Restricted breeds

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Dogs prescribed dog breeds fact sheet 407.68 KB

Restrictions on the type of dog you can keep

A number of dog breeds have been classified as prescribed breeds. This means that additional responsibilities and special conditions apply to owning these dogs and that high penalties apply for breaches.

The following dogs are classified as prescribed breeds:

American Pit Bull Terrier
Fila Braziliero
Japanese Tosa
Dogo Argentina
Presa Canario.

Keeping a prescribed breed dog

Special conditions apply to prescribed breeds of dog. All prescribed breed dogs must:

be desexed
be muzzled
be confined to the premises of the person responsible for the control of the dog
be kept on a lead no longer than two metres long when in a place other than the responsible owner’s premises
not be sold or given away
not be advertised.

Find out more about restricted breeds.

Responsible ownership

We encourage owners of prescribed breed dogs to act responsibly at all times to meet the requirements of the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995.

Severe penalties apply for breaches of the Act. Fines for general offences committed by these breeds are significantly higher than for other dogs.