Walkies could become the law for German dog owners

Taking your dog twice a day for at least an hour for walking in total could soon become law in Germany.

There could also be a ban on keeping dogs kept for long periods.

Rules are also being worked out to crack down on “puppy farms” by banning breeders from caring for more than three litters at a time.

“Pets are not smart toys, their needs need to be taken into account,” Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner said of the planned changes.

‘No knock on the door’

Under the planned rules, dog owners can:

• will need to take their dogs twice a day for at least one hour for walks
• will no longer be able to keep their dogs on a leash
• will not be able to leave dogs alone all day

Breeders will be limited to wearing a maximum of three caps and puppies will need to spend a minimum of four hours a day in human company to ensure they are socialized.

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Ms Klöckner said the changes were based on expert advice to ensure animal protection and welfare.

A draft of the new regulations has already been drawn up and could become law early next year. If passed, it will be up to the German states to enforce it.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Agriculture said it was highly unlikely that private dog owners would get police visits to check if they had taken their pooch for a walk. She said the emphasis would be on making sure dogs kept in kennels were treated well.

A ban is also planned on showing dogs that have their ears pricked like tails in violation of animal protection rules. Dogs whose behavior is not “kind of appropriate” could also be banned from dog shows.

Ms Klöckner’s plans also include new rules for transporting cattle with time spent in transit limited to four and a half hours.

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