We have a dog, standard poodle. When I was visiting my husband in Switzerland, I got an impression that there are not so many dogs here as they are in the other European countries. Is this right or am I wrong?
by
Tanja
Hello
Very glad to see a Poodle owner here - lovely dogs.
There are about 500K dogs in Switzerland.
We know this because every dog must be registered in the national database, AMICUS.
Your impression probably stems from the fact that Swiss dogs do not bark. In Switzerland, Alles unter Kontrolle applies to dogs as well.
Seriously, though, expectations of a dog owner in Switzerland and attitudes of the general population are often rather different from what you might have experienced at home.
A dog can have a very good life here, certainly, but one does need to be aware of the issues that typical Swiss housing brings. Living in such tiny spaces, crowded together with little privacy, does present challenges as we seek to do right by our dogs without disturbing our neighbors.
Primary to understanding what it takes to live in harmony is the Swiss concept of Nachbarrecht, neighborhood law and neighbor's rights. Your neighbor has almost as much say in how you may use your property as you, the owner, do - and this can impact how we must train our dogs.
Silence is even more golden in Switzerland than in many other places, quiet is valued abovel all else. We have official quiet hours, where no noise may be made. So training your dog to be quiet is key to living in harmony with your neighbors.
But all that is really just common sense and common courtesy, isn't it?
Don't stress too much, and as soon as you land get thee to a Hundeschule. IMO the best 'soft landing' for a dog owner new to Switzerland is to join a dog training school* or dog club. You will learn about Swiss etiquette - and likely meet kindred spirits who will become friends.
Nothing beats a day spent in the mountains with your four footed friend. That part of Swiss dog ownership is worth adjusting to the rest.
*See my comment in your intro post about mandatory courses.
All the best!
Statistics are fun. According to this source, Switzerland has 506,300 dogs and Slovenia 260,000. On a per-capita basis,
CH: 506,300 / 8,265,000 = .06 dogs per person
SLO: 260,000 / 2,065,000 = .13 dogs per person
So, Slovenia has twice as many dogs per capita as Switzerland.
http://www.carodog.eu/statistics-on-cats-and-dogs/
Also, stepping in dog doo is relatively uncommon in Switzerland, unlike, for example, Paris, although I can't demonstrate that with statistics.
Thank you both for all the information. I am aware of swiss habits about the silence. Luckily I am a little bit like swiss I like quiet and peace and I am little bit introvert, so no problem
My experience about the dogs is that I haven't seen them very much on the streets and even not in the parks.
When we will move to Switzerland, I will surely do whatever it takes for my dog to be a good Swiss dog School is nothing unusual for us two. I have an international dog handler license and she has done B-BH exam. Now we are attending rally obedience class and we both enjoy it.
You'll be fine.
It really depends on where you live, too. Your dog is beautiful!
What a beauty your dog is!
With the BH you are already ahead of the game. You will still need the SKN (or List 1, if you end up in ZH) courses even though your skills are likely well beyond that - but look on the courses as a good intro to Swiss Dogdom and a way to make friends.
By the way, here is a list of RallyO possibilities, by canton:
https://www.polydog.ch/cms/home/rall...nbieter-1.html
And if you are interested in regular Obedience at the competitive level (or Agility or Mobility), the umbrella organization in Switzerland is the TKAMO:
All the best...
Thank you. What do you mean by where I live (or be living). Do you mean country side or city or do you mean in which canton?
Tanja
Thank you both (all) very much.
Both.
In Switzerland there are layers of reguation at the federal, cantons, and local levels. And then there is 'regulation by curtain-twitching'.
Animal welfare is regulated at the federal level, the SKN courses mandated for all dog owners are federal legislation stemming from this.
Dog control is regulated at the cantonal level, each of the 26 cantons has it's own dog law, from the very laissez-faire folks in ZG to the draconian BSL cantons. A summary of each canton's laws can be found on the Tier Im Recht website, here:
http://www.tierimrecht.org/de/tiersc...echt/index.php
Your local community is free to set additional dog control laws, such as where a dog must be on lead, where a dog is forbidden, etc.
And then there are the 'unofficial' rules - expectations of your neighbors. The every day relationships between neighbors is what often affects dog owners the most. Key is to find a house or flat among 'dog friendly' or at least 'dog neutral' folks. Make that a top priority as you house hunt and you will be fine.
My experience is that few can resist smiling when in the presence of a Poodle. So again you are ahead of the game.
I just read about the problems with neighbours - in other topics. I got the point.
You made me smile, talking about poodles.
Thanks
Does anyone know if there is a guide dog initiative in Zurich? I'm looking to adopt and train a puppy for a year.
Not in Zürich, but...
http://www.blindenhundeschule.ch
It's a 1.5 year program, more on what is needed here:
http://www.blindenhundeschule.ch/de/...atenhunde.html
(A bit of pedantry: You do not adopt the dog, you are the Patenhundehalter for the duration of the training program. A legal distinction, as ownership remains with the foundation.)
ETA: Here are two more:
Stiftung Ost Schweiz
And in the Romandie:
This might sound unfair, but when I read posts like this, I'm very glad that, in Allschwil at least, they vet their 'puppy walkers' (their term) very carefully. Read through the stuff on the homepage (there is an English bit here ), go and have a look round on one of their visiting afternoons. Consider all the bits of your life which having the responsibilty of caring for a young dog and giving it the relevant 'basic education' would mess up.
I know several folk who have done this and it is a very rewarding field but, like any form of dog ownership, it is not just a free-time fun occupation to be taken on lightly.