Hiking through pastures
During various outdoor activities, you may occasionally come across sheep, cows or guard dogs. With a few basic rules, these encounters will be peaceful.
In principle, livestock owners are liable for damage caused by their animals unless it can be proven that due care was taken in the care and supervision of the animals. This means that owners of cattle and livestock guarding dogs must carry out a risk analysis with appropriate planning and implementation of measures as soon as footpaths pass through their grazing area. The fencing system should be adapted to the grazed animals, the location and the frequency of third parties and dogs and should be checked regularly.
Correct behaviour with cows and livestock guarding dogs
When hiking or biking, always keep your distance from the herd and do not pet or feed the animals. If animals block your path, stay calm and try to slowly go round the herd in a wide arc. If you have a dog with you, please keep it on a lead. If cows make threatening gestures such as raising and lowering their heads, snorting, bellowing or scratching, it is advisable to slowly back out of the pasture. And don't forget: Always close cattle gates so that the cows themselves cannot wander off.
Alpine pastures with livestock guarding dogs are shown on the SchweizMobil web map. Areas where livestock guarding dogs are likely to be present appear on the map as a yellow area.