# Labrador and licence



## Pippa33 (Sep 27, 2014)

Hi all. Have just been reading up on the laws regarding "dangerous dogs" in spain. Although my soppy choc lab is not on the dangerous list he is over 25kg (short legged show....so pretty stocky) does he require a licence? Seems to conflicting rules over max weight ie 20/25kg. Will he have to be muzzled in public? 
Thank you


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pippa33 said:


> Hi all. Have just been reading up on the laws regarding "dangerous dogs" in spain. Although my soppy choc lab is not on the dangerous list he is over 25kg (short legged show....so pretty stocky) does he require a licence? Seems to conflicting rules over max weight ie 20/25kg. Will he have to be muzzled in public?
> Thank you


When walking him in public places yes, you should have him muzzled and on a lead. But few people do so. 
We use CannyCollars when walking our dogs as the police accept them as muzzles and of course you have full control without a choke.

I was talking to a lawyer acquaintance about this issue of dogs not on the Peligroso list but having the characteristics. He said that they are viewed as 'potentially' rather than actually dangerous, whatever that means in practice.

We have a rather large, muscular Rhodesian Ridgeback and he never goes out in public places without his CannyCollar. Our rescue dog, a stunted Cane Corso, is also always on the Canny when out in 'public'.

Both dogs don't feature on the list of dangerous breeds - probably because few Spaniards have come across RRs - but have all the characteristics of 'potentially dangerous'. Keeping them on CannyCollars in public keeps them and us safe from the law but also enables us to adopt a holier-than-thou attitude when our dogs are pestered by leadless muzzle-less dogs whose owners are more often than not either miles away from their dogs or are yakking on their mobiles.


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## Pippa33 (Sep 27, 2014)

Thank you...that's really helpful.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

I havent seen any muzzled dogs in Spain but lots of Canny Collars, that maybe explains it !


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

maureen47 said:


> I havent seen any muzzled dogs in Spain but lots of Canny Collars, that maybe explains it !


A CannyCollar isn't really a muzzle but passes for one round here. 

When we said we wanted to do all the right things with our dogs, register them, etc. we were often told not to worry, 'Nada pasa'.
The trouble with that is that when something 'pasa', it really does 'pasa' and you can get in a lot of unnecessary trouble.

So best to do as much as you need to in order to conform to the rules.


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> A CannyCollar isn't really a muzzle but passes for one round here.
> 
> When we said we wanted to do all the right things with our dogs, register them, etc. we were often told not to worry, 'Nada pasa'.
> The trouble with that is that when something 'pasa', it really does 'pasa' and you can get in a lot of unnecessary trouble.
> ...


Thanks , I didnt realise this rule existed perhaps because most of the dogs I see are on the Campo rather than in the town although I still havent seen any muzzled. Mine are a greyhound and a lurcher and if the weight limit is 20k for the muzzle rules then they are just over that , I do use muzzles when they are in an enclosed field running in the UK so they dont injure each other as they play rough together but didnt think about having to muzzle them in Spain when on the lead but equally dont want to get in any trouble either.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

maureen47 said:


> Thanks , I didnt realise this rule existed perhaps because most of the dogs I see are on the Campo rather than in the town although I still havent seen any muzzled. Mine are a greyhound and a lurcher and if the weight limit is 20k for the muzzle rules then they are just over that , I do use muzzles when they are in an enclosed field running in the UK so they dont injure each other as they play rough together but didnt think about having to muzzle them in Spain when on the lead but equally dont want to get in any trouble either.


We let our dogs run free on the campo but put them on the lead if we see people with or without dogs. If the dogs are friendly we let them free to play. But walking in the village or in the streets around the house, always on the lead and CannyCollar.

The problem isn't other dogs, it's other people. Our Little Azor is a very big boy and people are understandably a bit wary until they get to know him. But some people assume that any dog larger than a Yorkie is going to eat them. If your dog is off the lead and some officious dog-disliking person objects,...possible denuncia.
I've been bitten twice, each time by Jack Russells.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Perhaps it depends on where you are in Spain, as to whether or not you see a muzzle or collar? I live in the Centro District in Malaga, and I see many, many dogs in any given day. I've never seen one without a leash. I've frequently seen dogs with muzzles. 

I didn't know there were laws around leashes and muzzles and breeds. That's good to hear in this thread. I don't own a dog so it doesn't apply. My Airbnb host is a dog sitter, and one of his dogs is a Dalmation, and he always puts a muzzle on him in public. But he is in fact a little bit aggressive - although perhaps not on the legal hit-list.

I found it hilarious yesterday when shopping in the heart of things in Centro Historico, which is a ward within the Centro District, and I saw a tiny Yorkshire terrier with a leash and muzzle. I laughed my head off and asked the owner why she had a muzzle on the little thing. She said with her eyes wide, "Oh, she's very aggressive!" I laughed again. But I do know that even little dogs can have a big bite to them. 

Pippa, I love chocolate labs. I'm so happy to hear you making accommodations to bring your doggie along with you to Spain.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

P.S. I've only been in Spain for four weeks as of today, and I do not work in the field that has to do with pets in any way. So please bear this in mind when reading my above post, i.e. I don't pretend to ever be speaking on behalf of Centro District. I'm just suggesting that it might vary by areas in Spain.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Labs*



Pippa33 said:


> Hi all. Have just been reading up on the laws regarding "dangerous dogs" in spain. Although my soppy choc lab is not on the dangerous list he is over 25kg (short legged show....so pretty stocky) does he require a licence? Seems to conflicting rules over max weight ie 20/25kg. Will he have to be muzzled in public?
> Thank you


I have two labs and a little Scotty and the mature lab is around 20kilos, but I have never been bothered by the police. We do keep them on a leash in public places, but certainly not with a muzzle. I think it all depends on which part of the country. I do see pit bulls around or enormous boxer types but they always have the muzzle.


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## Pippa33 (Sep 27, 2014)

Thank you folks...lots of interesting stuff to think about. At the end of the day if want to keep Ted safe...mind you my mini schnauzer is all attitude and is top dog....funny that. I do believe little dogs have big attitudes!!


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## wobbles64 (Jun 12, 2014)

We've just moved to Spain with our two rescue staffies, the vet said that they must be muzzled in public and on a leash but are ok to be not muzzled in open field areas where there are no people. We are in a small village so have to take precautions on the 500mts between our house and the field but I've also seen 2 boxers, 1 English bull ( no collar no leash) and various other breeds of large size without muzzles.
So I think it is subjective to the area and the strictness of the authorities but as my friend said when I pointed out that no one in the village has muzzles ' yes but you are not local you have a big flashing light over your head' I asked the vet about canny collar and he said that was not acceptable but i think I' going to get one as our guys hate the muzzles.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

wobbles64 said:


> So I think it is subjective to the area and the strictness of the authorities but* as my friend said when I pointed out that no one in the village has muzzles ' yes but you are not local you have a big flashing light over your head' *I asked the vet about canny collar and he said that was not acceptable but i think I' going to get one as our guys hate the muzzles.


Out of interest, was that friend Spanish or British?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

The law is quite straightforward: dogs over 20 kilos should be on a lead and muzzled in public places. All dogs should be on a lead in public places.
The campo is defined as a 'public place'. I know because some twerp denounced me - a case of mistaken doggy identity and easily resolved - and I had to attend at the nearest Guardia cuartel to answer the denuncia. We were in the campo and it was made clear that the law should be observed there.
99% of the time there will be no problem if you are sensible and considerate. But it takes only one person to denounce you and you could have problems.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> The law is quite straightforward: dogs over 20 kilos should be on a lead and muzzled in public places. All dogs should be on a lead in public places.
> The campo is defined as a 'public place'. I know because some twerp denounced me - a case of mistaken doggy identity and easily resolved - and I had to attend at the nearest Guardia cuartel to answer the denuncia. We were in the campo and it was made clear that the law should be observed there.
> 99% of the time there will be no problem if you are sensible and considerate. But it takes only one person to denounce you and you could have problems.



Glad I popped in and saw this as I had no idea. I take Meg - Border Collie weight approx 10 kilo and Zara - Elephant on roller-skates AKA Mastin weight 35Kilo and going up daily on walks on our tracks here in Extremadura every day. I had no idea she should be muzzled. Meg walks off lead as her recall is brilliant. Zara who has the attention span of a gnat is always on the lead. Is the muzzle law universal or Andalusia. I have never seen any dogs here with muzzles, but then again I am the only one walking dogs, the rest are stuck in pens. There are the occasional people walking their dogs, but they are always off leads.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

cambio said:


> Glad I popped in and saw this as I had no idea. I take Meg - Border Collie weight approx 10 kilo and Zara - Elephant on roller-skates AKA Mastin weight 35Kilo and going up daily on walks on our tracks here in Extremadura every day. I had no idea she should be muzzled. Meg walks off lead as her recall is brilliant. Zara who has the attention span of a gnat is always on the lead. Is the muzzle law universal or Andalusia. I have never seen any dogs here with muzzles, but then again I am the only one walking dogs, the rest are stuck in pens. There are the occasional people walking their dogs, but they are always off leads.[/QUOTE
> 
> I'm pretty sure it's all over Spain.
> 
> ...


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## wobbles64 (Jun 12, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> Out of interest, was that friend Spanish or British?


She is Spanish and not a dog owner, it is a small village near segovia so we are very visibly ' not local'


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

I'm sure this has been mentioned before but there are laws and laws and it will depend on where you are. In general, if you are in a smallish village and once the people see you out on the street daily there will be no problems, nor with the police. One of my dogs weighs over 20 kilos and I pass policemen daily andnalthough I have her lead on I certainly don't used the horrid thing around the mouth. Some people do and some don't. There's a doggy monster that wanders around, not exactly a great dane, but something like it and it has neither the lead nor the muzzle. 
Good luck with your pooches.


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