I’m wondering because I’ve seen a few posts mentioning a law that’s supposed to ban minors from walking dogs.
I’m quite surprised because I know loads of teenagers and kids who walk people's dogs to earn a bit of pocket money.
I’ve never done it myself, but I didn't know it was against the law.
Does the law also apply when it’s your own dogs?
I’m 11 and I walk my dogs on my own.
I live in the countryside and I usually take them for walks in the woods.
I’ve got two that I got for my 9th birthday and they’re really mine; I’m the one who walks them.
So am I not allowed to???????!??😶
If anyone knows the laws about minors walking dogs, could you please let me know?
Thanks, Jasmine.
Translated from French
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Jasmine,
You can walk your dog without any problem at all; there isn't a law against it. I have a dog myself and my 10-year-old daughters walk her off-lead because she listens to them.
Mind you, we only stick to walks near the house where there isn’t any traffic. For safety, I’ve made certain routes off-limits (like along a busy road before reaching the quiet paths, just in case she suddenly darts across).
There aren't actually any specific laws like that; however, the person walking the dog is legally responsible for anything that happens in the event of an accident. This liability falls on the parents if the person in question is a minor.
I used to walk the family dogs on my own when I was a kid. But there you go! 😅
Seeing as I’m a bit of an old fossil now, we’re talking a fair while ago...!
When she was young, our dog basically acted as our babysitter whenever the boy from next door and I went out to play. I’m pretty sure she actually saved us from something quite dodgy once.
When I was a bit older (16 or 17), I’d take the whole pack out, but always at night. Since I lived right out in the sticks, there wasn't a soul in sight... so no bother at all.
Hi,
I quite agree with Ulysse, you don’t just hand dogs over to any old child just like that.
But anyway, if they’re your own dogs and you know your way around animals.
The law is important of course, but either way, if you’re a responsible person, nothing much should go wrong...
Anouk🙂
Hi,
thanks for your replies.
I've done some checking and no, my dogs aren't on any restricted lists. So, I'm allowed to walk them on my own...?
Yes Ulysse, it was partly your comments in the 'can you report a dog for defending itself' thread that pushed me to make this post.
Anyway, I just wanted to be sure – there's no harm in asking.
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I’m not sure about the rules in France, but in some parts of Belgium, you have to be at least 16 before you're allowed to take a restricted breed out for a walk (American Akitas and Akita Inus are on the restricted list in certain local areas… so it can be a bit complicated depending on the breed you're looking at).
As for France, if it’s a restricted breed, every adult in the family who might walk the dog needs to have an ownership permit. It’s strictly forbidden for anyone under 18.
There isn’t a law that says a child can’t take a dog for a walk, but as they aren't legally responsible (I’m not sure if it’s until they’re 16 or 18), it’s the adult who lets them have the dog who is liable for anything that might go wrong.
It’s actually a fair bit more complicated than that. In the UK, children can be held criminally responsible from the age of 10. Even in civil cases, parents or guardians aren’t always the ones held liable.
Once they’re over 16, a minor is very often held responsible and will have to face the consequences of their own actions.
Every case is different, even if it’s usually the parents or guardians who have to take responsibility for a minor’s mistakes.
Something else I've just thought of. When we first got Genesys, I gave our home insurance provider a ring. They told me it was a good idea to let them know we had a dog, regardless of whether they're a pedigree or not. We did the same with Jyrkhos.
