Responsible Dog Ownership
Key Responsibilities of every Dog Owner:
- All dog owners must keep their dogs under effectual control in public places - this generally means keeping your dog on a lead when in a public place.
- All dog owners must have a licence for each dog in their possession or a general dog licence to cover all dogs in their possession - you can purchase a dog licence from the Post Office or from your local authority.
- All dog owners must ensure that every dog under their control shall at all times wear a collar bearing the name and address of the owner and that the name and address are legible
- All dog owners owning purebred or crossbred dogs belonging to certain breeds e.g Rottweilers, Bull Terriers etc, must ensure that these dogs are securely muzzled and on a strong leash not more than 2 metres in length when in a public place. See the full list of breeds below.
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All dog owners must collect and properly dispose of faeces deposited by their dog in a public place.
By law, if you own a dog, you must have a dog licence. You must have a collar or harness on your dog with your contact details on it.
It is a legal requirement that all dogs are accompanied and kept under ‘effectual control’, it is recommended to keep your dog on a lead in public spaces.
What does effectual control of your dog mean?
This means that you have complete control over your dog's movements. In general, this can only be guaranteed by keeping your dog on a lead. If your dog is on the restricted breeds list or a crossbred dog belonging to one of the breeds listed below, effectual control means that the lead must be a strong lead no more than 2 metres in length and that your dog is also securely muzzled.
The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998, S.I. 442/1998 set out additional requirements that owners of specific breeds of dogs, including strains or crosses of those breeds, must comply with.
If you have any of the restricted dog breeds (listed below) or strains and crosses of any of the dogs on the restricted list they must be:
- kept on a short strong lead by a person over 16 years who is capable of controlling them.
- muzzled whenever they are in a public place.
- wear a collar bearing the name and address of their owner at all times.
The restricted dogs are:
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- English Bull Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Bull Mastiff
- Doberman Pinscher
- German Shepherd (Alsatian)
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Rottweiler
- Japanese Akita
- Japanese Tosa
- every dog of the type commonly known as a Ban Dog (or Bandog)
Note: As it is a cross of restricted breeds, XL Bully dogs are subject to restrictions.
While in a public place, these dogs, or strains and crosses thereof, must be kept on a strong short lead (only up to 2 metres long) by a person over 16 years of age who is capable of controlling them. Each dog must be securely muzzled also.
Fines effective from 1 December 2023
| Offence | Relevant section | New fine amount |
| Keeping or transferring possession of a dog contrary to section 2 of the Act | Section 27(1)(a) | €150 |
| Dog not in effectual control | Section 27(1)(b) contrary to Section 9(1) |
€300 |
| Greyhound not properly controlled | Section 27 (1) (b) contrary to Section 10 | €250 |
|
Stray dog found and not dealt with in the correct manner |
Section 27 (1) (b) contrary to subsection (1) or (2) of Section 13 | €150 |
| No dog licence | Section 27(1)(c) | €150 |
| Restricted dog not properly controlled | Section 27 (1)(f) contrary to Article 5 of the Control of Dogs Regulations, 1998 | €300 |
| No / incorrect collar / ID | Section 27 (1)(f) contrary to Article 6 of the Control of Dogs Regulations, 1998 | €200 |