A compulsory online course for everyone wishing to buy a dog is one of the measures suggested by farm minister Piet Adema to reduce biting incidents. 

The course would teach people all about taking care of dogs, Adema said. Dogs often bite, he said, because their boss is not sufficiently expert in taking care of them. “They don’t recognise the signals which can show a dog is anxious or stressed,” he said in a briefing to MPs. 

A course may also reduce the number of people who buy a dog on impulse and make sure they take an animal that best meets their needs if they are looking, say, for a companion rather than a dog that requires plenty of exercise.

In October a broad majority of MPs backed a plan by the ruling VVD to stop people from breeding and keeping aggressive dogs which have powerful jaws and can give serious bites.

The aim is to reduce the number of incidents in which heavy-jawed dogs bite and shake humans and other animals, resulting in serious injuries and occasionally death.

In August Dutch plastic surgeons sounded the alarm, saying they had had to deal with over 100 serious dog bites in 18 months. “We are talking about an awful lot of incidents,” VVD parliamentarian Erik Haverkort told RTL Nieuws. “Not every victim goes to a plastic surgeon.

The Netherlands introduced a total ban on the breed of dog known as a pitbull in 1993 but it was dropped in 2008 and replaced by new rules allowing officials to seize aggressive dogs. The ban was brought after three children were killed by pitbulls, but officials say it has not led to a reduction in incidents.

Adema also wants to see a better registration system for incidents involving dogs that bite and more widespread use of muzzles.

In addition, he is looking into the process of having dangerous dogs put down more quickly. Currently, owners can protest against an order to have the dog killed, which means animal shelter staff are exposed to risks for longer.