Dog Licences and Responsible Ownership: Would More Rules Make Dogs Safer?
Dog ownership brings an enormous amount of happiness to millions of homes. Dogs are companions, family members, walking partners and, for many people, a constant source of comfort.
But owning a dog also brings responsibility — to the animal itself and to the people and animals around it.
That balance has come back into the spotlight following the publication of a new report from the Government’s Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce, which was established to look at ways of reducing dog attacks and encouraging better ownership across all breeds.
One of the ideas considered was the return of some form of dog licensing.
The Government has already said that it will not introduce a new universal dog licensing scheme, but the taskforce believes other legal requirements for dog owners deserve further consideration. These could potentially include knowledge tests before acquiring a dog, additional requirements for dogs considered a higher risk, behavioural assessments or greater powers for authorities to intervene where problems begin to emerge.
So, would asking more of dog owners be a positive step — or would it simply make responsible ownership more complicated and expensive without dealing with the people who cause the problems?
Why are licences this being discussed?
There is a genuine problem behind the debate.
The UK’s estimated dog population has risen from 8.2 million in 2011 to around 11.1 million in 2025, an increase of approximately 35%. Over roughly the same period, hospital admissions in England relating to dog bites or strikes rose from 6,097 in 2010–11 to 10,787 in 2024–25 — an increase of 77%.
Those figures cannot simply be dismissed.
The pandemic also produced an unusual period in dog ownership. More people acquired dogs while access to training, socialisation and professional support was restricted. The taskforce notes concerns from veterinary professionals around increasing behavioural problems and owners struggling to understand canine behaviour and communication.
There is therefore a reasonable question for policymakers to ask: can more be done before poor ownership turns into a serious problem?
The case for greater requirements
There are some persuasive arguments in favour, perhaps the strongest is education.
Buying or adopting a dog is remarkably easy considering the responsibility involved. A dog may live for well over a decade and requires training, exercise, veterinary care, appropriate nutrition, socialisation, time and money. Yet there is currently no requirement for most prospective owners to demonstrate even a basic understanding of those responsibilities.
A simple education or knowledge requirement could encourage people to think more carefully before taking on a dog. It could cover subjects such as canine body language, interactions between dogs and children, socialisation, recall, responsible lead use and recognising warning signs of stress or fear.
That feels rather different from simply charging somebody £20 or £30 for a piece of paper.
There could also be merit in targeted intervention. Rather than regulating every Labrador, Spaniel and Terrier in the country identically, authorities could potentially place additional requirements on an individual owner or dog where there is evidence of poor control.
The taskforce specifically considers risk-based systems involving measures such as owner background checks, behavioural assessments or practical tests. It also recommends looking more closely at preventative enforcement, so action can be taken when relatively minor problems emerge rather than waiting until somebody is seriously injured.
That principle is difficult to argue with. Preventing an incident is far better for the public, the owner and the dog than dealing with its consequences afterwards.
There is also an argument that properly designed charges could help fund dog wardens, education, enforcement and other services. If money were genuinely ring-fenced for dog-related services rather than disappearing into general taxation, some owners might consider that a reasonable contribution.
But would a licence actually catch irresponsible owners?
This is where the argument becomes much more difficult.
Britain has tried dog licences before.
Until 1987, owners in England, Wales and Scotland were required to obtain an annual licence. The system was eventually abolished because it cost more to administer than it raised and compliance was only around 50%.
That history exposes the fundamental weakness of a universal licensing system.
Responsible owners tend to comply with rules. Irresponsible owners, by definition, are rather less reliable at doing so.
There would be little benefit in creating a new annual fee which millions of conscientious dog owners dutifully pay. Others would be precisely the people authorities most need to reach simply ignore it.
We also already have a national identification requirement. Dogs over eight weeks old must generally be microchipped and registered, and the taskforce estimates compliance with microchipping at around 90%. The report itself questions whether a universal licence could simply create another database containing largely the same responsible owners already recorded through microchipping.
That is a powerful argument against regulation for regulation’s sake.
There is a question of fairness too
Cost also matters.
For some households, another annual charge may be insignificant. For others — particularly pensioners, lower-income families or people with several dogs — it could be another barrier to pet ownership.
If licensing became sufficiently expensive to fund its own administration and enforcement, as the taskforce suggests any new system should, those costs could become meaningful. The report itself acknowledges that a full cost-recovery model could potentially make a licence prohibitively expensive for some owners.
Responsible dog ownership should certainly involve accepting the financial commitment that comes with caring for an animal.
But we should be cautious about creating a system where responsible people who already microchip, train, insure, vaccinate, exercise and properly care for their dogs are repeatedly charged simply because other owners fail to behave responsibly.
Perhaps licensing is asking the wrong question
There may be a more useful middle ground.
Instead of asking “Should everybody have a dog licence?”, perhaps we should ask:
“What can we do to create better dog owners — and intervene earlier when someone clearly isn’t being one?”
Education for first-time owners could help.
Better access to reputable training could help.
Teaching children how to behave safely around dogs could help.
Better recording of incidents could help identify repeat problems.
Giving councils and police clear, proportionate powers to deal with an owner whose dog is repeatedly out of control could prevent relatively minor incidents escalating.
And ensuring existing microchip information is accurate and useful may achieve more than simply creating another national register.
The taskforce itself appears to recognise this complexity. It did not reach a consensus on what type of licensing or ownership requirement should be introduced and says more evidence is needed before deciding whether international approaches would actually reduce serious dog attacks in Britain.
That seems sensible.
Responsibility matters more than a piece of paper
Ultimately, good dog ownership cannot be created by a licence alone.
It comes from understanding the animal you have chosen to bring into your home. It means feeding them properly, giving them exercise and enrichment, training and socialising them. Also recognising their limits, keeping them under control when necessary, seeking help when something isn’t right and considering the people and animals around you.
Where owners repeatedly fail to do those things and put others at risk, there should absolutely be consequences.
But it is equally important that the national conversation around dog attacks doesn’t leave ordinary dog owners feeling as though they are all part of the problem.
We know from speaking to dog owners every day that there are an enormous number of responsible, thoughtful and deeply caring people out there — far, far more than the minority who give dog ownership a bad name.
They research what their dogs need, train them and walk them in all weathers. They worry when something isn’t quite right, choose their food carefully. Organise their lives around them and quite often treat them as another member of the family.
Whatever happens next with legislation, we believe any new approach should support those people rather than unnecessarily penalise them.
At The Natural Dog Food Company, we are proud to support good pet parents. The millions of people quietly doing the right thing every single day and giving their dogs the happy, healthy and responsible lives they deserve.
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