Dog Sitter and Longer Stay

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Hi all,

I'm looking for an intermittent dog sitter for our 1 year old miniature Schnauzer, and also looking for somewhere for her to stay over the Christmas period when we fly back to the UK for 2 weeks.

We are staying in Altstetten, Zurich but happy to travel to drop her off, particularly for the 2 weeks.

I've been looking at a few places but would prefer to have a recommendation from someone. I'm not neccesarily looking for the cheapest place, but also don't want to pay the Earth!

Does anyone have any recommendations?

On another note, how strict is it when taking dogs on trains? I don't have a tape measure but she isn't exactly a big dog, at an estimate she is possibly just over 30cm from her paw to the top of her head. We don't have a carry bag yet either, and our dog doesn't particularly enjoy being in a bag. Is it essential that they travel in a carry bag? We are generally only going from Altstetten to Zurich HB (and back), so not a long trip!

Any advice / info on the above is much appreciated!

Thanks,

Dan

2
You don't have to have your dog in a bag on the train..... hell I'd need a very big bag for my Swiss Shepherd .... you do have to buy them a ticket though!!

3
Tickets for dogs are half price (Halbe tax). My yellow lab travels on the train/tram with me often - no bag required

4
Do make finding care a priority; it's already late for the Christmas holidays, many sitters and facilities will already be booked.

What kind of accomodation does your dog need?

As in, are you looking for a dogsitter who takes dogs into his or her house, a dog sitter who moves into your house, a Hort, or kennels? Can your dog live with other dogs (M/F), with children, with other animals?

A resource for finding sitters is Petsitting 24:

https://petsitting24.ch/de/

A membership fee is required to contact potential sitters, but it's inexpensive. As it is so difficult to find reliable dog care in Switzerland, you might find you need to look frequently, so an abo might be a sensible investment.

Now - this is simply a platform. While there are a few professional sitters listed, most are casual. You have to do your own due diligence on the sitters you are considering.

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If your dog is OK with a pension or boarding type arrangement:

On the other side of the country from you, but nonetheless: EF's own Irishgirl runs 'Happy Dogs Aigle'.

https://www.happydogsaigle.com

As you can see from her posts, she is a true dog lover. You might contact her to see if she has any availability.

Closer to you , a Hort with a good reputation (a couple of EFers use them, a search should bring up those threads) is VI Pets, in Morgarten ZG:

https://www.vipets-morgarten.ch

Your dog needs to be able to get along with other dogs, as they live and sleep in a group in a family-like situation.

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As mine cannot go into kennels or a Hort or similar boarding situation - I can only use a sitter who moves into my home - I can't make a recommendation from personal experience.

However, if I were ever to need a Hundepension for Robin Goodfellow, this is the place I would consider for a dog with his 'issues' - Häuser der Hoffnung, in Bernau, DE:

https://www.haeuser-der-hoffnung.de/...depension.html

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ETA:

Here are the regulations for traveling with a dog on the SBB:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-an...land/dogs.html

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Good luck, I hope you find the care your pup needs.

5
Meloncollie, every time! Amazing, and diligent. Thank you.

6
Just an FYI, as I gather you are new-ish to Switzerland: Dog care is expensive here.

Kennels/Hort/Pensions charges vary widely, generally from ca. 40-75 per day.

Sitters who only care for your dog (as opposed to a Hort, where a sitter takes in several unrelated dogs) usually charge by the hour, generally in the range of CHF 20-35/hr.

For those still using daily rates:

A sitter taking the dog into their home often runs CHF 100+ per day

A sitter moving into your home will charge anywhere from CHF 200-500 per day.

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Also, be aware that it is becoming increasingly common for a private sitter to charge travel costs. Some charge it as time at the usual rate, some as mileage. If a sitter is coming to you by train, many will ask that you pay the train ticket.

Just make sure you understand the all-in costs upfront, before making your decision.

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Whatever you choose, it is highly recommended that you plan at least one, and perhaps several, trial stays before leaving your dog for 14 days. Many providers require this, by the way.

Again, good luck.

7
Also consider TrustedHousesitters.com.

I sit with them and found them to be very professional. New sitters are vetted and evaluated after each sit.

Good luck!

8
Wow lots of responses! Thanks all!

We are looking to take the dog to someone else's place, preferably not a kennel, somewhere where she will be free to run riot! We've contacted a few places for trial days, we are looking to do some snowboarding next year so even if they are booked for christmas we will still need someone next year for a long weekend.

She is comfortable with all other dogs, she has many dog friends back in the UK. She is very gentle but can hold her own if others are playing rough.

As for the train, according to the link, she can travel free as her height to shoulder blades is about 30cm. My questions were around how strict it is that she isn't in a bag for such a short journey, as it states they must be on the website? Only because she would prefer not to be in a bag!

9
I've seen small dogs not in a bag riding for free, and the conductor did not question the owner at all.

I've also seen small dogs not in a bag attempting to ride for free and the conductor not only made the owner buy a ticket but also issued a fine.

I've also seen folks with dogs in bags who then took the dog out of the bag once on the train. In those cases, I've seen a blind eye turned, a warning given to put the dog back in the bag, and what was either being made to purchase a ticket or a fine, couldn't tell from eavesdropping.

So a roll of the dice. But I don't know if dogs-in-bags infractions get you on the penalty database, so think about that.

I guess you need to decide which is more important - riding for free, or riding bag-free. If the latter, perhaps buying a half fare ticket, just to be sure, is the more prudent measure.

One thing to be aware of: "How strictly is XYZ enforced?" can never tell you that you are safe to ignore a regulation. Just because a blind eye is turned to 99 scofflaws before you, that does not mean that you won't get the book thrown at you. The only certain way to stay out of the book-throwing zone is to follow the regulations. (Which of course we should all be doing anyway, of course. )

10
Out of curiosity, I just logged into Petsitting24. Searching for 1km of Altstetten PLZ, the database throws up 190 sitters willing to care for dogs.

Now - some/many of those will no longer be active, some/many will not offer what you need, some/many will not be the right person for your dog, etc. But even if there were just a half dozen potential matches, were it me I'd consider a membership.

You can also get an idea of price ranges by browsing the database, without taking out membership. You won't see the sitter's full profile, though.

Again, good luck with your search.

11

I've used Trusted Housesitters as a pet owner for over 3 years and can very much recommend.

I don't anticipate needing to use it again as the ship's dog travels with us (and will as long as he is able to travel) and we lost our elderly cat to a tumour in August. We have just been adopted by a kitten, but as he's about 16 weeks old, he's young enough to learn to travel - he's already become a ship's cat in no time!

12
I'm not sure about having someone come to our apartment to sit for us, might be an English thing but it seems weird to let someone into your place of living. Given my company are paying for the apartment too, I doubt they would approve of allowing people in unattended.

We've contacted a number of people, including all the recommended to request availability and pricing. Hopefully we find something!

Back on the topic of pet travel on the train, I've been trying to find a way on the SBB mobile app to purchase a half fare, but unless I'm missing something, I don't seem to be able to do so. Is this something you need to get from a ticket machine?

13

A annual half fare card is easiest and quickest to do in a station but you can do it on line i believe.

14
A bonus to having a live-in sitter is that the house is not empty - and thus not a target for thieves. Holidays, when many people travel, are a time for extra caution.

Emptying the mailbox, turning on/off lights, garden care if needed, giving the place a 'lived in' look - all helps security. As does a woof or two.

That, and you have someone to air out the flat to prevent mold - some contracts require this, which leaves travelers in a bind if they are gone more than a few days.

In fact, a common service many people who do not have pets use is Housesitting, where someone (or a company) comes by (without living there) for a stipulated number of times per day to do all of the above. Doesn't cost as much as pet sitting, obviously.

Just an FYI - you have to go with what you makes you comfortable. Hope you find the care you need.