Responsible ownership of working dogs
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This topic looks at legal and health issues that owners of working dogs must be aware of. Advice on topics that apply to dog ownership in general (ie. no matter whether you live in urban or rural areas) are not covered in this section.
- legal issues - there are a number of legal issues that owners of working dogs in particular must be aware of to avoid prosecution
- health care - Historically the health and welfare of working dogs has been overlooked and yet they are unmistakably an integral part of the working staff in the farm workplace. Your working dog contributes many hours of labour so care should be taken to ensure the dog can work to the best of its ability.
Working dogs require the same routine care as any other dog would. For instance, adequate nutrition, vaccinations, regular worm control (including heartworm prevention), control of fleas, and desexing if dogs are not intended to be used for breeding.
For more advice or information
Contact your local council if you have questions about your rights and responsibilities as a dog owner. Your council will also deal with concerns about wandering or nuisance pets.
