It was the summer of 1996: the sun was high, the surf was up and me and my best friend, Fang, ruled the world. Young and reckless, we rejected polite society for a carefree existence – going where we wanted to go and doing what we wanted to do. No rules for us, Daddy-O.

We took long walks on the beach, running through the surf and pooing in the sand. We played fun tricks on our other best friend, Tony, tearing giant holes in his vintage velvet couch and rearranging the stuffing in crazy patterns on the floor. We ate from rubbish bins and drank from toilet bowls and at night we serenaded the neighbours: “bark, bark, bark – shut up Fang. Bark, bark, bark – Fang!”

Most dog owners love their pets – surely there’s no need to legally require them to spend time together?Credit: iStock

It was a time when people and their badly behaved pets were free to work it out for themselves and, like the fabled 1960s Summer of Love, our behaviour would never be allowed today. Pet ownership is now governed by a vast array of local laws and standards, with the latest escalation in the regulation of our lives a push in the ACT to not only ban the........

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