Interview of Mathilde Charpigny breeder of Bernese Mountain Dog from Haras de la Vergne, in Lanouailles, in Dordorgne.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?
My name is Mathilde Charpigny, I am a dog breeder and I breed 3 breeds: Bernese Mountain Dogs, Bassets-hounds and English Springers.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A DOG BREEDER?
It's a vocation. My parents were amateur breeders and I always wanted to breed dogs.
Jacquotte is a 5 years old dog, she is a French Champion and International Beauty Champion. It is a title that is difficult to achieve and which I think is the best a breeder can get. She is International Exhibition Champion, in 3 different countries. So we were very proud.
Breeding is primarily about raising puppies, it is the most important moment in the life of a breeder: births and nurturing our puppies.
THE BIRTH IS IT STRESSFUL FOR THE BITCH AND FOR THE BREEDER?
Giving birth is the best time of the breeder and it is the worst at the same time, my favourite time, I love to see my puppies born, it is the most fulfilling moment of my work.
When you have a dog that you have selected, mated and your dog is pregnant and she is about to have puppies, you spend so much time looking after the mother. For the breeder, in fact, you have the impression to live with her.
Very often giving birth does not always happen during the day since our bitches do not do office hours, it is necessary know how to recognize the signs.
Then for a primiparous bitches (first time mothers) stress is even more, and often you are more stressed too. Still it is a special moment, which is intimate, stressful but also magical.
A few days before giving birth, we give the mothers a quiet place, isolated, so that they can get used to the place ... we use the Adaptil Diffuser that we plug in a week before giving birth because that helps them to be more relaxed in the maternity nursery which helps, and then we leave it plugged all the time during maternity time, the bitches a very calm, very loving and we all sleep better at night.
We really see the effectiveness first on the dog. it's true that when you have a dog that is relaxed, everything goes easier, if the dog is relaxed so are the puppies to. When the mother is calm she takes better care of her puppies and all of her puppies are able to feed well. This helps the bitches spend a longer time with her puppies.
A calm nursery is the key to success and sleeping bitches who are soothed, rested, who take care of their puppies as they should and who do not ask to go out, who do not scratch, etc. It makes it a lot easier for the breeder
You discovered the Adaptil diffuser but you already knew about the collar?
The Adaptil Collars and tablets use for exhibitions, especially for dogs that are a little stressed or quite young dog at first exhibitions ... Or who car sick because they are over excited. The Adaptil Collar we use at exhibitions, a few days before the exhibition and during the exhibition, we remove just before being judged.
Adaptil is good and relaxes our dogs without sedating our dogs, It is great because we have a dog that is normal but relaxed. My bitches are more relaxed so I'm more relaxed
The Adaptil Diffuser really changed my life.
Adaptil, do you recommend it?
Adaptil, indeed I recommended it . Very frankly, for breeding put Adaptil in your nursery you will see it will change your life. Really in few months of use we have gained a lot of sleep.
If breeders want to have a quiet life, and get some sleep at night, use Adaptil.