Restricted Dog Breeds

In April 2002 legislation came into operation to deal specifically with Restricted Dog Breeds.

This is a brief summary of details contained in Dog (Restricted Breeds) Regulations 2002. For full details please refer to the legislation itself.

At present these breeds include:

• Dogo Argentino (also known as the Argentine Dogo or Argentinian Mastiff)
• Fila Brasileiro (also known as Brazilian Mastiff or Cao de Fila)
• Japanese tosa (also known as Tosa Inu, Tosa Fighting Dog or Japanese Fighting Dog)
• American pit bull terrier (also known as Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull) and
• Pit bull terrier breeds. 

The regulations also provide for a restricted breed dog to include any dog of a mixed breed that visibly contains any of the above prohibited breeds. 

In December 2005 the Western Australian Government introduced new laws requiring so called 'fighting dogs' to be sterilised.

Whilst restricted breed dogs such as dogo Argentino, fila Brasileiro, Japanese tosa, Presa Canario and American pit bull are already banned by the Federal Government from importation into Australia, the State law bans the breeding of these dogs - both pure bred and mixed-breed (which visibly contain one of the restricted breed 'traits').

The laws require an owner to prove to an authorised person that their dog meets one of the following requirements:

• the dog has an ear tattoo showing that it has already been sterilised

or within a 24-hour period

• the owner produces a certificate from a veterinary surgeon showing that the dog has been previously sterilised (or is recovering from treatment and would suffer if sterilised at that time, or has a condition which would cause the dog to die) or
• that the dog is under the age of 6 months.

Pictorial representations of the restricted dog breeds follow. It should be noted that these pictures are representations only and that there will be variations.