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All exam topics summarised from the official booklet published by the Veterinary Office of the Canton of Zurich. Click any chapter to expand it.
Sight, hearing, smell, touch & taste
Dogs' visual acuity is 3–4 times worse than humans. Objects closer than 30–50 cm appear blurry. Dogs perceive movement far better than humans and can detect small movements at almost 1 kilometre. They also see better than humans at dusk, but equally poorly in complete darkness.
Colour: Dogs are red-green colourblind (they lack the cone cells for red). A blue ball in green grass is much easier for them to see than a red one.
Dogs hear in a much wider frequency range than humans. Some sources report up to 65,000 Hz (humans hear up to ~14,000 Hz). They are especially sensitive to high frequencies and can hear sounds in the ultrasonic range. They can also move their outer ears independently to locate sounds.
The sense of smell is every dog's superpower. Dogs have 125–300 million olfactory cells (humans have 5–10 million) and their olfactory mucous membranes are 20 times thicker. Unlike other senses, a dog's sense of smell continues to develop throughout its life and can be improved through training.
Touch plays an important social and emotional role. Physical contact is emotionally significant for dogs — closeness and pleasant touch play a key role in forming bonds. Dogs also have vibrissae (tactile hairs) around their snout and above their eyes that act as a tactile organ and aid communication.
Sleep, exercise, social contact & mental stimulation
Dogs have a much greater need for sleep and rest than humans. In the wild, dogs rest and sleep for around 17 hours a day. Puppies and sick or old dogs can sleep up to 20 hours. After exciting activities, dogs need more rest. A protected resting place, shielded from stimuli, is essential.
Dogs need adequate daily outdoor exercise. Walks should include plenty of time to sniff, explore and wander. The amount of exercise depends on the breed, age, and health of the dog. Where possible, dogs should be able to run freely off-lead.
A dog's most important social partners are its humans. Dogs need daily closeness, physical contact, play and shared activities to build trust. An important training goal is that dogs can walk past unfamiliar dogs in a relaxed manner — dogs do not need to greet every dog and are often overwhelmed when they do.
Dogs are intelligent and need mental challenges. Good options include: nose work, tracking, trick training, agility, and search games. Less is often more — short, frequent sessions are better than long, infrequent ones.
Dogs must always have access to fresh water. Food should be tailored to the individual dog's age, size, health, and activity level. First-time owners should seek expert nutritional advice. Feeding table scraps is not advisable — they are often too fatty or seasoned, or even harmful.
Puppy stages, socialisation & adolescence
Birth to 16 weeks
16 weeks → social maturity (18–48 months)
Social maturity → ~7–12 years
~7–12 years → end of life
This is the most critical period. Socialisation means getting to know different social partners (people, other dogs, animals) so the puppy learns to classify them positively. Emotional experiences during this time have a lifelong impact.
The adolescent period begins with puberty and ends at social maturity. The cerebrum (responsible for attention, emotional regulation and impulse control) is still developing. This is why adolescent dogs may:
Small breeds develop faster than large breeds. Social maturity can take up to 48 months in large breeds.
Newborn puppies cannot control their bladder. It can take weeks or even months for this to develop. Puppies should be taken outside quickly and frequently to a low-stimulus toilet area to learn to relieve themselves outdoors.
Reading postures, signals & emotions
Dogs communicate mainly through body language, but also through smell, touch and vocalisation. Always observe the whole dog (from nose tip to tail) — looking only at individual body parts risks misinterpretation. Signals can change in a flash.
Balanced centre of gravity, soft muscles, relaxed mouth, gentle gaze, tail in neutral position
Weight slightly forward, more body tension, focused gaze, ears forward, tail slightly higher
Weight shifted back, crouching/smaller, mouth closed/lips back, averted gaze, ears back, tail tucked
Offensive: weight forward, very tense, stiff, staring, ears forward. Defensive: weight back, tense, ears back, tail stiff or tucked
Over 350 breeds recognised by the FCI have developed very different body shapes. Tail positions differ greatly between types:
Calming signals are de-escalating, friendly social gestures. They serve to signal friendliness and defuse situations. Examples: yawning, nose licking, turning the head away, blinking, sniffing the ground.
Mild stress: More frequent yawning, nose licking, panting (not from heat), ears pulled back, increased body tension, scratching, biting the lead, jumping up.
Severe stress: Poor responsiveness, very tense body, unable to accept food, sweaty paw pads (dogs only sweat through paws), trembling, vomiting, diarrhoea.
Conflict strategies & escalation
Dogs react to threatening situations with four strategies. The strategy can change within milliseconds:
The dog suddenly stands completely still. Often mistaken for "stubbornness" — the dog is actually stuck and unable to move forward.
Exaggerated, frantic clowning around (jumping, biting the lead) to cope with overwhelm. Often mistaken for happiness or play.
Increasing distance from the threat. Note: on a lead, dogs cannot flee — this restriction can escalate behaviour.
Threatening and/or aggressive behaviour to increase distance. Usually begins with subtle signals before escalating.
Dogs communicate their discomfort progressively. The ladder shows escalation from subtle signals to violent reactions:
Play signals: Exaggerated movements, play bow (lowering the forebody), relaxed muscles, alternating roles, regular breaks.
Not play anymore: Excessive chasing (actual hunting behaviour), mounting, pawing, interaction becoming faster and rougher, bullying.
Most dog bites involving children occur at home with the family dog. Children may have the best intentions but provoke the dog without realising. Supervision by an adult who understands dog body language is essential whenever children and dogs interact.
How dogs learn: conditioning, reinforcement & more
A neutral stimulus is paired with a positive or negative emotion until the neutral stimulus alone triggers that emotion.
Example: Whistle → food (repeated many times) → the dog hears the whistle and feels happy, then approaches. If the reward stops for a long period, the signal loses meaning (extinction).
The dog's behaviour is shaped by its consequences:
Add something pleasant after a desired behaviour → behaviour increases. Most recommended method.
Remove something unpleasant after a desired behaviour → behaviour increases.
Add something unpleasant after an unwanted behaviour → behaviour decreases. Causes stress and side-effects.
Remove something pleasant after an unwanted behaviour → behaviour decreases.
Habituation: Getting used to a stimulus through repeated, harmless exposure (e.g. traffic noise). The dog learns the stimulus is irrelevant.
Sensitisation: The opposite — a stimulus becomes more alarming over time because it has been associated with something unpleasant. Overwhelming a puppy during the socialisation period can cause permanent sensitisation.
Dogs can also learn by observing other dogs or humans. Puppies in particular learn from watching calm, experienced dogs — this is why an owner modelling calm behaviour helps puppies relax.
A behaviour learned in one context does not automatically transfer to another. Dogs must practise in many different environments and situations for a command to become reliable.
Legal requirements for keeping dogs
Rooms where dogs are kept must have daylight of at least 15 lux during the day. Outdoor shelters must be dry, protect from wind/rain/cold/heat, and have suitable bedding.
Swiss animal welfare law & Canton Zurich dog law
Keeping these breeds is prohibited. Also prohibited: crossbreeds with ≥10% genetic material from a banned breed (up to great-grandparents).
Dog owners must keep, walk and supervise their dogs so they do not endanger people, animals, or the environment, and do not cause nuisance (Section 9 HuG).
Who must do it, deadlines & what is covered
Anyone who has never owned a dog, or has not owned one for more than 10 years, must complete the theory course and pass the exam.
Up to 1 year before acquiring a dog
No later than 2 months after acquiring the dog
After passing, the confirmation must be submitted to the municipality within 3 months of acquiring the dog.
Microchip, database & deadlines
All dogs must be microchipped no later than 3 months after birth, and in any case before being handed over by the breeder. The microchip always contains a 15-digit number and is implanted by a vet.
AMICUS is the mandatory national dog database for Switzerland. It records: owner contact details, dog name, breed, sex, microchip number, pet passport number, and training completed. It documents the entire life history of every dog.
Dog owners can update their email and phone themselves in AMICUS at any time. Changes to name and address can only be made by the municipality.
Entering Switzerland & travelling abroad
Microchip + EU pet passport + valid rabies vaccination
Microchip + vaccination documents + valid rabies vaccination + veterinary certificate or FSVO import permit
Microchip + pet passport + valid rabies vaccination + rabies titre test (blood sample ≥30 days after vaccination, waiting period ≥120 days, antibody level ≥0.5 IU/ml) + veterinary certificate or FSVO import permit
Dogs must be declared to customs when entering. Use the "red" customs exit at Zurich or Geneva airports. Direct flights from third countries require an FSVO import permit obtained in advance.
Check entry requirements of the destination country well in advance. Requirements may include breed bans, specific vaccinations, or lead requirements. In warmer countries, dogs face risks from: babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, leishmaniasis, and heartworms. Consult a vet before travelling.
Test your knowledge with questions from all exam topics. Select a topic to focus on, or practise everything at once. The real exam has 25 questions in 30 minutes — you need 20/25 (80%) to pass.