Dog ending limit (7)
I believe the answer is:
curtail
'limit' is the definition.
(I know that curtail is a more specific form of the action limit)
'dog ending' is the wordplay.
'dog' becomes 'cur' (a cur is an aggressive or scruffy dog).
'ending' becomes 'tail' (tail is a kind of ending).
'cur'+'tail'='CURTAIL'
(Other definitions for curtail that I've seen before include "Reduce in length" , "Impose a restriction on" , "Reduce in extent" , "Cut short like canine appendage" , "Shorten, abridge" .)