What dog owners need to know:
From 1 April 2025, new statutory rules on dog liability insurance come into force in Germany. These changes concern both the obligation to take out insurance and the minimum sums insured, and aim to improve protection for dog owners and injured parties.
Compulsory insurance: in some federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, dog liability insurance is now becoming compulsory for all dog owners. Previously, this obligation applied only to certain dog breeds or sizes. This extension is intended to ensure that all potential damage caused by dogs is covered.
Minimum sums insured: the statutory minimum sums insured have been increased to reflect higher claims for damages. For personal injury, the new minimum sum insured is 5 million euros, for property damage 1 million euros and for financial loss 50.000 euros.
Existing contracts: for existing dog liability policies, this means that policyholders must review their policies and adjust them if necessary to meet the new statutory requirements. It is recommended to contact the respective insurer early on to ensure that the insurance cover remains sufficient.
Please note that this information is based on the current statutory changes. For detailed and individual advice, please contact us or your insurance partner or a specialist lawyer for insurance law.
In addition, the dog owner must prove their competence. The "dog licence" (Hundeführerschein) must be obtained by every family member – and can be taken one after another on a single examination day.
News on keeping dogs
see also the information from the Ministerium für Ernährung, Ländlichen Raum und Verbraucherschutz (Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection)
see also the changes to the regulation on dangerous dogs (Kampfhundeverordnung)
last but not least, here is a publication on the obligation to keep dogs on a lead
this text was read on online pages and summarised with AI (Copilot/ChatGPT)