Which dog owners have to submit a certificate of competence?

Anyone who keeps a dangerous dog according to § 3 LHundG NRW. This includes the breeds: Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Bull Terrier and their crosses with each other and their crosses with other dogs.

Anyone who keeps a dog of a specific breed according to § 10 LHundG NRW. These include the breeds: Alano, American Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Mastiff, Mastino Espanoiol, Mastino Napoletano, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Rottweiler and Tosa Inu as well as their crosses with each other as well as with other dogs.

Since March 30th, 2017, the Old English Bulldogge has also been included. Anyone who keeps a large dog according to § 11 LHundG NRW.

Large dogs are defined as: dogs that have a height at the withers (measured from the ground to the shoulder) of at least 40 cm and/or weigh at least 20 kg when fully grown. If you have a puppy or young dog, you must state the expected weight/height that your dog will reach.

Important: The certificate of competence must be considered in person in the case of dangerous dogs and dogs of certain breeds. Means: EVERYONE who walks the dog MUST have a certificate of competence (every family member). This is somewhat different for large dogs: Of course, the owner must have passed the proficiency test here as well. But who actually walks the dog is the responsibility of the respective owner. The latter is then liable if the worst comes to the worst. It is therefore recommended, even with large dogs, that EVERYONE who walks the dog should have passed the proficiency test.

How does the proficiency test work? You register for the officially recognized proficiency test in writing or by telephone. Together we agree on an exam date (usually once a month). Please bring a copy of your ID and €35 in cash with you. In a pleasant atmosphere, I will present you with a total of 30 multiple-choice questions from a questionnaire consisting of approx. 320 questions (120 of which are repeat questions). It will take you around 10-15 minutes to answer the 30 questions, but feel free to take longer (there is no time limit). Immediately afterwards, I evaluate your catalog of questionnaires and we go through it together. After passing the exam, you will immediately receive an officially recognized certificate for submission to the responsible regulatory office.

How can I prepare for the exam?

The basis for the preparation is the questionnaire. The exam consists of the following five subject areas: social behavior, husbandry/feeding/hygiene, danger, education and law. The 320 possible questions (120 of which are repeat questions) with their correct answers and solutions can be found on this page under No. 8 and No. 9. This way you can prepare for the exam in peace and quiet at home.

Who may issue a certificate of competence?

**In the case of dangerous dogs (see list of breeds at the top under 1.a), the expertise test must be taken by an official veterinarian of the veterinary office** With dogs of certain breeds (see list of breeds at the top under 1.b) there are two options: you can Competence test with an official veterinarian of the veterinary office. Or (alternatively) you take the exam at a recognized body or a recognized expert.

For large dogs (so-called 40/20 dogs) you can obtain a certificate of competence from veterinarians (who have been appointed by the veterinary associations). Please note that veterinarians use a different questionnaire, which includes a total of 80 extensive questions. Alternatively, you also have the option of submitting the certificate of competence for large dogs to a recognized body or a recognized expert. You can find the link below. What happens if I don't pass the exam? If I don't pass, I can of course repeat the proficiency exam. However, the repeat test must be carried out within 2 months (regulated in the DVO LHundG NRW § 1 Para. 3) and costs €40.00 again.

If you fail the proficiency test a second time, I am unfortunately obliged to inform your responsible public order office in accordance with § 1 Para. 3 DVO LHundG NRW.

How much does an officially recognized certificate of competence cost? The costs of a certificate of competence for submission to the regulatory office can vary greatly. It is therefore worth comparing the prices in advance. As a rule, a certificate of competence at the veterinary office or a veterinarian costs between €30.00 and €60.00.

With us you pay € 40.00 for the expertise test and certificate for submission to the regulatory office. It does not matter whether you need a certificate of competence according to § 10 or § 11 LHundG NRW.

Questionnaire for learning So that you can prepare for the proficiency test in peace, please follow this link:

https://www.tieraerztekammer-wl.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Fragenkatalog_Abnahme_Sachkunde.pdf

The catalog of questions listed there consists of approx. 320 questions, of which 120 are repeat questions. I will present you with a total of 30 multiple-choice questions (6 sheets with 5 questions per sheet). In order to pass the exam, 20 of the 30 questions must be answered correctly. One or more answers can be correct. Even if some questions don't seem logical: You have to learn the "right" answers as they are given. For example, if you have 2 mistakes in a question, the question still only counts as “wrong” with one error point. It doesn't matter whether you want to take the proficiency test for a dog according to § 10 (dogs of certain breeds) or according to § 11 LHundG NRW (large dogs 40/20): The test is the same! Now I wish you a lot of fun learning. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time. Minimum age for certification? Many parents ask me if there is a minimum age for the certificate. They wish, for example, that their 15-year-old daughter could walk the dog. Basically, the following applies: "Dogs of certain breeds" (breed list under No. 1 b) or "dangerous dogs" (breed list under No. 1 a) may only be kept or taken out by persons who have reached the age of 18. So the question remains as to the extent to which young people up to the age of 18 are allowed to take a certificate for "big dogs". First of all, it should be mentioned here that, according to § 2 LHundG NRW, the dogs are to be led in such a way that they do not endanger them of human or animal life or health. The child/adolescent must therefore be physically able to really hold the dog. There is nothing in the law that speaks against a child taking the certificate. It just cannot register its own dog with the public order office (too young for that).

New certificate of competence required after biting incident? If a biting incident is reported to the public order office/veterinary office, it can happen that the dog is classified as a "dangerous dog". The reason for this can be, for example, the assessment made by the veterinarian or a behavior test that has not been passed. If this is the case, in addition to the often increased dog tax rate, the regulatory authorities also demand proof of expertise for a "dangerous dog", which you can only obtain from a veterinarian. It is therefore also possible that for a Chihuahua (whose owner has not required any proof of competence up to now) proof of competence for a "dangerous dog" is required.

List of recognized expert bodies in NRW.

https://www.lanuv.nrw.de/fileadmin/lanuv/agrar/dok/sachverstaendige_lhundg_nrw.pdf