West Lothian Council delivers

Dog Warden Service - dangerous dogs

 

DANGEROUS DOGS

Most dog owners are very responsible. They look after their dogs and make sure both the dog and members of the public are safe. Some people choose to keep breeds which were originally bred as fighting dogs. At the moment four breeds are banned in this country.

• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Braziliero
• Japanese Tosa
• Pit Bull Terrier

Although these dogs are now banned, there were some in this country before the ban came into force. These dogs should have been registered on the index of exempt dogs when the ban started. All of these breeds must wear a muzzle and be kept on a lead whenever they are in a public place. They must also be microchipped, tattooed with their index number, neutered, and insured against hurting other dogs or people. The police deal with any matters related to Dangerous Dogs. 

If you have been bitten or attacked by any breed of dog or have been subject to aggressive behaviour by a dog in a public place, this should be reported to the police with as much information about the dog and its owner as possible.

Dog aggression/attacks

Any dog, regardless of its breed, can cause fear and alarm, or even serious injury, if its behaviour is 'out of control'. This does not necessarily mean that the dog has acted in an aggressive manner, however. What may seem like playful, friendly behaviour to one person, can be quite alarming to another i.e. dog running up uninvited to people/other dogs. Also, an overexcited dog which runs up to a dog which is not confident with other dogs, can lead to fights. All dog owners have a responsibility to ensure that their dog is under control and does not interfere with other members of the public.

The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010

The Control of Dogs Act (Scotland) was brought in to effect on the 26th February 2011. The main aim of the Act is to promote awareness of the responsibility involved in dog ownership.

The Act focuses on the "Deed not the Breed" (dealing with the problem rather than the particular breed of dog) approach in tackling irresponsible ownership. The key aim is to:

• highlight the responsibilities of owners of "out of control" dogs at an early stage; and
• provide the information and assistance needed to change the behaviour of the dog and the owner before the dog becomes dangerous 

This is fundamental in helping reduce the number of attacks by dogs of all breeds. The Act gives new powers to local authorities for action to be taken against out of control dogs and enforce measures to improve any such behaviour.

Any individual who has been caused alarm or apprehension by the behaviour of a dog should report the matter to the Dog Warden for further investigation.
 

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

The police enforce the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The act has now been amended so that it covers incidents occurring on private property. (It previously only applied to public places or private places where the dog had no right to be). Any injury sustained by a dog bite/attack must be reported to the Police who will investigate the matter under the Act.

 
Keeping dogs under control ? Control of Dogs Order 1992

The law says that dogs must be kept under close control, but does not state dog must be kept on lead. If your dog responds to your commands and is kept close to heel, can lie down or return to you on command, your dog would then be under close control. If you're not sure that your dog can do this the responsible thing is to keep them on a lead.

Any dog, regardless of its breed, can cause fear and alarm, or even serious injury, if its behaviour is 'out of control'. This does not necessarily mean that the dog has acted in an aggressive manner, however. What may seem like playful, friendly behaviour to one person, can be quite alarming to another i.e. dog running up uninvited to people/other dogs. Also, an overexcited dog which runs up to a dog which is not confident with other dogs, can lead to fights. All dog owners have a responsibility to ensure that their dog is under control and does not interfere with other members of the public. Your dog must wear a collar with tag whilst in a public place.

Livestock and dogs

Under the Animals (Scotland) Act 1987, a farmer, in some cases has the right to shoot your dog if it is worrying their livestock. Sheep worrying is one of the most notorious crimes that a pet dog can commit. Sheep worrying and its serious consequences will leave any dog owner numb. Could your dog, gentle and loyal, be capable of such cruel and vicious attacks? Yes. Regardless of size, breed or temperament. ALL dogs pose a potential danger to livestock. Regrettably it is part of a dog's genetic makeup to chase moving creatures, making all manner of things indiscriminate targets of a chase.

What happens to the dog that has worried sheep?

The law states:

1. Where a dog has attacked or killed livestock the court shall make an order directing the dog to be destroyed.
2. Where it appears to a court that a dog has chased livestock in such a way as might reasonably have been expected to cause injury or suffering to the livestock or to result in financial loss to the owner of the livestock the court shall:
3. Make an order directing the dog to be destroyed: or
4. Make an order directing the dog to be kept confined in a building, shed, yard or other enclosure from which it cannot escape.

Country Code of Practice

1. When near livestock, hens, horses, sheep, cattle, ensure your dog is always on a lead or tied up.
2. Never leave your dog unattended - as it only takes a matter of seconds for a dog to run after livestock
3. Familiarise your dog to livestock before visiting rural, animal-populated areas.
4. Train puppies at a young age (before 12 weeks of age) and allow them to socialise with other animal species to reduce the fascination and the tendency to chase later in life. Training in the six commands of basic obedience - stay, come, sit, heel, wait and down will give you confidence that you will be able to control your dog.
5. Reward your dog with gentle praise or a special treat when he reacts mutely to livestock. Eventually the dog will recognise the link between the treat and the desired behaviour.
6. Remain relaxed when your dog becomes excited around livestock: otherwise the dog may recognise it as an attention seeking technique.

 Updated 15/04/12