An exam for dog owners: Swiss canton of Valais drafts a new dog law

Should a dog owner have to prove they can control their dog, the way a driver proves they can drive? In the Swiss canton of Valais the answer is moving towards yes. On 21 May 2026 the cantonal government approved a draft dog law, and one of its main new features is a practical exam for dog owners, taken after the mandatory course. The draft went to the cantonal parliament, which was due to examine it at its September session.

Why Valais is tightening the rules

Switzerland scrapped its federal mandatory courses for dog owners in 2017, leaving the rules to the cantons. Valais brought back compulsory training a few years ago, but it has not been enough. According to the Keystone-ATS news agency in May 2025, dog attacks on people in the canton rose from 177 to 307 a year between 2020 and 2022. The canton had about 26,000 dogs in 2023.

The current compulsory course lasts six hours, and the certificate is awarded for attendance alone. Critics summed it up bluntly: all you have to do is show up. Parliament therefore backed a proposal for a final test, modelled on the neighbouring canton of Fribourg, where such a system has applied since January 2024. There the test can be retaken at most twice, and after a third failure the trainer must report the owner and dog to the veterinary authority.

What the new dog law proposes

The government put forward two texts: an amendment to the cantonal animal protection law, removing its chapter on dogs, and a completely new law devoted to dogs alone. The idea is to separate public safety from animal welfare. The main measures are:

• Practical courses stay compulsory, with an aptitude test added. According to an analysis by the legal site Juriup, it would test the owner's handling of the dog in real situations, such as passing other noisy animals or children.
• Approved trainers: only trainers recognised by the cantonal veterinary service could run the mandatory courses and prepare owners for the test.
• Uniform measures after incidents: for serious bites or repeated aggression, the response would be the same across the canton.
• A cantonal dog tax of between 25 and 50 francs, which the government says would in practice be set at 25 francs a year per dog. According to Juriup, the aim is for dog owners, rather than all taxpayers, to cover the canton's dog related costs.

The public consultation ran until 25 January 2026 and drew nearly 100 responses from almost all parties, municipalities and associations. The government says it listened to the clear wish not to replace practical training with a theory only course. Juriup expects the law will probably not take effect before 2027.

Not everyone agrees

The plan has opponents. Christian Gasser, head of the UDC group from Upper Valais, said in 2025 that "the problem is the human being, not the animal" and that a law for dog owners goes too far. Juriup, for its part, warns that a compulsory test could be an administrative and financial burden for some new owners. At the time of writing we found no confirmation of the final parliamentary vote, so the details may still change.

What it means for dog owners in Serbia

In Serbia, dog owners generally do not have to complete any training before or after getting a dog. We are not claiming the Swiss model is the only answer, but the logic behind it is interesting: the goal is not to punish dogs, but to teach people. Even as an opponent of the law, Gasser has a point: the problem usually lies with the human, not the dog.

What any owner can do, with or without a law:

• Test yourself. Does your dog calmly pass children, bikes, another dog or a cat? Does it come back when called while something exciting is going on? That is roughly what the Valais test would check.
• Courses are not just for problem dogs. Basic obedience and socialisation save nerves and prevent accidents.
• Do not ignore warning signs. Growling, freezing and hard staring are messages, not bad character. The earlier you act, the easier it is.

If you are unsure how your dog would do on a test like this, a conversation with an experienced trainer is a good first step.

An exam for dog owners, like a driving test?

The comparison with a driving test is not perfect, but it captures the essence. A dog is not a dangerous machine, but it is a living being with a will of its own, and it is the owner who decides whether that will is guided well. Valais is trying to turn that responsibility into something that can be checked. Whatever the outcome of the vote, the question it raises applies to us too: would you pass?

Sources: Radio Lac, Grand Conseil valaisan : vers une nouvelle loi sur les chiens (French), Juriup, Nouvelle loi sur les chiens en Valais : ce qui change (French), SWI swissinfo.ch, Valais : formation des chiens, le canton veut serrer la vis (French)

Photo: U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. Angela Ohearn, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons