Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Wednesday said the government will consider restricting the number of dogs each person can bring to restaurants.

The administration is poised to allow 500 to 1,000 restaurants roll out the red carpet for dogs as early as the middle of this year, after a more than three-decade ban.

Speaking on RTHK, Tse noted that owners bear full responsibility if their dogs bite others in restaurants, and the number of dogs each person can bring could be limited.

"I guess two will be the maximum, if each owner brings more than two dogs, it will be difficult for them to control the dogs," he said.

"As for the exact number, we will talk to experts first before making a decision."

The minister also said applications from smaller restaurants could be dropped as they may not have enough space for dogs.

The government will look into whether there is a need to impose a venue size requirement, and it will discuss the matter with the sector and experts, Tse added.

Tse also said that drawing lots is easier than deciding who to offer the permit to based on restaurants' experience in handling dogs.

He said that he believes the more experienced ones will apply for an endorsement in the initial phase, while others will wait and see, adding that the administration will take applications for another 500 to 1,000 permits in the second phase, if the initial phase runs smoothly.

Lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan, who chairs the Legco food safety and environmental hygiene panel, suggested that officials can consider selecting some restaurants as model eateries for others to take reference from.

Chan said the government can also organise so called dining etiquette classes with NGOs or animal groups so that owners can learn more about how to train their dogs to behave at restaurants. She said these classes do not have to be mandatory.