Dog owner sews 'I am not an XL bully' on to dog's harness after getting 'dirty looks'

• Pet owner Matt Stait said people who used to stroke his dog Eddie now avoid him altogether.

• He hopes by adding the patch it will lead to more conversation around responsible dog ownership.

• Many owners have said people treat their dogs differently since prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the XL bully would be banned.

A man has been forced to sew a patch reading "I am not an XL bully" on to his dog's harness after people mistook the animal for the controversial breed that is due to be banned.

Former bodyguard Matt Stait claims he's noticed previously friendly dog owners now don't stop to stroke his American bulldog Eddie amid the spate of American XL bully attacks.

The 52-year-old from South Wales said he is disappointed his "affectionate" seven-year-old dog has been "ostracised" so he contacted a patch maker on Etsy to design something that would clear up any confusion.

The two patches are now sewn on to both sides of Eddie's harness.

Stait said: "We used to get a lot of interest for a positive reason but now it's different. People aren't saying they're avoiding us on purpose but that's what's happening.

"Even the people who know me, know the dog and would previously come over to stroke Eddie would avoid coming near us at all.

"You get a lot of dirty looks and you don't know how much of that is paranoia because they've been reading these stories about attacks."

The American bulldog dates back to the 17th century and was bred for farming and guarding livestock, while the "designer" XL bully only dates back to the 1980s and is a mix of several other breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier.

XL bully's: Latest news

• XL bully dog breeders 'abandoning them due to bad press', say campaign group (Yahoo News UK)

• Boy, 4, was '1cm from death' after XL bully dog attack (Yahoo News UK)

• Ban on XL Bully has to be the way forward until owners learn to be responsible (Derbyshire Times)

Stait says his dog "could have been problematic" if he hadn't had the correct training.

He feels compulsory dog training and owner suitability checks should introduced, but added he is opposed to banning specific breeds.

He posted about the £5 patches on Facebook and since then he's been inundated with requests for them - making him think he should have ordered hundreds and sold them.

Stait said he had already had a few conversations with people after putting the patches on last weekend.

Stait said: "Eddie's incredibly affectionate and loving to his family but he's a large dog and bred for farming, utility work and guarding, so he will bark at the window when somebody knocks the door.

"He's a large and capable dog and if he hadn't been trained and socialised or given what he needs then I don't doubt that he could be problematic. I'd be lying if I said otherwise."

He said he was concerned the American bulldog may get wrapped up in the XL bully ban and could lead to Eddie not being welcome at kennels or on a train.

He's also keen to combat the view that anyone owning large dogs are "thugs", as he claims "for the most part" they're bought as they suit the owner's active lifestyle.

The PhD student said he believes that rising crime in working-class areas is forcing residents to turn to more vicious-looking dogs to protect their families.

XL bully ban latest

Since Rishi Sunak announced XL bullies would be banned there's been anger from fans of the breed insisting they are safe.

But there has also been an increase in demand for muzzles and training classes since the announcement, according to The Guardian.

This has come in response to the UK's chief vet, Christine Middlemiss, saying all living XL bullies would not be put down but they would be required to be registered, chipped and muzzled in public.

However, an animal shelter in South Wales told the BBC it fears that if they receive one of the banned dogs they would not be able to find anyone willing to rehome it.

Earlier this week, Ian Langley, 54, died in hospital after a suspected XL bully attack in Shiney Row near Sunderland.

The dog's owner, a 44-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of murder and has been released on bail.