BSL Shocker – A List of 75 Dogs That Are Banned Or Restricted
While most people know that breed specific legislation (BSL) can spread like wildfire when decisions are made by non-canine experts and stories are sensationalized by the media – I’m betting you’ll be shocked by some of the breeds on this list of 75. All of the dogs on this list are either banned or there are restrictions on owning them *somewhere* in the United States. Some of the breed names on this list may sound odd, but they appear here as they are written in the actual bans (including misspellings!). Some of the breeds here are being banned in communities due to blanket bans on canine physical traits (for example, the pug is stocky, broad and has a short muzzle- thus sharing some of the same traits as the “fearsome” bully breeds).
Photo by Gary Pore
Absurd- definitely. All dogs need responsible owners who understand that keeping their dog safe and controlled is their job as a caregiver. If individuals are failing to do this, let them face the consequences. Don’t blame all the other dog owners who are stepping up to their role and keeping their dogs in check.
1. AIREDALE TERRIER
2. AKBASH
3. AKITA
4. ALAPAHA BLUE BLOOD BULLDOG
5. ALASKAN MALAMUTE
6. ALSATIAN SHEPHERD
7. AMERICAN BULLDOG
8. AMERICAN HUSKY
9. AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER
10. AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER
11. AMERICAN WOLFDOG
12. ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD
13. ARIKARA DOG
14. AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG
15. AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD
16. BELGIAN MALINOIS
17. BELGIAN SHEEPDOG
18. BELGIAN TURVUREN
19. BLUE HEELER
20. BOERBOL
21. BORZOI
22. BOSTON TERRIER
23. BOUVIER DES FLANDRES
24. BOXER
25. BULLDOG
26. BULL TERRIER
27. BULL MASTIFF
28. CANE CORSO
29. CATAHOULA LEOPARD DOG
30. CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD
31. CHINESE SHAR PEI
32. CHOW-CHOW
33. COLORADO DOG
34. DOBERMAN PINSCHER
35. DOGO DE ARGENTINO
36. DOGUE DE BORDEAUX
37. ENGLISH MASTIFFS
38. ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL
39. ESKIMO DOG
40. ESTRELA MOUNTAIN DOG
41. FILA BRASILIERO
42. FOX TERRIER
43. FRENCH BULLDOG
44. GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
45. GOLDEN RETRIEVER
46. GREENLAND HUSKY
47. GREAT DANE
48. GREAT PYRANEES
49. ITALIAN MASTIFF
50. KANGAL DOG
51. KEESHOND
52. KOMONDOR
53. KOTEZEBUE HUSKY
54. KUVAZ
55. LABRADOR RETRIEVER
56. LEONBERGER
57. MASTIFF
58. NEOPOLITAN MASTIFF
59. NEWFOUNDLAND
60. OTTERHOUND
61. PRESA DE CANARIO
62. PRESA DE MALLORQUIN
63. PUG
64. ROTTWEILER
65. SAARLOOS WOLFHOND
66. SAINT BERNARD
67. SAMOYED
68. SCOTTISH DEERHOUND
69. SIBERIAN HUSKY
70. SPANISH MASTIFF
71. STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER
72. TIMBER SHEPHERD
73. TOSA INU
74. TUNDRA SHEPHERD
75. WOLF SPITZ
Popularity: 3% [?]
October 8th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Good grief…I have an Aussie, who’s a wimp, and the biggest lovable lummox you’ll ever meet. Dogs aren’t bad, it’s poor ownership that’s the problem about 99% of the time. My neighbor’s dachshund, a breed not on the list mind you, bit my other neighbor’s four year old girl the other day. When the police came to check it out, they told US that our dog was too aggressive, for barking and whimpering at the door, not at them, but because he had to pee!
October 18th, 2008 at 12:19 am
BSL THIS IS A JOKE I LOOKED AT YOUR LIST THE ONLY THING I DID NOT SEE IS A CAT. IT’S TIME TO START LOOKING AT THE OWNERS OF YOUR LIST OF BREEDS AND STOP LOOKING AT WHAT THE BREED WAS USED FOR BACK IN THE 1800 & 1900′S. I HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD BULLMASTIFF WHICH IS BY FAR THE BEST DOG I HAVE EVER OWNED I WOULD TRUST THIS DOG OVER ANY DOG THAT’S NOT ON YOUR SAD LIST OF DOGS
WITHOUT QUESTION……MY DOG WHO’S NAME IS AUTUMN LEE WHO HAS SPENT MANY HOURS AT MY MOTHERS NURSING HOME VISITING MY MOTHER AND WAS ASKED TO VISIT OTHER PEOPLE IN THE NURSING HOME.
I TRUST MY DOG AROUND ANY HUMAN. THE ONLY THING THAT I ARGREE WITH WHEN IT COMES TO BSL LAWS IS THAT YOU MUST BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER WHICH IS TRUE WITH ANY BREED OF DOG WHICH HOLDS TRUE IF ITS A POODLE OR A PITBULL DON’T FORGET A PITBULL WAS NOTHING MORE THEN A FARM DOG OR AS MY GRANDFATHER LIKED TO CALL THEM A FARM HAND…
SO STOP POINTING YOUR FINGER AT THE BREED AND START POINTING AT THE IDIOTS THAT ARE DESTROYING
THESE WONDERFUL BREEDS…………..
February 5th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
This list is made up by a bunch of morons. I dare the bitches who created this list to do volunteer work at any Humane Society in their area and tell me their views have not changed, it’s complete madness!
March 30th, 2009 at 6:56 am
This list just gets my blood boiling. I was so outraged at the list. Are we all suppose to just get labs and little toys? I’m not saying labs aren’t good but come on now. What the hell is this? I completely agree with Chad. this is just madness, it’s so unjustified. There should be no way this law will ever pass, there will be riot if it ever does!
April 17th, 2009 at 12:45 am
It makes me sad to see this list, seeing as Dalmatians aren’t anywhere on it. And they hold the numbers for most dog attacks per breed every year. I have a pit bull, and she plays with my two cats and my two ferrets! The ferrets actually pick on her! And she’s seven years old…hasn’t even gotten crotchety with age. My three year old son sleeps on her on the couch. What an evil dog…*sighs* This brings to mind a poem I once heard…”When the rivers are dried up, when the forests are gone, when the animals are all extinct, then and only then will man begin to realize the mistakes he has made.” The same can be said here. When homes are left with nothing but the option of goldfish, will the majority of Americans understand what rights have been taken away from them. And by then it will be too late…sadly, it will just be too late…
June 10th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
WHAT THE HELL! WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO BAN THESE DOGS! ALL THESE DOGS ARE REALLY GREAT DOGS! OK, I SORT OF UNDERSTAND THAT THEY THINK “BULLY” DOGS THAT WERE BRED FOR GUARDING AND FIGHTING, BUT HUSKIES? LABS? GOLDENS? AUSSIES? BERNIES? THIS IS SO STUPID! THIS MUST BE STOPPED!
July 24th, 2009 at 11:06 am
There is nothing I could say that has not already been said in the six prior posts. This just needs to be protested by every concerned dog owner so here’s my submission. I wish I could turn my dogs loose on every one of them – to give each one of them the big tongue licking they deserve so they’d know how stupid this list really is. And yes, they’re both listed and you could call them “aggressively friendly”.
July 25th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
These people that came up with this list are damn morons! Its not the dog that needs banning its the owners that don’t train the dogs that should be banned..What next, start banning people from having kids. omg what is this country comeing to.
July 25th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
@ masy: There are alot of dogs that are bred for protection and guarding. Not just Bully breeds. Its people like you why we have these lists. You are stereotyping a breed right there!!!!!! How ruthless of you. I have been bitten pretty bad by a LAB and you wonder why they are listed on here, you need to do more research before making an assumption like that. Its not the breed its the deed!!!! Ban stupid people, not dogs!!!!!!!!!
July 25th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
WTF??? I have a Blue Heeler x Border collie mix. Why is that breed on this list, in fact this entire list is stupid. All these dogs are gorgeous!!
July 27th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Guys…please check out our website http://www.unitedagainstbsl.org We are the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation (MCABSL) and fighting to overturn the inane BSL in Miami-Dade County passed just over 20 years ago.
This fight is not just for Pitbull lovers, it is for all dog lovers…no matter what you think about “pit bull type dogs”, this is legislation that you do NOT want coming to your town. The way this law is written, any number of breeds, mixed breeds, mutts, or designer dogs could conform to be “substantially a Pitbull” depending on very arbitrary physical characteristics on the “checklist”…and the sad truth is that these dogs (pit/pitmix/or not a pit at all) get confiscated from their families EVERY day without even having done anything wrong. The way most of these dogs get brought into Animal Control is that a neighbor complains of a “barking dog”…if the officer on the scene determines that your dog conforms to enough items on the “list” (more than 50%), the dog gets confiscated and you get fined $500 per day until the dog gets euthanized or taken out of the county. It doesn’t matter if you have papers from the Breeder or Pet Store you got the dog from showing that it is an American Bulldog, or a Boxer, or a Mastiff, etc. etc. It doesn’t matter if you have a $400 DNA test from your vet that shows there is NO Pitbull, APBT, Staffordshire Terrier, whatever in your dog…your dog will be confiscated…you will be fined and if you own a house the fine will be attached as a lien…the only choice you will have is to pay the fine and have your dog moved out of the county (if you can find a home or rescue for it), or if you are “lucky” they will keep the fine at a single day of $500 if you agree to have it euthanized. Most of the County Commissioners LOVE to say that there is no dogfighting in Miami-Dade County because of this ban in order to appear that they are successful in “protecting their citizens”. However, it is no secret where the dog fighting rings are…the evil people involved in this are proud to brag about their winning dogs to anyone who will listen…parading them through the streets with their fighting scars…and they are just as proud to tell you how they tortured the dogs to death who “lost” the fight. Why don’t the authorities concentrate on busting these criminals and try to save these victimized dogs from their horrible fate? Are they afraid? Do they have better things to do? I don’t know, and I don’t care. What I do know is that the public is not being “served or protected” by this law. The only ones being “served or protected” are the POLITICIANS who are too afraid of not being re-elected to stand up for the innocent victims here…
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I found it rather amusing that 7 of the dogs on this list are also on the 10 best dogs for families with children list, too. I don’t think who ever made this list is a dog person, because if they were, they would know what it’s like to lose one of your best friends in the world. I am against anything and everything to do with BSL. I say throw the bad owners in jail…not MURDER the dogs that weren’t taught any better.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
This is just plain stupid, that’s pretty much every dog in the world on that list. An English Mastiff?! They aren’t even known to attack people, I bet you it was thief or robber that reported the EM. Lab on the list too?! give up hope, I guess I’ll go get a monkey.
December 27th, 2009 at 1:35 am
what states are they banned in i rescued my blue heeler from the pound in wyoming it she was banned why could i adopt her?
December 29th, 2009 at 10:45 am
@ Doug; these aren’t breeds that are banned, but more dogs that people are TRYING to ban. I doubt that this crap will actually happen, it’s insane…
March 13th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
This list is utterly ridiculous! I’ve had 2 different Labs, a German Shepherd/Keeshond mix, a Fox Terrier, an English Mastiff/German Shepherd mix (who was the sweetest dog ever) and a Lab/German Shepherd mix. Not once did any of these dogs EVER bite anybody. Yes, some of these breeds are very protective of their families and if they feel threatened may bite. But that would not be an unprovoked act. Any dog that bites just to bite or because it’s mean, well that’s the owner’s fault for poor training and socializing.
March 14th, 2010 at 4:05 am
This is silly! The problem is not the breed, but the wrong people having the dog. Some dogs – regardless of breed – require experienced handling.
March 17th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I own pitts, they are the best dogs around. I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I don’t understand why this is being done. The people that owned these are the blame. I would own anyone of the dogs on this list and would love every minute of it. All they need is good owners and a little TLC. Quite picking on the dogs and start on the owners, it is the owners fault.
March 18th, 2010 at 12:33 am
I think the list is plain stupid,I don’t think ant breed should be banned,people are the idiots here
Instead of wasting time creating this stupid list spend time going after those bastard that abuse,kill or mistreat dogs,go after those bastards that get does poor animals and force them to fight instead of getting a real job,
That’s the reason this country is the way it is they spend time creating stupid ridicules laws instead of catching those a***** that do those terrible things to innocent animals I never had a pitbull or rottweiler but I will something all I got is a golden/cocker mix and a pure cocker spaniel and I love them to death but if I had a pitbull I will protect him no matter what against this idiots that instead of working and doing something good they spend time wasting tax payers money making stupid laws,stop banning breed and start banning owners ,you say that is not right discriminating a person but you are doing the same thing with these dogs
I would go to jail first than letting this bastards take my dogs no matter what breed they are we live in a free country,we pay our taxes,we support our pets so they have no right to tell us what breed we can or can’t have
March 18th, 2010 at 12:37 am
Sorry for the mispelling words I am writing from the blackberry and can’t see half of the stuff I write don’t know why,I just check and saw the mess I wrote lol I know how to spell I just couldn’t see it haha
March 25th, 2010 at 1:43 am
GERMAN SHEPHERDS???? You mean police dogs should be on this list too???? The whole list is VERY stupid!!! I guess the people who are behind this list think police who need their dogs to help put criminals away should let the criminals go free and put these dogs away as criminals instead??!! None of these dogs are criminals!!! Why are they on a list like this and treated as if they are??!!
April 17th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
St. Bernards?
The dog bred to save and perserve human life in extreme conditions, and has done so – so successfully over the course of a century or more that the Saint prefix is no longer thought of as merely an indicator of where they were first bred, but has become a well earned title?
(that was one rambling run-on)
No one, and I mean no one will take my St Bernard from me.
May 6th, 2010 at 11:03 am
No, this list need to be burned. NONE of these dogs are evil, only the evil people who made the ‘bad’ It’s not the dog but the owner. This whole BSL sounds too much like what the Nazi’s did to the Jews and so to this I say the people who made this list are Nazi’s and should be treated as such. You leave our dogs alone you monsters, they have died in wars to protect us, they have died in the police force and all for love. They are not evil, they just have something the poeple who made this list don’t have, heart.
May 7th, 2010 at 12:46 am
MY rotty is the sweetest darn dog you’ll ever see. Almost every dog on this list is a sweet and loving dog. Golden retrievers are considered one of the smartest breeds and are very popular seeing dogs for blind people because they are so easy to train. The only reason a dog bites is because it feels threatened, feels like its protecting its family (like every other living creature on the earth. We gonna ban them to?) or because it has been trained to. (Ie a police dog, WHICH happen to be great family dogs after work.)
July 11th, 2010 at 7:32 am
This list is so stupid. There are no bad dogs, just bad owners. My beautiful Tess is a staffy crossed with a german shepherd. She is sweetest and most timid dog. Very affectionate and perfect with my nephew and niece, even when they were toddlers.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
WOW!! I am stunned! This list is stupid. Saint Bernards are a soft mouth dog for one thing. And for another you can not blame any breed, its the owner!! We recently adopted a young boxer and he is the sweetest most lovable dog! He is so gently when it comes to taking food from the kids. It seems to me as I read through that list some one is a dog hater!
August 8th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
This list and the restrictions that RESPONSIBLE pet owners face due to cruel, irresponsible owners is infuriating! It goes without saying that responsible dog owners & lovers are the ones that are penalized if they happen to own any of the “Bully” breeds. While the other irresponsible owners slide by! I own an Akita and a Rottie, and at one time had 3 Akitas, due to this my homeowners insurance is 4 times higher! I elected to keep my dogs and “pay the Price” rather than have them put down. But, unfortunately even tho I love these breeds when my two old dogs pass I wont be able to continue to have the breeds that I love. It infuriates me that my town is plaqued with pits as a status symbol of our youth, and no one suffers the consequences of this except responsible owners.By the way, I have nothing against any breed,I know pits to be sweet loving dogs, but in my area, the owners (not all) use them for fighting. It is very sad, my rights of choice have been taken from me and I highly resent it! Something needs to be done. My Rottie is an old girl and I love her dearly and would very much like to own another my Akita is a lap dog (he still believes that) protective and loyal. When you outlaw guns only the outlaws will have guns. The same is true with dogs. When you outlaw specific breeds only outlaws will have these breeds.