As of 2026, an work will be introduced in Austria to pass a peculiar course for all those who want to registry a dog and do not have an animal in the last 2 years. This breakthrough is aimed at raising awareness of future dog owners, improving animal welfare and preventing irresponsible treatment of four-legged animals. Experience with the pilot program, which has been conducted since 2019 in Vienna, has shown that specified training can importantly reduce cases of ill-treatment of animals and aid in the selection of a dog suitable for care.
Pilot training programme – effects and assumptions
Vienna course pilot for future dog owners began in 2019 and took over to date 20 000 participants. Training programme ongoing four hours and is designed to practically prepare future carers for liable care of the dog. Participants will learn the basics of the dog's choice for lifestyle and housing conditions, learn how to take care of the animal properly, and learn elements of basic dog training. An integral part of the course is besides to familiarise yourself with existing government on the possession and protection of pets.
This comprehensive approach aims not only to convey knowledge, but above all to change the approach to having a dog – from an emotional impulse to a conscious and liable decision.
Why did Austria take specified a step?
According to Juergen Chernohorszky, a Vienna animal welfare councillor, compulsory courses are a form of prevention against animal suffering. As he stressed in his interview with the Austrian broadcaster ORF, the program frequently makes the participants aware that they are not yet ready to take work for the dog. As a result, any quit buying an animal, which in the long word protects dogs from neglect or mistreatment.
A akin opinion is presented by Eva Persy, an animal rights spokesperson in Vienna, who points out that courses are conducted in an engaging and applicable way, which increases their efficiency. Training takes place with experts from practitioners who share current cognition about modern dog care. Thanks to this, future owners receive reliable and proven information, and the full education process does not match boring, theoretical lectures.
What will the fresh work look like?
From January 2026 Any Austrian who will want to registry a dog for the first time or has not had a dog in the last 2 years will gotta supply a confirmation of course completion. The absence of specified confirmation may prevent the registration of an animal, which is crucial for the legal possession of a dog in the country.
The course includes:
- Selection of a dog suitable for lifestyle and housing
- Basics of dog care: nutrition, health, care
- Basic methods of training and communication with the dog
- Legislation on the protection and possession of pet animals
As a result, the fresh owners will be better prepared for the function of guardians, which can translate into a simplification in the number of abandonments and cases of bad treatment of dogs.
Possible consequences and further prospects
The introduction of a compulsory course is an innovative European solution. Although it is only Austria for the time being, it is likely that akin requirements may be adopted in another countries in the future, in peculiar in the light of the increasing awareness of animal rights and the problems of irresponsible animal possession.
The possible benefits of specified a strategy are:
- Reduction of neglected or abandoned dogs
- Better alignment of the animal to the owner’s needs and surviving conditions
- Improving the overall level of animal welfare
- Public education on the work of having a dog
Experts point out that although compulsory courses may encounter opposition from parts of the society, their effects in the long word may be crucial and affirmative for both dogs and owners.
Austria's decision to introduce a compulsory course for future dog owners from 2026 is an crucial step towards improving animal welfare and social education. Pilot experience from Vienna shows that specified training can effectively reduce cases of irresponsible treatment of animals and aid future carers to make informed decisions. If this model works, it can become a model for another countries that besides want to improve the surviving conditions of their four-legged people.
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You want a dog? From 2026 a compulsory course for future owners
