Australia is a nation of dog lovers, and nearly half our households have one or more, according to the RSPCA — but do we need to get more serious about our responsibility as owners?
There have been five dog attacks in Queensland's south-east in the past week, and three of those injured were small children.
So what rules do dog owners have to follow, and which breeds are restricted?
Five breeds are restricted under the Customs Act and can't be imported into Australia.
They are:
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasilerio
- Japanese Tosa
- American Pit Bull Terrier/Pit Bull Terrier
- Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario
Local government areas keep a dangerous or menacing dog register.
An animal on this list will have seriously attacked a person or another animal, behaved in a way which causes fear to another animal or person or be believed to be at risk of seriously attacking another animal or person.
So, how many regulated dogs are there?
There are currently 196 dangerous/menacing dogs registered with Brisbane City Council.
Of the attack complaints in that jurisdiction, about 570 were reported as involving a person.
Moreton Bay Regional Council has 284 dangerous or menacing dogs on their register across 42 different breeds (including cross-breeds). In 2022 there were 722 dog attacks, and 236 of those were on people.
In Logan there are 240 dogs on the menacing and dangerous dog register. In the 2021-22 financial year, there were 218 reports of people being bitten by dogs, and 306 animal-on-animal attacks.
The top six breeds involved in those attacks were also in the 10 most common in the city, according to council registrations. They were Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, German Shepherds, Mastiffs, Rottweilers and cattle dogs.
Redlands City Council has 58 dangerous dogs and 46 menacing dogs registered.
In the last 12 months, there have been 162 dog attacks — many of which occur because owners don't have their animals on leads in public places, or when they aren't effectively contained on a property, according to council.
The Gold Coast City Council receives between 50 and 60 reports of dog attacks every month. This number has been steady for the past three years.
What happens to dangerous or menacing dogs?
There are specific rules for dogs declared dangerous or menacing and, in most regions, significantly higher registration fees.
The animal must be desexed and wear distinctive collars and tags, which are provided by council.
They must be kept in an approved, secure, and child-proof enclosure and dangerous dogs must be muzzled when outside of the enclosure.
Properties where dangerous or menacing dogs are kept must also have signs at all entrances warning there is a regulated dog.
Behaviour to watch out for
Elisa Dennis, a small animal primary care clinician at the UQ VETS Small Animal Hospital, said dogs who are happy around their owners can behave very differently with strangers.
"Dogs can be super happy and friendly with the people they know and super frightened of the people they don't know," she said.
"It's important that we take steps to make sure the dog is not put in a position where they would feel fearful and uncomfortable to then potentially have an accident happen."
Fearful or anxious dogs may have their tails down, hide in corners, or move into "hunched" or protected stances with their ears down, Ms Dennis said.
"These are all, not necessarily overt but more subtle signs that a dog is worried," she said.
"That can progress through to more overt and aggressive things you know showing their teeth, growling, hackles up, approaching a threat in a more assertive way."
She said any breed is capable of aggression.
"The dogs that we typically hear about having aggressive incidents are often bigger stronger dogs, and that doesn't mean that smaller dogs don't have the ability to be aggressive because they absolutely do," she said.
"If you have an aggressive Pomeranian you just kind of walk away, you won't necessarily end up in hospital. But if you have an aggressive bully breed, they can absolutely do a lot more damage and that is just a symptom of their size and their musculature."
Dog trainer Justin Jordan said responsible owners keep their dogs cared for, stimulated and secure.
"Daily walks are not just about the physical exercise, it's the mental stimulation and it's exposing it to different things out in the environment as well," he said.
"Dogs, in a lot of cases, are territorial or protective so just letting any tradesperson or delivery person come through your front gate to your front door can be problematic.
"For me, a responsible dog owner doesn't let just anyone access the yard where the dog is when you're not there."
Do the laws need to change?
In 2019 Moreton Bay Regional Council called for a review of the Animal Management Act, which other councils have also supported.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would like to see tougher penalties — but also said councils needed to do "stronger enforcement".
Moreton Bay mayor Peter Flannery wants councils to have more powers.
"It's devastating to think that it's taken these kinds of horrific attacks to put this important issue back on the agenda," he said.
"Our position for the past four years has been clear. Councils need strengthened powers to investigate and manage serious dog attacks, as well as review the QCAT appeals process."
