Dogs in Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland: rules, tax and travel
In Fribourg dogs must be on a leash in forest from 1 April to 15 July, liability insurance with at least CHF 1 million cover is compulsory, and new owners must take a theory course. There is a cantonal dog tax, and communes may add their own.
Cantonal law LDCh (RSF 725.3) and regulation RDCh (RSF 725.31) set the rules and a cantonal dog tax; communes may add their own dog tax and leash zones.
The national rules for Switzerland apply here too. National rules
Breed rules
| Where | Rule | Breeds and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fribourg | Banned | chiens de type pitbull, croisements avec des chiens de type pitbull LDCh art. 20: keeping, breeding, importing and selling pit bull type dogs and their crosses is prohibited; temporary stays of up to 90 days allowed with leash and muzzle; the separate permit-breed list was dropped on 1 Jan 2024. [1] |
Registration and microchip
Owners must notify the commune's residents' registry promptly of dog ownership and changes affecting AMICUS (model communal regulation, Art. 2).[2]
Dog tax and licence
A cantonal dog tax of CHF 100 per dog per year applies, plus CHF 5 for an administrative fee and the collective liability insurance contribution, collected by the prefectures. Communes may also levy their own dog tax of up to CHF 200 per dog per year (LDCh Art. 50). Example: Chatel-St-Denis communal tax CHF 80.[3]
105 to 305 CHF a year
Every new dog owner must take the compulsory theory course (RDCh Art. 11). Owners who can show they kept a dog in the previous 10 years are exempt.[4]
Insurance
Compulsory, minimum cover CHF 1 million per event for injury and property damage (RDCh Art. 27).[4]
Leash and muzzle
Dogs must be on a leash in forest from 1 April to 15 July. Owners must keep control of the dog at all times.[4]
Laws change: this is general information, not legal advice. The authority linked on each line has the final word.
Sources
- lexfind.ch/tolv/213898/fr (official)
- fr.ch/de/document/518611 (official)
- chatel-st-denis.ch/_Resources/Persistent/d/0/c/4/d0c42acec17d2fb5f6f7023494c3c347f4e57fe3/ (official)
- fr.lexwork.naz.ch/fr/dta/725.31.pdf (official)