The state-level rules every owner and walker in Manitoba should know. Local leash lengths, licensing and off-leash rules are set by each city — find those on the city pages below.
Manitoba has no breed-specific strict-liability dog statute aimed at you as a walker, so your real exposure is NEGLIGENCE in controlling the dog — and you can be sued personally even though you don't own it. On top of that, The Animal Liability Act defines 'owner' to include a person who harbours the animal, so a walker in possession can be pulled into the statute's strict-liability net too.
Manitoba's The Animal Liability Act (C.C.S.M. c. A95) makes the owner of an animal strictly liable for damage the animal causes to a person or property. Under section 2 that liability does not depend on the owner's knowledge of any propensity of the animal, or on any fault or negligence — the injured person need not prove the dog was known to be dangerous. Critically, the Act's definition of owner is broad: it includes a person who harbours the animal, and where there is more than one owner they are jointly and severally liable. A walker who has the dog in their keeping can therefore be exposed under the statute as well as the client. Separately, the ordinary tort of negligence reaches whoever has care and control of the dog at the time, so careless handling on a walk is your own direct exposure. The Act abolished the old common-law torts of scienter and cattle-trespass but is in addition to other statutory and common-law claims. Damages are reduced for a plaintiff's own contributory fault. This is general information — confirm the current text on the Manitoba laws site.
Day-to-day dog control in Manitoba is municipal. In Winnipeg, the Responsible Pet Ownership By-law (No. 92/2013) governs dangerous-dog designations and, notably, bans pit-bull-type dogs — dogs whose appearance and physical characteristics predominantly conform to the standards for the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or American Staffordshire Terrier. The ban is judged on physical type, not papers, and dates back to 1990. [VERIFY current status: Winnipeg city council voted 9–7 in September 2024 to KEEP the breed ban; advocacy to repeal it continued into 2025, so confirm the by-law text before relying on this.] A dog designated dangerous faces conditions such as muzzle and a leash no longer than six feet held by a person able to control it when off the owner's property. Other municipalities set their own rules and some are breed-neutral, so a walker must check the by-law for each city or municipality they work in.
Leash, licence, off-leash and waste rules are set by each municipality, not the province. In Winnipeg, dogs must be licensed and are generally required to be leashed except in designated off-leash parks; the by-law also caps household animals (commonly no more than four dogs). In Brandon, a dog off the owner's premises must wear a collar with a current licence tag, be on a leash no longer than 1.8 m (6 ft), and be under the immediate charge and control of a competent person — which on a walk is you. Picking up and disposing of waste is a standard by-law duty, and running at large is prohibited: The Animal Liability Act (s.5) bars an owner or person in charge from letting an animal run at large except where a by-law allows. Fines apply for at-large, unlicensed, or aggressive dogs. Check each municipality's current by-law and any per-walker dog limits.
Identification and microchipping are municipal in Manitoba, not a single provincial rule — requirements (licence tag on the collar, microchip on adoption or for certain designated dogs) vary by city, so confirm what the client's municipality requires. Provincially, The Animal Care Act (C.C.S.M. c. A84) protects animal welfare: it is an offence to inflict on an animal acute suffering, serious injury, or extreme distress, and the Act covers animals under a person's possession, care or control — which includes a dog while it is in your care on a walk. Breaches carry fines and possible imprisonment. Practically, a walker should confirm the dog is licensed and wearing current ID, note whether it is microchipped and the chip is registered to reachable contacts, and keep the dog safe, watered, and out of heat or cold that could cause distress.
This is general information about Manitoba law, not legal advice. Confirm current rules with the official state and municipal sources.