UK Dog Laws...

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
Under this Act, you could be fined up to £1,000 for breaching dog control orders. Local authorities can make orders for standard offences including: failing to remove dog faeces, not keeping a dog on a lead, not putting and keeping a dog on a lead when directed to do so, permitting a dog to enter land from which dogs are excluded and taking more than a specified number of dogs on to land. To find out whether your local authority has introduced these orders sign up to the Kennel Club’s dog owners group, KC Dog, by contacting Victoria Brown, External Affairs Assistant on 020 7518 1020.
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act also updates the law on stray dogs by transferring the responsibility for strays from the police to the local authorities. However this section of the Act has not yet come into force. It is recommended that your dog is microchipped and registered with Petlog, the largest pet reunification scheme in the UK, as this can prove extremely effective in locating a lost pet. The Petlog Premium service can even alert local vets and dog wardens when an owner reports where their pet was lost. This can be done by telephone, SMS text message or via the Petlog website. Contact Petlog on 0844 770 5240 or visit www.petlog.org.uk to find out more. If you lose your dog, you should stay in regular contact with the local council, Petlog, vets, dog shelters and the police, and put up posters in the area where you lost it.
Dog wardens are obliged to seize stray dogs and the police, for now, still have discretionary power to seize stray dogs under the Dogs Act 1906. The finder of a stray dog must return it to its owner (if known), or take it to the local authority or police (although soon, only the local authority will receive stray dogs). It is illegal to take a found dog into your home without reporting it to the police first.
If you want to retain the dog, this might be allowed, provided you are capable of looking after the dog and agree to keep it for at least 28 days. However, the original owner could still have a claim for the dog’s return.

Byelaws on noisy animals
If your dog’s barking causes a serious nuisance to neighbours, the local authority can serve a noise abatement notice, which if unheeded can result in you paying fines and legal expenses.
Check with your Local Council for their Byelaws that they have in place

Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999
Breeders who breed four or more litters per year must be licensed by their local authority. Breeders with fewer litters must also be licensed if they are carrying out a business of breeding dogs for sale.
Licensed breeders must:
a) Not mate a bitch less than 12 months old.
b) Not whelp more than six litters from a bitch.
c) Not whelp two litters within a 12 month period from the same bitch.
d) Keep accurate records.
e) Not sell a puppy until it is at least eight weeks of age, other than to a keeper of a licensed pet shop or Scottish rearing establishment.

Breeders must also comply with Breed Club "CODES OF ETHICS" each Club has its own standards so check the standards of each club you are a member of as they may be different , some state the Maximum breeding age for a bitch is 8 YEARS BUT SOME STATE 7 YEARS. ALL State a bitch must be a minimum of 2 years of age NOT 12 months as stated in the act above.

Last but not least TAIL DOCKING , The docking of tails in England Scotland and Wales is Now BANNNED , with an exception of Working Dogs.For more information on this law and some frequently asked question please follow the link
TAIL DOCKING & THE LAW

For further reading on Dog law and further Acts please use the following sites

www.endangereddogs.com

www.Drefa.gov.uk

www.Thedogstrust.org.uk