Essential Info: Dog Ownership in Berlin
Leash Laws
In general, dogs must be kept on a leash in all public spaces in Berlin. The leash length is required to be maximum 1m within areas of heavy traffic (pedestrian districts, within public buildings, on public transport) and 2m in woodlands or other less inhabited areas. There are officially designated off-leash exercise areas (Hundeauslaufgebiete), a listing is provided below.
Dogs are exempt from leash regulations under the following circumstances in residential or less inhabited areas:
- If the owner has a "dog license".
- If the dog was already living in Berlin before the rule came into place (22.07.2016).
- If the owner is exempt from having a "dog license" (those who have owned a dog continuously for 3 of the last 5 years while never receiving a complaint) - for this they need to have "proof of competence" (Sachkundenachweis).
Muzzle Requirements
On public transport, all dogs (not in a box or carrier) are required to be leashed and muzzled. Additionally, "listed breeds" ((American) Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bullterriers and their mixes) are required to be muzzled at all times - they are allowed to run free in off-leash areas, but the muzzles must remain on.
Hundeauslaufgebiete / Off-leash Exercise Areas
The most well-known is in Grunewald (the whole section east of the train tracks when you get off at S-Bhf Grunewald) as it the largest off-leash area by far and even has a dog beach to boot. However, there are also smaller parks scattered within the city and other forest areas.
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
- Volkspark Wilmersdorf
Volkspark Wilmersdorf 10715 Berlin - Wilmersdorf - Tegeler Weg
Tegeler Weg / Westhafenkanal 10589 Berlin - Charlottenburg - Jungfernheidepark
Heckerdamm 13627 Berlin - Charlottenburg-Nord - Pücklerstraße
Pücklerstraße 14195 Berlin - Wilmersdorf - Grunewald
Hüttenweg 14193 Berlin - Grunewald
Königsallee 14193 Berlin - Wilmersdorf - Westend
Spandauer Damm, Ecke Reichsstraße 14050 Berlin - Westend
Friedrichshain
- Volkspark Friedrichshain
Volkspark Friedrichshain in 10407 Berlin - Modersohnstr. / Revaler Str.
Hundepark Modersohnstraße/Revaler Straße in 10245 Berlin
Lichtenberg
- Tierschutzverein Berlin
Hausvaterweg 39 13057 Berlin - Falkenberg - Hundeplatz Lichtenberg
Hönower Weg 17 10319 Berlin - Friedrichsfelde - Hohenschönhausen
Zu den Krugwiesen 13057 Berlin
Köpenick-Treptow
- Forsthausallee
Forsthausallee/ Britzer Zweigkanal in 12437 Berlin
Kreuzberg - Neukölln
- Volkspark Hasenheide
Hasenheide in 10965 Berlin
Mitte - Wedding
- Volkspark Rehberge
Volkspark Rehberge 13351 Berlin - Wedding - Humboldthain
Humboldthain 13355 Berlin - Gesundbrunnen - Vinetaplatz
Vinetaplatz 13355 Berlin - Wedding
Pankow
- Arkenberge
Schildower Straße 13159 Berlin - Blankenfelde - Nature reserve Fauler See
Naturschutzgebiet Fauler See Berlin Weißensee - Orankesee
Orankesee Berlin Weißensee - Mauerpark
Mauerpark 10437 Berlin - Prenzlauer Berg
Reinickendorf
- Steinbergpark
Rosentreterpromenade - 13437 Berlin - Wittenau - Welfenallee
Welfenallee 13465 Berlin - Reinickendorf - Tegeler Forst
Hundespielplatz - Ruppiner Chaussee 13465 Berlin - Reinickendorf - Lübars
Am Freibad 13469 Berlin - Lübars - Frohnau
Welfenallee / Forstweg 13465 Berlin - Frohnau - Schäfersee
13407 Berlin - Grünzug am Schäferseepark (Mudrackzeile/ Stargardtstr.) - Forst Jungfernheide
Kamener Weg 13507 Berlin - Seggeluchbecken
Seggeluchbecken 13435 Berlin
Spandau
- Radeland / Hakenfelde
Cautiusstraße / Schönwalder Allee 13587 Berlin - Spandau - Koeltzepark
Am Koeltzepark 13585 Berlin - Groß-Glienicker See
Gottfried-Arnold-Weg 14089 Berlin - Kladow - Fuchsberge
Am Dorfwald 14089 Berlin - Pichelswerder
13595 Berlin - Am Stößensee
Steglitz-Zehlendorf
- Düppel
Königsweg /Am Waldhaus 14129 Berlin - Grunewald / Schlachtensee
Hüttenweg 14193 Berlin - Nikolskoe
Pfaueninselchaussee/Nikolskoer Weg 14109 Berlin - Stölpchensee
Kohlhasenbrücker Str. 14109 Berlin
Tempelhof - Schöneberg
- Tempelhofer Feld
Tempelhofer Damm 103 12099 Berlin - Tempelhof
(There are three fenced areas here, one near the west entrance and two near the east entrance) - Verein Inselhunde
Tempelhofer Weg 63/64 10829 Berlin - Schöneberg
Hundeverbot! No Dogs Allowed.
Children's playgrounds, museums, concert venues, religious buildings and grocery stores generally prohibit dogs. Cafes, restaurants, and regular shops tend to be quite dog friendly but watch out for signs. A water bowl is usually an indicator for pro-dog businesses. In contrast, places with signs that say "Hundeverbot", "Hunde verboten", "Wir müssen draußen bleiben" or similar mean that your dog is not allowed inside.
There are also certain parks which prohibit dogs or have certain area restrictions:
Charlottenburg - Wilmersdorf
- Garten Villa Harteneck (Douglasstr. 7/Fontanestr. 15)
Friedrichshain - Kreuzberg
- Annemirl-Bauer-Platz Traveplatz
- Volkspark Friedrichshain (the fenced area between Märchenbrunnen and Themengarten Wasserlauf)
- Boxhagener Platz (inner green area)
- Bethanien open air cinema area
- Nature experience area "Robinienwäldchen" at Möckernstraße/Hallesche Straße
Neukölln
- Hasenheide (near the animal enclosure)
- Körnerpark
- von der Schulenburgpark
- Schloßpark Britz
- Britzer Garten
Marzahn - Hellersdorf
- Gärten der Welt
Pankow
- Mauerpark (between Gleimstraße and S-Bahn)
- Grünanlage Mendelssohnstraße (Green space with playground)
- Blankensteinpark (Green space with playground)
- Wasserturmplatz (Green space with playground)
- Kollwitzplatz (Green space with playground)
Steglitz - Zehlendorf
- Markusplatz (playground)
- Paul-Ernst-Park and Krumme Lanke (Individual areas around the lakes are fenced off for biotope and shore protection purposes and therefore may not be entered.)
Tempelhof - Schöneberg
- Franckepark (near the animal enclosure)
- Cheruskerpark (partial, at the Torgauer Straße entrance)