The Liverpool Echo claims to have cracked a code used by underworld dog dealers to sell banned breeds such as pit bulls in local newspapers. The Echo said code names and terms are used by dealers who sell fighting dogs through newspapers' pets for sale columns, disguised as legitimate breeds. It has now published a list of the "code" dog breeds as a warning to other newspaper classified advertising departments.

The banned breeds are: American bulldog, APBT, American pit bull terrier, Am Staff, American Staff, American Stafford, American Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Bandog, Bandogge, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasiliero, ISBT, Irish Staff, Irish Stafford, Irish Staffordshire bull terrier, Irish Staffordshire terrier, Japanese Tosa, PBT, Pit bull terrier, Tosa, or any crosses of the above.

Banned descriptions are: Blocky, Gameness, Game bred, Game proven, Leggy, Long legged, Old Thyme.