Dog on the leash or not?

[aeroplane 26]

Hi I live in Hesse and i have an obedient well behaved/well trained dog. Where I come from we have a concept of "in control" which means that if you have a dog under full control of the owner, this is legally equal to having the dog on a leash. Does a similar concept exist in Germany in general and in Hesse in particular? 

Further , the little I managed to find on internet is that it seem OK to have dog off leash in the city but not in parks or in pedestrian areas. I can't find a logic in this...

[RedMidge 6,421]

I am a dog lover, but believe you should keep your dog on a lead unless there is a leash free area in the park, or open spaces. 

No matter how well trained the dog is, and I believe you , the possibility of dog clashes, confrontations  with humans, means you need a lead control.

[AlexTr 18,622]

@aeroplane Every city and community in Hesse will have their own rules. In Frankfurt, the rules are this (forgive the deepl translation):

 

Quote

Leash obligation in Frankfurt am Main
In Frankfurt, a dog has a very difficult time, because except in the 25 marked free running areas, he is hardly ever allowed to run unleashed.
A special leashing obligation exists among others in the following places:

 in restaurants
 the dog may only be carried on a leash in all public transport
 only leashed at stops
 in elevators
Embankments
on bridges, over- and underpasses, stairs or ramps
especially in pedestrian zones linen is mandatory
on green areas- if they are not marked as dog-free areas
in the nature reserves
at meetings
Public festivals of all kinds
Markets and fairs
underground facilities such as suburban trains or the B-level main station
The line length must not exceed 2 meters. If you meet cyclists, walkers, joggers or children, you should call the dog to you and lead it past on a short leash.
In Frankfurt the leash obligation applies during the breeding and setting season.

Dogs (except service or guide dogs) may NOT be taken to cemeteries, children's playgrounds, sunbathing areas and forest playgrounds. This also applies to events on the festival grounds throughout the city, such as the Dippemess. Dogs are also not allowed in Holzhausen and Günthersburgpark.

List dogs are subject to compulsory leashing and muzzles throughout Frankfurt.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

Don't try to import a list dog. The taxes will kill you and failing the test may wind up getting your dog impounded.

So, your answer is that there are 25 off-leash areas and only in those can your dog be off-leash.

[Acton 971]

Everywhere I go in Berlin, I see signs which prohibit cycling, playing football, dogs etc and people ignore them. Once in a while, we have visits from the Ordnungsamt officers, who stop people cycling through our local park for a few hours. Of course, as soon as they're gone, things go back to normal. The last time they came here was 5 years ago.

Even the local school teachers bring their pupils to play in the park with balls and things, even though it's not allowed, according to the signs.

My advice: if you have a well behaved dog, is not to be worried about the 'rules'. The only time you could get in trouble would be if something happened, caused by your dog and the incident was reported to the police.

The only time my dog has been attacked and bitten, by the way. was in one of these 'dog only' areas where owners seem to think their dogs can run around and make havoc without any controls.

[AlexTr 18,622]

The penalty in FFM for having an off-leash dog in a non-off-leash area is €75. 

[jeba 3,922]

Don´t forget to get dog owners liability insurance. Your normal liability insurance won´t cover damage caused by your dog.

[aeroplane 26]

51 minutes ago, AlexTr said:

So, your answer is that there are 25 off-leash areas and only in those can your dog be off-leash.

Thanks for this, in many of those places listed I would leash my dog out of common sense anyway (restaurants , public transport, markets and fairs ect) but other are plan silly. I especially find dog banished from sun-bathing areas as weird. And as for cemeteries, i guess a story like the movie Hachiko could not have happen in Germany... 

Can you also offer the list of those 25  off-leash areas that you mentioned? 

[AlexTr 18,622]

1 hour ago, aeroplane said:

Thanks for this, in many of those places listed I would leash my dog out of common sense anyway (restaurants , public transport, markets and fairs ect) but other are plan silly. I especially find dog banished from sun-bathing areas as weird. And as for cemeteries, i guess a story like the movie Hachiko could not have happen in Germany... 

Can you also offer the list of those 25  off-leash areas that you mentioned? 

 

No, sorry. Maybe click-through on the link I included on my first post and it might be there.

[AnswerToLife42 2,484]

4 hours ago, Acton said:

Everywhere I go in Berlin, I see signs which prohibit cycling, playing football, dogs etc and people ignore them.

Why not? There are people who ignore red traffic lights for pedestrians and make fun that Germans don't do it.

[bramble 9,253]

5 hours ago, aeroplane said:

Can you also offer the list of those 25  off-leash areas that you mentioned? 

 

Here:  https://frankfurt.de/themen/umwelt-und-gruen/orte/parks/hundeauslauffaechen

 

[Keleth 8,494]

Always keep your dog on a lead.

I love dogs but many people do not and having a dog wandering around not on a lead for someone who is scared of dogs is not nice for them.

[Acton 971]

It depends on the dog. If it runs around annoying people, then yes, I agree.

[warsteiner70 247]

2 hours ago, Keleth said:

Always keep your dog on a lead.

I love dogs but many people do not and having a dog wandering around not on a lead for someone who is scared of dogs is not nice for them.

 

Or if you are scared of dogs then don't go to the places where people are allowed to let their dogs off the lead.

[Keleth 8,494]

59 minutes ago, warsteiner70 said:

 

Or if you are scared of dogs then don't go to the places where people are allowed to let their dogs off the lead.

Well yer mr fucking obvious.

But don`t let your dog off of a lead unless it`s in a specific area for it which is the main problem.

[alderhill 1,088]

2 hours ago, Acton said:

It depends on the dog. If it runs around annoying people, then yes, I agree.

Dog owners are not always very reliable critics of their beloved Schmupsi's annoyance of others. 

 

1 hour ago, warsteiner70 said:

Or if you are scared of dogs then don't go to the places where people are allowed to let their dogs off the lead.

 

Animal-repellent pepper spray (Tierabwehrspray) is legal. If I were afraid of dogs (personally I am not), I wouldn't hesitate to carry and use it against overly curious or aggressive dogs. Dog owners won't be pleased, but they are not the sole arbiters of 'my dog is harmless'. Obviously if it's an off-leash park, that's different.

[maxie 476]

As a rule of thumb (local rules may differ, but as a first overview): 

Dogs have to be leashed 

- in built up areas 

- within city/town limits 

- in public transport (I believe in Deutsche Bahn you also need a muzzle. Most of the time you don't have to put it on, but you have to carry it) 

- in Naturschutz- and Vogelschutz-Gebieten (nature preserves) - often there is a sign 

- in Naherholungsgebieten (R&R areas) - also usually a sign. There are some places around here where this is policed. 

- everywhere (I think there a a few exceptions in some states, exact time frame depends on municipality) during Brut- & Setzzeit - when ground nesters, rabbits, deer and other wild animals have their offspring. 1 April to 15 Juli usually. Fines are up to 5.000 €  (according to a hunting page I checked: up to 50.000 €)

 

Most bathing areas will have "no dog" signs and they actually mean it. You are not even supposed to let your dog into the water on the opposite side of the lake. I am still looking for a place here. I would like to get my dog to swim, but need to go in with him and there is no way I am jumping into the river. 

 

Now, if your dog is well behaved and stays with you, most people will not have a problem with it being off-leash in the fields, forest, etc. Most people will expect you to put the dog on a leash when they are approaching or when you are near them. You know that your dog will stay with you, they don't. I know that many people don't, but I think it is common courtesy. Quite a lot is tolerated when your dog is well behaved, but if the Ordnungsamt spots you, they might give you a warning or even a ticket.

 

 

18 hours ago, AlexTr said:

Don't try to import a list dog.

 Just for clarification: 

Some German states do not have a list. Those that do have different lists. In some states, the restrictions can be lifted if your dog passes a test. 

In German, but it has a table with an overview: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasseliste#Rasseliste_des_Bundes

[Acton 971]

7 hours ago, Keleth said:

Always keep your dog on a lead.

I love dogs but many people do not and having a dog wandering around not on a lead for someone who is scared of dogs is not nice for them.

I think this is a ridiculous comment. Dogs love to run free when they can. You are clearly not a dog lover.

[Keleth 8,494]

3 minutes ago, Acton said:

I think this is a ridiculous comment. Dogs love to run free when they can. You are clearly not a dog lover.

Was going to answer you but you appear to be a fucking bellend so I won`t bother.

 

[Acton 971]

Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black Do you even have a dog? I hope not, for its sake.

 

[bennetn 189]

47 minutes ago, Acton said:

I think this is a ridiculous comment. Dogs love to run free when they can. You are clearly not a dog lover.

Makes not a jot of difference to someone who is scared of dogs to what the dog loves to do.  Just let dogs run around where they want then?

If you're in a public place with the general public, no dog should be running free.