Mandatory Dog License in Berlin

The Berlin senate is proposing to remove the "Listenhunde" aka dangerous dog label (which applies to Pitbull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bullterriers and mixes thereof) by making the dog license mandatory for all. As of 2024, there were 131440 dogs registered in Berlin, of those 1432 are Listenhunde. Currently, the dog license is mandatory only for Listenhunde, which are also required to be muzzled in public.  

For those not familiar with the dog license, it consists of a theory part and practical part (which requires training) which must be taken and paid for separately. The exam costs for the mandatory dog license are projected to be 227 - 240 euro for Berliners (note that this does not include training costs). In Niedersachsen (the model for the new regulations), the theory test must be taken before getting a dog, then the practical exam must be passed with the dog within a year. The dog license is issued per person and valid for life within the state it was taken. 

We held an opinion poll in April on our Facebook group:

27% saw a mandatory dog license as positive

61% perceived a mandatory dog license as a negative

12% were undecided.

I'd like to present some information and pose some questions that have not been answered in the numerous news articles and press releases. 

Potential Costs

The Dog License is issued on a per person basis. As single individuals, this may seem reasonable but when it comes to families and family dogs, it becomes clear that the license is a money grab. Each person who wants to be able to walk the dog in public will need to have a dog license. If we are talking about a family of four, the fees quickly add up to almost 1000 euros. And if you ever move to another state, you have to do it all over again. 

If training is necessary to pass the dog license (which is usually the case for new dog owners), costs can sky rocket as the hourly rate for a dog trainer in Berlin is 70-85 euros. Even taking part in a dog school does not sink the costs much, with each session around 30 euros. Assuming the average dog needs 20 lessons in order to pass the dog license, we are looking at 600 - 1500 euros. Needless to say, if the dog has behavioural issues and in the case of a language barrier, the costs can be prohibitive. 

It's easy to argue that people should not expect dog ownership to be cheap. But do we really want to create a new social order of those who can afford to have dogs and those who cannot? Germany is the only country in the world which levies a luxury tax on pet ownership, and that is aimed squarely at dog owners. There is no such thing as a horse tax or a cat tax, or even an exotic animal tax.  

Consequences

Given that Berlin struggles with its current bureaucracy, with waiting times exceeding years in some processes, it is questionable how realistic an implementation of a mandatory dog license even is. 

Nevertheless, some important questions remain unanswered:

• What happens if your dog cannot pass the test? Are we talking punitive fines, confiscation, euthanasia?
• How does a mandatory dog license help if it was passed with a Chihuahua and then the person gets a reactive Great Dane?
• How will these regulations impact special needs dogs and the likelihood of such animals being adopted?

TBC... in part II, we take a deep dive into the statistics.