German Animal Welfare Regulation for the Protection of Dogs

Ger­man Ver­si­on

The new Ani­mal Pro­tec­tion Dog Ordi­nan­ce (Tier­schutz­hun­de­ver­od­nung) has been in force sin­ce 1 Janu­ary 2022.

Among other regu­la­ti­ons, it pro­vi­des for a ban on show­ing cer­tain dogs.

§ 10 Pro­hi­bi­ti­on of exhi­bi­ti­on

It is pro­hi­bi­ted to show dogs or to orga­ni­ze exhi­bi­ti­ons with dogs,

(1)

in which parts of the body, in par­ti­cu­lar ears or tail, have been com­ple­te­ly or par­ti­al­ly ampu­ta­ted in a man­ner con­tra­ry to the pro­tec­tion of the ani­mal, or

(2)

in which for her­edi­ta­ry reasons

a) body parts or organs are miss­ing or unsui­ta­ble for the pro­per use of the spe­ci­es or have been alte­red, resul­ting in pain, suf­fe­ring or dama­ge,

b) beha­viou­ral dis­or­ders asso­cia­ted with suf­fe­ring occur,

c) any spe­ci­es-appro­pria­te cont­act with con­spe­ci­fics cau­ses them or a con­spe­ci­fic pain or avo­ida­ble suf­fe­ring or harm; or

d) the kee­ping is only pos­si­ble with pain or avo­ida­ble suf­fe­ring or leads to harm.

The respon­si­bi­li­ty for com­pli­ance with the requi­re­ments of the ordi­nan­ce lies with the orga­ni­zer and exhi­bi­tor. The vete­ri­na­ry office will pay spe­cial atten­ti­on to com­pli­ance with the Ani­mal Wel­fa­re Dog Ordi­nan­ce, vio­la­ti­ons can be punis­hed with fines.

Based on the expe­ri­ence of past exhi­bi­ti­ons, we have agreed with the vete­ri­na­ry office on the fol­lo­wing con­cept:

    • Cli­ni­cal or spe­cial exami­na­ti­on for cer­tain dog breeds
    • Ran­dom checks of all dogs

We would like to point out that the regu­la­ti­ons of § 10 TierSch­HuV and the asso­cia­ted requi­re­ments do not only app­ly to par­ti­ci­pan­ts in the actu­al show, but also to dogs pre­sen­ted in the con­text of other parts of the event (juni­or hand­ling, breed pre­sen­ta­ti­on).

Cli­ni­cal or spe­cial exami­na­ti­on befo­re a dog show

For dogs of the fol­lo­wing breeds ente­red for the show, a gene­ral vete­ri­na­ry exami­na­ti­on and/or spe­cial exami­na­ti­on must be car­ri­ed out in advan­ce and cer­ti­fied with the VDH forms (see Down­loads). VDH forms from pre­vious events will be accept­ed if they are still valid. The peri­od of vali­di­ty can be found in the table below. Forms for the simp­le cli­ni­cal exami­na­ti­on, for exam­p­le, are valid for one year accor­ding to the cur­rent sta­tus.

Plea­se upload the requi­red cer­ti­fi­ca­tes (regard­less of whe­ther they are forms from a past event or new forms) when ente­ring your dog in the Online­Dog­Shows por­tal.

Sin­ce the form „Cli­ni­cal exami­na­ti­on befo­re a dog show” has been chan­ged in the past months, it is pos­si­ble that old forms do not exact­ly match the requi­re­ments for the cur­rent show. The sub­mis­si­on of old forms is pos­si­ble.

Down­loads

Form “Cli­ni­cal exami­na­ti­on befo­re a dog show”
Form “Spe­cial exami­na­ti­on”
Form “Exer­cise test”

Forms from other VDH shows
will be accept­ed if their con­tent cor­re­sponds to that of the pre­sent form.

Breed
Clinical examination (U0) (interval)
Special examination (interval)

Affen­pin­scher

every 2 years

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Aire­da­le Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Alas­kan Mala­mu­te

every 2 years

Ame­ri­can Cocker Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Ame­ri­can Water Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Ang­lo-Fran­çais de peti­te véne­rie

every 2 years

Appen­zel­ler Sen­nen­hund

every 2 years

Aus­tra­li­an Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Aus­tra­li­en She­p­herd

every 2 years

Bas­set Hound

Year­ly

Barak hound

every 2 years

Bava­ri­an Moun­tain Hound

every 2 years

Bea­gle

every 2 years

Bedling­ton Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Ber­ne­se Moun­tain Dog

every 2 years

Blood­hound

Year­ly

Bos­ton Ter­ri­er

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Boxer

every 2 years

Bull­ma­stiff

every 2 years

Bull­ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Cava­lier King Charles Spa­ni­el

Year­ly

In the pre­sence of a heart murm­ur:
car­diac ultra­sound (from the age of 4)

Che­s­apea­ke Bay Retrie­ver

every 2 years

Chi­hua­hua

Year­ly

In the pre­sence of a heart murm­ur:
car­diac ultra­sound (from the age of 6)

Chi­ne­se Crested Dog (hair­less)

Year­ly

Chow-Chow

every 2 years

Clum­ber Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Col­lie Smooth

every 2 years

Col­lie Rough

every 2 years

Con­ti­nen­tal Bull­dog

every 2 years

Croa­ti­an Sheep­dog

every 2 years

Cur­ly Coa­ted Retrie­ver

every 2 years

Dachs­hund

every 2 years

Orthopaedic/neurological exami­na­ti­on
(year­ly from the age of 3)
In pre­sence of a heart murm­ur:
Heart ultra­sound (from the age of 6)

Dal­ma­ti­an dog

every 2 years

Dober­mann

every 2 years

Heart ultra­sound, 24-hour ECG
(every 2 years from the age of 3)

Dogo Argen­ti­no

every 2 years

Dogue de Bor­deaux

Year­ly

Dun­ker

every 2 years

Eng­lish Bull­dog

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Eng­lish Cocker Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Eng­lish Sprin­ger Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Eng­lish Toy Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Ent­le­bu­cher Moun­tain Dog

every 2 years

Field Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Flat Coa­ted Retrie­ver

every 2 years

French Bull­dog

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Ger­man She­p­herd

every 2 years

Gol­den Retrie­ver

every 2 years

Grand Ang­lo-Fran­çais Tri­co­lo­re

every 2 years

Grand Ang­lo-Fran­çais Blanc et Oran­ge

every 2 years

Grand Ang­lo-Fran­çais Blanc et Noir

every 2 years

Grea­te Dane

every 2 years

Heart ultra­sound
(from the age of 3 every 2 years)

Greek Hare­hound

every 2 years

Grif­fon Bel­ge

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Grif­fon Bru­xel­lois

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Hano­ver Hound

every 2 years

Irish Water Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Irish Wolf­hound

every 2 years

Heart ultra­sound
(from the age of 3 every 2 years)

Jack Rus­sel Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Jagd­ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Japan Chin

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

King Charles Spa­ni­el

Year­ly

In the pre­sence of a heart murm­ur:
car­diac ultra­sound (from the age of 6)

Labra­dor Retrie­ver

every 2 years

Land­seer dog

every 2 years

Leon­ber­ger

every 2 years

Lha­sa Apso

every 2 years

Mal­te­se dog

every 2 years

Mastiff

Year­ly

Masti­no Napo­le­t­a­no

Year­ly

Minia­tu­re Pin­scher

every 2 years

Mon­te­ne­grin Moun­tain Hound

every 2 years

New­found­land dog

every 2 years

Nova Sco­tia Duck Tol­ling Retrie­ver

every 2 years

Pekin­ge­se

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Petit Bra­ban­con

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Peru­vi­an Hair­less Dog (hair­less)

Year­ly

Pood­le

every 2 years

Pug

Year­ly

Fit­ness and Exer­cise Test
(from the age of 1 every 2 years)

Pyre­ne­an Sheep­dog

every 2 years

Rastre­a­dor Bra­silei­ro

every 2 years

Rho­de­si­an Rid­ge­back

Uni­que

Rott­wei­ler

every 2 years

Sabue­so Espa­ñol

every 2 years

Schip­per­ke

every 2 years

Schwei­zer Lauf­hund

every 2 years

Schwei­zer Nie­der­lauf­hund

every 2 years

Scot­tish Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Sea­ly­ham Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Segu­gio Ita­lia­no

every 2 years

Ser­bi­an Tri­co­lour Hound

every 2 years

Shar Pei

Year­ly

Shet­land Sheep­dog

every 2 years

Shih Tzu

every 2 years

Slovens­ký kopov

every 2 years

St. Ber­nard

every 2 years

Sus­sex Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

Thai Rid­ge­back

Uni­que

Tibet Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Tran­syl­va­ni­an Hound

every 2 years

Welsh Cor­gi Car­di­gan

every 2 years

Welsh Cor­gi Pem­bro­ke

every 2 years

Welsh Sprin­ger Spa­ni­el

every 2 years

West High­land White Ter­ri­er

every 2 years

Xoloitz­cuint­le (hair­less)

Year­ly

York­shire Ter­ri­er

every 2 years