XL Bully-style ‘muscle' dog are being sold at discounted prices after a government ban spooked potential buyers, new data has shown.
Dog breeds such as the American bully, cane corsos and presa canarios have seen their prices tumble following the ban on XL Bullies.
In all, 11 of the 14 so-called ‘muscle' dog breeds have been affected by plummeting prices according to data analysing millions of classified listings for pets.
Fears had been raised that in the wake of the XL Bully ban announcement, pet owners would turn to other large breeds.
There was an initial spike in interest in the cane corso, an Italian mastiff breed believed to descend from ancient Roman war dogs – which was dubbed an ‘XL Bully on steroids' and a ‘killing machine' by a canine expert.
However, according to Pets4Homes, buyers appear to have gone off the hulking breed – which can weigh as much as eight stone and have been glamourised by Premier League footballers and reality stars.
In a study drawing on more than seven million pet listings across the UK, Pets4Homes said: ‘There is no evidence that cane corsos are picking up supply or demand following [the] XL bully ban.'
Analysts found the average price of an XL Bully had dropped by 9.5 per cent leading up to the 2023 ban on the breed.
Dog breeds such as the American bully, cane corsos and presa canarios have seen their prices tumble following the ban on XL Bullies (pictured is an XL Bully dog)
Fears had been raised that in the wake of the XL Bully ban announcement, pet owners would turn to other large breeds, like the cane corso (pictured)
Meanwhile, the typical price of a cane corso dropped from £818 to £725 between 2023 and last year, a fall of 11.4 per cent.
The cane corso also saw its popularity fall from the 19th most popular breed in the UK to the 26th, reports the Telegraph.
Similar price drops have been reported in other ‘muscle' dog breeds, like the Staffordshire bull terrier, rottweiler, boxer and dogue de Bordeaux.
The XL Bully ban was introduced by former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak following a slew of fatal attacks by the breed.
XL Bullies were responsible for 17 deadly maulings since 2020, including the killing of grandmother Esther Martin, 68, who was savaged by two dogs while visiting her grandson in Jaywick, Essex, in February 2024.
Possessing an XL Bully is now a criminal offence unless the owner has a valid certificate to do so. The dogs must also be muzzled in public and the ban outlaws selling, breeding or fiving away the animals.
Last month, dog experts feared there would be a surge in people turning to other larger breeds in the wake of the bully ban.
Rob Alleyne, who runs the Canine Instructor Academy in Suffolk, was concerned the cane corso would become the new favoured breed.
Fears had been raised that pet lovers would turn to other large muscle dog breeds like the ‘killing machine' cane corso (pictured) following the XL Bully ban
The XL Bully breed has been banned in the UK. It is now illegal to own one unless owners have a valid certificate saying they can do so
XL Bullies were responsible for 17 deadly maulings since 2020, including the killing of grandmother Esther Martin (pictured), 68, who was savaged by two dogs while visiting her grandson in Jaywick, Essex, in February 2024
Giving a damning verdict on the animals, he told the Mirror: ‘The cane corso is like an XL Bully on steroids. It's a killing machine and they've become much more popular now.'
Fans of the cane corso include Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison and his England team-mate Marcus Rashford.
Mr Alleyne added: ‘[The ban] has just pushed people towards an even worse dog that doesn't need to be registered and God help us if they become too popular.'
Axel Lagercrantz, Pets4Homes chief executive, said there had been an increase in sales of muscle dogs like XL bullies shortly after the first lockdown in 2020.
He added: ‘Many buyers wrongly viewed having muscle dogs as a status symbol and often – most unwisely – believed that having such a dog would be good for personal security.
‘Many feared that [after the ban] these buyers would simply turn to other similar dogs like the cane corso. That would have been unfortunate as these dogs need large open spaces, are extremely powerful and have some innate characteristics that need to be carefully trained and policed.'
Mr Lagercrantz urged potential pet owners to ‘thoroughly research' any dog before buying it.
He added that people should pick a pet that is ‘suitable to their home and actual lifestyle' and not one that ‘projects an image on social media'.
