UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson has announced that it is a possibility that dog owners, may have to have insurance to protect against claims against them and have their animal microchipped so every dog can be traced back to their owner. Ministers are also considering dog control notices for any animal which "misbehaves". This means that police and council officials could force non-compliant owners to muzzle, lease or neuter their pets and in some cases could be confiscated and given to new owners. These ideas have come about because of the increase in vicious animals being bred for use as weapons, especially on inner city estates.At the moment it is only a criminal offence if a dog is out of control in a public place but Ministers are considering changing that, so if an animal is "dangerously out of control" even if it is not in a public place the owner could be prosectuted, for example it would give extra protection for postmen as the law would apply to private homes.

Mr Johnson, who appeared on BBC Breakfast, said "Many of the attacks we have seen have been on small children, dreadful attacks, postal workers etc in front gardens, or in the private property itself. The law doesn't cover that. The first point we have to look at is are the people who are enforcing the law, not just the police, but RSPCA inspectors as well. Do they have enough power to deal with some of these issues?"

The proposed amendments to the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act and consultation articles are as follows:

• extending dangerous dogs law to cover all places including private property;
• giving police and councils more powers to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs by the introduction of dog control notices;
• either getting rid of exemption rules that allow some people to keep banned types of dogs or if exemptions are to remain ensuring that the system works more effectively;
• what to do about the list of banned breeds;
• introduction of compulsory micro-chipping for dogs so that dog owners can be more easily traced; and,
• introduction of compulsory third-party insurance so that victims of dog attacks are financially recompensed.

How do you feel about Alan Johnsons proposals? Do you feel you are being unfairly treated? Do you think the new laws should go further? or do you feel the government have got it right?

Defra the government body who is carrying out the consultation would like to hear from any dog owners concerned about Dangerous dogs. Copies of the consultation paper and details of how to add your view are available here.

This really isn't a question of whether we agree that dogs should have insurance or be microchiped. It is a question of whether these measures will curb dangerous dogs. I am afraid the answer is a catagoric NO!!!!

I don't see it as a penalisation- itreflects who are the more responsible owners from the bunch. I think it can be used for or against judiciary cases when dogs are seized- fr example in puppy mills. That amount of dogs will never be microchipped or insured therefore when there is a large seizure it will just add to the list of neglected check points and the dogs will be rewarded to rescue organizations.
Both my dogs are microchipped and have insurance policies- the highest level of- and they have tags around their necks with their names, my name and three differnt phone numbers to reach me-
I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE MY DOGS!!!!!!!!!!

As for curbing dangerous dogs- we, as a human race- will always find cruel, money driven idividuals around the world. Insurance or microchipping will not stop that. These things are tools to discern those who do care for their animals from those who don't-unfortunatly, as well as add some costs because of the original use of the breed-ie pittbulls, rottweilers, dobermanns, etc.
Let us not forget that there are no bad dogs, just awful owners!

I'm not sure about insuring every dog. All the responsible owners will do it, but the yobs won't. Who will police it? Does a Chihuahua have to be insured the same as a pit bull??

Insurance won't stop agressive dogs. It's the owners that need to be educated first.

As for micro chipping, I think this is an excellent idea! This means if a dog is lost, then the owners can easily be traced. I don't understand why every dog hasn't got a microchip already. This is one of the first things I did when I got my dog.

It will be a sure way to penalise responsible owners.Some will just get away with it, it' s a masive operation to police !And as for muzzles a dog in a muzzle is the safest dog going.Used the correct type in the correct way are not cruel to the aimal.Its the owners that need educating.....we are a nation of dog lovers but so ignorant when it comes to it !

as a dog training instructor i dont think it will make a difference poeple will always have dogs that gives them a status & lets them stick out from the rest of good honest dog owners . i have 5 dogs all microchipped & insured . i always tell people when there in the classes to microchip there dogs have a disc on the collars as well ...

Why do they keep showing staffs on the news ,my staff has been attacked every time my dog was on a lead,one a german shepard the other a black lab both of the lead.Who decides the dangerous dogs,Its the irrersopnsible owners.Sort them out before destroying family pets.

Just how do they think they can implement this. Since they abolished the dog license, they have no record of dog owners. I'm in agreement with them over chipping your dog, but third party insuance!!!!!!!!!! you must be bloody joking mate!!!!!

Once again the government are punishing the responsible dog owner and skirting around the real problem. Only responsible dog owners will pay the insurance -- the people who have illegal breeds and/or have dogs for fighting won't pay it. This will lead to even more strays... as soon as their dog bites someone, they will deny all knowledge, tie it to a lamp post and scarper. They won't microchip because they won't want to be traced! I agree with the quote above - muzzles (humane ones, correctly fitted) are the way to go. I would muzzle my dogs providing that everyone else muzzled theirs. If irresponsible people don't do it, your own dogs can be at a serious disadvantage. However, in my OWN experience, the police do absolutely nothing to chase up dangerous dog owners. Our local publican had two german shepherds that attacked any other dogs. He had been reported no less than 6 times and his dogs were responsible for the death of a greyhound on our street. When they attacked my Yorkie, I pressed charges, but nothing happened except a policeman rang me and said "if he agrees to keep them muzzled, will you withdraw the charges?" After being given a sob story about them being "his family" and so forth, I gave in. 2 DAYS LATER the dogs were walking down the road - no muzzles - NO LEADS!! I got sick of reporting him after about 7 attempts. It was the local dog warden who eventually sorted it out.

As a responsible dog owner I have no problem with the spirit of the new legislation. My dogs are neutered, micro chipped and insured but it strikes me that this is another piece of knee jerk law making. How is this legislation going to be policed? Are police officers or dog wardens going to be carrying chip readers? Is it going to be an offence not to carry your insurance certificate? What will happen to those who simply won't comply, how will they be caught? The justice system is already under too much pressure from stupid, ill thought out laws, adding another won't make the situation better. This government seems intent on criminalising every one. The Home Secretary has already stated that the majority of dog owners are responsible so why do we need this "catch all" legislation? If people are using dogs as weapons then make that an offence. A lot of folk, myself included, have dogs as a deterrent to burglers, by protecting postmen and milkmen now the burglers will be able to make claims should they be bitten. I have adopted the American system of postal delivery, my postman does'nt have to set foot on my property. No I think this piece of legislation is poorly thought out and seems to be a popularist piece of electioneering.

Like everyone else here I feel this legislation will be completely ignored by the very worst dog owners anyway but compulsory microchipping would certainly be something that could work to make people more responsible for the dogs they own if any dogs was found to be unchipped they could be confiscated (but again this would need policing and by who/at what cost)
As for the insurance........... this would be a gem for insurance companies but would doubtless add to the numbers of unwanted/ and stray animals in this economic climate and of course only the most responsible owners would comply.
I think a great deal more debate and thought needs to go into any new dog legislation if we are ever to find a really effective way to combat the worst dog owners, but something needs to replace the current irrational "breed based" laws.

I will not microchip my dogs. I had a dog who was micro-chipped, (it caused him great pain) he went missing, ended up in shelter, the shelter didn't find the chip, he was adopted by an innocent family, kept by them and their lovely children for 2 years, injured in a RTA, taken to the PDSA, scanned and they contacted me to find out if I would a) claim the dog back from the family and b) pay the vet bill as he was legally my dog! I ended up leaving him with his new family as I couldn't bear to break their hearts so I broke my own instead. What a waste of time, stress on the dog and money micro-chipping is.

I am a responsible dog owner, my dogs are inoculated, socialised and impeccably trained so I won't be bothering with the insurance either and the government can waste my hard earned taxes on catching me and sending me to jail. The whole thing is a farce!

How is this handled outside of the UK?

Do you have to buy 3rd party insurance against your dog attacking someone?

Do you have to have your dog microchipped?

my lotto will not let me go near her with a muzel because when she was young her previous owner had one on her that was far too tight and it restricted her breathing so i cant even show her a muzzel or she will flip the head. thanks be to god im in ireland and not the uk because i firmly believe that anyone who sets foot on my property without my prior premission can and will be chased off of it and god help them if they are slow but i have big gates and the dogs cant access the front yard their job is to mind the barn and storage because of yobs comeing into my property and stealing. i had a big locked cabinate of horse and cattle medications and one crowd went in one night and we were affraid to go outside and what they couldnt take oraly they injected themselves with, using syringes i had already used on horses and cattle... now thats disgusting but any way they also tried to break in my bedroom window, disemboweled 4 of our goats, piosoned 6 horses, attempted to slit my sheepdogs throat, shouted threats over the garden wall and robbed power tools, horse tackeling, furniture, a welder (which is about 20 stone weight) and 24 square metres of porcelin tiles, along with a goat and 2 of my pure bred puppies so you tell me am i the one supposed to be braugt to justice if my dogs take a chunk out of one of these little bastards who's only intention is to steal and terrorise me and my family. and i am proud to say she has taken out a few chunks already. when she first came someone was around the back and i heard them scream and lotto presented me with a present, a small chunk of either a thigh or an arm judging by the skin about an inch square, nobody ever came in again except once and i was gone away with the dogs. now i live on the main road between limerick city and one of the largest towns in cork with high fences and gates in a house with an industrial unit on the property along with a very large barn and dog kennels, the industrial unit was a dairy with an average daily intake of 50,000 gallons of milk per day which is big for a plant with only 2 employees, before it shut down. there is hundreds of thousands of euros worth of equipment and am i going to have that stolen and sold for drug/drinking money? my dogs have all had the taste of blood at one time or another in protection of the home or family and i can trust them with anything, even small children and the postman needent worry they are locked out of the front yard so he can drop off the post with peace of mind but over here we have a smaller population and lower crime rate and yet we are bringing in home protection laws that allow you to kill an intruder if needs be, my dogs are white shepherds and i chose them so they can be seen at night and if an intruder comes in he has fair warning to leave. and we are getting ready to have a field day as soon as the home protection laws come in, i got my brother a rifel for xmas and he is going well with it target practiceing with tin cans, ready for the next drugged up chav to tresspass, but any way over here if a guard dog attacks somone and even shreds them to bits, as long as the dog is on his own property and the person did not have premission or the right to be there the cops wont do anything so long as the person isnt actualy dead and thats the way things should be. WHEN THREATENED AND THREATENED ONLY NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU DONT LIKE SOMEONE both you and your dog should be allowed to use extreme force and even cause loss of life if absolutely needed when home and family are threatened, and to fear no repurcussions. thats the way the law should be structured then crime rates would drop so hard so fast it would make your head spin.. and in my training and selling of these types of dogs i have found the biggest customer base in single women, young familys and the elderly. so vunerable people are very, very affraid for themselves and the breeds that are gaining huge popularity with these people are German Shepherd, White Shepherd, Belgan Shepherd, Bull Mastiffs, English Mastiffs, Dogue de Bordoux and the tamer lines of rotwiler, i dont recall in the past year or more being asked to locate anything but guard dogs for people so personal circumstance is a big factor there is a big difference between the yobbos down the road burglering and terroriseing the neighbourhood with a big pit bull/staff/irish staff by their side and the family further down the road who wand not only a pet but a protector, there is a big difference between my dogs protecting my home and being no danger to anyone with honourable intentions and the pit bulls and rotwilers running free around the estate at the other side of my town. i can walk my dogs down the street and people will pet them and whatever and they will be as good as gold and when their home and somone arrives and they arent with me, or the person is takeing things believe me they havent much of a hope and thats the way you want a dog a street angel back yard devil.

yeah my dogs are in my back garden with an 8ft fence around it and the guarda tell me to keep out of town when im walking them, and yet another woman up the road has 2 doberman pinchers, a rotwiler, a mastiff and a german shepherd as big as a small pony and she lets them run free, one evening late i took the back road for my walk and left the dogs at home as the cop had told me when i hear the woman open the gate to the dog run but i didnt hear it close, next thing the cattle in the field next to her start to run and i realise whats going on, the dogs picked up my scent and i ended up having to use the cattle as cover and run amongst the stampeeding herd to confuse the scent. i bearly got away with my life and this was on a public road in the afternoon. and yet my dogs arent allowed into town because lotto wont wear a muzzel and you have lads in track suits walking down the street with pit bulls and no muzzels or even leads! my dogs have choke chains and all except lotto are muzzeled its rediculous, and yet a woman up town is having security problems with stuff being tampered with in her back yard and the cop told her to get a good dog he could offer her a poliece dog but that would be too dangerous around her kids and to go down and see me and that i would sort her out... oh how very nice of him after all that stay out of town with them they are dangerous and now he wants one up there permanantly? what a tourn around