XL Bully Enrichment: Keeping Your Dog Fulfilled Despite the Restrictions

By Michael | Paws 'n' Claws Training

Owning an XL Bully in the UK has become considerably more complicated since the ban came into place. Enough people struggle to meet their dog's needs in a normal home environment without having a whole set of government restrictions thrown into the mix, making it even more difficult to give these dogs the lives they deserve.

But the restrictions haven't changed the dogs themselves, or what they need from us. So, with all that in mind, how do we spice up their lives, provide some proper enrichment and help them overcome behavioural issues?

A large part of the answer lies in understanding what went into creating the XL Bully in the first place, and using those characteristics to our advantage.

Understanding What Makes an XL Bully Tick

Your XL Bully was developed by combining a number of different breeds. The original foundations were largely American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers, with influences from other bull breeds, including Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American and English Bulldogs. As breeders began producing larger dogs, some lines also incorporated bigger breeds such as the Cane Corso and Presa Canario, with other breeds contributing to particular lines.

What you'll notice is that these are mostly working-type dogs with a broadly similar history and purpose: bite stuff and overcome resistance. Whether that's pressure, adversity or pain, many of these breeds were historically selected for their determination, physical strength and willingness to keep going when things got difficult.

That doesn't mean every XL Bully will display these characteristics in the same way, but understanding the traits that have influenced the breed gives us a pretty good starting point when thinking about what they might find rewarding. Rather than trying to suppress everything that makes these dogs what they are, we can look for constructive ways to use those instincts and give them somewhere appropriate to go.

Play: Giving Your XL Bully a Constructive Outlet

One of the biggest areas we can take advantage of is play, mostly tug. Get good at tug, get good at adding pressure and competition to your game. Many of these dogs will, at some level, harbour a desire for physical conflict. That doesn't make them bad dogs, those are the bits we use when working them. The important thing is understanding how to channel those drives into something constructive rather than allowing them to become problematic.

We need to provide outlets for these internal drives, both so that our dogs can feel content and so that when we do tell them to can the nonsense, we know we're being fair. If we're expecting our dogs to demonstrate self-control throughout their everyday lives, we need to be making an effort to give them opportunities to express the behaviours they find rewarding in an appropriate setting.

Obviously, with the restrictions in place, we can't just take our XL Bullies to the local park, remove their muzzles and start playing tug. We need suitable private spaces, such as our gardens, where we're legally permitted to do so. Secure fields can also be useful for activities that comply with the rules applying to that particular space, and I'd encourage owners to make the most of their time there. Don't waste all your secure field time (and money) letting your dog mill about doing things they can do on a normal walk. Think about what you're going to do before you get there and use the opportunity to give your dog something worthwhile.

A great many of these dogs will also engage in rough-and-tumble personal play that doesn't involve toys. While this won't necessarily satisfy the desire to bite and grip, it goes a long way towards providing structured physical competition and can be a great addition to their lives if they're game for it. As with any physical game, it's important that both dog and handler understand the rules and that the dog can disengage when asked.

I've also taught Kobi to hit a boxing pad that has a squeaker in it. This is one of a few activities we ONLY do in the muzzle, which keeps it a little bit special. He was originally taught to headbutt me, but this got old real quick. We also use an agitation muzzle, which is specialist equipment designed for controlled impact work. It's not something to experiment with without appropriate equipment and professional guidance, but it's another example of how we can adapt activities to suit the restrictions we're working within.

Building Motivation and Rewarding Through a Muzzle

When we teach markers for food, it can be difficult to build motivation for a few reasons, primarily because we can't necessarily provide the same dynamic reward delivery or ground searches that we could previously. Those of us who use movement and the environment as part of our reward system need to get a little more creative, but there are ways around it.

I find that most bull breed dogs are happy to bump the rewarding hand with their muzzle, almost like a high five, before having the food presented through it afterwards. This still provides the chase element of the marker, with a substitute ending to keep the momentum going. The dog still gets to move towards the reward and engage with the handler, rather than standing there waiting while we awkwardly try to get food through the muzzle.

And honestly, don't be afraid of using high-value food here. When we want maximum motivation and a food reward we can deliver as smoothly as possible, I don't particularly want to be limited by trying to force kibble through a muzzle. I have a preference for dog pâté cut into small sticks, which makes rewarding the dog much easier without constantly interrupting what we're trying to achieve.

Scentwork: Making the Most of Your XL Bully's Nose

The next area where we can get incredible mileage out of our muzzled dogs is by putting time into something they were NEVER specifically bred for. I'm talking, of course, about using their nose.

Scentwork encourages dogs to sync up their nose and brain for extended periods, doing something that might seem completely outside their traditional working role but still gives them an opportunity to search, problem-solve and work towards something they find rewarding. It's a fantastic way to provide mental enrichment, particularly when some of the more physical activities we'd usually rely on have become more difficult to access.

Once we've established currency and motivation through a good marker and reward system, we can start introducing some form of scent-related activity. I do all of Kobi's scentwork in his muzzle now, even in situations where I could take it off. He understands the process, he's perfectly capable of doing the work and there's no reason for the muzzle to be a barrier. Tracking can also be done in a muzzle, although this requires some skill to teach.

Mantrailing would be a less handler-skill-intensive alternative, with the same broad aim of getting the dog to follow scent and work through a problem. Both are great options for owners looking for something a little different to do with their dogs, and something that can be developed over time as their confidence and ability improve.

In addition to tracking and scentwork, we can introduce the dog to lost article searches. This might involve teaching them to indicate on something like our house keys, before progressing to sending the dog to find them whilst out on a walk. It's a relatively simple concept, but there's a huge amount of training and progression available within it, and it gives the dog a practical job to do.

One of the best things about these scent-related activities is that the introductory work can be started at home without impacting your everyday life in quite the same way that playing tug in your living room might. You can work on indications, build motivation and start teaching your dog to search without needing a huge amount of space or specialist equipment.

Exploring Other XL Bully Activities and Dog Sports

Lastly, there are some more niche options offered by various types of trainers, although access can be limited depending on what's available in your area. These are worth exploring if you're looking for additional ways to provide physical exercise and enrichment for your XL Bully, particularly if you've got a dog that really enjoys resistance-based activities.

Springpole is the OG bull breed exercise device. Essentially, it's a hanging spring with a tug toy attached, allowing the dog to grip and pull against resistance. For dogs that enjoy this kind of work, it's a fantastic outlet and something worth considering if you've got an appropriate private space to install one safely. Springpole is also a major part of GRC Dogsports, which brings us to another option.

GRC Dogsports is a sport designed with bull breeds and other driven dogs in mind. As well as a sociability test, it involves springpole, weight pull and slatmill, which is a self-powered treadmill. GRC provides structured opportunities for dogs to engage in activities that use their natural physical abilities, while also placing importance on control and sociability. It's growing in the UK, so keep an eye out for a club near you, although you'll obviously need to check which activities and facilities can legally accommodate XL Bullies under the current restrictions.

Bitework is another option, although this isn't for every dog, isn't available everywhere and isn't always held in spaces where XL Bullies can legally be unmuzzled. For suitable dogs working with experienced professionals, it can be a fantastic outlet. This is absolutely not your sign to buy a sleeve and try it at home, though. Decoying should be done properly by someone who understands what they're doing, the equipment they're using and the dog they're working with.

Giving Your XL Bully the Life They Deserve

The restrictions have undoubtedly made owning an XL Bully more complicated, and I don't think there's any point pretending otherwise. But there are still so many things we can do with these dogs if we're willing to put a bit of thought into how we approach their training and enrichment.

Whether that's getting really good at tug, adapting our reward systems to work with a muzzle, introducing scentwork or exploring some of the more specialist activities available, we have plenty of options. Not every activity will suit every dog, and you certainly don't need to do everything on this list, but there is real value in understanding what your individual dog enjoys and finding ways to provide more of it. 

Ultimately, these are still the same capable, driven dogs they were before the restrictions came into place. We might have to get a little more creative about how we meet their needs, but there's absolutely no reason we can't continue to give them fulfilling, interesting lives.