After compulsory training was abolished on a federal level in 2017, in May 2018, Zurich's cantonal parliament decided to lift the cantonal training obligation for owners of "large or bulky" dogs. This prompted a referendum, which was put to the vote.

Prior to the parliamentary consultations, the Zürcher Tierschutz and TIR had already spoken out in favor of the compulsory cantonal training courses. The organizations therefore backed the referendum against the proposed amendment to the dog legislation and support the State Council's plans to simplify the compulsory training while extending it to all dog breeds.

The training courses are particularly important from an animal welfare perspective. They significantly contribute to promoting correct, animal-friendly treatment of dogs and also to protecting their general wellbeing by giving new dog owners the chance to learn non-violent training methods and how to build a consistent and loving relationship with their dogs.

The courses also help experienced dog owners accustom their dogs to various environmental stimuli, strangers, and other dogs. Socialization is important as it allows for safe and stress-free interactions in public. Training courses also strengthen the bond between human and animal. Problematic behavior can be addressed and corrected during training. Also, course instructors are required to report dog bite incidents as well as excessive aggressive behavior (article 78 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance).  

The training obligation in the canton of Zurich is a preventive measure and is intended to help participants better fulfill their responsibilities as dog owners. This is in contrast to measures that only take effect once a dog has already suffered from mistreatment or has already posed a risk to humans or other animals or even injured someone.   

Further information on the German version of this news release.