A wew law for 5 dog breeds takes effect today — owners are warned ‘don’t leave the room’ (Image: Alena Ivochkina via Getty Images)
A new law that owners of five dog breeds must be aware of comes into force today. One dog trainer with 20 years of experience cautions that now “simply nipping to the loo could mean breaking the law for some dog owners”.
From November 1, 2026 it will become an offence to leave a child under 12 in close contact with certain dogs in a private setting without adult supervision. Dog owners impacted are those who own dogs which appear on the UK’s banned dogs list. While owning these dogs is forbidden, it is possible to secure a certificate of exemption to keep them, and tens of thousands of them currently live across the UK.
It is also unlawful to sell, abandon, give away or breed from a banned dog. Furthermore, whether your dog is classified as a banned type depends on its physical appearance, rather than its breed or name, reports the Mirror. Therefore, if authorities decide that your dog matches the characteristics of a banned breed, it may be considered a banned type. The banned dogs in the UK are:
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
- XL Bully
There are a substantial number of these dogs living across the UK – the XL Bully was not banned until February 2024, while the remaining breeds were all named in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The XL Bully was held responsible for the deaths of 23 people in the two years preceding the ban, yet fatalities continued even after it came into effect.
By the conclusion of 2024, more than 57,000 were registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), though they were being destroyed at a rate exceeding 100 per month at that point. However, these are not the sole prohibited dogs living in Britain.
According to the UK Parliament website, in 2021 there were 3,655 Pit Bull Terriers listed on the Index of Exempted Dogs, 20 Dogo Argentino dogs and three Japanese Tosa dogs. Owners who possess a certificate of exemption allowing them to keep any of these banned breeds must adhere to strict regulations throughout the dog’s entire life. The dogs must be:
- neutered
- fitted with a microchip
- kept on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public
- kept in a secure place so it cannot escape
From today, nipping to the toilet or for a shower could mean a criminal record for some dog owners (Image: Getty)
Sharon Bolt, a dog trainer and founder of Good Dogs, said: “Simply nipping to the loo could mean breaking the law for some dog owners! Yes, you read that right! A new legal requirement comes into force on Sunday, 1 November, which says that children under 12 cannot be left in close contact with exempted banned-breed dogs, including XL Bullies, without appropriate adult supervision in their home or garden.
“What this means in everyday life is that if you’re at home with your young child and dog and need to pop upstairs, have a shower or even nip to the loo, you can’t leave them alone together. You’d need to take your child or dog with you, or make sure they’re safely separated.”
What happens if you own a banned dog?
If you possess a banned dog, the UK Government confirms that police or local council dog wardens are authorised to seize and detain it, even if it is behaving entirely safely or no complaints have been lodged. If the dog is on private property, the police must secure a warrant to do so.
A police or council dog specialist will then evaluate what breed of dog you own and whether it poses, or could pose, a danger to the public. The dog could subsequently be returned to you, placed in kennels or put down.
It is the owner’s responsibility to prove that their dog is not a prohibited breed.
Should you succeed in demonstrating this, a court will order the dog’s return. If you are unable to prove it, or acknowledge it is a banned breed, you will be convicted of an offence and could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment for up to six months (or both). Your dog will also be destroyed.
