Dog owners should be aware of the following guidelines for responsible dog ownership:
- Your dog must have proper identification with a suitable collar and clearly displayed tag. Go to ID Tags and Microchipping for further details.
- Dogs must be kept under control at all times.
- Owners can be prosecuted for allowing dogs to bite people or attack other animals.
- Special care must be taken in areas where children play.
- If a dog has a suspect temperament, keep it on a lead and muzzle it when in public.
- Keep dogs in when the postman and refuse collectors are due.
- Make sure fencing is adequate and dogs cannot escape.
- All dogs should be on leads on roads.
- Dogs must never worry livestock. Even letting your dog walk in the same field as farm animals may be considered as "worrying". The farmer is entitled to kill your dog if it is worrying livestock.
Responsible Dog Ownership
For more advice about dog control, we recommend you read the leaflet Control of Dogs, The Law and You, using the link from this page to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.
Dangerous Dogs
Information on dangerous dogs, including a list of types of dogs prohibited in Britain, is available on the DEFRA website using the link from this page.
