Legal Basis
Police Ordinance of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection on the Keeping of Dangerous Dogs (PolVOgH) of 3 August 2000, last amended by the Act of 3 February 2021 (GBl. p. 53, 54).
Baden-Württemberg is — alongside Bavaria — the only Bundesland that continues to use the term Kampfhund in its legal text.
Dangerous Dogs and Kampfhunde
The state operates using two methods:
Kampfhunde according to § 1 Para. 2 PolVOgH (presumption by breed, rebuttable by Wesenstest): American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, as well as their crosses with each other or with other dogs.
Further dogs presumed dangerous (listed in the appendix): Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Mastín Español, Mastino Napoletano, Mastiff, Tosa Inu.
Dangerous in individual cases according to § 1 Para. 3 PolVOgH: Any dog that has proven to be prone to biting, has jumped at people or animals in an aggressive manner, or tends to bite or maul uncontrollably — regardless of breed.
What owners need
- Haltungserlaubnis from the local police authority as soon as the puppy is six months old
- Proof of a legitimate interest in keeping the dog
- Clean criminal record certificate
- Sachkundenachweis of the owner
- Wesenstest of the dog (can rebut the presumption by breed)
- Dog liability insurance — mandatory, proof must be carried at all times
Insurance
Mandatory for owners of dangerous dogs. No nationwide fixed minimum coverage; market standard is €1 million for personal injury and property damage.
Everyday rules
- Leash obligation outside of one's own property
- Muzzle obligation for Kampfhunde
- Identification via microchip
Hundesteuer examples
| City | First dog | Kampfhund / dangerous dog |
|---|---|---|
| Stuttgart (from 2026) | 144 € | 816 € |
| Karlsruhe (from 2026) | 144 € | 720 € |
| Mannheim (from 2026) | 144 € | 744 € |
| Heidelberg (from 2026) | 144 € | 600 € |
| Freiburg | 144 € | 588 € |
Contact
Local police authority of the city or municipality · Veterinary Chamber of Baden-Württemberg for the list of experts