Somerset District Council has reminded dog owners of the legislation which makes dangerous dog ownership a criminal offence.
Under the Dangerous Dog Act 1991, it is a criminal offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control, causing fear or apprehension to a person.
The dog does not necessarily have to bite or attack someone to come under this legislation.
The owner or person in charge of the dog can be prosecuted and Magistrates have the power to remove the dog or ‘order it to be destroyed’.
The council confirmed they are working with the local police to raise awareness of this.
The council also reported that these recent dangerous dog concerns are focused on the east area of the district.
A spokesperson for the council said: “We are aware of a small increase in the number of dangerous dog reports across the district and we always work with police on taking action where it is needed. “We have been supporting police locally in sharing messaging on social media following recent concerns in Area East."
The issue is particularly acute given the popularity of dog adoption during the national lockdowns amid the ‘pandemic puppy’ phenomenon.
The council is pointing dog owners in the direction of RSPCA advice on training a dog.
The RSPCA recommends teaching dogs basic commands, as this will allow dogs greater freedoms while being safe and under control.
For dogs with behavioural problems, they recommend a qualified behaviourist specialises , who can tackle issues such as excessive barking, aggression, destructiveness and phobias.
Their top RSPCA tips for training a dog are:
• Always start lessons for new tricks in a quiet room in your house away from any distractions
• Break training up into short but regular sessions so your dog isn't overwhelmed
• Be patient, just like us, dogs all learn at different rates so don't worry if your dog doesn't pick things up straight away
• Always end with something your dog knows, so the session finishes positively
• All training should be reward based, with food, toys or praise. The better the reward the more your dog will enjoy training and learning
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