Banned but standardised: when a prohibited dog breed also has an AKC/FCI standard
A dog can be a banned "type" in one country and a registered, judged breed in the next. The kennel clubs do not repeal their standards when a legislature blacklists a breed. So the same animal a jurisdiction declares too dangerous to keep is, in the breed-standard library, described in calm, admiring prose: "calm, confident and courageous," "never vicious or aggressive," "good natured, seldom quarrelsome." This article places the breed-ban registers of eight jurisdictions side by side with the AKC and FCI standards that still describe those very dogs — and lets the contradiction speak for itself.
How the bans are drawn
The prohibitions do not all work the same way. The United Kingdom bans by type: under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 it is unlawful to keep "any dog of the type known as the pit bull terrier," "the Japanese tosa," "the Dogo Argentino," and "the Fila Braziliero," with the XL Bully added later by the 2023 Order (uk_dda_banned_dog_types). China's municipalities ban mostly by a mix of name and size: Beijing forbids "fierce dogs and any breed exceeding 35 cm adult height" in key management areas (beijing_banned_dog_breeds), and Shanghai forbids individuals from keeping "fierce dogs" per a published directory (shanghai_banned_dog_breeds). Chongqing and Hangzhou extend the same logic — Chongqing's 2023 rules prohibit "fierce/aggressive dogs" plus large dogs in key areas (cn_banned_dog_breeds_chongqing, cn_banned_dog_breeds_hangzhou). Australia works by import anchor: New South Wales lists restricted breeds by name (nsw_restricted_dog_breeds), while Queensland simply defines a prohibited dog as "a dog of a breed prohibited from importation into Australia under the Customs Act 1901" — the state names no breeds of its own (qld_prohibited_dog_breeds). Singapore does neither an outright ban nor a size rule; it lists "Specified dogs" under stricter control measures (singapore_specified_dog_breeds).
The crosswalk
Below, every breed that appears in one of those banned/restricted registers and has an AKC or FCI standard in this library. The right-hand column is the standard's own wording, quoted verbatim. The names in backticks are the topic identifiers used in this site's data layer.
| Banned / restricted breed | Where it is banned or restricted (source topic) | What the AKC/FCI standard still says (breed-standard topic) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rottweiler | Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore (Part 2) — beijing_banned_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "basically a calm, confident and courageous dog with a self assured aloofness" — companion_breed_standard_rottweiler_dog |
| German Shepherd Dog | Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore (Part 2) — beijing_banned_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "a distinct personality marked by direct and fearless, but not hostile, expression" — companion_breed_standard_german_shepherd_dog |
| Doberman Pinscher | Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore (Part 2) — beijing_banned_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient" — companion_breed_standard_doberman_pinscher_dog |
| Mastiff | Beijing, Shanghai — beijing_banned_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds | "A combination of grandeur and good nature, courage and docility" — companion_breed_standard_mastiff_dog |
| Bull Terrier | Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore (Part 2) — beijing_banned_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "Courageous, full of spirit, with a fun loving attitude" — companion_breed_standard_bull_terrier_dog |
| Akita | Beijing, Singapore (Part 1) — beijing_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "Alert and responsive, dignified and courageous" — companion_breed_standard_akita_dog |
| Cane Corso | Singapore (Part 2, "Mastiffs … Cane Corso") — singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "The Cane Corso as a protector of his property and owners is unequaled" — companion_breed_standard_cane_corso_dog |
| Dogo Argentino | UK, NSW, Shanghai, Singapore — uk_dda_banned_dog_types, nsw_restricted_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "silent, never barking on the trail … agile, strong, robust and especially brave" — companion_breed_standard_dogo_argentino_dog |
| Dogue De Bordeaux | Shanghai, Singapore (Part 2) — shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "an ancient fighting dog … gifted for guarding … without aggressiveness" — companion_breed_standard_dogue_de_bordeaux_dog |
| Japanese Tosa | UK, NSW, Shanghai, Singapore — uk_dda_banned_dog_types, nsw_restricted_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "marked by patience, composure, boldness and courage" — companion_breed_standard_tosa_dog |
| Neapolitan Mastiff | Shanghai, Singapore (Part 1) — shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "steady and loyal to his owner, not aggressive or apt to bite without reason" — companion_breed_standard_neapolitan_mastiff_dog |
| Presa Canario | NSW, Singapore — nsw_restricted_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "Severe look; attentive expression" — companion_breed_standard_presa_canario_dog |
| Boerboel | Singapore (Part 1) — singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "a dominant and intelligent dog with strong protective instincts and a willingness to please" — companion_breed_standard_boerboel_dog |
| Bullmastiff | Shanghai, Singapore (Part 2, "Bull Mastiff") — shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "Fearless and confident yet docile" — companion_breed_standard_bullmastiff_dog |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | Singapore (Part 1, "American Staffordshire Terrier") — singapore_specified_dog_breeds | coat "Short, close, stiff to the touch, and glossy" — companion_breed_standard_american_staffordshire_terrier_dog |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Singapore (Part 1) — singapore_specified_dog_breeds | "indomitable courage, high intelligence, and tenacity" — companion_breed_standard_staffordshire_bull_terrier_dog |
| Irish Wolfhound | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | "A Gentle kind loyal hound with a friendly nature towards people and other dogs" — companion_breed_standard_irish_wolfhound_dog |
| Afghan Hound | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | "Aloof and dignified, yet gay" — companion_breed_standard_afghan_hound_dog |
| Great Dane | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | "spirited, courageous, always friendly, dependable and never timid or aggressive" — companion_breed_standard_great_dane_dog |
| Tibetan Mastiff | Shanghai, Chongqing — shanghai_banned_dog_breeds, cn_banned_dog_breeds_chongqing | "highly intelligent, independent, strong willed and rather reserved" — companion_breed_standard_tibetan_mastiff_dog |
| Chow Chow | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | "Keen intelligence, an independent spirit and innate dignity give the Chow an aura of aloofness" — companion_breed_standard_chow_chow_dog |
| Bulldog (English) | Beijing, Shanghai — beijing_banned_dog_breeds, shanghai_banned_dog_breeds | "equable and kind, resolute and courageous (not vicious or aggressive), and demeanor should be pacific and dignified" — companion_breed_standard_bulldog_dog |
| Caucasian Shepherd Dog | Shanghai — shanghai_banned_dog_breeds | "steady, active, self-confident, fearless and independent" — companion_breed_standard_caucasian_shepherd_dog_dog |
| Beauceron | Shanghai ("French Wolfdog") — shanghai_banned_dog_breeds | "Frank approach and self-assured; never mean, timid, or worried" — companion_breed_standard_beauceron_dog |
| Great Pyrenees | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | "Character and temperament are of utmost importance" — companion_breed_standard_great_pyrenees_dog |
| Saint Bernard | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | colour "White with red or red with white, the red in its various shades; brindle patches with white markings" — companion_breed_standard_saint_bernard_dog |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | "self-confident, alert and good-natured, never sharp or shy" — companion_breed_standard_bernese_mountain_dog_dog |
| Australian Shepherd | Beijing — beijing_banned_dog_breeds | "an intelligent, active dog with an even disposition; he is good natured, seldom quarrelsome" — companion_breed_standard_australian_shepherd_dog |
Banned, but with no AKC/FCI standard in this library
The crosswalk only goes both ways where a standard exists. Several banned breeds in these registers have no breed-standard topic in this repository, and that gap should be stated plainly:
- Pit Bull Terrier — named directly in the UK ("any dog of the type known as the pit bull terrier,"
uk_dda_banned_dog_types) and New South Wales ("American pit bull terrier, pit bull terrier,"nsw_restricted_dog_breeds). Nocompanion-breed-standardtopic. - Fila Brasileiro / Fila Braziliero — banned in the UK ("Fila Braziliero"), NSW ("fila Brasileiro"), Shanghai ("Fila Braziliero"), Singapore ("Fila Brasileiro") and Chongqing. No standard topic.
- XL Bully — designated in the UK by the 2023 Order (
uk_dda_banned_dog_types). No standard topic. - American Bulldog — listed in Singapore (Part 1) and Shanghai ("American Bulldog"). No standard topic (only the English Bulldog and French Bulldog standards exist here).
Note also that Queensland's prohibited-dog definition points at the federal import prohibition and names no breeds itself (qld_prohibited_dog_breeds), and Hangzhou's topic gives the rule — "fierce dogs and large dogs forbidden in key management areas" — without an enumerated directory (cn_banned_dog_breeds_hangzhou). Their absence from the table is an absence in the source, not an oversight.
Why the tension is the point
Read down the right-hand column and a pattern emerges. The very dogs singled out as "fierce," "dangerous," or "bred for fighting" are, in the kennel-club literature, described with words like "docile," "good natured," "loyal," "never vicious or aggressive." The Dogue de Bordeaux is "an ancient fighting dog … gifted for guarding … without aggressiveness." The Bulldog's disposition "should be equable and kind … not vicious or aggressive." The standards are not naive — several openly note guarding instinct and protective drive — but they describe a breed to be judged and bred toward, not prohibited.
That is the quiet finding of the crosswalk: a legislature and a kennel club can hold two different truths about the same animal, and neither revises its text because of the other. For a dog owner crossing a border, the gap is not academic — it is the difference between a registered companion and a confiscated one.
Sources
All facts are drawn verbatim from the first-hand source topics below (each C1 substring-verified against an official source file). The eight banned/restricted-breed topics and the 28 breed-standard topics are all cited above.
Banned / restricted breed registers (8)
uk_dda_banned_dog_types— legislation.gov.uk, Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 s.1; SI 1991/1743; SI 2023/1164.beijing_banned_dog_breeds— beijing.gov.cn, Beijing Municipal Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau Announcement No. 47 (2003).shanghai_banned_dog_breeds— shanghai.gov.cn, Shanghai Municipal Dog-Keeping Regulations, Article 12 + directory.cn_banned_dog_breeds_chongqing— Chongqing Municipal Dog-Keeping Regulations (2023, No. 207) + prohibited-breed directory.cn_banned_dog_breeds_hangzhou— Hangzhou Restricted Dog-Keeping Provisions (Announcement No. 40).nsw_restricted_dog_breeds— legislation.nsw.gov.au, Companion Animals Act 1998.qld_prohibited_dog_breeds— legislation.qld.gov.au, Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 s.103A.singapore_specified_dog_breeds— AVS/NParks, Animals and Birds Rules 2024 First Schedule.
Breed standards (28)
companion_breed_standard_rottweiler_dog,companion_breed_standard_german_shepherd_dog,companion_breed_standard_doberman_pinscher_dog,companion_breed_standard_mastiff_dog,companion_breed_standard_bull_terrier_dog,companion_breed_standard_akita_dog,companion_breed_standard_cane_corso_dog,companion_breed_standard_dogo_argentino_dog,companion_breed_standard_dogue_de_bordeaux_dog,companion_breed_standard_tosa_dog,companion_breed_standard_neapolitan_mastiff_dog,companion_breed_standard_presa_canario_dog,companion_breed_standard_boerboel_dog,companion_breed_standard_bullmastiff_dog,companion_breed_standard_american_staffordshire_terrier_dog,companion_breed_standard_staffordshire_bull_terrier_dog,companion_breed_standard_irish_wolfhound_dog,companion_breed_standard_afghan_hound_dog,companion_breed_standard_great_dane_dog,companion_breed_standard_tibetan_mastiff_dog,companion_breed_standard_chow_chow_dog,companion_breed_standard_bulldog_dog,companion_breed_standard_caucasian_shepherd_dog_dog,companion_breed_standard_beauceron_dog,companion_breed_standard_great_pyrenees_dog,companion_breed_standard_saint_bernard_dog,companion_breed_standard_bernese_mountain_dog_dog,companion_breed_standard_australian_shepherd_dog— AKC and/or FCI official breed-standard factual data, pulled 2026-08-02.
Banned breeds with no standard topic in this library (not fabricated): Pit Bull Terrier, Fila Brasileiro/Fila Braziliero, XL Bully, American Bulldog.