Only 235 people in Ireland have applied for a certificate of exemption allowing them to own an XL bully-type dog ahead of the February ban.
Veterinary Officer with Leitrim County Council James Madden said they expected an uptick in applications in the final two weeks before the deadline.
"Having said that, it is a slow start, definitely the numbers are low, maybe some people just haven't got around to making the application yet, some people maybe believe their dog isn’t actually an XL bully," he said.
He urged anyone who knows or suspects their dog might be an XL bully to apply.
"If they think it may be an XL bully to have their dog measured and have an assessment carried out by somebody who is competent to do that ... that maybe a dog warden or a veterinary surgeon."
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Madden said the certificate is likely to be issued in the "vast majority of circumstances."
However, he added that dogs "must be neutered" before a certificate can be granted.
"Nobody will take your dog from you when you have applied, and you've got that acknowledgement even if you haven't submitted your neutering certificate and you haven't gotten your full certificate of exemption ... once you've got that acknowledgement and the reference number on it nobody will take your dog," he said.
However, he said that a certificate of exception did not mean an animal was safe, adding that dogs can be unpredictable.
"It’s an exercise in understanding how many dogs are there, where they are kept and also in limiting the increasing numbers stopping the importation, stopping the breeding, making sure they are all neutered," he said.
Mr Madden stressed that even if a certificate is granted, these dogs must be kept on a short strong lead less than two metres in length, and they must be muzzled in public.
If a dog is seized and the owner does not have a certificate of exemption, the animal may be put to sleep.
He said the deadline would not be extended.
