As the number of serious dog bites and dog bite fatailities continues to increase both globally, and here in Ireland, I am calling on the Irish Government to introduce a theory test - focusing heavily on dog bite prevention - which must be successfully passed to obtain a dog licence.

I am a dog behaviourist with a special interest in dog bite prevention. I believe that the best way to minimise the number of dog bites and bite fatality is through both owner education, and heavier penalties to the owners of dogs that cause injury to others. 

I believe that if all dog owners understood the many situations that can escallate to a potential dog bite risk, then we could significantly reduce the number of bites. 

I am also very aware that there is much outdated, unscientific, and dangerous dog training advice available to dog owners. 

If the government provided a central source of correct dog training and behaviour advice this would become the go-to for parents. 

I would like to see a mandatory theory test that covers....

• Responsible dog ownership
• Legalities involved with owning a dog
• Interpretting dog body language
• Training to avoid problem behaviour 
• Common initiating and contributing factors that can lead to dog bites
• Training your dog to avoid bite incidences 
• How to stop a dog attack
• How to correctly report a dog bite incident
• and more