Since June 1, 2025 - Everything you need to know

Anyone residing in the canton of Zurich and keeping a dog for more than three months is obliged to complete a theory course.

Exempt from this obligation are

• Persons who have already kept their own dog for at least six consecutive months within the last ten years,

• Persons who take over a dog from their spouse or partner, provided the animal has been living in the same household for at least six months,

• as well as visually impaired people who adopt a guide dog for the blind, provided it comes from a training center recognized by the disability insurance.

The theoretical training is completed with a written examination.

You can complete the course at the earliest 1 year BEFORE and at the latest 2 months AFTER you start keeping dogs or after moving to the Canton of Zurich.

Die Prüfungsfragen sind vom Veterinäramt vorgegeben.

Die Prüfung besteht aus einer Kombination aus Multiple-Choice-Fragen und offenen Fragen.

Für die Bearbeitung der 25 Fragen stehen dir 30 Minuten zur Verfügung – du darfst die Prüfung aber selbstverständlich auch früher abschliessen.

Es dürfen keine Hilfsmittel verwendet werden.

Die Prüfung findet vor Ort statt (Seefeld; wird vorab bekannt gegeben).

Die Prüfungsgebühr ist bei uns im Preis des Theoriekurses enthalten. Solltest du die Prüfung wiederholen müssen, kostet die Wiederholung 30.-

Kein Stress – du darfst die Prüfung wiederholen. Wir verrechnen für die Wiederholung CHF 30.-

The practical course is compulsory for all newly adopted dogs and all dogs that move to the canton of Zurich and are younger than 10 years old .

The practical course comprises at least 6 lessons of approximately 60 minutes each.

Specific learning objectives must be achieved that have been uniformly defined by the veterinary office (e.g. dog behavior, execution of signals).

The course is considered successful when all learning objectives have been met. This is assessed using a checklist. If the objectives have not been met after six lessons, additional lessons are required.

Practical Dog Training Learning Objectives >> download here

You can start the practical course at the earliest after your puppy has reached the age of seven months.

You must complete the course no later than twelve months after adopting the dog.

Yes - if your dog moves in with you on or after June 1, 2025 and is under 10 years old, you must attend the course. Size, breed or previous experience do not matter.

The same obligations also apply to dogs from animal welfare organizations. The only exceptions are dogs that are older than 10 years.

In this case, the previous regulation applies to you - i.e. no new obligations if your dog is already registered.