Dog attacks are on the rise in Perth, with more than 2100 attacks — or nearly six a day — last year.

Hundreds of the attacks were at dog parks and beaches.

One council is reviewing its dog exercise areas “to provide clarity around the rights and responsibilities of all park users”.

The high number of attacks has prompted pleas for dog owners to be more responsible.

A survey by The West Australian of 16 councils found 2123 dog attacks reported last year, up from 2026 in 2016.

Among 11 councils that kept statistics on where attacks occurred, 286 were reported at dog parks or beaches.

Attacks may not mean a dog or human was injured.

Councils with the highest number of attacks were Wanneroo (363), Joondalup (276), Gosnells (233) and Armadale (231).

Some councils expressed concern about the number of attacks, while others said most dog owners did the right thing.

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City of Fremantle community safety team leader Chris Scanlan said the 77 attacks in Fremantle last year were a concern.

“There is a trend with some dog owners to not control their dogs when in a public space,” he said.

“Within the suburbs the main cause of attacks are unsecured property fences and owners walking dogs without a lead.”

The City of Bayswater is reviewing existing and potential dog exercise areas.

“We need to balance the needs of all park users,” a spokeswoman said.

Ballajura resident Jenny Adams was not surprised by the statistics.

Her dog Harley, an American Staffordshire terrier, has been attacked nine times in seven years.

“The first time was his first ever walk as a 15 weeks puppy,” Ms Adams said.

“Another dog on a lead was walking past but it was a perfect example of an owner not knowing their dog’s limitations.

“It just lunged at Harley and went for him. It wasn’t out of the blue. I could see the dog showing signs of pulling towards us and body language was not OK. The owner completely missed the signs her dog was giving out.”

Ms Adams is the founder of Bikers on Hogs for Dogs, a non-profit group that promotes responsible dog ownership and raises funds for dog rescues.

She said irresponsible dog ownership was “100 per cent” behind attacks.