Dogs

Dog Impacts on Townships

For many, dogs are part of the social fabric of the world. They can be the very best friend you’ve ever had, who comforts you and listens without judgement, providing a best mate who’ll follow you anywhere you go and do everything with you. They can be part of the family or considered a "fur baby", filling your heart with love, testing you to your limits, and giving you something to look forward to coming home to. They can be the best worker you’ve ever had, quick on their feet, alert and ready to jump into action whenever you make the call or whistle. They can be a means of security and comfort for a person who lives alone.

This section shares some of the problems and relating facts around dogs in townships, giving some guidance on things you could try to do to rectify these problems should they arise.

Remember, a proactive owner is a responsible owner.

Dog Escapes

Did you know that approximately 90% of dog escapes are accidental? Some tips on keeping your dog safe and at home include:

• Ensure adequate fencing. Fix any holes and gaps in your fences
• Train your dog not to dig, particularly under fences. One trick that has been effective for some people is placing loose bricks or rocks on the inner boundaries of the fence to prevent the dog from digging through so easily. Another trick is to bury chicken wire around the boundary.
• Keep your dog comfortable. Provide plenty of fresh water, shade, entertainment (toys and treats could be useful tools for entertaining your dog) and comfortable bedding are ways to make your home and yard comfortable for your dog.
• Providing plenty of mental and physical stimulation for you dog. Provide socialisation, training, toys with difficult to obtain treats.
• Desex your dog. This can help prevent your dogs from attempting to run away in search of a mate but also can help with other behavioural issues such as barking, humping, aggression and marking.
• Speak to a veterinarian or behaviourist. If nothing is working, a professional may be able to help you understand why your dog tends to attempt to escape and can give you guidance on the next steps to take.

Lost and Wandering Dogs: Attacks

Lost dogs can often be quite nervous or scared and can become involved in a dog attack. Dog attacks are a matter that Council takes extremely seriously. The number of dogs involved in dog attacks are very a relatively small minority, however it is rather a concerning fact that many dog attacks go unreported. This means Council can’t investigate these unreported incidents or gain accurate statistics on dog safety in our District. Ultimately, this effects our ability to help reduce these incidents. It is important to keep in mind that the majority (approximately 85%) of all dog attacks occur on private property!

Some tips to prevent you, your dog or people around you from becoming involved in a dog attack are:

• Always keep in mind that ANY dog has the potential to bite. Size, colour, breed, temperament, age, or other factors do not guarantee a dog will not bite. Dogs are just as imperfect as us humans, and just like humans, dogs can lose their temper too.
• If you know your dog is likely to be aggressive take extra care to prevent an escape. ALWAYS keep it on a lead when in public and consider other measures for restraint such as muzzles, warning vests, and ESPECIALLY make the public sure the public is aware that it may not be safe to approach your dog if it becomes lost.
• Learn to understand and read the body language that dogs display.
• Always approach dogs with caution and awareness, even dogs you know.
• Do NOT harass or continue to pat a dog that is showing ANY sign of fear, aggression, dominance or possessiveness.

For more information on dog attacks go to our dog attack page by clicking HERE

Wandering dogs can have terrible effects on local farming. They are known to chase and/or kill livestock as well as get up to all kinds of shenanigans around local farms. It’s extremely important in farming communities that you keep your dog contained in your home, yard or on a leash. This is exempt in a council approved unleashed area provided you are able to maintain reasonable control of your dog and keep it under supervision at all times. You can find information regarding approved unleashed areas in the District HERE

Noisy Dogs

Noisy dogs can be debilitating to the wellbeing of you or your neighbours. They can disrupt sleep, wake babies and young children, disrupt people who work from home from their duties, or prevent shift workers from sleeping during the day. If you own a dog, that dog is YOUR responsibility. While it is understandable that dogs do make some noise, please ensure your dog is not becoming a nuisance through excessively barking, howling, whining or otherwise being excessively noisy.

Some tips on preventing your dog becoming excessively noisy are:

• Train your dog not to bark excessively.
• Distract your dog. You could try using toys or treats to distract your dog.
• Know your dog. If your dog is only barking when you are out, perhaps keep it contained indoors rather than outside and/or distract your dog with enrichment activities such as difficult to obtain treats or a variety of toys.

If a neighbour’s dog is excessively noisy and impacting on your daily life some tips to try and resolve this are:

• Have a chat with your neighbour. Try to approach this topic with patience, kindness and understanding. The subject of noisy dogs can be quite a sensitive and frustrating topic for all parties involved.
• Leave a note for your neighbour. Clearly explain with detail that you are experiencing some issues with the level of noise coming from their dog. Include the times and context of the dogs barking (is it only when the neighbour is out, is it during the night, is it barking at something or at nothing?). Explain the effects the excessive barking/noise is having on your day to day life. Again, approach this subject with patience, kindness and understanding.

If you don’t get along with your neighbour, broaching this topic with them may be difficult or even impossible. You may have already attempted to resolve this issue with your neighbour to no effect. In this case, it may be in your best interest register a complaint to Council. You can do that by getting in contact with the Council Office on 86662014 or email postmaster@mtr.sa.gov.au so we can help you through the process of resolving the issue of an excessively noisy dog.

You may be asked to keep a diary on the noise which should be written in detail. Note the dates and times each day for a period of time specified by the Authorised Officer for Animal Management. Also include details of the type of barking. Is it howling, whining, or barking? The context of the barking. Is it when the owner is home or away, during the night or only daytime, barking at something or nothing? How it is affecting you. Did it wake the baby, prevent you from sleeping, or affect your ability to work from home?

Please note that dog noise complaints are very subjective and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine if the level of noise from a dog is reasonable or excessive. Individual people have very different tolerances to different levels and types of noise. While we want the community to have nothing but a comfortable and remarkable experience within our townships, unfortunately there will always be a level of noise within our communities. We can only help to maintain reasonable noise levels within townships, not total silence.

If you need further information, please chat to your local vet or visit:

RSPCA Responsible Pet Ownership

Animal Care Australia

Four Paws: Being a Responsible Pet Owner

Responsible ownership of your dog is necessary for the continuation of a peaceful harmony between dogs and humans within our District. Ultimately, you as the dog owner have chosen to have a dog, no one else. This places a high level of responsibility on your part. Here are some ways to be a responsible owner to ensure you, your dog and your neighbours are all able to live harmoniously.

The very first step you need to take before owning a dog is ensuring your home and yard is suitable to own a dog. Can you keep your dog safe and contained to your own home and yard effectively? Check these things:

• A good fence of a height appropriate to the breed and jumping ability of the dog you intend to get/already own.
• Dig proofing measures are in place around your fence. Things like loose rocks or bricks around the perimeter or chicken wire buried in the ground are some examples of dig proofing.
• Any gaps in fences and gates have been identified and repaired.

Now that you have ensured you will be able to contain your dog, you need to make sure your dog is comfortable. These measures will ensure the comfort and wellbeing of your new/existing dog.

• Ensure there is plenty of shelter and shade.
• Keep plenty of fresh, clean water available. Preferably kept in two bowls (particularly in summer) in case one gets knocked over.
• Ensure there is comfortable bedding for your dog.
• Make sure you have plenty of enrichment activities available for your dog. From hard-to-get treats and toys to training. It is important you are to keep your dog entertained and stimulated while you are at home and away.

With your home and yard set up and ready for a dog, you now just need to make sure your dog is ready for the community.

• Register your dog! This must be done by 3 months of age or within 14 days of ownership of a new dog over 3 months of age. Always keep the registration tag on your dog. This helps us to get your dog back to you quickly if it gets lost. To register your dog, head to Dogs and Cats Online, alternatively contact the Council Office where our friendly staff can assist you through the process.
• Microchip your dog. This is another way we can ensure your dog comes back to you within a timely manner if it gets lost, it cannot fall off or get lost like a collar and registration tag can. Microchipping is a quick and harmless procedure.
• Desex your dog. This stops dogs breeding unexpectedly. It also helps to prevent unwanted behaviours that can impact the community such as barking, whining, howling, aggressive behaviour, humping, marking and wandering.
  • A standard dog (both microchipped and desexed) entitles you to a lower registration fee compared to a non-standard dog. Our list of fees and charges can be found HERE
• Train your dog. The only sure-fire way to ensure your dog is community ready is to train it to become a well-behaved member of our community. This is a process that takes a LOT of time and patience, but it is necessary. There is no substitution for effective training!

Whilst out and about in the community there are some requirements on safety and etiquette to keep both your dog and some community safe and healthy.

• Dogs travelling in cars should be secured.
• Dogs travelling on the back of utes, trucks or similar vehicles must be harnessed or enclosed so the dog cannot extend any part of itself beyond the tray. Working dogs are exempt in situations where they are involved in the movement of stock.
• Pick up after your dog. The Council provides dog tidy bags around all the larger townships within the district.
• Keep your dog on a leash that extends no more than 2 metres at all times while travelling, both for your dog’s safety and the safety of the community. Any dog can bite, any dog can bolt. The only exception is within off leash areas, provided you can maintain reasonable control of your dog at all times. To find out about off leash areas within the District click HERE

Responsible dog ownership is YOUR responsibility. Be proactive in your ownership of a dog.

For more information, check out our Dog Impacts on Townships: Facts, Problems and Fixes page.

Summer is Here! Keeping Your Dog Safe in the Heat

Summer is upon us and air conditioners coming to life everywhere. It seems we are all feeling thirstier, wearing looser, lighter clothes and looking for any way we can to keep cool and safe from the effects of the harsh Australian summer.

Summer is a great time of year with the weather being perfect for all manner of outdoor activities and holidays such as Christmas, New Year and Australia Day. But whether you’re out enjoying the weather, or avoiding the heat and trying to stay cool, have you thought about how your four-legged friend is handling in the heat?

Here are some tips for keeping your dog safe this Summer:

• If it’s possible, bring your dog inside when the weather is hot. If it’s not possible, make sure they have plenty of shelter and shade.
• Make sure there is plenty of fresh, clean water available. It is best practice to provide two bowls in case one is knocked over. You can put ice blocks in the bowls to help keep the water cooler for longer.
• NEVER leave your dog in a closed shed, garage or car (even with the windows down). The temperature will get very hot quickly. If you need to bring your dog with you in the car, find a suitable shady place to tie your dog up outside of the car.
• Walk your dog early in the morning or late in the evening when the temperature is coolest.
• Pavement, roads and sand can all get extremely hot in the sun. Check the ground with the back of your hand, if it is too hot for you to handle, it’s too hot for your dog. Dog paws are very sensitive and can burn easily. If you can’t stand the heat, your dog can’t either.
• If your dog does not eat its food straight away, do not leave it in the heat. Bring it in, cover it and put it in the fridge for later. Dogs can get food poisoning too.
• If your dog is showing signs of heat stress including panting, sweating or drooling, move it to cool place, put cool water on it, fan it and wet the ground around it. You may need to seek urgent medical attention from a veterinarian.

Impounded Dogs - Information

Sometimes our dogs find themselves lost and approximately 90% of escapes are accidental. If this happens there are some steps you can take to help raise awareness that your dog is missing. These steps can help speed up the process of reuniting with your dog.

• Call District Council of Mount Remarkable. We may have your dog already, if not we will be able to take some details in case your dog does find itself with us. Contacts are below, under the Currently Impounded Dogs section.
• Check the Council website and Facebook page. We may already have your dog and endeavour to update the website and Facebook page as soon as possible upon capturing or receiving lost dogs.
• Utilize one of the many community board Facebook pages. These are typically run by your local community. You may be able to send out a post to your local community to let them know that your dog is lost. *Council is not affiliated with any of these community pages and does not have any say or jurisdiction over the content or rules of these pages.*
• Ask your neighbours or local businesses if anyone has seen your dog. Word of mouth can be a fast and practical method to find your dog.

Impounded Release Fees and Information

If your dog is impounded there are a few steps you will need to take for us to release your dog to you:

• First and foremost is to confirm that you are in fact the owner of the dog you are claiming. This can be done quickly if your dog is registered and microchipped.
• Next step is ensuring your dog is registered. All dogs MUST be registered by 3 months of age OR within 14 days of ownership of a new dog that is older than 3 months old. This is not just a requirement of Council, but South Australian law. Refer to Dog and Cat management Act 1995 HERE
• After this has been all been checked, you will be required to pay impound fees and charges which can be found HERE.
• Once this process has all been completed, the final step is to reunite with your dog and take it back home.

There are two very important things YOU can do to help us locate you if we have your dog:

1. Ensure your dog is ALWAYS wearing a collar with its registration tag attached.
2. Microchip your dog. This is a very simple process your local vet can do. South Australian law requires dogs to be microchipped by 12 weeks of age or within 28 days of acquiring a new dog. Plus, if your dog is both microchipped AND desexed, your dog falls under the category of Standard Dog under our fees and charges which entitles you to a reduced registration fee.

Currently Impounded Dogs

If your dog has been impounded by the council, we will post it here on the website as well as on our Facebook Page to give the very best chance of reuniting dogs with their owners.