The 7 Laws Michigan Dog Owners Need to Know

You may know your dog's favorite snack, preferred 'spot for business', and the spot to scratch them to get their leg kicking, but do you know all the laws dog owners must follow in the State of Michigan? There are 7 laws every Mitten State dog owner needs to learn.

Related: Protecting Your Pets: Michigan Pet Owners Warned About Toxic Flowers

Whether you see one hanging its head out of the car window, jowls flapping, tongue wagging, looking like they've never been happier, or the hunting dog running out into sunrise, they love it here. Here are the guidelines and laws Michigan has put in place to protect our canines and those around them.

Michigan Dog Laws: #1 Vaccinations

According to Michigan's Dog Law of 1919, dog owners in the state are required to vaccinate their furry friends for rabies. The state did revise its existing laws in 1969 for pet shops, dog pounds, and animal shelters, mandating that they are responsible for rabies, distemper, parvovirus, canine adenovirus-2, and leptospirosis before they can sell or put the animal up for adoption.

Michigan Dog Laws: #2 Pet Waste

Yuck. This is my least favorite part of being a dog owner: picking up their 'deposits'. While it's only polite to do this when walking your dog, it's also the law in most municipalities in Michigan. Here's a look at East Lansing's dog waste law:

No person owning, harboring, keeping, or in charge of any dog shall cause, suffer, or allow such dog to soil, defile, defecate, or to commit any nuisance on any public thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypass, play area, park, or any place where people congregate or walk, or upon any public property whatsoever, or upon any private property without permission of the owner of said property

While each towns may vary, you'll find the above holds true in most of them. Beyond the law, it's only polite to clean up after YOUR dog so that ITS WASTE doesn't END UP ON MY SHOE.

Michigan Dog Laws: #3 Dog Licenses

Michigan's dog license laws are left to local city and township governments. That said, they all require dogs to be licensed and proof of vaccinations must be shown. You may also be required to renew your pets license annually. The fee is nominal and these come in handy should your pup ever stray, making them easily identifiable.

Michigan Dog Laws: #4 Leash Laws

The state of Michigan's leash laws are determined on a city and township level, but there is one interesting state law in regards to leashing certain dogs, according to the Dog Law of 1919:

any owner of any female dog to permit the female dog to go beyond the premises of such owner when she is in heat, unless the female dog is held properly in leash

Leash laws are put in place to protect your dog and others from harm, it's important to respect these regulations, even if you fell your Michigan pup is just fine running free.

Michigan Dog Laws: #5 Dog Bite Laws

What kind of best friend would dogs be if they didn't keep an eye on our safety as we do theirs? That said, the State of Michigan's dog bite laws leave the burden of proof on the dog owner should their be a bite incident:

If a dog bites a person, without provocation while the person is on public property, or lawfully on private property, including the property of the owner of the dog, the owner of the dog shall be liable for any damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's knowledge of such viciousness

Keeping your dog on a leash while in public will go a long way to preventing any type of incident involving this law.

Michigan Dog Laws: #6 Barking - Noise Ordinances

Let me just start this section out with: Don't be that dog owner. A noisy dog is the worst neighbor and ill will breeds quickly when sleep and peace and quiet aren't available.

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Most local 'nuisance' noise ordinances in Michigan restrict the hours dogs can create unreasonable levels of noise, and owners found in violation of them could be forced to surrender their pets.

Michigan Dog Laws: #7 Limiting the Number of Dogs Per Household

This is another case of check your local city or township laws. Many urban locations will put strict limits on the number of dogs you can own, while those living in more rural Michigan areas may face no restrictions.

Related: This Michigan City is Ranked Among the Top 100 for Pets in the US

So, let's be honest...does your dog have a license?