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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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An XL bully owner has gone viral after showing how she is muzzle-training her 13-week-old puppy, as she hopes to show people the gentle side of the breed that is now banned in the United Kingdom.
From the day Rhiannon Price brought Titan the XL bully home in December, she immediately started introducing him to his muzzle and began building positive associations. The 26-year-old from Hampshire told Newsweek that "he's taken to it really well," and she's "slowly building the duration" that he wears it, to help him get further accustomed.
As Newsweek previously reported, a ban was placed on XL bullies in the U.K. as of December 31, making it illegal for them to be bred, sold, advertised, or exchanged. Anyone who already owned an XL bully prior to the ban had to register them, and the dog must be on a leash and wear a muzzle when in public.
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In addition to the XL bully breed, the U.K. has already banned the ownership of pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas, dogo Argentinos, and fila Brasileiros. If found guilty of illegally owning a banned dog, owners can be fined and face up to six months in prison, and the dog will be euthanized.
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Price has found it heartbreaking to muzzle her puppy from such a young age, as she says that he's so small yet he's already being treated like a dangerous dog. Thankfully for Price, Titan is "a very calm puppy," and as much as she's unhappy about forcing him to be muzzled, he is adapting well to the training.
"We're just making it a positive experience for him by putting lots of treats in the muzzle, either little natural treats or his meals," Price continued. "It's not fair that they have to be muzzle trained so early on, and it's not easy getting him to walk as the treats don't fit through the muzzle."
She has been documenting the training on TikTok (@titan_the_xl) to show that with responsible ownership, XL bullies can make loving family pets. A video posted on January 3, showing Titan's reaction to the muzzle when he was just 10 weeks old, has already been viewed more than 99,100 times, and gained over 1,700 likes.
Since then, she has continued documenting their progress on social media and Titan has gained plenty of new followers.
A key part of muzzle training is making it a fun experience, according to dog trainer Ali Smith, CEO and founder of Rebarkable. She told Newsweek that "it's quite alien for a dog to have something around their mouth," so rewarding them with delicious treats, peanut butter, cheese, or honey can help desensitize them from it.
"There's a huge stigma against muzzles, and it's so disappointing," Smith said. "There are so many reasons a dog may wear a muzzle, from they're a scavenger, to they've just had surgery and are a little sore. In all instances, they reflect a dog guardian who wants nothing more than to protect their dog from making a mistake."
If a dog isn't happy about wearing a muzzle, or is uncomfortable with it, they may start rubbing their face on their owner's legs or the floor, or possibly paw at their face to remove it. In those instances, Smith suggests "you've gone too fast with the training and need to step it back." Remember to take it easy and keep encouraging the dog.
People's Reaction to Titan
Price doesn't want to see the ban escalated any further, so by displaying her willingness to follow the new guidelines she hopes that will satisfy people's concerns. While she hopes to show that "they're not all aggressive," some people do judge Titan purely based on his breed rather than his temperament. Although some people have been keen to pet him, as soon as Price tells them he's an XL bully, they will swiftly walk away.
Price told Newsweek: "I just think the ban is ridiculous and I don't think it's going to change anything because the rules aren't clear enough. I truly believe it's how they are bought up, and I'm definitely hoping to show the gentle side.
"Titan's amazing with our kids and our cat, and I'm sure that will continue. We will be working with a trainer as he grows to ensure he's up to scratch. We don't have the option for them to be anything less than perfect because we feel as though they will get put to sleep if there's any issue. It's exhausting raising a puppy as it is, but the extra pressure of him being an XL bully is a lot."
Not everyone is against the breed, however, and Price has received many positive comments and messages since documenting her training on social media. Despite all the negativity, she says that "the good outweighs the bad" overall.
Among the 100 comments on her viral post, many people praised Price for her positive encouragement in such a difficult situation. One comment reads: "I love the patience."
Another TikTok user responded: "So cute, but so sad that you'll have to do this at all. So unfair."
While another person wrote: "This is a responsible dog owner!"
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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