Six Dangerous Dog Breeds Banned in Norway
Summary
NFSA Norway's guidance page on banned dog breeds was updated on 28 February 2025 to add contact information for the police and the National Police Directorate. The page lists six prohibited breeds (Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasilerio, Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog) plus wolf-dog hybrids, and confirms that owning, breeding, importing, or importing semen or embryos of these breeds is against the law. The underlying legal prohibitions and breed list remain unchanged.
“It is against the law to own certain breeds of dogs which are considered dangerous in Norway.”
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GovPing monitors NFSA Norway Food Safety for new consumer protection regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 2 changes logged to date.
What changed
The page was updated on 28 February 2025 with new contact information directing the public to the police and the National Police Directorate for questions about the Dog Act and banned dog breeds. The six banned breeds (Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasilerio, Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog) and the core legal prohibitions on owning, breeding, importing, or importing semen or embryos of these breeds remain unchanged.
Owners, breeders, and importers of the listed breeds or their crossbreeds should be aware that these activities remain prohibited under Norwegian law. If police suspect an animal is of a dangerous breed, they and customs authorities can require the owner to document the breed, and if doubt persists the dog may be ordered killed or removed from the country.
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Banned dogs (breeds) in Norway
It is against the law to own certain breeds of dogs which are considered dangerous in Norway. This ban also applies to crossbreeds where there is one or more of these breeds in any proportion.
Last reviewed
27.09.2024
Show change
1. Added information about the police and the National Police Directorate
Changed
28/02/2025
Added contact information about when to contact the police or the National Police Directorate and where to find their contact details
There are six banned dog breeds in Norway. These are:
- The Pit Bull Terrier
- The American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff)
- The Fila Brasilerio
- The Tosa Inu (also called Tosa-Ken or Japanese Mastiff)
- The Dogo Argentino (plural Dogos Argentinos)
- The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog Wolf-dog hybrids are also considered dangerous.
It is also illegal to breed or import these dogs, or import semen or embryos from these breeds into the country.
The reason why these breeds are banned is that they are considered potentially dangerous dogs that are particularly aggressive, combative and tenacious.
Likewise, no matter the breed, it is against the law to own, breed or import dogs which have been trained to attack or defend themselves or the dog owner from other people or dogs. As well, it is illegal to own, breed or import any dog which is particularly aggressive, combative or has other highly undesirable qualities or behaviour which make them a potential danger for humans or animals.
If there is suspicion that an animal is of a dangerous breed of dog, the police and customs authorities can require the dog owner to document its breed or type in accordance with the law. If there is doubt about the breed, the police can have the dog killed or require that the dog be sent out of the country.
Ask the police and the National Police Directorate about banned dogs and breeds
The police and the National Police Directorate are responsible for the Dog Act and the regulations regarding banned dogs.
If you have questions about a specific case, you can reach out to the police. For more general inquiries about the Dog Act, dangerous dogs, and illegal dog breeds, you can contact the National Police Directorate.
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Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from NFSA Norway.
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