XL Bully and 'handbag dogs' fall in popularity as Britain's top breed unveiled

20 February 2024 , 14:36

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XL Bullies are now banned, but figures show the plummet in sales last year amidst bad headlines (Image: Getty Images)

Interest in banned XL Bullies and 'handbag dogs' plummeted last year, as Britain's favourite dog breed was unveiled.

The outlawed breed was tied to a number of violent dog attacks in recent months - some of which were fatal. But figures from the UK's top pet sale site Pets4Homes have shown interest in XL Bullies was already on the wane last year before Rishi Sunak announced the ban in September.

Prices for American Bullies dropped 36% in the last 12 months, although the new law which came into effect on December 31 now makes it a prosecutable offence to breed, sell, advertise or exchange/gift them. So-called 'status dogs' in general are being muscled out, Pets4Homes said, with breeds such as Cane Corsos and American Bulldog prices on the decline.

The site has also unveiled the breeds currently most favoured by Brits in a list which signals 'the end of the handbag dog era'. Goldendoodles currently sit top of the list for the UK's most sought-after breed, the site said.

The retriever-poodle cross loved by the likes of Adele soared in popularity during lockdown as thousands rushed to welcome new four-legged friends to the family. The breed was the most searched on the site last year, with an average of 995 views per puppy listed.

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Meanwhile tiny pooches such as chihuahuas and miniature Dachshunds are on the decline in popularity, sales figures showed, dropping as much as 43%. The toy-breeds boomed in popularity in the noughties with the likes of Paris Hilton and blockbuster Legally Blonde.

Paris Hilton is a known lover of miniature dogs such as chihuahuas (GC Images)

Pets4Homes said the likes of chihuahuas, popularised in the noughties with the likes of Legally Blonde's Bruiser, were on the decline

The site's CEO said there was no clear reason for their decline in popularity, but that the lockdown boom in the trend for cross-breeds like Cavapoos was down to them being the "best of both worlds" for families.

Axel Lagercrantz said:“The breed are typically very good with children and other pets and dogs, are calm around humans and are naturally curious and playful. It is no surprise that cross-breeds are in highest demand, which can give an owner the best of both worlds. Because of this we have seen Maltipoos, Labradoodles and Cavapoos - which have all some similar, family-friendly traits to the Goldendoodle - also become very popular, be it for families or young couples."

Commenting on the fall of XL Bullies as well as legal 'status' dogs, Mr Lagercrantz added: “In a year where muscular dogs have been at the centre of much publicity, our message to prospective owners of how much care and management these breeds require has been getting through to consumers. We have been proactive for many years on our site in advising the needs of these breeds and the careful management of their temperament. We have seen a decline in the purchase of such dogs across the board."

Susie Beever