have your dog seized.

"There’s definitely a lot that people can do and that’s why people shouldn’t be turning them in to rescues - that’s the worst thing you could do for your dog.

"If they are banned and then turned in to a rescue, it’s much more likely that they will be put to sleep than if you keep your dog, work with it, and comply with what you need to do. People will be terrified at the moment because there are a lot of unknowns.

"The best you can get your dog to behave now is only going to help its chances if the worst comes to worst and it is seized."