Reading: Half-Sentence Matching - 2022 őszi

A new rule forcing Germans to take their dog for a walk twice a day has unleashed a debate on whether the state can decide what is best for the country's 9.4 million pet canines. Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner announced this week she had taken expert advice and was introducing a law to ensure dogs go for a walk or run in the garden at least twice a day for a total of an hour. "Pets are not cuddly toys - they also have their own needs, which need to be taken into account," said Kloeckner, adding that pets must get sufficient exercise and not be left alone for too long. The rules are based on new scientific findings that show dogs need a "sufficient measure of activity and contact with environmental stimuli", especially in the form of spending time in green areas and out of the city. Tying dogs on a chain or a lead for long periods also faces an all-out ban. With almost one in five German homes owning a hound, the new Animal Welfare Regulation, which also sets limits on the transportation of farm animals in hot weather, affects a significant proportion of the population. "Compulsory Walkies for Dog Owners? Rubbish!" wrote one of the top-selling German newspapers in a heated opinion piece on the new decree. Its author, Udo Kopernik, the spokesman for the National German Dog Association, said most owners were laughing at the new rule because they already spent enough time walking their four-legged friend. "One rule for all dogs is probably well meant but unrealistic," he said. Dog trainer Anja Striegel seems to concur when she claims that the amount of exercise a dog needs depends on the health, age and breed of the animal. "For a young and fit Labrador two hours of walkies are healthier than for a sickly Pekingese with heart problems," she said in an interview. Germany's most popular breeds are the German Shepherd and short-legged, long-bodied Dachshund, known as "sausage dogs", followed by Labradors, and French spaniels. Then there is the question of enforcement. The ministry has said the regional governments will be responsible for enforcing the rule, but as one dog owner, Lisa, said: "I find it patronising to be told how long I should take my dog out for. Ridiculous!"