Dog out of control? You might now need to go on a course, just like drivers

The recommendations come in a report published on Thursday by Government's Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce – made up of animal experts and Whitehall officials.

Labour's animal welfare minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock heaped praise on the 'excellent' paper, which she said provides 'a strong foundation for future action'.

Writing the report's forward, she added: 'As ministers, we are carefully considering the recommendations alongside the wider programme of work already underway.'

But the plans were last night branded 'barking mad' by the Conservatives.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: 'Labour's instinct is always to over-regulate and to rinse the public for every penny they can get.

There are millions of dog lovers like me across our country. Yet Labour want to penalise us with a licensing regime that amounts to another stealth tax.

'These plans are barking mad.'

Ross McCarthy, a co-founder of the Advanced Dog Ownership Initiative said the group 'prefer to act' before resorting to speed-awareness style classes.

But he said: 'An appropriate assessment could establish what needs to change and provide owners with the knowledge and skills to manage their dog safely in the future.'

According to the report's recommendations, owners whose dogs have committed 'lower-level offences' should be made to attend courses addressing their dog's specific behavioural problem.

The course could see owners taught how to fit their dog with a muzzle, how to better understand their pet's body language, or more about the law governing ownership.

The taskforce said it is 'supportive of responsible dog ownership courses similar to a speed awareness course for low level dog control issues' but does not believe they should be mandatory.

It added the benefits of current schemes such as The Blue Cross Responsible Dog Ownership Course 'could be realised more widely with financial support from Government', and further consideration could be given to 'funding of subsidised places'.

The group also urged ministers to consider requiring all dog owners to pay a licence fee for each dog they own.

While dog licensing is not in place in England, Scotland and Wales, owners must pay for a £12.50 permit in Northern Ireland.

Background checks could be completed on owners with dogs deemed of higher risk to the public, the report suggests, similar to a scheme in France and Germany.

Owners could also be required to take a 'knowledge test' before taking a dog home, based on a comparable scheme in Switzerland. A 'certificate of competency' would be awarded to them if they pass.

In another recommendation, ministers were urged to create a 'dog control database' to record incidents where dogs had bitten people.

The report comes amid rising 'concerning trends' linked to dog ownership, such as a 77 per cent increase in hospital admissions relating to dog bites or strikes in England over the past 14 or so years.

A Defra spokesperson said: 'Britain is a nation of dog lovers, and responsible dog ownership is vital for public safety and animal welfare.

'This is a welcome report, and ministers are considering the taskforce's recommendations, however we will not be introducing a new dog licensing scheme. Any next steps will be set out in due course.'