You've just gotten a dog — or you're planning to — and you've heard something about a mandatory course requirement in Canton Zürich. You're in the right place. Since 1 June 2025, Canton Zürich requires new dog owners to complete legally binding training courses. Here's everything you need to know: who's affected, which courses are required, and what the deadlines are — explained without the bureaucratic jargon.
This is your complete overview article. If you want to go deeper on a specific course, you'll find links at the end to our detailed articles on the theory course, the practical course, and registering your dog.
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What changed on 1 June 2025?
Under the revised cantonal dog legislation (Hundegesetz), a mandatory course requirement came into effect on 1 June 2025. It applies to anyone who:
- acquired a dog on or after 1 June 2025, or
- moved to Canton Zürich with a dog on or after 1 June 2025
Crucially, the law covers all municipalities in Canton Zürich — not just the city. Whether you live in Winterthur, Uster, Dietikon, or a small village, the obligation applies to you.
Who is exempt? If you already had your dog before 1 June 2025 and haven't since acquired a new dog or moved into the canton, you have no mandatory course obligations under the revised law. Note that registration and insurance requirements still apply to all dog owners.
The two mandatory courses explained
1. Theory course
The theory course covers the legal framework of dog ownership, dog social behaviour and learning, training methods, and the time and financial costs involved. It takes approximately 2 hours and ends with a mandatory exam (questions set by the Veterinäramt).
Who must take the theory course?
- First-time dog owners (you've never owned a dog before)
- Anyone who has not kept a dog for at least 6 consecutive months in the last 10 years
Who is exempt from the theory course?
- Experienced owners (6+ months of dog ownership in the last 10 years)
- People taking over a dog from a spouse or life partner, if the dog has lived in the shared household for at least 6 months
- Visually impaired people taking a guide dog from an IV-recognised school
Deadlines: You must complete the theory course within 2 months of starting dog ownership. The exam confirmation must then be submitted to your municipality within 3 months. You can also take the theory course up to 1 year before getting your dog — useful if you're planning ahead.
Format: Available online or in-person. Both are officially recognised.
Full details in our article: Dog Theory Course Zürich.
2. Practical course
The practical course is mandatory for all new dog owners — regardless of prior experience. Exemptions apply only in specific circumstances (see below).
The course covers: building the human-dog bond, reading dog body language, basic training, safe handling in challenging everyday situations, and muzzle habituation.
Course structure: The practical course comprises at least 6 lessons of 60 minutes each, with at least one week between lessons. If all learning goals are not achieved after 6 lessons, additional lessons are required until all goals are met. There is no exam — instead, the trainer uses a learning goal checklist (Lernerfolgskontrolle).
Who is exempt from the practical course?
- Dog is over 10 years old at the time of acquisition or move into the canton
- Takeover of the dog from a spouse or life partner (dog in shared household for at least 6 months)
- Licensed dog trainers (per the Hundeverordnung)
- Moving from another canton with an equivalent practical course (Veterinäramt confirmation required)
- Assistance dogs from an IV-recognised school or organisation
- Dogs registered to a shelter in AMICUS (except those imported from abroad)
- Police, military, border guard dogs, and federally recognised herd protection dogs
Deadlines:
- Earliest start: when your dog is 6 months old
- Must be completed: within 12 months of starting ownership or moving into the canton
Full details in our article: Practical Dog Course Zürich.
Deadlines at a glance
| Situation | Theory course | Practical course |
|---|---|---|
| First-time owner, dog since 1 June 2025 | Within 2 months | Within 12 months |
| Experienced owner, dog since 1 June 2025 | Not required | Within 12 months |
| Moved to ZH with dog since 1 June 2025 (first-time) | Within 2 months | Within 12 months |
| Moved to ZH with dog since 1 June 2025 (experienced) | Not required | Within 12 months |
| Dog acquired before 1 June 2025 | No course obligation | No course obligation |
Registering your dog and AMICUS
Alongside the courses, there are additional obligations to take care of quickly:
Municipality registration: Dogs over 3 months old must be registered with your municipality within 10 days of acquisition. For puppies under 3 months: register within 10 days of the dog turning 3 months old.
AMICUS registration: Your dog must also be entered into the national AMICUS database — within the same 10-day window. First-time owners receive their AMICUS ID after registering with the municipality. If you've owned a dog since January 2016, you already have one.
Liability insurance: You need insurance immediately — before registering your dog — with a minimum coverage of CHF 1,000,000.
Dog tax (Hundeabgabe): Annual dog tax is collected by your municipality. The amount varies by commune.
Full details in: Register Your Dog in Zürich.
How AMICUS entries work after courses
After the theory course, the trainer records the passed exam in AMICUS within 10 days — but only if you are already registered in AMICUS at that point. If you completed the theory course before acquiring your dog (which is allowed up to 1 year early), you won't yet have an AMICUS ID. In that case, you submit the trainer's written confirmation to your municipality, and they record the completion.
The same applies after the practical course: the trainer records completion in AMICUS and hands you the completed Lernerfolgskontrolle.
Your complete to-do list
- Immediately: Take out liability insurance (min. CHF 1M)
- Within 10 days: Register your dog with the municipality + AMICUS entry
- Within 2 months: Complete theory course + exam (if required)
- Within 3 months: Submit exam confirmation to the municipality (if required)
- Within 12 months: Complete practical course (earliest start: dog's 6th month)
Not sure what applies to your exact situation? Take the free quiz — it calculates your personal deadlines in under 2 minutes.
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Disclaimer: This information is for guidance only and does not constitute legally binding advice. For binding information, please contact your municipality or the Veterinäramt of Canton Zürich.
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- Dog Theory Course Zürich — Who needs it, who's exempt, what it covers
- Practical Dog Course Zürich — Structure, learning goals, deadlines
- Register Your Dog in Zürich — Municipality, AMICUS, insurance