Austria first country

“Bite on command” is now a discontinued model

Animal lovers rejoice: pictures like these will soon be a thing of the past in Austria.

(Bild: Milan - stock.adobe.com)

It is an Austrian milestone in animal protection that will now also cause discussions in other countries. The responsible State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ) is sticking to the regulation issued by former Animal Welfare Minister Rauch, which prohibits bite training directed against humans in future. 

With his last official act, former Minister Johannes Rauch has created a monument to himself and finally banned what has long been met with incomprehension by the general public: when dogs are trained to jump at a person on command and bite them in the forearm. 

Critical methods
Advocates of this discipline see it as part of a traditional sport - also known as IGP or working dog training - and regularly push their four-legged friends to extreme performances in competitions and tests.

Here, the dog runs at high speed from a great distance towards the so-called "protection helper" and bites into the helper's "protective sleeve" while jumping. According to the official test regulations, a "soft stick" is also used to indicate defensive blows to the animal's body. Animal rights activists have always been critical of this, as it does not comply with the Animal Welfare Act. 

Who is affected by the ban?

• Police and military service dogs are exempt from the regulation!
• The training of rescue, therapy or guide dogs for the blind is not affected by the ban
• The ban applies to parts of training or sporting activities (including in clubs) that involve bite training directed against humans
• Sports such as agility, flyball or other activities can be practiced without hesitation
• Biting into objects separated from the human body such as ropes, frisbees or similar is still permitted

The fact that these dogs suffer injuries in the process - including deaths from broken necks on impact - or that the dog sometimes runs past the helper and jumps at bystanders, is often swept under the carpet. In the past, animal rights activists who uncovered abuses or prohibited "strong-force" methods have even been sued. 

The "protective sleeve" is the coveted object of prey. Experts warn that false links can also occur here. For example, there has already been an incident involving a misinterpreted command and a lady with her arm in plaster.

(Bild: Sabine Teichert - stock.adobe.com)

Other countries could follow suit
The fact that these practices are now being banned is being cheered in many places. It could trigger a kind of domino effect, with other countries following suit. "It reminds me of the ban on wild animals performing in circuses. Here, too, Austria led the way and was even able to enforce it before the European Court of Justice, despite great resistance from the showmen. In the meantime, many countries have followed suit and banned animals such as elephants and lions from performing in the circus ring," says "Krone" animal corner boss Maggie Entenfellner optimistically. 

"Krone" has successfully called for a ban
When it comes to the hot topic of "bite training", there are also lobbyists who do not want to accept the fact that changes in this sport are finally being demanded in line with animal welfare requirements, and the "Krone" is chalking this step up as a success. The largest dog umbrella organization "Österreichischer Kynologen Verband" (ÖKV) (Austrian Kennel Club) announced in a press release with questionable tone that it will exhaust all legal and political means to fend off the "attack on dog sports". 

There is no question of banning dog sports in general! Quite the opposite - dog owners need to invest a lot of time in training, social skills and suitability for everyday use.

(Bild: Даша Швецова - stock.adobe.com)

Deliberate misleading
However, this led to uncertainty in our own ranks, as many believed that they were now not allowed to engage in any sporting activity with their four-legged friend. This is of course nonsense, as this is still expressly permitted - even "tugging games" with ropes, balls or similar objects are allowed. On the contrary - it even explicitly calls on dog owners to focus their attention on suitable training, proper socialization, occupation and exercise for their pets. 

Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ) was sworn in as State Secretary for Animal Welfare by Federal President van der Bellen.

(Bild: ROLAND SCHLAGER)

A good start to the term of office
This confusion on the part of some has now come to an end. State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ), who was sworn in on Monday, sees no reason to shake up the existing regulation of her predecessor. This can be seen as a strong commitment by the government that improvements in animal welfare are also on the agenda. 

Animal welfare in the House
Christoph Pramhofer, animal welfare spokesperson for the NEOS party, also took time during the government's turbulent first working week to address the issue and said in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper: "We see this very clearly. In future, such training should only be reserved for the police, customs or the army". 

NEOS animal welfare spokesperson Christoph Pramhofer in conversation with "Krone" journalist Maggie Entenfellner.

(Bild: Katharina Lattermann)

(Bild: Katharina Lattermann)

The end is fixed
Clubs that offer this type of training and organize sporting competitions must now rethink their approach. Training courses that were started in the last six months before the regulation came into force are particularly critical. These may only be continued to a limited extent until the dog has achieved full signal control. However, this must be completed by September 1; attack behavior or bite training directed against humans may no longer be encouraged. 

Alliance has insisted on an end
"The fact that Federal Minister Rauch has now banned training methods in which dogs are drilled to attack humans is an absolute success for animal welfare," was the reaction of the "Animal Welfare Alliance", which includes Vier Pfoten, Verein "Freunde der Tiercke", Gut Aiderbichl, Pro Tier, TierQuarTier Wien, Tierschutz Austria, TSV NÖ, VGT, Verein Pfotenhilfe and Tierschutzombudsstelle Wien.