Government plans to protect the public from dog attacks are "woefully inadequate", a group of MPs has said.
The law should be "urgently" amended to create safeguards, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said.
In a report, the MPs said they were not convinced ministers were giving "sufficient priority" to dog control.
The government said it was bringing in compulsory microchipping for all dogs and giving the police more powers to investigate attacks.
Officials estimate there are around 210,000 people attacked by dogs in England every year.
Five children and one adult have been killed by dogs on private property since 2007 and the NHS spends around £3m a year treating dog attack injuries.
'Public concern'The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has set out plans to make it compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped from 2016 and extend laws governing dog attacks to cover incidents on private property.
The Dangerous Dogs Act, which was introduced in 1991 after a spate of fatal attacks, currently only covers the behaviour of dogs on public land.
End Quote Anne McIntosh MP Committee chairIncidences of cruelty and neglect are rising and many dogs are out of control"
The committee said the latest proposals "failed to respond adequately to public concern" and were "too limited".
It said it had received a large number of responses from the public to its inquiry, adding that there was a "lack of corresponding commitment" from the government.
"The high number of dog attacks demonstrates that the current legislation on dangerous dogs has comprehensively failed to protect the public from attacks by out of control dogs, many of which have had horrific consequences," the report said.
The committee urged Defra to urgently bring forward a bill to consolidate the "fragmented" legislation relating to dog control and welfare and do more to improve dog welfare linked to dog breeding, instead of relying on voluntary action.
The MPs recommended that attacks on guide dogs to be treated in the same ways as an aggravated attack on a person and urged the police to be more consistent in prosecuting the owners of dogs who attack livestock.
The committee's chairman, Conservative MP Anne McIntosh, said: "Incidences of cruelty and neglect are rising and many dogs are out of control due to the irresponsible or deliberate actions of a minority of owners.
"The evidence we received from Defra and the Home Office did little to reassure us that either department is giving sufficient priority to dog control and welfare issues."
She said the approach of the Home Office to tackling antisocial behaviour was "too simplistic" and failed to reflect the impact poor breeding and training by irresponsible owners can have on a dog's behaviour.
Postal workersA Defra spokesman said: "Last week, we announced that all dogs will need to be microchipped by 6 April 2016 to relieve the burden on animals charities and local authorities who deal with over 100,000 stray dogs every year by making it easier to reunite dogs with their owners.
"Giving the police extra powers to investigate dog attacks on private property means we can protect those who have to go into people's homes to do their job. Irresponsible dog owners can also be held to account for attacks, regardless of where they take place.
"The Animal Welfare Act already regulates against poor breeding practices. Anyone found to have caused unnecessary pain or suffering to a dog faces prosecution."
The Communication Workers Union, which has campaigned to raise awareness of dog attacks on postal workers and telecom engineers, welcomed the report as a "strong and clear in its assessment of the failure of current laws".
General secretary Billy Hayes said "This is a far more comprehensive and satisfying response to the problems of dangerous dogs and the limitations of current laws.
"We hope that Westminster will act on the excellent recommendations in the report and take action to introduce preventative measures against dog attacks, such as dog control notices, and to go further in addressing England's failing dogs laws."
In the past 12 months, more than 3,000 postal workers were attacked by out-of-control dogs, with 70% of these incidents happening on private property.
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