Mandatory dog training courses in the canton of Zurich 2025
- Sebastian Schirmer
- 27. März
- 7 Min. Lesezeit
👉👉👉 The new dog law (Hundegesetz) in Zurich comes into force on 1 June 2025. From 1 June 2025, all dog owners must attend mandatory dog training courses, regardless of the breed and size of their dog.
Zurich Dog Law 2025 - the most important points in brief
Every dog owner living in Zurich who gets their dog from 1 June 2025 must attend compulsory training courses. The breed and size of the dog does not matter.
A theory course with a final test is compulsory for new dog owners or if no dog has been owned for more than 10 years.
The compulsory practical dog training course comprises six lessons and must be completed by all dog owners.
However, dog owners who got their dog before 1 June 2025 must still complete the mandatory dog training courses in accordance with the "old" Dog Law.
Are dog training courses compulsory in the canton of Zurich?
From 1 June 2025, all dogs in the canton of Zurich will be required to complete a mandatory dog training course. This means that all dog owners who get their dog from 1 June 2025 must attend the following courses:
Theory course with final examination
6 practical lessons without exam
Compulsory theory course
Dog owners who keep a dog for at least three months for the first time and live in a Zurich municipality must attend a theory course. The theory course is completed with an examination. The theory course is offered online or on site at our dog school in Zurich Albisgüetli.
However, there are certain exceptions. In the following cases, dog owners do not have to attend a theory course:
Dog owners who have kept a dog for at least six consecutive months in the last ten years do not have to take a theory course.
Dog owners who adopt a dog from a spouse or partner do not have to complete a theory course if the dog has been living in the same household for at least six months.
Visually impaired dog owners who adopt a guide dog from a guide dog school do not have to complete a theory course if the guide dog school is recognised by the disability insurance.
When must the theory course be completed
The theory course can be completed at the earliest one year before and at the latest two months after starting to keep the dog or moving to the canton. However, from 1 June 2025 at the earliest.
Examination after the theory course
An examination must be taken at the end of the theory course. If the exam is not passed after the theory course, it can be repeated without any problems.
Compulsory practical lessons
All dogs that move to the canton of Zurich from 1 June 2025, or their owners, must complete a practical dog training course. The practical training comprises six course lessons.
The dog must be at least 6 months old at the start of the practical course lessons. The practical course lessons must be completed no later than 12 months after the start of dog ownership or moving to the Canton of Zurich.
Exceptions to the practical dog training courses
Dog owners who have a dog that is more than ten years old when they acquire it or move to the canton of Zurich are not obliged to complete practical dog training.
There are also other exceptions. In the following cases, dog owners do not have to complete practical dog training:
Dog owners who keep a dog that is older than ten years when they acquire it or when the dog owner moves to the canton of Zurich do not have to complete practical dog training.
Dog owners who move to the Canton of Zurich and have completed practical dog training that is equivalent according to the confirmation of the veterinary office do not have to complete practical dog training.
Dog owners who take over the dog from their spouse or partner if the dog has been living in the same household for at least six months are not required to complete practical dog training.
Dog owners who have a licence as a dog trainer in accordance with §16 d Para. 1 are not required to complete practical dog training.
Dog owners who use their dogs for the security service of the police or a penal institution or for the Border Guard Corps do not have to complete practical dog training.
Dog owners who use a livestock guarding dog recognised by the Federal Office for the Environment are not required to complete practical dog training.
In addition, the Zurich Veterinary Office can exempt a dog owner from practical dog training upon request if the dog owner is unable to complete the training for health reasons or has a sick dog or a dog with behavioural problems with which practical dog training cannot be carried out.
When must the practical course lessons be completed
The dog must be at least 6 months old at the start of the practical course lessons.
The practical course lessons must be completed no later than 12 months after the start of dog ownership or moving to the Canton of Zurich.
The Canton of Zurich published a press release on 21 March 2025.
Zurich Dog Law until 31 May 2025
Dog owners who acquire their dog or move to the canton of Zurich by 31 May 2025 must attend courses in accordance with the ‘old’ Dog Law. The ‘old’ dog law in the canton of Zurich stipulates a mandatory course requirement for certain breeds and dogs. This means that certain dog courses must be attended and completed with these dogs. This course requirement has been in place since 2010, when the canton of Zurich introduced a training requirement for dog owners of large breeds.
This current regulation in 2025 is still in force and applies until 31 May 2025.
Compulsory puppy course and compulsory young dog training course
Dog owners who acquire their dog by 31 May 2025 or move to the canton of Zurich by then may have to attend a puppy course and a young dog course.
Our dog school animalcoach.ch Zurich offers compulsory puppy courses and young dog training courses. These courses can of course also be attended voluntarily.
The compulsory puppy school must be attended by the age of 16 weeks and comprises 4 hours of puppy school.
The compulsory young dog training course must be attended by the age of 18 months and comprises 10 course hours.
Which dogs currently have to attend a compulsory dog course in the canton of Zurich?
As the revised Dog Ordinance does not come into force until 1 June 2025, dog training in the canton of Zurich is currently mandatory for all dogs in Zurich that are not considered small in size.
In other words: in the canton of Zurich, all dogs that are not considered small in size must currently undergo cantonally recognised training. A dog - regardless of size or weight - is only considered to be small in stature if both parents are demonstrably small in stature. The definitive list of small dog breeds can be found on the website of the Zurich Veterinary Office.
Please note: Small stature is not the same as the AMICUS categorisation of small. The size classification at AMICUS is therefore not decisive with regard to the training obligation for your dog.
Overview of compulsory courses for dog owners in the canton of Zurich
Dog age -when adopting or moving to the canton of Zurich | Puppy training (at least 4 course lessons) | Young dog training course (at least 10 lessons) | "Erziehungskurs" (at least 20 lessons) |
|---|---|---|---|
8 to 16 weeks | yes | yes | no |
16 weeks to 18 months | no | yes | yes * |
18 months to 8 years | no | no | yes |
over 8 years | no | no | no |
* unless the cantonal confirmation is available
This information comes from the website of the Veterinary Office of the Canton of Zurich, where much more information is published.
Do I have to take a compulsory dog training course with my dog in Zurich?
If you acquire your dog from 1 June 2025 or move to the canton of Zurich after this date, you must complete a compulsory dog training course. You can find the relevant information above.
Until then, it depends. Using the course guide for dog owners, you can quickly and easily find out whether you have to take a compulsory training course with your dog and see which dog courses are compulsory for you and your dog in the canton of Zurich.
In the course guide, you enter the breed of your dog, the date of birth and the date since which your dog has been with you, and the course guide then shows you whether you have to complete compulsory dog courses and, if so, which dog courses. For example, a puppy course, a young dog course and/or a training course for dogs.
Is it compulsory to attend a dog school in Zurich?
Attending dog training in Zurich is only compulsory for dogs that are not considered small. We have explained this in more detail above. However, this will change on 1 June 2025.
Dog law canton of Zurich 2025
The current (2025) Zurich Dog Law can be viewed on the Canton of Zurich website.
Are dog training courses compulsory in Switzerland?
Since 2017, there are no longer any compulsory dog courses in Switzerland.
Until the end of 2016, there was a mandatory national dog training course. This national mandatory dog training course, which applied throughout Switzerland, was abolished at the end of 2016. Since 2017, the cantons have been able to decide for themselves whether dog training courses are compulsory in a canton or not.
Questions about compulsory dog training courses
If you have any questions about compulsory dog training in the canton of Zurich, please contact us using our contact form or by email. We will help and support you as best we can 🤗
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