From June 1, all dog owners in Canton Zurich will be required to attend training courses. Here’s what the changes mean for you and your four-legged friend.

New dog law (Hundegesetz) to be introduced in Zurich  

In a statement, the cantonal government of Zurich confirmed that a new dog law (Hundegesetz) will be introduced in June 2025. While the law was approved at referendum in 2019, and was given the go-ahead by the canton in 2021, a legal challenge from 14 dog training instructors delayed it from going into effect.

The challenge itself was related to a new part of the law, which requires all instructors to complete an examination, regardless of whether they are already instructors or not. However, this complaint was rejected by the Federal Supreme Court in Lausanne, on the grounds that it was reasonable to expect dog trainers to pass a training exam.  

Since the repeal of the national dog training course requirement in 2017, each Swiss canton has been allowed to set its own rules on how much training pet owners should have, and which dogs should receive said training. Here’s what the new rules mean for owners in Zurich:

All dogs in Zurich will have to complete training

From June 1, all dogs and dog owners in Zurich will be required to complete a practical training course, regardless of the dog’s size or breed. Previously, only owners of “large” dogs were required to complete training, meaning that from the summer, owners of hundreds of the most popular dog breeds - from beagles and terriers to spaniels and chihuahuas - will soon have to complete the course.

However, the law will also reduce the number of training sessions required for a dog to pass, from 14 hour-long lessons to six. During the course, owners will be taught how to handle their dogs safely in everyday and “challenging” situations.

The course can begin once the dog is aged six months or older and must be completed within one year of adoption or within one year of the dog and owner moving to Switzerland. If the owner fails the training, additional lessons must be completed.

New dog owners in Zurich must pass a theory test

Alongside the practical course, every new dog owner, and those who haven’t owned a dog for more than 10 years, must complete a theory course. This will teach applicants how to properly care for a dog.

The course will be two hours long and will conclude with an exam. It should be completed “no earlier than one year before and no later than two months after owning a dog or moving to the canton,” the statement read.

Leash requirements for forest areas, vaccination, puppy training, pet insurance, dog tax, banned breed and registration rules are expected to remain the same in the new version of the law.

Finally, as mentioned above, everyone who wants to offer dog training courses in Zurich must pass a theoretical and practical exam, which will be offered by the canton’s veterinarian authority. “This ensures a consistently high standard of quality,” they argued.

Dog training promotes safety and animal welfare, canton argues

In all, the canton wrote that the changes would improve the quality of training and “promote respectful coexistence between humans and dogs in the densely populated canton of Zurich.” “Anyone who owns a dog bears responsibility…Dog training courses have a preventative effect and promote both safety and animal welfare,” they concluded.