ALL pet owners will tell you their dogs are part of the family, whilst we love our four-legged furry friends, they come with a lot of responsibility.

Keeping a dog involves much more than handling your pet's day-to-day needs, you also need to follow rules to protect others in society.

If you do not stick to the rules, you might land in trouble with the authorities.

Here are your major obligations by law – and the punishments you could expect.

Identification

Dogs need to have two forms of identification when in a public place.

All dogs must be microchipped, and the owner’s up to date detail must be registered on one of the authorised databases.

All pet dogs must also wear a collar with the owner’s name and address on it when in a public place. Even if your dog is microchipped, they still need to wear a collar or tag.

Owners who do not get their dog microchipped face a fine of up to £500 if caught.

Dog barking

Andover Advertiser:

All dogs bark, it is perfectly natural, but if they start to bark over a long period of time, they can become nuisance to your neighbours.

In law, a barking dog can be a 'statutory noise nuisance' and as the owner you could be taken to court if you do nothing to stop the nuisance.

This could lead to a fine of up to £5,000.

Dogs on leads

There is no blanket law requiring dogs to be kept on a lead in all public spaces, however there are certain places in your local area where you must leash your dog, for example children’s play areas, sports pitches, roads, parks, and beaches.

Local authorities have the power to introduce these orders under a number of different laws, and can issue fines or fixed penalty notices for those who don’t comply.

Penalties range from a £100 instant fine up to £1,000 fine if the case goes to court.

Dog poo

Andover Advertiser:

Dog fouling consistently ranks highly on the list of local council complaints, and it is easy to understand why.

Not just because it smells and gets stuck to your shoes but it is also a hazard to the environment.

You must pick up poo in most public places, however there are some areas where picking up is not a legal requirement such as heathland, woodland, land used for the grazing of animals.

Your local authority also has the power to introduce Public Space Protection Orders to stop dog fouling, including requiring dog owners to pick up after their dogs in certain areas or requiring owners to carry poo bags on them at all times.

Owners can be issued with a fixed penalty notice of up to £100 for not complying with regulations.

Out of control in a public place

Dogs must not be allowed to be ‘dangerously out of control’, which means injuring someone or making someone fear they may be injured.

Owners who allow their pets to hurt a person face punishments of up to three years in prison for injury, or 14 years for death, an unlimited fine, disqualification from owning pets, and having their dog destroyed.

In cases where no injury is caused, owners can still go to prison for six months, be fined up to £5,000, be banned from owning pets and have their dog destroyed.

Out of control in your own home

Allowing your dog to be ‘dangerously out of control’ is against the law on private property.

Owners can be prosecuted if their dog attacks someone in their home or makes a person feel like the dog may hurt them, including in their front and back gardens, or in private property such as a pub.

Owners must make sure your dog is not a threat to delivery drivers, postal workers, health workers and other professionals who may visit your property.