Ipswich is a national hotspot for interest in powerful dog breeds after the ban on XL bullies, according to data from the online pet marketplace, Puppies.co.uk.
Following the ban, Puppies.co.uk, a platform for buying and selling dogs and puppies, analysed Google search data and found Ipswich ranked fifth for the number of searches for ‘aggressive’ dog breeds per person.
This was based on an analysis of the most popular breeds that could potentially replace XL Bully dogs including the Cane Corso, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Jack Russell Terriers.
Specifically the organisation said there were 1,510 google searches per 100,000 residents in the town for these breeds.
Puppies.co.uk added there has been a 47% decline in searches for XL bully puppies for sale in the last three months while searches for Rottweilers increased by 35% in the weeks following the XL bully ban announcement and searches for Cane Corsos for sale increased by 36%.
The analysis was all done using Google search data and Leeds took the top spot, with approximately 2,175 searches made for the sale of potentially aggressive dogs per 100,000 residents.
Manchester is the second spot, with an average of 2,048 monthly searches and Cambridge is in third.
Leanne Milburn-Turner, who owns The Ipswich Dog Trainer, which has recently been nominated for a Suffolk business award, said the early life of a dog is what determines its temperament more than anything else.
When the ban came in she offered free muzzle training classes and she continues to work with XL Bully Dogs.
“The Cane Corso for example is a large European breed and they are strong dogs but like any other dog they just need the right training and the right home.
“Genetics do play a part but the first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life are really vital in their learning.
"That’s when all the positive things need to happen like good socialisation and anything negative that happens at that age will have a very big impact on their lives.
“Any dog in the wrong hands can cause damage. Of course, the larger dogs can cause a lot more damage but they just need to be in the right home.”
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