Minnetonka, MN Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 925.085 of the Minnetonka City Code bars an owner or caretaker from letting a dog run at large within the city limits, except as allowed by section 1135.020 of the code. A dog is at large when it is off the property of the person owning, harboring or keeping it and not under restraint. The one exception is a dog on the private property of another with the landowner's permission, as long as the owner is present. A dog is under restraint only if it is within a crate, motor vehicle or other container it cannot escape from, or effectively restrained by a leash not exceeding six feet. A retractable leash not exceeding 20 feet is allowed, but it must be shortened to six feet whenever another person or animal is within 20 feet. Animals under the command of a law enforcement officer on official duty are exempt.

Subdivision 2 adds that a dog cannot be on a public beach or school grounds even under restraint, except dogs specially trained and certified to assist people, such as handicapped assistance, police canine or search and rescue dogs. Section 925.055 requires a dog over six months old to wear an identification tag with the owner's name and home telephone number at all times when off the owner's property, and section 925.045 requires rabies vaccination.

A person walking a dog must also carry suitable equipment to pick up feces and dispose of them in a sanitary manner under section 925.085(11). A dog the city classifies as potentially dangerous faces a stricter standard under section 925.105: a leash not exceeding six feet at all times off the owner's premises. Under section 925.020(2), authorized city personnel can seize and impound a dog found at large on public property. The owner pays the impounding fee and boarding costs, and the fee schedule prints $35.00 for a first impound, $60.00 for a second in one year and $110.00 for a third.