What websites or FB pages do you use to find dog walkers in your area?
We work full time, and are looking for day-care for our 2.5kg dog.
So far I've found petsitting24.ch, but seems to mostly be those helping with the occasional walk.
Found one dog walking service in the area, but seems full at the moment.
Looking for dog walkers in Zug, Cham, Baar, Thalwil - or with pick up service (...maybe even Zurich, dropping off on the way to work).
Many thanks
(There are plenty of folks offering... let's just say, less-than-good dog care - unfortunately. You will have to do your due diligence on anyone you are considering hiring.)
The platform you have already found - Petsitting24 - is indeed the largest source of people offering dog care services. The trick is winnowing out the less-than-serious carers to find the responsible, trustworthy, capable folks who offer services that match your needs. Looking for care, interviewing different providers, should be a top priority as you plan your move.
The best way to use Petsitting24 is to write an ad detailing exactly what you need, what you can offer, and then start interviewing all who respond. To post an ad as an employer you have to pay for a membership, but a year's membership isn't expensive.
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Just to clarify - are you looking for a dog walker, someone who would stop by your home once a day to give your dog a 45 minute walk, or are you looking for something more, say a doggie day care set-up?
That your dog is small will give you more options, and if your dog is well socialized to other dogs, people, and children, well trained, well behaved, healthy, and largely quiet you should not have too much trouble finding someone. Or several someones, as you might need several sitters if you need daily care. (Rule of thumb among my dogowning crowd is that you should always have at least two 'back-up' carers in mind, as the turnover in the field is extremely high. Not to mention that chance of a private sitter bailing on you at the last minute is unfortunately also rather high.)
Many sitters restrict their clientele to 'easy dogs' - the real difficulty lies in finding sitters who are willing and able to care for dogs with special needs, either behavioral or medical. Hopefully you won't run into that hurdle.
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So that said...
If you would consider a doggie day care, one in the greater ZG area is VIPets in Morgarten (and Gossau):
They are set up so that the dogs live in a group, family style. Your dog would need to be good with other dogs as they have a fairly large number of client dogs at any given time. I have not used them myself, but I knew one of the original founders (she is no longer with them, though). A couple of EF dog owners have posted about their experiences with VI Pets (perhaps under the name VI Dogs, as it was previously called) so you should browse through the Pets Corner for comments.
Not so far from Thalwil, a friend-of-a-friend uses Jacky's Hundesitting:
https://jackys-hundesitting.ch/angebot/
I have no personal experience, so take this as info only.
The search terms you would want are Hort, Hundebetreuung, Tierbetreuung, and of course doggie day care. There are other businesses in the areas you mentioned that would offer a similar set-up.
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If you cannot find a business, the alternative is to hire someone as your employeee. This is how most of the sitters listed on Petsitting 24 will likely want to work. Even the private individual who takes dogs into his or her home, but is not set up as self employed or as a business, will likely need to be your employee, to ensure that social taxes are paid and insurance is in order.
BTW, if you hire someone privately, there are services such as Quitt.ch that will take care of the administrative end.
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Be aware that prices are all over the ballpark. If you need individual care, if you need specific skills, if your dog is other than 'easy', expect to pay up for that.
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The difficulty of finding good dog care ratchets up when it comes to holiday care, especially as everyone seems to want to travel at the same times. Many places ask you to book well in advance, some owners I know book a year ahead. So if you expect to need to travel without your dog, make finding holiday care a priority too.
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Don't be shy about asking every single dog owner you meet when out and about for recommendations - given how difficult it can be to find reliable dog care, no stone should be left unturned. Ask at your vet's office as well.
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Speaking of vets, off topic but nonetheless good info to know about the area:
We are spoiled for choice of good veterinary care in this part of Switzerland. If you end up in the Zug area, two practices I highly recommend:
MyVets in Cham:
And the Ennetseeklinik:
https://www.ennetseeklinik.ch/site/index.cfm
Whoever you choose for your 'general priactice' vet you will want to get to know Ennetsee, as they serve as the area's 24/7 emergency clinic.
Another 24/7 emergency clinic if you end up on the 'bottom half' of the Zürichsee left coast is Marigin in Feusisberg SZ:
You should also know about the Tierspital, the veteriary hospital of the University of Zürich. In addition to providing a general clinic, a wide variety of specialists, and 24/7 emergency care, this is one of the leading research and teaching centers in Europe.
https://www.tierspital.uzh.ch/de.html
One of the things I find so impressive about the quality of veterinary care here is that small general practices, the area clinics, and the Tierspital work together quite well, referring to specialist as needed. Medically, your pup is in very good hands in the greater ZG/ZH/SZ area.
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IIRC other dog care options for your general area have been mentioned through the years in the Pets Corner - a bit of browsing might suggest other options for you.
All the best to you and your four footed friend as you settle in to life in Switzerland!
I am hoping for a doggy day care. Will have a look at the two proposed! I think this would be best, for peace of mind.
Care offerings do sound rather patchy, many looking to help out "every now and then", being inbetween jobs.
Maybe I am sensing a business opportunity .
We are currently residing in Zug, recently moved here (partner is Swiss, but lived most of his life abroad). But considering Thalwil for an easy commute to Zurich where I'll be working.
And thank you for Vet links! Will be registering her sooner rather than later.
After arrival, you have 10 days to register your dog with the AMICUS database, and you will need to do this through a vet. So if you haven't yet done that, seeing the vet definitely goes on to the 'sooner' list.
You also need to register with your Gemeinde. Some require the AMICUS registration to do that, others don't ask for it. Call yours to find out what is needed.
Even if you plan on moving, you still need to register your dog wherever you are currently staying.
If you are already registered with AMICUS/your Gemeinde then ignore me.
I have not seen many off the lead, but many "have your dogs on a lead" signs.
I always have my 2.5kg dog on the lead, but she is very obedient and I enjoy having her off the lead, so hoping to understand whether there are any norms/unspoken rules about having them off lead in e.g forrest, parks with less people or similar
Very roughly and certainly over simplified, at the federal level most dog law revolves around importation , registration, and welfare issues. At the cantonal and community levels, laws and regulations largely revolve around control issues. There is some cross over as well.
A key piece of federal regulation is the TSchV, Tierschutzverordnung, SR 455.1. Much of the law regulating dogs is found in articles 68-79, although there are plenty of other articles that pertain , directly and tangentially, to dogs as well.
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2008/416/de
Each canton has it's own dog law. You can find an overview of each canton's law in this summary compiled by Tier Im Recht, here:
https://www.tierimrecht.org/en/legal...onal-Dog-Laws/
The actual text of each canton's dog law is linked at the top of each cantonal page.
If you look at ZH ad ZG you will see they are very different. ZH is a BSL canton, brought about by a popular referendum. 8 breeds are banned. For dogs over a certain size training courses are mandated. ZH had voted to extend the training madate to all dogs of all breeds, mixes, and sizes, but the implementation has been delayed. So even though your dog does not currently fall under that mandate, be aware that might change, - and never forget that the ZH law reflects popular opinion.
ZG is perhaps the most laissez-faire of all the cantons, as you can see from the summary.
One difference to note between cantons is the amount of coverage you will need in your liability insurance. It usually variest between 1-3 million. This coverage is usually included in your Privathaftpflicht, but make sure that is the case wiht your policy and add it in if not. it is generally inexpensive.
In addition, your local community will have it's own regs, governing where dogs can and cannot go, where or when they must be on lead, in some places even how many dogs one may have per household. Local communities also levy the annual dog tax. Some Gemeinden publush a handy map of where dogs are restricted, as well as where the Robidogs are. Take a look through your Gemeinde website to see if yours has done so.
Oh, there may be a fourth level of regulation: Your building. You may find that your landlord restricts the size or type of dog allowed beyond what the canton or community regs do, places restrictions on how long a dog may be left alone in the flat, noise restrictions, etc.
And then there are social norms, etiquette, and community expectations. It is key to lean what your neighbors expect of you as a dog owner - you may find attitudes are rather different here than you have experienced elsewhere.
All this is a way of saying: YMMV.
Federal welfare law says a dog should - when possible given training - have the ability to run free at some time each day. Most cantons law says a dog must be under control at all times. You as the owner need to undertstand how those two intersect. In short, under control at all times can include off lead, as long as you have trained a reliable instant recall... and as long as you remain constantly engaged wiht your dog and aware of his actions so that you do not bother others, human or animal.
FYI, SZ is the only canton with a general leash law. Other cantons and communities have designated areas where dogs are forbidden (schools, cemetaries, grocery stores, etc.) and where they need to be on lead (heavily trafficked streets, in the woods during the time wild animals are rearing their young - although the dates vary by canton, at night, etc.)
I must stress that underlaying all this is that dog ownership is a Kausalhaftung - meaning you, the owner, are responsible and liable for your dog's actions at all times, everywhere. If you are in an area where your cantons allows a dog off lead, you must ensure that you have trained your dog to safely do so.
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So how is a newcomer to learn all this?
Get thee to a good Hundeschule!
I strongly urge all newly arrived dog owners to take training classes or get involved in other activities with a Hundeschule or Hundeverein. This is the easiest way to learn not only the 'hard' law, but also 'soft' expectations. A local trainer will be your best guide to local normas, local regs, cantonal, and federal law so that you can put your best paw forward from day one.
(It's a great way to make new local friends as well.)
So much in Switzerland is local - laws (and attitudes towards enforcement - don't underestimate this point!), norms, and expectations all the more so.
So for now concentrate on ZG law and the regs of the Gemeinde where you are currently living. Once you decide on a more permanent place, do the same there.
Perhaps the best document describing dog etiquette is the Codex put out by the ZH Veteriäramt - it's from ZH but should be considered universal in Switzerland. Conveniently in English, here:
https://www.zh.ch/content/dam/zhweb/...12englisch.pdf
All the best as you and your pooch settle in.