Dogs are the most popular pets in the UK with a third of households being home to 'man's best friend'.
However, what many pet owners in the country may not be aware of are 20 pieces of legislation they must follow or risk ending up in jail.
Rules for dog owners include laws around animal welfare, with fines going up to £20k should a pet owner be found to have breached them, reports Birmingham Live.
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Legislation is complex and detailed - but the rules range from everything from barking to keeping dogs happy and healthy.
There are also rules around laws at home, in someone else’s home or on private property, and laws in public places.
Laws on the roads must be followed, as well as laws on identification, laws around lost and found, or stray dogs and laws around dog breeding and selling.
There are even rules on dog kennels and boarding which should be followed.
Animal welfare Under section nine of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, dogs must be kept in suitable environments and eat suitable diets.
They must also be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Owners can be taken to court if they don’t look after their pets properly and face a prison sentence of up to 51 weeks, and a fine of up to £20,000.
The legislation also shows electric collars are banned, and tail docking is illegal. Ear cropping is also illegal.
Home, somebody else's property, barking
Allowing dogs to be out of control is illegal - whether it be in your own home or another property.
Owners can be prosecuted if their dog attacks someone in their home, including in their front and back gardens, or in private property, such as a pub.
And there are rules around barking, too.
If a dog barks because they have been left home alone for too long, or want attention, it could be an offence.
Your local authority’s environmental health department can formally ask you to stop your dog from continuing the behaviour and, if you don’t, they can take your dog away from you.
Public
There are rules around dog mess, and not cleaning it up, with fines ranging anywhere from £100 to £1,000 depending on severity and local authority.
There is no blanket law requiring dogs to be kept on a lead in all public spaces.
But there are different orders you must follow based on council rules - including to keep dogs on leads around things like kids' parks.
If a dog is out of control in a public area, owners face £5k fines.
If a dog attacks livestock, dog owners can face £1k fines.
Farmers can also execute animals they think are harming their livestock.
The rules also offer regulations on collaring, tagging and microchipping.
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Illegal types of dogs
Some types of dog are illegal to own, breed, sell, abandon or give away.
The four banned types are:
- pit bull terrier
- Japanese tosa
- dogo Argentino
- fila Braziliero
Dog breeding
There are strict dog breeding laws and rules around selling and buying which must be followed.
In both England and Wales, it's illegal to sell a puppy under the age of eight weeks.
It's also against the law to sell pets in the street, in pet shops, at markets or in public places.
Dog walking Local authorities can occasionally require dog walking businesses to be licensed - but this is at their discretion.
There are also strict rules around day care, requiring firms to be licensed, and home boarding.
Home dog boarders need a licence if they aim to make a profit, or if they earn any commission or fee.
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