Our Dog Rules
The most important rule to remember is that dogs must always be under control. Make sure your dog is on lead unless specified otherwise.
Things you've got to know
Dogs in urban areas: Dogs must always be kept on lead while in urban areas like town centres and roads.
Dogs around playgrounds: Dogs should never be within a children's playground. This rule was put in place to protect children and other users, as well as the assets and equipment.
Dog poo: Please remember that it is your responsibility to clean up your dogs’ poo. Take a few bags with you on walks or take advantage of our free poo bag dispensers in some of our districts most popular dog walking areas.
Dogs on beaches: Dogs are generally allowed off lead in these areas; however, many of our beaches have restrictions during the summer months. These restrictions help keep beaches safe and enjoyable for everyone during busy times and protect important bird nesting areas during their summer breeding period. Be sure to look for signs at beach entrances that indicate if any restrictions are in effect.
Council makes it easy to stay up to date with the rules at your favourite spot. Look for these signs when you take a walk and ensure you abide by the rules.
Green signs denote exercise areas: You can have your dog off lead, but it must be under control at all times.
Orange signs denote on lead areas: Your dog must remain on lead for times noted on the sign.
Red signs denote prohibited areas: This means no dogs at all. Most beach area prohibitions are either during the dotterel nesting season from Labour Weekend to 1 March, or over the summer period and holiday weekends. We also have some areas that are prohibited all year round.
Summaries of the rules by area
We have summaries of our dog rules by Community Board area below or you can check out the full
Dog Control Bylaw for all our dog rules.
You can also find helpful information in our summary guide Understanding our Dog Rules(PDF, 3MB)
For information on dog access to conservation land check www.doc.govt.nz.