Dog Impacts on Townships: Facts, Problems and Fixes
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: