Charges drop against man teaching dog Nazi salute

Charges against a man who taught his dog to perform a Nazi-style salute have been dropped.

But the 54-year-old German still faces trial in Berlin tomorrow for allegedly shouting “Heil Hitler” in public.

Police stopped the man in March after he was heard shouting the Nazi slogan in Berlin.

As the officers looked on, he called a command – “do the salute” – to his dog named Adolf and the German shepherd mongrel raised its right paw, Bild newspaper reported.

Displaying Nazi symbols in public is a crime in Germany. But since the man faces trial on several similar violations that are more serious, the Berlin court dropped charges relating to his training of the dog, said Bjoern Retzlaff, a spokesman for Berlin judicial authorities.

The man, identified by authorities only as Roland T, was also stopped by police on another occasion this year for shouting “Heil Hitler” in a busy shopping street and for walking around in a Hitler T-shirt, Bild said.

He faces up to three years in prison if convicted.