Lead requirements in Switzerland: Rules in all 26 cantons

There is no uniform lead requirement across Switzerland. Cantons and municipalities regulate this differently. The Bundesamt für Umwelt explains that cantonal forest laws regulate, among other things, lead requirements for dogs. In addition, there are cantonal dog laws, hunting regulations, protected areas and municipal rules. Source: Bundesamt für Umwelt BAFU

You should therefore always check the canton, the municipality and the signs at the specific location.

Lead requirements in Switzerland: The rules in all 26 cantons

The following overview summarises the most important general rule in each canton. It does not replace the wording of the relevant legislation.

• Aargau: From 1 April to 31 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and along forest edges. Source: Kanton Aargau
• Appenzell Ausserrhoden: Lead requirements apply, among other places, on school grounds, publicly accessible playgrounds and sports grounds, in parks, public buildings and public transport, and at railway stations and stops. They also apply in pastures with livestock. Municipalities may designate additional locations. Source: Kanton Appenzell Ausserrhoden
• Appenzell Innerrhoden: Lead requirements are handled in the same way as in Ausserrhoden. Additional special rules apply in hunting protection areas and summer grazing areas during the alpine grazing season, and districts may designate further zones. Source (Ausserrhoden page with a section on Innerrhoden): Kanton Appenzell Ausserrhoden
• Bern: There is no general cantonal lead requirement. However, dogs must be kept on a lead, among other places, on school grounds, playgrounds and sports grounds, on public transport, at railway stations and stops, in pastures with livestock and in protected areas where signs indicate this requirement. Municipalities may designate additional locations. Source: Kanton Bern
• Basel-Landschaft: From 1 April to 31 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and near woodland. Source: Kanton Basel-Landschaft
• Basel-Stadt: There is no general lead requirement. However, dogs must be kept on a short lead at night from 22:00 to 6:00, in restaurants, on public transport, on busy streets and squares, and at markets. From 1 April to 31 July, lead requirements also apply in forests, along forest edges and in adjoining meadows. Sources: Veterinäramt Basel-Stadt and Wildtier- und Jagdgesetz Basel-Stadt, § 8 (Wildlife and Hunting Act)
• Freiburg: From 1 April to 15 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests. Source: Kanton Freiburg
• Genf: Lead requirements apply in various public areas. In forests, a seasonal lead requirement applies from 1 April to 15 July. Source: Kanton Genf
• Glarus: Dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and along forest edges throughout the year, with exceptions including hunting dogs during the hunting season. Leads are also compulsory in publicly accessible buildings, on busy roads, on public transport, at stops and railway stations, in school playgrounds and on playgrounds and sports grounds. Sources: Jagdverordnung Glarus, Art. 30 (Hunting Ordinance) and Tierschutz- und Tierseuchengesetz Glarus, Art. 31 (Animal Welfare and Animal Diseases Act)
• Graubünden: Under the cantonal Veterinärgesetz (Veterinary Act), municipalities are responsible for enforcing dog ownership regulations insofar as these fall within their jurisdiction. You should therefore check your municipality's rules. In extraordinary emergency situations affecting wildlife, the Amt für Jagd und Fischerei may impose lead requirements limited to specific locations and periods. Sources: Veterinärgesetz Graubünden (Veterinary Act) and Hegeverordnung Graubünden, Art. 8 (Wildlife Management Ordinance)
• Jura: Dogs must not search for or chase wildlife or roam around uncontrolled. In forests, they must remain under control at all times; otherwise, they must be kept on a lead. Source: Kanton Jura
• Luzern: From 1 April to 31 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and within a distance of less than 50 metres from the forest edge. Source: Kanton Luzern
• Neuenburg: From 15 April to 30 June, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests. Source: Kanton Neuenburg
• Nidwalden: The Hundegesetz (Dog Act) regulates lead requirements and prohibitions on dogs in certain public places. Source: Kanton Nidwalden
• Obwalden: Lead requirements apply throughout the year in nature conservation zones. In the wildlife refuge zones of the moorland landscape, they apply from 1 December to 15 July, and in the other wildlife refuge zones until 30 April. According to official information, lead requirements also apply in and along forests, except in the municipality of Alpnach. Source: Kanton Obwalden
• St. Gallen: The cantonal Hundegesetz (Dog Act) requires dogs to be kept on a lead, particularly when no other effective means of control is possible, as well as in certain public places. Municipalities may introduce additional regulations. Source: Kanton St. Gallen
• Schaffhausen: In forests and their immediate surroundings, dogs must be kept at heel, and during the breeding and nesting season from 15 April to 30 June, they must be kept on a lead. Lead requirements also apply, among other places, on public children's playgrounds, in cemeteries, in publicly accessible buildings, on busy roads, on public transport, at railway stations and stops, and in the immediate vicinity of pastures occupied by livestock. Sources: Hundegesetz Schaffhausen, Art. 10 und 12 (Dog Act) and Naturschutzverordnung Schaffhausen, § 13 (Nature Conservation Ordinance)
• Schwyz: The legislation currently published officially requires dogs to be kept on a lead in public facilities, on public paths and in road traffic, with exceptions specified in the law for certain working dogs. Source: Kanton Schwyz
• Solothurn: From 1 April to 31 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests. Outside this period, dogs must also be kept on a lead if constant control cannot be guaranteed. Source: Kanton Solothurn
• Thurgau: From 1 April to 31 July, a seasonal lead requirement applies in forests and along forest edges. Source: Kanton Thurgau
• Tessin: The cantonal Hundegesetz (Dog Act) requires dogs to be kept on a lead in places frequented by the public or other animals. Municipalities may establish additional rules. Source: Kanton Tessin
• Uri: From 1 April to 31 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and forest edge areas. The canton defines the forest edge area as extending up to 50 metres from the forest. Source: Kanton Uri
• Waadt: From 1 April to 15 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and adjoining meadows. Lead requirements apply throughout the year in wildlife protection areas, most nature reserves and all pastures with livestock. Source: Kanton Waadt
• Wallis: The canton specifies lead requirements in locations including built-up areas, around schools, on public playgrounds and sports grounds, on public transport, at railway stations and stops, in busy public places and near livestock. Municipalities may introduce different or additional rules. Source: Kanton Wallis
• Zug: From 1 April to 31 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and along forest edges. Outside this period, according to cantonal information, dogs must be kept within sight and respond when called. Source: Kanton Zug
• Zürich: From 1 April to 31 July, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and up to 50 metres from the forest edge. Source: Kanton Zürich

Why your municipality still matters

The cantonal overview is only the first level. Several cantons explicitly point out that municipalities may designate additional places or zones where lead requirements apply.

Before an outing, you should therefore also check the municipality's website and local signs. Local regulations can be particularly important in parks, along lakeshores, on heavily used green spaces and in protected areas.

Typical places with special rules

Cantonal regulations show recurring patterns, but there is no identical list covering all of Switzerland. School grounds, playgrounds and sports grounds are explicitly mentioned in Bern and Appenzell, for example. Public transport, railway stations and stops also appear in several cantonal regulations.

The situation in forests varies particularly widely. Some cantons have seasonal lead requirements in forests, Glarus requires dogs to be kept on a lead there without any time restriction, while others require dogs to remain under control throughout the year or regulate protected areas separately. You can find a detailed overview in Breeding and Nesting Season: When Your Dog Must Be Kept on a Lead and Can My Dog Run Off-Lead in the Forest?.

What does this mean in practice for your everyday life?

When visiting another canton, do not automatically assume that the rules from your home canton apply. Check the cantonal information before walks or outings and pay attention to local signs.

If your dog cannot run off-lead for extended periods because of lead requirements, its hunting instinct or unreliable recall, you can arrange exercise and training differently. A long training lead may be an option. Find out more in Long Training Lead or Dog Field: Which Is Suitable and When?.

For off-lead exercise during a period when lead requirements apply, a designated fenced area can be an alternative. If it is located in or near a forest, cantonal lead requirements may also apply there. In Kanton Zürich, escape-proof fenced areas are explicitly exempt. Source: Kanton Zürich

If in doubt, ask the provider or the responsible cantonal authority. At dogoasis.ch/suche, you can search for a suitable area exclusively for you and your dog.

This overview does not constitute legal advice. The authoritative provisions are the wording of the linked legislation, official information and any applicable municipal and local regulations.

As at: September 2026