XL Bully
What XL bully owners in England and Wales need to know in 2026: the exemption conditions, why liability insurance is no longer required but still worth having, the new rule on children from 1 November, and the cost of keeping one.
What a XL Bully costs to own
Liability insurance stopped being a legal requirement on 1 July 2026, but it is still worth having, and mainstream health cover is hard to find.
Insurance
Exempted dogs no longer need third-party public liability cover by law (the condition was removed from 1 July 2026), but it is still worth keeping for a large dog under this much scrutiny. It is a separate product from ordinary pet insurance, which pays the dog’s own vet bills. Many mainstream insurers will not quote for the type at all.
What insurers are pricing for
These are risks the breed is predisposed to, not things your dog will get.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Large, heavy dogs carrying a lot of muscle. Joint problems are common and expensive.
- Skin conditions
- Heavy skin and, in some lines, folds. Recurrent dermatitis is frequent.
- Eye conditions
- Cherry eye and entropion appear often enough to be worth asking about.
- Heat sensitivity
- Lines with a shortened muzzle cope poorly with warm weather and exertion.
Grooming
Short coat, easy. Any folds need cleaning and drying, as with other heavy-set breeds.
Size, food and kit
Large and heavy. Food, bedding and equipment all cost more, and boarding is harder to arrange because many kennels will not take an exempted dog.
The one people underestimate
The new rule from 1 November 2026: a child under 12 must not be left in close contact with the dog at home without an adult supervising. A camera or baby monitor does not count.
Getting a real number
We deliberately do not print premiums here. What you pay depends on your postcode, your dog’s age, the cover level and the month you ask, so any figure on a page like this is wrong for most people and out of date within a year. Get quotes from a few providers instead, and compare what the policies actually cover rather than the headline price.
"The dog you have is the dog in front of you, not the one in the headlines."
— Anonymous
Read this first
The XL bully is a banned type in England and Wales. Since February 2024 it has been illegal to breed, sell, rehome, abandon or give away an XL bully, and illegal to have one in public without a lead and muzzle. Owning one is lawful only if it holds a Certificate of Exemption.
This page is written for people who already own an exempted dog, or who are trying to work out what their responsibilities are. It is not a page about acquiring one, because you cannot lawfully acquire one.
Scotland introduced its own rules shortly afterwards. Northern Ireland has separate legislation again. If you are outside England and Wales, check your own nation's guidance rather than assume this applies.
For the exemption process itself, see our guide on registering an XL bully.
Insurance is no longer a legal requirement
Until 30 June 2026, an exemption certificate required third-party public liability insurance. From 1 July 2026 that condition was removed in England and Wales, and Scotland has dropped it too (gov.uk).
Liability cover is still worth keeping. It pays out if your dog injures someone or damages property, and with a large dog under this much scrutiny, that is not a remote risk. It is a different product from ordinary pet insurance, which pays the dog's own vet bills. Many mainstream pet insurers will not quote for the type at all, so check what your health policy excludes. Our guide to XL bully insurance sets out which insurers will still cover an exempted dog.
The other legal conditions
An exempted dog must be neutered, microchipped, kept in secure conditions, and muzzled and on a lead in every public place, with a handler aged at least 16. The certificate must be produced on request. These are conditions of the exemption rather than advice.
From 1 November 2026, there is a new condition about children. You must not leave a child under 12 in close contact with the dog in a private place, such as your home or garden, without adult supervision. Defra's guidance says a camera or baby monitor does not count. In Scotland the supervising adult must be 16 or over. Our XL bully rules guide covers the detail, including what happens if you move or the owner dies.
What they are like
Setting the law aside, the dogs themselves are large, powerful, people-oriented and typically affectionate with their families. They are strong enough that handling matters: a dog of this size and build pulling on a lead is a physical problem as well as a training one, and equipment needs to be up to the job.
Muzzle training deserves proper time. A dog that has been conditioned to a well-fitted basket muzzle is comfortable in it, and one that has had it strapped on is not. Ours is a guide to doing it kindly.
Health and cost
Large, heavy-set dogs, so the usual big-breed considerations apply: hip and elbow problems, and higher costs simply because doses and surgical time scale with body weight.
The breed type also carries the risks that come with heavy muscling and, in some lines, a shortened muzzle: skin problems, joint strain and heat sensitivity. Cherry eye and entropion appear frequently enough to be worth asking about.
Food, bedding and equipment all cost more at this size, and boarding is harder to arrange, since many kennels will not take an exempted dog at all.