Sometimes the phone rings twenty times a day. “Everyone wants a puppy,” says Yvonne Jaussi (62). The veterinarian from the Emmental has been breeding Flat Coat Retrievers and Parson Russell Terriers for more than 30 years. For her this is above all a passion and hobby, she has one or two litters a year.
Far from enough, you had to be patient beforehand if you wanted a puppy from a reputable breed, but the pandemic triggered a dog boom in Switzerland: “We cannot meet the demand. And I also have to put off serious applicants, they send complete résumés and write how they prepare for the dog. ” The disappointment is often great.
No puppies at the push of a button
“There is no dog at the push of a button, even if it is offered on the Internet.” The vet warns: “Imported puppies mostly come from catastrophic production facilities without social contact or medical care.” Anyway, the acquisition of a dog has to be carefully considered, because a waiting time is not that bad. Jaussi himself wasn’t that patient either: “We bought our first retriever very spontaneously and were pretty inexperienced.”
That was in 1984, when Jaussi was still a student, she took the dog with her to the lecture hall. One of her puppies later even ate a colleague’s dissertation. Jaussi laughs: “It didn’t make him any smarter.” Today that would no longer be possible: «I would definitely not give a puppy to someone like us. It is important that you have enough time and space. “
Sleep next to the whelping box
Jaussi checks the future owners as thoroughly as possible: Her puppies have grown very dear to her. In the first two weeks she sleeps next to the whelping box, which is especially necessary for larger breeds. “In case the mother lies down on a puppy.” You don’t get a lot of sleep there and: “That takes away emotionally. Often I look at these little ones and wonder what kind of life they will have and whether they will be fine. ” The separation from the puppy is part of it.
Anyone who believes that they can earn money quickly with breeding because of the dog boom is mistaken. At Jaussi, a retriever costs 2300 francs, a Parson Russell 2000. “With that you can usually cover the costs, and if there is anything left over, you are happy.” Before one is even recognized as a breeder by the dog umbrella organization (SKG), it is a long way anyway. “In return, buyers have the guarantee that they will get a dog that is as healthy as possible from a species-appropriate environment.”