| United Kingdom, England and Wales | VerbodenDangerous Dogs Act 1991 bans owning, breeding, selling, giving away or abandoning these types (judged on appearance, not pedigree); XL Bully added 31 Dec 2023, ownership offence from 1 Feb 2024; existing dogs may be kept only with a Certificate of Exemption. | officieel |
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| United Kingdom, England and Wales | Muilkorf en riem verplichtExempted dogs must be muzzled and on a lead in public, neutered, microchipped and kept securely; third-party insurance was required until 30 June 2026 and is no longer required from 1 July 2026. | officieel |
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| United Kingdom, Scotland | VerbodenSame banned types as England; XL Bully safeguards from 23 Feb 2024 (lead and muzzle in public, no breeding, selling, rehoming) and ownership without a Certificate of Exemption an offence from 1 Aug 2024 (application deadline 31 July 2024). | officieel |
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| United Kingdom, Northern Ireland | VerbodenDogs (NI) Order 1983 bans Pit Bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and, from 1 Jan 2025, XL Bully; exempted dogs need a council exemption certificate plus annual licence, muzzle and lead in public, neutering, and third-party insurance up to 30 June 2026. | officieel |
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| Ireland | Muilkorf en riem verplichtControl of Dogs Regulations 1998: restricted breeds (and their crosses) must be muzzled in public, on a strong lead of max 2 m, held by a person over 16, with a collar showing the owner's name and address. | officieel |
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| Germany | Invoer verbodenFederal HundVerbrEinfG (2001): Pitbull-Terrier, American Staffordshire-Terrier, Staffordshire-Bullterrier, Bullterrier and their crosses may not be imported or brought into Germany; keeping rules are set by each Land. | officieel |
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| Germany, Baden-Württemberg | BeperktPolVOgH 2000: Kampfhunde list 1, dangerousness presumed; keeping needs a permit, muzzle and leash in public, unless a Wesenstest (temperament test) rebuts the presumption. | bron |
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| Germany, Bayern | BeperktKategorie 1 of the Bavarian Kampfhundeverordnung: fighting-dog status is irrebuttably presumed; keeping requires a permit from the municipality, granted only for a special interest. | officieel |
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| Germany, Berlin | BeperktHundegesetz Berlin 2016 with Gefährliche-Hunde-Verordnung: these breeds are deemed dangerous; keeping needs a permit, muzzle and leash in public. | bron |
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| Germany, Bremen | VerbodenBremHundeG (2025 version replacing the 2001 law): keeping Pitbull Terrier, Bullterrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bullterrier is prohibited with narrow exceptions. | bron |
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| Germany, Hamburg | BeperktHamburgisches Hundegesetz: these four breeds are irrebuttably dangerous; keeping needs a permit, muzzle and leash in public. | officieel |
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| Germany, Hessen | BeperktHundeVO 2003 (amended 2022): one list of presumed dangerous breeds; keeping needs a permit, Wesenstest, Sachkunde, liability insurance, muzzle and leash. | officieel |
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| Germany, Nordrhein-Westfalen | BeperktLHundG NRW §3 gefährliche Hunde: permit, Sachkunde before the official vet, criminal record check, liability insurance, microchip, leash and muzzle outside fenced property. | officieel |
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| Germany, Rheinland-Pfalz | BeperktLHundG RP 2004: keeping needs a permit (Sachkunde, reliability, insurance), muzzle and leash in public. | bron |
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| Germany, Saarland | BeperktSaarland dog ordinance (HuV SL 2022): presumed dangerous, rebuttable by a temperament test; permit, muzzle and leash otherwise. | bron |
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| Germany, Sachsen | BeperktGefHundG Sachsen 2000: presumed dangerous, rebuttable by official behavioural assessment; permit, muzzle and leash otherwise. | bron |
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| Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt | BeperktHundeG LSA 2009: dogs that may not be imported under the federal HundVerbrEinfG are presumed dangerous; keeping must be notified and needs a Wesenstest, insurance, leash and muzzle. | bron |
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| Denmark | VerbodenHundeloven §1a: possession and breeding of these 13 breeds and any cross containing them is prohibited (since 2010); commercial import is banned. | bron |
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| Denmark | Invoer verbodenHundeloven §1a stk. 3: commercial import of the listed dogs and their crosses is prohibited; consolidated act LBK nr 329 af 02/03/2021. | officieel |
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| Norway | VerbodenHundeforskriften under the Hundeloven: owning, breeding and importing these six breeds (and any cross containing them) is illegal; police may order a dog of doubtful breed destroyed or exported. | officieel |
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| Lithuania | BeperktVMVT order B1-5 of 9 Jan 2013 (under the Animal Welfare and Protection Law) lists the American pit bull terrier as a fighting breed: municipal permit to keep in apartment buildings, muzzle and short leash in public, breeding only with pedigree. | bron |
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| Poland | Vergunning verplichtRozporzadzenie MSWiA of 28 April 2003 (Dz.U. 2003 nr 77 poz. 687) under art. 10 of the Animal Protection Act: keeping or breeding these 11 breeds requires a permit from the municipality; the permit is refused or withdrawn if the dog is kept in a way that endangers people or animals. | officieel |
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| Switzerland, Zürich | VerbodenHundeverordnung §5 Rassetypenliste II: acquisition, breeding and moving in of these types is prohibited; Rottweilers registered before 1 Jan 2025 may be kept only with a Haltebewilligung after a temperament assessment (applications by 30 June 2025). | officieel |
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| Switzerland, Genève | VerbodenRChiens art. 17 (15 'chiens listes'): banned in the canton for dogs arriving after 24 Feb 2008; grandfathered dogs with a 'carte bleue' must pass a behaviour test, be neutered and be muzzled and leashed everywhere. | officieel |
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| Switzerland, Valais | VerbodenConseil d'Etat decision 2005 under art. 37 LALPA: keeping these 12 breeds and their crosses is banned (new ownership since 1 Jan 2006); visits up to 30 days per year allowed with leash and muzzle. | bron |
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| Switzerland, Vaud | Vergunning verplichtRLPolC art. 2 and 9-11: 'chiens potentiellement dangereux' need a cantonal keeping authorisation (adult, insurance, clean record), a behaviour test (TCOM) from 12 months and up to 72 hours of training. | officieel |
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| Switzerland, Ticino | Vergunning verplichtRegolamento sui cani (RCani, in force 1 Jan 2026) art. 14-20: 30 breeds and crosses born after 1 April 2009 need an authorisation from the cantonal veterinary office before acquisition, a training course, aptitude tests at 9-13 months and in year 3; applies to dogs staying over 30 days a year. | bron |
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| Switzerland, Other cantons | Vergunning verplichtPermit (Bewilligungspflicht) cantons per SRF overview (Dec 2024): Aargau (8 bull types + Rottweiler), Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft (8), Solothurn (8), Glarus (10 incl. German and Belgian Shepherd), Schaffhausen (14), Thurgau (14); no breed rules in AI, AR, BE, GR, JU, LU, NE, SG, UR, ZG, NW, OW, SZ. | bron |
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| Austria, Wien | Vergunning verplichtWiener Tierhaltegesetz and Hundefuehrscheinverordnung: 'Listenhunde' need a Hundefuehrschein (exam within 3 months, repeat after 21-24 months), muzzle and leash in public, handler at least 16 and under 0.5 permille alcohol; Sachkunde course before registering since 1 July 2019. | officieel |
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| Austria, Niederösterreich | BeperktNOe Hundehaltegesetz §2: 'Hunde mit erhoehtem Gefaehrdungspotential' must be notified to the municipality, extended Sachkunde, muzzle and leash in built-up areas, transport, schools and parks. | officieel |
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| Austria, Oberösterreich | BeperktOOe Hundehaltegesetz (new rules from 1 Dec 2024): 'spezielle Hunde' are treated as large dogs regardless of size, must pass an Alltagstauglichkeitspruefung and are under leash and muzzle duty in public places. | bron |
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| Austria, Vorarlberg | Vergunning verplichtVorarlberg: keeping a listed breed requires an authorisation; muzzle, leash or custody conditions are set case by case by decision (older secondary overview, not re-verified against the current law). | bron |
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| Spain | Vergunning verplichtReal Decreto 287/2002 (Ley 50/1999) 'perros potencialmente peligrosos': municipal licence (adult, clean record, psychological and physical aptitude, liability insurance of at least 120,000 EUR), muzzle and non-extensible leash under 2 m in public, one PPP per handler; a 2025 draft decree under Ley 7/2023 would let dogs leave the category by passing aptitude tests but is not yet approved. | officieel |
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| Portugal | Vergunning verplichtPortaria 422/2004 lists the 'caes potencialmente perigosos'; Decreto-Lei 315/2009 (as amended by DL 9/2021) requires an annual licence from the junta de freguesia (owner over 16, criminal record, training course, liability insurance of at least 50,000 EUR, sterilisation unless LOP-registered), muzzle and leash of max 1 m in public, secure 2 m enclosure and warning signs. | officieel |
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| Iceland | Invoer verbodenMAST (Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority) does not permit import of these breeds, their crosses for 5 generations, wolf hybrids for 10 generations, or other dogs of comparable origin, physique or temperament. | officieel |
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| Turkey | VerbodenLaw 7332 (2021) amending Animal Protection Law 5199: producing, owning, adopting, housing, trading, displaying or advertising these breeds is prohibited; dogs owned before 14 July 2021 could be kept if neutered, chipped and registered by 14 Jan 2022, and must be muzzled, leashed and kept out of parks and playgrounds. | bron |
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| Ukraine | Verzekering verplichtCabinet of Ministers resolution 'Deiaki pytannia shchodo nebezpechnykh porid sobak' (10 Nov 2021) lists 51 breeds and their mixes as dangerous: owners must hold compulsory liability insurance when registering, and use a leash and muzzle where the dog may endanger people. | officieel |
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| Canada, Ontario | VerbodenDog Owners' Liability Act (Bill 132, in force 29 Aug 2005): no new pit bulls may be owned, bred, imported or transferred; grandfathered 'restricted pit bulls' must be sterilised, muzzled and on a leash of max 1.8 m off the owner's property (O. Reg. 157/05). | bron |
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| Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba | VerbodenResponsible Pet Ownership By-law: pit bulls may not be brought into the City of Winnipeg (city council voted to keep the ban in 2022). | officieel |
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| Australia | Invoer verbodenCustoms (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956: import of these five breeds into Australia is prohibited. | officieel |
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| Australia, Queensland | BeperktAnimal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008: restricted dogs must be registered, desexed, muzzled and under effective control in public, kept in a childproof enclosure with signage; some councils prohibit keeping them altogether under local law. | officieel |
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| Australia, Victoria | BeperktDomestic Animals Act 1994 (Restricted Breed Dogs amendment 2017): restricted breed dogs must be registered, desexed, microchipped, wear a prescribed collar, be muzzled and leashed off the premises, with a prescribed enclosure and warning signs. | officieel |
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| South Korea | Vergunning verplichtAnimal Protection Act (amended, in force 27 April 2024): 'maenggyeon' owners need a permit from the provincial governor after a temperament assessment, with registration, neutering and liability insurance; existing owners had until 26 Oct 2024. | bron |
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| South Korea | Muilkorf en riem verplichtOutside, these dogs must wear a muzzle and a leash of max 2 m; in shared indoor spaces the owner must hold the dog or its collar. | bron |
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| Singapore | Invoer verbodenAVS: Part 1 specified dogs (except those already licensed) are not allowed into Singapore for sale, visit or stay. | officieel |
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| Singapore | Verzekering verplichtPart 1 licensing conditions: leashed and muzzled in public, sterilised over 6 months, insurance of at least 100,000 SGD, 5,000 SGD banker's guarantee, obedience training. | officieel |
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| United Arab Emirates | VerbodenFederal Law 22/2016 on dangerous animals, Annex 2 'List of Dangerous Dogs': possession, trade, breeding and import banned except by licence for service or medical purposes; a Nov 2021 ministerial decision updated the list to pit bull types, mastiffs, Tosa and Presa Canario, so the status of Rottweiler, Doberman and Boxer should be treated as uncertain. | officieel |
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| Brazil, São Paulo (state) | Muilkorf en riem verplichtLei 11.531/2003: listed breeds must be walked with collar and leash, with short leash, choke collar and muzzle for breeds named in the regulation; owners must prevent escape. | officieel |
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| Brazil, Rio de Janeiro (state) | BeperktLei 4.597/2005 requires sterilisation of all pit bulls from 6 months and restricts where 'animais ferozes' may go. | bron |
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| Argentina, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires | Verzekering verplichtLey 4078 CABA: registration before 3 months of age, muzzle and non-extensible leash of max 2 m in public, liability insurance, secure enclosure; abandonment is a serious offence. | officieel |
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| Israel | BeperktRegulations for the Supervision of Dogs (Import and Keeping of Dangerous Dogs) 5765-2004: import prohibited, owners and handlers must be over 18, dogs over 6 months sterilised, muzzle and leash of max 2 m outside the premises, fenced yard with warning sign, no dog parks, transfer only to approved recipients. | bron |
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| Malaysia | Invoer verbodenDepartment of Veterinary Services Malaysia: these breeds and their crosses are banned from import (as published on the Australian government MICoR page for Malaysia). | officieel |
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American Staffordshire Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Bully