29th September 2026
Dog owners across Scotland need to be aware of a change in the law coming into force on 1 November 2026.
Despite much of the publicity about the new rules being generated south of the border, the change does apply in Scotland.
It concerns children under 12 and dogs of prohibited types, including XL Bullies.
From 1 November, an owner of an exempted prohibited dog must ensure that a child under 12 is not left in close contact with the dog in a private place, such as a home or garden, without appropriate adult supervision.
In Scotland, the Scottish Government has made the rule a new condition attached to the Certificate of Exemption which allows an owner to keep a prohibited dog legally.
And there is an important Scottish detail.
The adult supervising the child must be aged 16 or over.
So this is not simply a rule saying that an older child can look after a younger child and the dog. If a child under 12 is with an exempted prohibited dog, an appropriate supervisor aged at least 16 must be present.
The new condition applies to XL Bullies and the other prohibited types covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
It does not mean all XL Bullies are being banned again
This is an important distinction.
XL Bullies were already subject to strict controls in Scotland. Since 1 August 2024, it has been an offence to own an XL Bully without a Certificate of Exemption from the Scottish Government.
Owners who have an exemption certificate can continue to keep their dogs, but they must comply with the conditions attached to that exemption.
Those conditions include keeping the dog on a lead and muzzled in public, ensuring it is microchipped and complying with the neutering requirements.
The new child-protection condition is being added to those existing requirements.
The Scottish Government published specific guidance on the new rule on 25 September, only a few weeks before it comes into force.
What happens if an owner ignores the rule?
The child-protection requirement is not simply advice.
It is a condition of the exemption. Breaching exemption conditions is an offence and can result in enforcement action, including the possibility of the dog being seized and prosecution.
That makes it particularly important for anyone with an exempted dog to understand exactly what the new rule requires.
The Scottish Government says the new condition applies when the child and dog are in close contact in a private place.
In practical terms, that could include the family home or garden.
The safest approach is therefore straightforward: if a child under 12 is around an exempted prohibited dog, make sure an appropriate adult aged 16 or over is present.
What about other family dogs?
This is where the new law needs to be understood carefully.
The November legal requirement specifically concerns prohibited dogs.
It does not introduce a new general law saying that children under 12 cannot be left alone with an ordinary family pet.
However, the Scottish Government's guidance makes clear that the wider principle of supervising children around dogs should not be restricted to banned types.
The UK Government has also emphasised that children should be supervised around dogs generally, not just dogs covered by the new legal requirement.
That is perhaps worth remembering because a dog does not have to be an XL Bully to bite.
Why is the law changing?
The new rule follows concerns about serious attacks involving prohibited dogs and children.
The UK Government announced the equivalent change for England and Wales in June, saying that children under 12 should not be left unsupervised around banned-breed dogs in domestic or private settings.
Scotland has chosen to introduce its own corresponding condition through the Scottish legal framework.
The Scottish Government says the purpose is to strengthen protection for children while allowing people who have legally exempted dogs to continue keeping them where appropriate supervision is provided.
One other change has already happened
There is another recent change which could cause some confusion.
Owners of exempted prohibited dogs in Scotland no longer need third-party public liability insurance from 1 July 2026.
The Scottish Government says this requirement was removed because the only available provider withdrew and there were no suitable alternative products available.
That is separate from the November child-supervision requirement.
So, for owners of exempted dogs, the key date now approaching is:
1 November 2026 – children under 12 must not be left in close contact with the dog in a private place without appropriate supervision by someone aged 16 or over.
For families in Caithness and elsewhere in Scotland who own an exempted XL Bully or another prohibited dog, this is therefore a legal change worth knowing about before it comes into force.
And while the law is aimed at a relatively small group of dogs, the underlying message is much broader.
Children and dogs need careful supervision, whatever the breed.