Licencing

All dog carers who charge a fee must be licenced by law. A licenced dog day care and homeboarding establishment has to perform an assessment to determine whether you dog will settle in their environment before any booking can be made.

Local councils audit licenced dog day care and homeboarding establishments to ensure their processes, experience, hygiene, premises, and qualifications meet the required regulations and from which they determine a star rating.

   Legal responsibilities as a dog owner

Keeping a dog in the UK comes with a few clear legal responsibilities.

 

🐶 1. Microchipping (Mandatory as per the Control of Dogs Order 1992)

• All dogs must be microchipped by 8 weeks old.
• Your contact details must be kept up to date in the database.
• If you don’t comply, you can be fined up to £500.

 

🏷️ 2. Collar and ID Tag

• When in a public place your dog must wear:
  • A collar
  • An ID tag with your name and address (postcode is acceptable)
• This is required under the Control of Dogs Order 1992.
• It should be noted that it is not sufficient to just be microchipped.

 

🐕 3. Dangerous Dogs Laws

• The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 has recently been updated (2023–2024) with major new rules, with the core law in still in force.
  • It is illegal for a dog to be dangerously out of control anywhere (including your home if it harms someone).
  • A dog is considered dangerous if it:
    • Injures someone, or
    • Makes someone reasonably fear they could be injured
  • Certain breeds are banned unless exempted e.g. Pit Bull.
  • Owners can face fines, prison, or the dog being seized.

 

💩 4. Cleaning Up After Your Dog

• You must pick up your dog’s waste in public places.
• Local councils enforce this with fines (often £50–£100) set under local Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).

 

🐾 5. Welfare Requirements

• You must meet your dog’s needs under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. This includes:
  • Providing a suitable environment to live in
  • Feeding a healthy and appropriate diet
  • Allowing your dog to express normal behaviours (like exercise and play)
  • Housing them with or away from other animals as needed
  • Protecting them from pain, suffering, injury, and disease
• Failing to do so can lead to prosecution and bans on owning animals.

 

🚶 6. Control in Public

• Dogs must be kept under control at all times. (Dangerous Dog Act 1991)
• In some areas (parks, roads, farmland), dogs must be on a lead.
• Extra rules apply near livestock (especially during lambing season).

 

🐑 7. Livestock Protection

• It’s an offence to allow your dog to worry livestock (chase, attack, or stress them).
• Farmers can legally take action if a dog threatens animals.

 

✈️ 8. Travel Abroad

• If taking your dog abroad, you’ll need:
  • Microchip
  • Rabies vaccination
  • Animal Health Certificate (post-Brexit replacement for pet passports)

 

🦮 9. Transporting your dog by car

• There isn’t a law that says exactly how you must restrain your dog,
• Under the Highway Code (Rule 57):
• Dogs (and other animals) must be suitably restrained so they cannot distract the driver or cause injury.
• In practice, this usually involves using one of the following:
• A seat belt harness
• A pet carrier
• A dog crate
• A guard or barrier (e.g. in the boot)
• These help keep both you and your dog safe whilst travelling.

⚠️ Beware of Penalties

If your dog is not properly restrained and causes a distraction/accident, you could face:

• Allegations of driving with undue care and attention
• A fine up to £1,000
• Penalty points on your licence
• Invalidating your insurance (check your policy!)
• More serious charges if an accident/injuries/death occurs

Foods that are toxic to dogs

Common dog poisons

• Chocolate & cocoa
• Onions, garlic, leeks and chives – gravy often includes one or more!
• Alcohol
• Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants
• Xylitol -Sweetener used in many food products instead of sugar.
• Avocados
• Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate
• Macadamia nuts
• Corn on the cob
• Slug and Snail pellets
• Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – Ibuprofen and naproxen are examples of NSAIDs
• Rodent poisons
• Vitamin D – Found in a variety of products like creams and ointments for psoriasis.

 

Foods to careful with

Bones

It is commonly thought bones are good for dogs. Care needs to be taken with bones.  Never give your dogs cooked bones especially chicken as bones can cause constipation, block the throat/gut or even fatally pierce the gut.

 

Chews

The safety of dog chews can vary widely depending on the type and material. It is important to choose chews that are made from digestible materials and to supervise your dog while they chew to prevent choking or other injuries. Remember rawhide is a by-product of the tanning industry not the food industry!

 

Alternatives

Try something like fish skin products as these are natural and contain omega fish oil which offers a range of benefits including improving joint mobility, weight control, and promoting healthy skin.  Another idea is a carrot; most dogs will happily chew and enjoy this whilst helping to clean their teeth.