Sachkunde-Kurs (English)

The certificate of competence is obligatory for all citizens of Vienna who would like to register a dog and have not owned a dog in Vienna in the two years before.

Basic knowlegde for dog owners

The contents of this course were developed by the Tierschutzombudsstelle Wien. People who move to Vienna with a dog or who live in Vienna and play with the idea of getting a dog should acquire basic knowledge about dog keeping in a course lasting four hours. This includes basic considerations before getting a dog, knowledge about dog keeping, development, care and health, knowledge about animal-friendly dog training and the learning behaviour of dogs as well as knowledge about relevant legal regulations in Vienna.

As of 1 July 2019, proof of attendance at the competence course must be presented upon registration of the dog. Excluded from this are persons who have kept a dog in the previous two years (proof of dog tax).

Of course, the course is also open to all existing dog owners!

Bring along:

The signed „Reliability“ form must be presented for each participant before the start of the course.
The form can be downloaded here and must be completed and brought along on the first day of the course:

Download form

Please do not bring dogs to the course!

Conditions of participation:

• The course fee has been set by the City of Vienna at 40 Euro. Please pay in advance at the time of booking.
• Due to the limited number of places, cancellations are requested up to 14 days before the start of the course. Cancellations at a later date may incur fees according to the General Terms and Conditions.
• Up to 12 participants per course are possible.

Participants in this course will receive an official certificate of competence for the City of Vienna.

Further information on the certificate of competence (Sachkundenachweis) can be found at www.hunde-kunde.at (FAQ).

Booking: Please excuse that some parts of the booking form and this website are currently only available in German due to technical reasons. In case of doubt you can also register by e-mail or telephone (+43 660 4633345). Thank you!