With 5469 dogs registered in Shellharbour, the region has only eight dogs for every 100 residents.

The much larger Wollongong council area has 23,000 registered dogs - 11 for every 100 people.

Including unregistered animals, Wollongong City Council estimates it has around 38,000 dogs, with 37 per cent of households owning a dog.

Shellharbour has five off-leash parks, but ranger supervisor Craig Nolan said dogs were allowed on only one beach - South Shellharbour - on a leash.

"Mainly it's because of environmental issues with dog faeces," he said.

"We've had a couple of requests in the past few days that we review our off-leash areas.

"But there's no plan in the near future to allow dogs on Shellharbour beaches."

Mr Nolan said a review in 2007 found little interest in extending off-leash areas to beaches.

The Mercury has been inundated with comments on dogs since revealing Wollongong City Council's proposed extension of dog exercise areas on beaches.

The council is proposing red no-go zones, orange on-leash areas with dogs allowed before 9am and after 6pm (4pm in winter), and green off-leash areas.

Six existing off-leash beaches will be retained, while the off-leash area at Sharkey's Beach would be changed to only allow leashed dogs in restricted hours.

Three new off-leash beaches are proposed at Stanwell Park, Thirroul and Puckeys Estate.

Dogs will be banned at Austinmer and Coledale beaches, and from North Wollongong to City Beach.

The council urges the public to comment on its proposal before August 6, with community kiosks at Bellambi Rock Pool today and Thirroul Fete tomorrow.

In 2007-08, barking dogs accounted for more than two-thirds of the 662 noise complaints to the council.

"Barking dogs and increased density of housing are two reasons why we need to provide off-leash areas," director of planning and environment Andrew Carfield said.

Many readers have criticised the proposal to allow dogs on more beaches, fearing dog poo pollution and irresponsible owners unable to control their pets.

But 95 per cent of comments received during a 2006 Wollongong council review of off-leash areas were in favour of the areas.

Feedback called for better enforcement (28 per cent), better control of faeces (39 per cent) and education of owners (13 per cent).