Dog breed dubbed ‘XL Bully on steroids’ rockets in popularity after government ban

They've been described as 'killing machines'

There has been a surge in interest in a breed of dog labelled as 'an XL bully on steroids' since the ban on the breed came in.

Last year, a ban was put in place in England and Wales making it illegal to own an XL Bully unless you have a valid certificate of exemption.

Following the XL Bully ban though, there has been a surge of interest in the cane corso, according to some experts.

The Italian mastiff breed has traditionally been used as a guard dog. The powerful dogs are said to be descended from the Molossian war dogs of ancient Rome and can weigh up to 50kg (8 stone).

Cane corsos are legal in the UK and not subject to the same restrictions as XL bullies. As a result, they have become increasingly popular amongst those seeking a "status dog," the Times reports.

However, there are no official figures showing their numbers in the UK, the breed is not recognised by dog welfare organisation the Kennel Club, and many pet insurance companies will not provide cover for them.

Speaking to the Times, Rob Alleyne, a canine behaviour specialist, said he and his colleagues had started seeing cane corsos more frequently.

He described the breed as "like an XL bully on steroids" and a "killing machine."

Alleyne claimed the ban on XL bullies had "just pushed people towards an even worse dog that doesn’t need to be registered and God help us if they become too popular."

He continued: “I just think it’s history repeating itself. We saw it happen with the pitbull terrier. When they banned the pitbull terrier, what did we get? We got a dog far more dangerous than the pitbull terrier. They just made a new one worse than the preceding one: the XL bully. And then if we ban the cane corso, people will just go out and get something else.”

According to the Times, there are more than 200 posts advertising litters of cane corso puppies on the Pets4Homes website, where they are selling for £600-£1,600.

But the publication said some fully grown cane corse dogs are being sold for as little as £75.

In October, a man from Derby was jailed for four and a half years after admitting being in charge of a cane corso that killed his brother.

Kennel Club spokesman Bill Lambert told the Times: “Any dog can make a wonderful family pet if bred, trained and socialised properly — and with a larger dog, owners need to really understand their pet’s size, strength and exercise needs and be able to accommodate these responsibly.

“Sadly however, any large or powerful dog can also appeal to those who wish to train a dog for illicit purposes, and banning breeds can move these people on to other breeds — or indeed new types of dogs that are outside of the law.”