44. Kopi poops on the floor tiles

Dec 28, 2006

I phoned up to ask about Kopi. Rachel was able to tell me about his routine. However, mum told me that Kopi had pooped outside the crate. He was taken out of the crate after feeding because there was a pile of poop seen. So, Rachel presumed he had pooped.

The poop was overnight.

"Have a time table in writing," I advised the mum who was not so keen to have poop on the floor tiles. The maid had cleaned up.

The maid ought to be give a written list.

43. The jovial taxi-drivers at a Christmas Eve dinner

Dec 24, 2006. Christmas Eve dinner at a friend's place, Singapore.

Usually, an uneventful dinner for adults. But the hostess had a very long dining table able to seat 20 people. And 3 other smaller tables for the children. The adults were having tea and dessert after dinner.

I just record the event for my later years to remember.

Taxi drivers and chambermaid supervisors have a lot of stories if they know how to tell them.

Starting with the chambermaid supervisor. She was all alone past midnight at the hotel. The Japanese client said "I wish to f..k," she started her story.

"Do you wish to fax?" she clarified as she was worried about being alone at this late hour.

"No, no, no," I wish to 'f..k', the Japanese handed her the note.

She replied, "First 'f..k' is $30.00. 2nd one is $5.00 per 'f..k'."

All could not help laughing.

The taxi-driver told the most jokes. "There was one man who had lost his front teeth, so he could not pronounce properly. One night, he could not find a parking lot and asked the HDB parking warden, "Where do I 'f..k'?"

The lady warden was irritated by his uncouthed language. She told him off, "You can 'f..k' anywhere."

Another one was about the Japanese who asked him to drive her to "Bed OK."

"You want to go to the hotel?" he asked her.

"No, Bed OK." I want to go to bed OK!

This taxi driver would not provide escort services.
We were all puzzzled.

He explained, "She wanted to go to Bedok, a Singapore town."
We felt enlighted. The Japanese pronounced Bedok as "Bed ok".

This taxi driver told another joke, asking for the Indian guest to pardon him if he became offended. The guest was all right.

"You want to tell a racist joke?" I asked him.

The taxi driver said, "This Indian said he was from Australia, but he did not speak like an Australian. So, I said "Good dai mate... as he mimiced the Australian slang.

"We should be proud of our origin," he said. "The Indian said he was born in Bombay. It is no more Bombay. It is Mumbai now..."

My hostess said, "I don't want to be your passenger." Neither would I. The taxi driver did not reply.

Another educational joke he related was when he sent a watch to a 2nd-hand shop buying such things. A passenger had left it in his taxi and he did not know who. The buyer donned his eye lens to examine the watch. The buyer shook his head, "$50.00".

The taxi driver sought another opinion from the watch dealer. It was worth $2,500 when new. "So, don't trust those who 'professionally don on eye lens and use equipment to valuate your goods for sale," he educated us.

"So how much you sold?" I asked him. "$600 at another shop."

As regards watches, the 2nd taxi driver guest looked at my friend's watch.
"A Frank Muller of 10 years old. Quite valuable. Around $6,000. May I offer you $600? I used to buy a distressed-sale watch worth $20,000 at half price. Unfortunately, I needed the money and sold it for a small profit."

I don't know a Frank Muller watch could be so expensive. I would have just thrown it away. Another guest was very knowledgeable about such watches too. He has a Cameron Heur watch or some name. I know of Tag Heur watches due to extensive advertisement. But a Cameron Heur was more valuable as it was the original or something like that.

"Any good stories from you?" I asked the 2nd taxi driver.

"The only one I remembered was this American couple with 3 children alighting at the Roxy Hotel. The whole family left leaving the toddler behind. If I had driven off, the child would be lost...

This Christmas Eve dinner opened my eyes to be more knowledgeable about watches and understood more about the life of taxi drivers --- a self-employed group of over 40 years old. Not easy for them to get employment. Taxi driving gave them freedom and flexibility of time. They are a great bunch usually, I think.

42. Kopi and the girl who was afraid of dogs

Christmas Day 2006.

Rehoming a dog - Many people do not know what to advise.

There is a need to teach the new owner how to housetrain the dog and know the dog routines to make rehoming likely to be successful.

It was nearly 2 p.m when I visited Rachel's parents for a Christmas lunch. A Shih Tzu needed emergency eye surgery as his cornea was rupturing. Liquid drops oozed out of the torn area of around 3 mm long. I could not wait till the next day. A pre-teen girl's best friend's eyesight was going to be lost. This surgery might save his eye-sight. The Shih Tzu had suffered a corneal abrasion over 30% of the cornea when he was at a boarding kennel. I had advised the mother not to bring the dog home as the corneal injuries were extensive and most owners do not know how to care for such wounds. But the mother wanted the dog home.

Maybe I should be firm. But it could be misconstrued as trying to make money out of her. So on Christmas day, the father and daughter came with a dog whose eyeball was going to deflate at any moment. A deflated eyeball meant no more normal eye. The pre-teen girl might feel sad. This must be her pet although I did not ask. This was an emergency surgery needed and it was done.

That was why I was late for my Christmas lunch invitation. And to see Kopi at the new apartment. Kopi was on "trial" as he was being rehomed. I had promised to take him back after 7 days if the new owners did not want him for any reason.

"Christmas Day is decision day today," Rachel's mum said to me. "I told Rachel that the Chihuahua had to go back to you as she had not dared to hold the Chihuahua since we got him 9 days ago."

She saw disbelief in my eyes. "Rachel just looked at him from inside his crate. She had fear of dogs since her uncle's Beagle pounced on her back when she was 3 years old." A child of 3 years must be extremely frightened of dogs after such a bad experience. The fear imprint of the child must be around 3 years of age. For a puppy, the first fear imprint period was around 8-12 weeks. Any painful or frightening experience would be remembered for life.

Would Rachel get over her canine phobia? Would she think that this Chihuahua would bite her to death? Actually, the Chihuahua would be more fearful of her as he is into his 2nd fear imprint period. But he seemed to be most wanted and loved in this family, taking advantage of them. Barking out loudly to get the aged mother's attention. Barking out loudly as strangers were outside the apartment. His playpen was near the front door as there was no other place to locate him. But when the lights were switched off, he just kept quiet and slept by himself. That was his routine in the previous house.




I felt sorry for Kopi as I thought Rachel had pestered her mum for a dog. Her mum had asked my opinion about the best breed for her child. I thought she should have a Chihuahua as it was not a large breed and she could not get over her fear of dogs. Mum was not really in favour of such a tiny breed. Some bigger breed, she said. But which one? Her child had a fear of dogs in the recess of her mind. A bigger breed would be difficult for her to handle. So, I proposed that Rachel keep Kopi for 7 days as a trial and if things did not work out, I would take him back. If Kopi was lucky, he would have many happy Christmas to come.

"However," Rachel mum's laughed. "Rachel started to pick up the Chihuahua this morning. So, I think we will keep him."

Rachel and 2 friends were playing with the Chihuahua outside the apartment, at the lift lobby area. The dog was running up and down, was on a bicycle and went down for a walk. He was exhausted after 2 hours.

"Let him rest," I advised. "Otherwise he gets stressed. Diarrhoea is one sign of stress of over-exercising."

The dog was put inside the crate. He could not open his eyes. He peed on the yellow towel which was taken away.

"He peed twice on two different floor mats outside my bathroom door," Rachel's mum said. "I don't know why. But I threw away the floor mats."

"You don't need to throw them away," I said. "Just wash them thoroughly to remove the urine smell. As for his misbehaviour, the reason he peed on the floor mat was probably what he did at the previous house. The floor mat feeling under his feet conditioned him to pee there."

So, are Chihuahuas hard to housetrain? Kopi would pee on the newspapers inside the crate if he had to. Now he is an "adolescent" and may want to pee on the floor mat to "urine mark" his territory. Male dogs do that. But most likely, he had been used to doing that for the past months in the previous residence.

Neutralise the floor mat of urine smell so that the dog will not pee on it again. There is no need to throw them away. In any case, Kopi had a history of peeing on floor mats. It could be a nuisance for some owners. Other owners just accept it as his "toilet location."

I over-stayed my welcome at the apartment. Other guests left after lunch.

I had to advise that Kopi needed to be rested. He had great fun and exercise for over 3 hours. Any over-exercising a Chihuahua could be stressful and could cause diarrhoea. Maybe death due to the toy breed's inability to have sufficient blood glucose level. However, Kopi is over 6 months old and has passed that danger period of low blood glucose level which usually happens at around 2-3 months of age.

So Kopi was put back into the playpen. "Put 2 towels to cover his playpen," I said as I cover the top of the playpen with one towel . "He needs to feel secure." Rachel's mum put another towel and used a towel clip to attach it. The picture showed one towel and Kopi falling asleep immediately.




It was around 5 p.m as I was the last guest to leave. But I knew that Kopi should have a good life in this new home. If he was tall enough, he could see the ships all lined up parallel to each other in the blue green seas of East Coast. Fresg sea breezes and a close friendship with a girl who was once afraid of dogs.

It was good that Kopi has a permanent and warm home now.

42. 7 stages of puppy development

The first people to write about puppy development were John Scott and J. L. Fuller in the forties, fifties and sixties. Later on, Clarence Pfaffenberger, with his book New Knowledge of Dog Behaviour, made these stages known to dog fanciers. He was followed by Jack and Wendy Volhard who are better known for their temperament tests but who also described the critical periods of the dog life in their book Training your
Dog, the Step by Step Manual. Finally, Drs Michael Fox and Ian Dunbar studied canine development and socialization extensively and later on, Dr Dunbar developed his own method of training based on his clinical and practical experience.
According to Pfaffenberger and Volhard, the dog goes through 7 important phases of development. The first 4 phases are the same for every dog, regardless of his size or breed. The later stages will occur at a somewhat younger age with a smaller dog.


1. Birth to seven weeks

It is essential for the full mental and psychological development of the puppy that he remains with his mother and his littermates for the first 7 weeks. This is when he learns to identify himself as a dog, proper dog conduct relative to biting, leadership, body posture language, etc... A puppy taken from his mother and adopted before he is 7 weeks old usually has some behavior problems and may be more nervous or aggressive toward other dogs. If he is further deprived from contact with other dogs, he might consider
himself as a person and refuse to be bred.


2. Socialization period (7 to 12 weeks)

This is the best age to introduce the puppy in a positive way to as many persons, things or noises as possible, especially those which he will encounter later in his life (persons of different stature or clothing, children, cats, other dogs, vacuum cleaner, traffic etc...). At this age, a puppy learns very fast and what he learns, he will retain permanently.
From the dog’s point view, this is the best age to go to a new environment since it is at this time that he adapts the most easily to a new situation and forms deep and permanent bonds.


3. Fear imprint period (8 to 11 weeks)

This stage occurs during the socialization period. Traumatic, frightening or painful situations have to be avoided at this age for they tend to give lasting impressions. Surgery, travelling alone on a plane, and rough handling or other possibly traumatic experiences should be avoided at all costs. If the puppy has to go to the vet, he should be handled gently and reassured so this experience remains positive. Some puppies
who have had theirs nails cut too short at this time resent the procedure to the point of panic later on.


4. Seniority period (12 to 16 weeks)

From 12 to 16 weeks, the puppy tries to determine who will be the pack leader. Him or his owner ? Bad habits, especially those showing attempts to dominate such as biting, even in play or biting the leash when walked, have to be strongly discouraged whether one uses positive methods or traditional training. By knowing this period, we can easily understand that, contrary to what many people think, serious training should begin at this age.


5. Flight instinct period (4 to 8 months)

At this age, the puppy starts to be autonomous and get away from his mother ... or his surrogate mother, his owner. He wants to discover the world by himself, to be independent. This wish for independence can have negative impacts. If he realizes that he can win and go his own way when you call him without negative consequences for him, it will be very difficult afterwards to train him. That is why in traditional puppy classes, it is often recommended that the puppy permanently wear a buckle collar attached to a loose 15 foot cord so the puppy never has a chance to disobey when you call him. In Dr. Dunbar’s Sirius Puppy Training method, recalls with distractions and rewards are used extensively in all kinds of situation.


6. Second fear imprint period (6 to 14 months)

This period is not as critical as the first one. The owner may notice that the young dog is reluctant to try something new or is apprehensive towards something he knows already. The owner must reassure the puppy and sometimes go a little backward in his training so that the puppy gains confidence again.


7. Maturity (1 to 4 years)

During this stage, the owner will often notice that the dog tests his leadership again or starts to become aggressive toward other dogs. Firmness and continued training are essential to maintain proper behavior.

41. Fear Imprint Periods of a dog

Source: *This article is Thanks to:
Sue St. Gelais
Hundmeister Reg'd Dobermans
Ontario Canada


Puppyhood and Beyond Puppies are growing animals. When they are young, they learn much and what is learned has a lasting impact. Even sexual patterns, which emerge as puppies mature, can be affected by early experience. All dogs, regardless of breed, pass through various stages as they grow and develop, physically, mentally, and psychologically. Psychologists use the term critical period to describe a specific time in a dog's life when certain experiences have a lasting effect upon their psychological development. Understanding these critical periods and a dog's stages of development will better help you to understand your dog's behavior and how to handle him during these special times. Additionally, puppies benefit greatly when their owners understand their development.

Puppy Toddlers (3 - 6 Weeks) During the Toddler period, puppies emerge on their own from the litter. They venture into the surrounding environment. This emergence from the litter is a gradual and continual learning experience. During this stage of development puppies learn basic behavioral patterns specific to dogs. While playing, they practice different body postures, learning what the postures mean and how they affect their mother and litter mates. They learn what it is like to bite and be bitten, what barking and other vocalizations mean and how to make and use them to establish social relationships with other dogs. Such learning and activity tempers their own biting and vocalizing. From the age of five weeks, the mother teaches her puppies basic manners. They learn to be submissive to her leadership and what behaviors are acceptable. If necessary, she growls, snarls, or snaps at them as a form of discipline. When weaning the litter, for instance, the mother will discipline her puppies so that they will leave her alone. Because the mother disciplines them in a way that they clearly understand, after a few repetitions, the puppies will respond to a mere glare from her. If a pup has not learned to accept leadership (and discipline) in its early interactions with dogs, its training will be more difficult. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early tend to be nervous, more prone to barking and biting, and less responsive to discipline. Often they are aggressive with other dogs. Generally speaking, a puppy taken away from it's mother and litter mates before seven weeks of age, may not realize its full potential as a dog and companion. To maximize the mental and psychological development of puppies, they must remain in the nest with their mother and litter mates until seven weeks of age.

Socialization Period (7 - 12 Weeks) It is at this age that rapid learning occurs. At seven weeks, puppies can learn and what they learn will have a lasting impact. Everything he comes in contact with will make a lasting impression upon him as it never will again. Not only will he learn, but, he will learn whether he is taught or not. Though he has a short attention span, what things he learns are learned permanently and resistant to change. Therefore, owners need to be careful about what their puppies are learning at this time. Your puppy is very anxious to learn how you want him to behave and react, and he needs to be shown what is expected of him in his new role as your pet. There are rules you will expect your puppy to obey. Establish those rules NOW while behaviors are easy to establish. For instance, how your pet interacts with you is determined during puppyhood. What he does now is what he will likely do later. So, don't allow your puppy to do things which will be unacceptable when he becomes a dog. During this time, you and your puppy will also begin to know and understand each other. You will get to know about your puppy's particular temperament and personality - whether he is strong-willed or eager to please, gentle or rambunctious, shy or outgoing, and just what else makes him the endearing individual that he is. For the puppy, this is both an exciting and somewhat confusing time. There is a whole new world of things to learn about and all sorts of new experiences to digest. Remember that the environments you put your puppy in are more complex than those he would encounter naturally. Puppies must now learn a new set of rules. He needs to know learn how to interact with humans and other animals who live with them. Puppies must adapt to the patterns and tenor of their new homes. All of these experiences and the behaviors which accompany them, must be learned. Because you will impose such important demands on your puppy, you must help him to make the transition into the human environment. You need to lay a groundwork for a trusting, happy mutually satisfying relationship. Keep in mind that puppies are less likely to broaden their experiences if they are insecure. In natural environments, puppies approach new things cautiously. By giving your puppy brief, repeated experiences in new situations, you give him a chance to become familiar. If you don't expose your puppy to a variety of situations and new environments, inappropriate ways to adapt may be learned. During the Socialization period, there is a fear imprint period from 8 - 11 weeks. During this time, any traumatic, painful or frightening experiences will have a more lasting impact on your pup than they would if they occurred at any other time. An unpleasant trip to the veterinarian, for instance, at this time could forever make your dog apprehensive about vets. To avoid this, take some treats and a toy with you. While you wait, play with your puppy and offer him treats. Have your vet give your puppy treats along with lots of praise and petting before and after the examination. Avoid elective surgeries, such as ear-cropping and hernia repair during this time. In general, avoid stressful situations. Remember, dogs are social animals. To become acceptable companions, they need to interact with you, your family, and other people and dogs during the Socialization Period. Dogs that are denied socialization during this critical period often become unpredictable because they are fearful or aggressive. It is during this time, that your dog needs to have positive experiences with people and dogs. Therefore, you need to socialize and teach your puppy how to interact with people and other dogs in a positive, non-punitive manner. You should gradually introduce your puppy to new things, environments, and people. But, care must be taken in socializing your puppy with other dogs or in areas where many "unknown" dogs frequent, prior to the time that your dog has had three of its booster vaccinations against contagious diseases. Shopping centers, parks, and playgrounds are good places to expose him. Begin by taking your puppy when there are few distracters. Give him time to get used to new places. Make sure he is secure. If you have children that visit only occasionally, have your puppy meet children as often as you can. If you live alone, make an effort to have friends visit you, especially members of the opposite sex so that your dog will become accustomed to them. If you plan on taking your dog to dog shows or using your dog in a breeding program, get him around other dogs. If you plan to travel with your dog, get him accustomed to riding in the car. Take him for brief rides, at first. Go someplace fun. Remember, if new experiences are overwhelming or negative, the results could be traumatic.

Seniority Classification Period (12-16 Weeks) It is during this critical period that your dog will begin to test you to see who the pack leader is going to be. He'll begin to bite you, in play or as a real challenge to your authority. Such behavior is natural in the pack and not necessarily undesirable. What is undesirable is an inappropriate response on your part. It is important, at this stage, that you establish your position as pack leader, and not just another sibling. Other behaviors, such as grabbing at the leash, will be observed, and all are attempts to dominate you. Biting , in particular though, should always be discouraged. Therefore, you should not wrestle or play tug of war. Such play is aggressive-inducing. What you see as a fun game may be perceived by your dog as a situation in which he has been allowed to dominate. Wrestling, of course, communicates to your puppy that he is allowed to bite you. Tug of war sets you up in a dominance confrontation over an object. He learns that he can keep objects away from you. During tug of war games, puppies will often growl. Growling is a dominance vocalization, designed to warn another pack member that they better not confront the growler or he will bite. Puppies see these games as situations in which they have been allowed to dominate. They do not understand that these are games designed by humans to entertain them. You can continue to play with your dog during this period, but, the relationship between you during the play must change. No mouthing of your body should be allowed and when your dog does mouthe, you should respond with a quick and sharp "NO!" or "No Bite!" Play that does not get rough is best. If you cannot keep the dog from getting overly excited during a game and he persists in biting at you, don't play that way. This will only stimulate additional dominant behavior in the future. For these reasons, this is the stage when serious training should begin. Training establishes your pack leadership in a manner that your puppy will understand. By training your puppy, you will learn how to get him to respond to commands designed to show that you are in charge.

Flight Instinct Period (4 - 8 Months) This is the age when puppies become more independent of their owners and are likely to venture off on their own. Puppies that have always come when called or stayed close to their owners will now ignore them, often running in the opposite direction. This period can last from several weeks to months. How you handle your puppy's refusal to come or stay with you will determine whether or not he will be trustworthy off leash. It is important to emphasize here that no puppy this young should ever be off leash except in a confinement area. Therefore, keep your puppy on leash when this period arises and keep him on leash until he readily returns to you or shows no inclination to leave you. The privilege of being off leash outside of a confined area, is reserved for dogs whose owners have trained them to the point where there is no potential for them to run and fail to obey to stop or come on command. Releasing an unleashed dog in an unconfined area that is not well trained off leash is irresponsible ownership and dangerous to your dog. Even well trained dogs can make mistakes or become distracted by something in the environment so that they do not respond to their owners' commands. So, how do you respond when your puppy suddenly develops the urge to bolt? First, you must, for his safety, put a leash or a long line on your dog whenever you are not in a confined area. Second, work hard on training your puppy to come on command. Use the recall game and the spontaneous recall. When walking your dog, suddenly run backwards and encourage your puppy to come. If your dog still continues to bolt or run away, then your dog probably does not view you as the dominant figure in this relationship and you require special help to resolve this problem. Even if the your puppy appears less inclined to bolt, this does not mean that he is reliable off lead without more maturity and a lot more training.

Adolescence Period (5 - 18 months) Adolescence can appear in smaller dogs as early as five months. In larger breeds, it can start as late as nine or ten months. In giant breeds, adolescence doesn't take place until twelve to eighteen months. In general, the larger the dog, the longer it will take to physically mature. Some breeds can remain adolescents until they are two and a half, or three years old. Adolescence is expressed in male dogs by scent marking behavior. Scent marking behavior is stimulated by the release of testosterone into the dog's system. At this time, males may become macho. Male dogs may become less friendly and even somewhat aggressive to other male dogs. He may begin lifting his leg in the house. He may become very interested in girls, tend to roam, and certainly not interested in listening to you! Some males at this age become totally unruly. In females, adolescence is marked by the onset of the heat cycle, estrus. During this three week period, your bitch could become pregnant. So, keep her away from all male dogs. Bitches exhibit erratic behavior during estrus. Some get real moody and insecure. Others become quite bold or even aggressive. Adolescence is a very difficult time for pet owners. They are surprised when their cute little puppy becomes a free and independent thinker. Adolescence is certainly a good time to start (or reinstitute) rigorous training. You must work hard NOW to mold the dog of your dreams.This course will teach you training methods which are based on sound knowledge of dog behavior. You will gain knowledge about dog behavior and training techniques. This knowledge will help you to get through your dog's adolescence. A dog that you iew as too stupid, too old or stubborn or too spiteful can become a well mannered, enjoyable, and reliable companion. Establish yourself as the leader of the pack. Be realistic about your expectations.You cannot expect young dogs to grow up overnight. Learn to appreciate your dog's adolescence for it is a truly wonderful time. At this time of their lives, dogs are very energetic and exuberant in their responses. They can be full of beans, but still, delightful playmates. You as the owner must learn to channel that energy and exuberance into learning, working, exercising, and playing games. It is not too late to to train (or retrain) your dog to help him to become a long-lasting companion.

Second Fear Imprint Period (6 - 14 Months) The Second Fear Imprint Period is similar to the one that occurred during the socialization period, but, it is much less defined. It occurs as dogs enter adolescence and seems more common in males. It is often referred to as adolescent shyness. Your dog may suddenly become reluctant to approach something new or suddenly become afraid of something familiar. This behavior can be very frustrating to the owner and difficult to understand because its onset is so sudden and, seemingly, unprovoked. If you notice this behavior, it is important to avoid the two extremes in response: Don't force him to do or approach something frightening to him and don't coddle or baby him. To get through situations that make your dog fearful, be patient, kind, and understanding. Desensitize him to the object or situation by gradually introducing him to it and using food rewards and praise to entice him to confront the fearful object or situation. Do not coddle or reassure him in any way that will encourage his fearful behavior. Do not correct him either. Simply make light of it and encourage him give him food rewards as he begins to deal with his fear better. Make sure you lavishly praise his attempts! This phase will pass.

Mature Adulthood (1 - 4 Years) During this period your dog may again become aggressive and assertive. For instance, he may become more turf-protective, by barking when someone comes to the door. Temper his protective behaviors by teaching him how to accept strangers into your home. His friendly play with other dogs may escalate to fighting with other dogs. Teach you dog to ignore other dogs that he sees if he can't be friendly towards them. Take him to places where there will be a few dogs at first and train him there. Then, train him in areas with more and more dogs. Next, allow him to interact with non threatening dogs. Puppies and bitches are good choices, if he is a male. Always praise his positive efforts to interact or if he displays no reaction. Gradually move onto male dogs. At bit of caution here, adult members of the same sex, no matter what animals species, tend to compete with one another. Putting together two strange adults of the same sex could result in a fight. Watch for behavioral signs of playfulness before allowing two dogs to play together. Also, be alert to the posturing of aggressive behaviors. Watch for circling behaviors, walking on toes, stiff tail wags, and tense facial expressions. Adulthood is also a time that your dog may again test your position as pack leader. If he does, handle him firmly, suspend any rough play that may be giving him the idea that he can dominate you, and continue with training. Additional classes or private help with training may be a wise investment. It can provide you with the structure and commitment to train him that you need at this time. Proceed with training in a matter-of-fact, no nonsense manner and your dog will become a reasonably obedient dog. Give him lots of positive attention for his efforts!

Closing Remarks This has been a cursory look at some of the behavioral changes that often occur during puppyhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Other problems may arise at these stages which are not the result of the developmental period itself, but are caused by something in the environment or the dog's basic personality. Even so, they are probably aggravated by immaturity and you cannot afford to overlook them. Understanding, training, and perhaps professional help with training are the keys to success. All dogs are different. Some will not exhibit the behaviors we have discussed and others will pass through them at varying rates with smaller dogs maturing faster than large dogs. Remember that your dog needs you to play a role in his development and you can do that with knowledge and commitment to training. Learning plays a significant role in a dog's development. Through training, you actively take part in that process. This course has been carefully designed with the capacities of developing dogs in mind. Throughout the course, you and your dog will be observed. You will be advised if your dog exhibits behaviors which may be warning signs of potential problems. We will teach you exercises which will help your dog to be a good companion. The exercises your dog or puppy will learn should not tax him. Learning can be fun and each dog can achieve success.

40. The breeder's paper-training secret and the microchipped Husky.

Dec 24, 2006




"The SPCA would not give me the Siberian Husky," a man phoned. "I needed the microchip number from your Surgery. The Seller had passed away before the dog was certified as pedigree by the Singapore Kennel Club."

I was sad to hear that a pet shop operator cum breeder had passed away from a person who claimed that he needed a microchip number to tell the animal shelter that the lost Siberian Husky at the shelter belonged to him. He lost 2 Huskies and did not have the microchip number.

This pet shop operator was good at his profession. Occasionally he would bring his pups for vaccination. He shared with me his secrets of toilet training the puppies. "Just put them on newspapers near their mother while suckling," he said. "By the time they are sold, they are paper-trained. None of my clients ever had problems with paper-training" I was impressed that this was so simple.

The last time I saw him was several months ago. He had a swollen face. "Too much of the fast life as a private banker," he told me. "Now I suffer from kidney problems." I did not expect him to pass away.

Now there is a problem with this particular caller. He wanted to know the microchip numbers so that he could show SPCA that the Husky belonged to him. If not, the SPCA would not release the found dog.

I was sad to hear the news of this pet shop operator. He was in his late thirties. I was not sure that the caller was a genuine owner of the Husky. I dealt with the pet shop operator. It had been several months, maybe a year. Now, this caller wanted the microchip number. How do I ascertain he was the genuine owner? I had my doubts. I asked him to show the SPCA some pictures if he had any. But the most grey Siberian Huskies looked alike.

In other words, as a pet owner, one must be on the ball and be careful. Microchip numbers must be obtained from the pet shop or Seller immediately after purchase. Not wait till the dog gets lost.

39. Singapore puppy book

Singapore first-time puppy owner book

provides fresh ideas on how to toilet train your puppy. Choose from over 50 easily available breeds. It provides practical tips, techniques and troubleshooting advice on how to keep your puppies at their best.

Contents

Using this book

Puppy breeds Introduction - This book is a personal selection of puppies for Singaporeans and city living. Minimum of your time and provide maximum pleasure -- depends on what living conditions you can offer the puppy and how much time you have for them.

Some popular breeds in Singapore.
Puppy housing design features Playpen
Crate
Outdoors

Puppy care
Choosing healthy puppies
Keep puppy warm at night
Regular feeding and water
Choosing puppy housing - breed size
Non-scratch mat - soil/damage the marble flooring.
Releasing the puppy from confinement
How to do it
Where to house your puppy - effect of temperature, how much light?
Food and water. When to water?
Diarrhoea problems
Bathing

What's gone wrong?
Not eating
Separation anxiety
Cleanliness freak
Feeling "guilty"
Excessive and loud barking
Eating stools, drinking urine
Itchy skin and ears
Coughing
Parasistes and diseases


USING THIS BOOK
City apartment living. Hectic lifestyle. Children. Home alone
Size of puppy
Location of bed
Temperature - No winter here.


Index

Acknowledgements

38. The maid took the Jack Russell out every 2 hours

Dec 23, 2006



"It has been a long time ago," the maid sighed when I asked how the 6-month-old Jack Russell was toilet trained in the house.

She had taken a taxi to bring the dog for an anti-heartworm injection. One yearly injection to prevent the heartworms from developing and living inside her heart instead of having to take the tablets monthly.

"What happen during the first week after purchase?" I persisted, in the interest of my toilet training research. I did not expect any new information since I had interviewed more than 400 cases.

The Filipino maid laughed, "She peed and pooped all over the house for the first 3 weeks. A dog trainer advised my mistress to take the puppy out of the house every two hours."



"Every 2 hours?" I was surprised.

"Yes," she said. "In my neighbourhood, all occupants do not like the house to be dirty." I would think nobody likes a puppy eliminating everywhere inside the house or apartment.

"Was the toilet training successful?"

"Yes. Now the dog would whine to go out if she needed to," the maid said. "But she would just have to go to the puppy training pad at the corner of the living area, if I don't have time to take her outside the house on a leash."

The dog would not be allowed to go out on her own as she might escape.

This was a success story. The maid was good in her job too.



Jack Russell, Female, 6 months old.
Lives: House
Toilet location:
Outside the house - Whines to go out. Maid will take her out.
Puppy Training Pad at one corner of the room - if the maid has no time to carry her out.
Feeding: 2 times per day.
Water bowl: Water anytime.
Poops: Before and after breakfast.

How often do you change the puppy training pad (diapers)?

The dog will not pee onto the pad after 4 times. She will pee outside the pad area. Dogs naturally want to be clean.

37. The re-homed Chihuahua thrives in a structured life

December 22, 2006

3 days before Christmas. Would the re-homed Chihuahua be returned by Rachel's mother? I had to follow up but tried not to be a pest. Rachel's mother said, "Kopi has settled down. He barks very loudly whenever he hears somebody outside the apartment. However he poops on the newspapers inside the playpen."

So far so good. I read a newspaper research article that children strive when given a "structured" life. What is a structured life? It means that a daily routine so that the child does not get upset or surprised, like homeless kids.

A structured life is also necessary for puppies and re-homed dogs. If they have a time-table of what to do daily, they get toilet trained. Submissive dogs become confident and loved.

Disciplining and training of dogs and children seem to have much in common. Would there be similarities in the practice of counseling people and "counseling" dogs with behavioural problems? There may be common principles.

36. A success story: Chihuahua in a shower stall for 2 weeks.

A success story.
Dec 20, 2006

Surprisingly, the owner of the brown chihuahua, male, 17 weeks old, asked about Rachel's chihuahua Kopi whom she saw at the Veterinary Surgery sometime ago.

"Kopi is in a new home for the last 2 days," I said sadly.

I was thinking of the chihuhaua Kopi who might be returned back to Anna if he continued to bark a lot.

Barking for attention is like throwing tantrums in 3-year-old children. I told Rachel's mum to totally ignore Kopi's barking on the first day at the new home. The maid and the grandmother ignored this advice.

So Kopi knew that the maid or the aged grandmother would come to see him if he barked long enough. Just like a 3-year-old I met at Thomson Medical Clinic visiting somebody who had a newborn baby. Her 3-year-old niece just had to open her mouth to cry. The aunty would quickly give in to what she wanted. No need further action.

If Kopi was ignored on the first day, he would not bark anymore. But the maid was attentive to him. The grandmother would see him.

It was also important that Kopi be given a routine of feeding and exercise so that he could be properly toilet trained. That meant crating him up for most of the time for the next 7 days.

However, too many visitors and play distracted him. So he pooped outside the crate, under the dining table and on the tiled marble floor. Or pooped many times as he held back wanting to play. In the end, he would be returned to Anna through no fault of his own.

He is home alone most of the time. My veterinary assistant, Anna has to work. Kopi is better off with a family with more people. Kopi is a social dog. He just loved company.

Back to the present, I spoke to Kiki's owner. "Kopi has been given as a present to Rachel, a 7-year-old girl about the age of your daughter. How old is she?"

The little girl said "I am eight years old." She was not as talkative as Rachel. Her mum continually train the chihuahua. "I need Kiki to come out of the carrier as there is light for photography," I explained to the mum as she kept commanding Kiki to stay inside the crate.



This mother had time to train the dog. Rachel's mother could give instructions from her office. Still it was best for Kopi's future that I followed up. Barking was the main problem. Disruption of his routine by so many visitors was another. The maid was told to give Kopi a time table of feeding and exercise. Rachel still had not recovered from her fear of dogs. At 3 years old, a big Beagle jumped onto her back. At that age, she became fearful of dogs. So, she was a bit afraid of Kopi even though Kopi should be afraid of her. She was 10 times bigger. To Kopi, she was gigantic.

"How's the toilet training in the flat?" I asked the mother. She has another child to care for. The maid was with her at the Surgery.

"I don't live in a flat," she told me she was residing in a condo. By "flat", I mean an apartment. But I guess it meant different to others. A condo has a swimming pool and other facilities. A flat does not have such facilities? The Speak Good Englishment Movement of Singapore people may need to educate me.

The mum has a very good way of toilet training the puppy.

Toilet location: Shower stall with glass door for 2 weeks. The glass door enabled the chihuahua to see the owners but not to come out for 2 weeks.

Newspapers covered the floor except for the area where the plastic carrier crate is.

Bed: The plastic carrier crate is the den. Soft towels and two chew toys. The door is left open.

On week 3, permitted to go to the kitchen. Restricted area with no urine smell and near the shower stall.

Positive reinforcement training. Food treats given after elimination on newspapers.

By 14 days, this puppy was paper-trained. No need for food treats now. Just poop 1x/day, 5 minutes after eating. Pees 5-6 x per day.

"How often you change the newspapers?" I asked the maid. It was 5-6 times a day. This was about the same as reported by other owners of 5-month-old dogs. But pooping once a day was really exceptional as most do it more than once.

New sleeping area: Kitchen, inside the carrier crate.

It sounded so easy. However, the mother was a strict teacher who spent time teaching as I could see her pointing fingers for Kiki to go inside the carrier crate while I wanted to take pictures. She was afraid that Kiki might come out and fall down the operating table on which I took pictures. I needed the light as it was a heavy 24-hour raining day today and there was no sunlight. The operating lights would do.

Success comes to those who know what to do and spend the time--- work hard to do it.

35. The Chihuahua follows the maid, not Rachel

Following up on Day 3. In Blog 33, Kopi was re-homed and the following happened:

1. Elimination routine upset. Everybody plays with him, including the husband and the Filipino maid.

2. Barking a lot for attention. He wanted attention and knew that the maid would come when he barks.

3. Poops outside the crate. Poops on the dining area and below the dining table at night. The mother scolded him, put him back to the crate and told him to poop onto the newspapers covering half the floor of the crate. He tried to eat the stools.
However, on day 2, he pooped inside the crate. This could be due to confinement rather than his intelligence. Wait and see.

4. Hair dryer after bathing by the mum. The Chihuahua was trembling for a long time. He is frightened of the noise. He did not suffer from submissive urination. He is a timid dog.

5. "Chihuahua likes to bite children". The mother heard this myth from others. It is not correct. With proper training, almost all dogs will not bite children.

6. Today is Monday. Must establish a routine. Rachel feels that the dog is not so close to her. This is because the maid keeps paying attention to him. Need to confine the dog for one week at least to get the routine set. Can bring him downstairs to exercise at certain times. Bring newspapers with urine+poop smell and leash him.



In the morning, the maid is busy preparing breakfast. So, it is best to confine the chihuahua inside the crate and not let the maid play with him. He needs to have as structured life. Ignore his barking. Otherwise it will be hard for him.
7. I don't know whether Kopi would be returned back. Much depends on follow up and advices. Once his toilet training habits are good, he should be able to roam around the apartment freely. Needs a structure and routine.

34. Gut impaction in a Siberian Husky

"It is your fault," I said to the busy young man who had not followed up on his Siberian Husky and might be blaming the first vet who had warded the dog that had collapsed.

"If your dog continues to have diarrhoea and lose weight, you ought to go the vet for a review and not wait another month."

I should have better bedside manners. If I go on like this, I would be bankrupt.

"My dad says it is normal for a Husky to lose weight," he explained.

"It is not normal for any dog to have diarrhoea for so long and to lose weight." I examined the Husky that I had vaccinated when he was younger. He was thin but looked alert. A shudder from his stomach area as I felt something soft. His owner had complained about that pain.

A dog with long periods of diarrhoea might have the small intestinal loop telescoping into itself. A surgical condition called intussception. Or this dog could have eaten big pieces of non-food items like plastic containers. Impaction of the gut with foreign bodies would be the likely diagnosis. The father and domestic worker would know.

In any case, there was fever. A poor bodily condition. Lots of gas inside the intestines. I gave treatments and drugs expecting this dog to die. A young dog keeps losing weight. How long can he last? Not too long, I said. Surgery is also too risky as he might die on the operating table.

Drugs and fluid therapy for 7 days. He came for the treatment for the first 2 days and then he was nursed at home by the domestic worker. The father confirmed that the dog had loved to swallow plastic containers.

Did the Siberian Husky survive? Yes. Much to my surprise. After 3 months of diarrhoea and weight loss, I expected it was the end of him. The antibiotics must have eliminated the gut bacteria poisoning him. An incredible story. But true.

33. Rachel and the 7-month-old Chihuahua

Saturday, Dec 16, 2006

Rachel, the 7-year-old girl could not sleep when her mum told her she would be getting a puppy on Saturday. Kopi, the 7-month-old male Chihuahua could not stop trembling when he met Rachel and her parents. I was the one getting Kopi a new home but I was on leave this Saturday and would not be at the Veterinary Surgery.

I had known Kopi when he was a 2-month-old. He used to bark for attention when kept in a crate. After many minutes of barking and no attention, he behaved. Anna took him home as the Surgery was not considered a healthy place for him as he had only one vaccination. 3 vaccinations would be necessary. He was paper-trained for peeing but he would poop on the toilet floor. "When he is frightened or excited, he pees," Anna said. So, this was a case of submissive urination in a male Chihuahua. To him, all people look gigantic.

I knew Rachel is a precocious girl from the illustrations and writings of her mother and her uncle's dalmatian dog care. I doubt many 7-year-old can do that. So, I think she's precocious. When we met at the Veterinary Surgery and on the way to the pet shop at Thomson Road, she would converse with me on many topics. Non-stop. Like chatterboxes.

"Is the injection (vaccination) of the puppy painful? Look, I had an injection on my right hand. Just a pin prick.

"The teacher said that girls who cried during injection would not get 2 sweets but must stay in the class room.

I asked her mother not to interrupt as I wanted to know whether she could care for Kopi.

"So, did you get 2 sweets?" I expected her to be brave.

"Yes."

I assessed that she could take care of the dog although she was only 7 years old and in Primary one. Music lessons. Ballet lessons. She could cope. The grandmother could help. The working parents were first-time dog owners.

So, I had to go back to the Surgery to brief them on how to manage this dog. So that the dog would not be returned. And get a good home. Here are the steps to be put in writing as people do forget:

1. Know where the dog should stay inside the apartment. The balcony was out as it was windy. Mum decided on getting the playpen with the Aluminium pee tray. That was expensive but her floor tiles would not be stained with urine.

2. A bed. Kopi used to sleep on a towel. But Rachel had bought a soft bed with towels the day before. That would be great.

3. Food. Exactly the same brand of premium puppy food. Amount would be what Anna had been feeding. Breakfast and dinner times told to her.

4. Water bowl.

5. Peeing and pooping. Would be on newspapers before taking the dog out. Keep the dog inside the crate for the first 7 days until he is used to the routine. Take out only after he poops and pees. Will this be possible?

6. Exercise. Play during certain times when Rachel is not studying. The pet shop recommended a thin leash and collar meant for Chihuahuas and toy breeds. Mum nearly bought the wrong big collars and leash.

7. Sleeping time. Kopi usually sleeps in the afternoon and late at night.

8. Bathing. Once a week.




9. Permissive Urination.
I forgot about this topic. Will e-mail the advices to the mum.

9.1 Do not shout, pat his head or bend over to talk to him. Talk to him in a soft voice. No spanking or negative reinforcement training experiences. He may get frightened and just pee in submission.

9.2 Do not let visitors or anyone pat his head. Rachel can pet him on the chin.

9.3 Obedience Training. Reward him with food treats and lavish praises when doing "obedience training" like SIT.

9.4 Socialising with other dogs. Take this step slowly. Go to dog parks but do not force him to meet other dogs or strangers.

I would have to follow up to make sure there is a happy ending for Kopi. It is not good for a dog to be rehomed more than once. Hence a written dog care guideline is most important for the new owner, sharing experiences with the ex-owner.

Following up on Day 3. In Blog 33, Kopi was re-homed and the following happened:

1. Elimination routine upset. Everybody plays with him, including the husband and the Filipino maid.

2. Barking a lot for attention. He wanted attention and knew that the maid would come when he barks.

3. Poops outside the crate. Poops on the dining area and below the dining table at night. The mother scolded him, put him back to the crate and told him to poop onto the newspapers covering half the floor of the crate. He tried to eat the stools.
However, on day 2, he pooped inside the crate. This could be due to confinement rather than his intelligence. Wait and see.

4. Hair dryer after bathing by the mum. The Chihuahua was trembling for a long time. He is frightened of the noise. He did not suffer from submissive urination. He is a timid dog.

5. "Chihuahua likes to bite children". The mother heard this myth from others. It is not correct. With proper training, almost all dogs will not bite children.

6. Today is Monday. Must establish a routine. Rachel feels that the dog is not so close to her. This is because the maid keeps paying attention to him. Need to confine the dog for one week at least to get the routine set. Can bring him downstairs to exercise at certain times. Bring newspapers with urine+poop smell and leash him.



In the morning, the maid is busy preparing breakfast. So, it is best to confine the chihuahua inside the crate and not let the maid play with him. He needs to have as structured life. Ignore his barking. Otherwise it will be hard for him.
7. I don't know whether Kopi would be returned back. Much depends on follow up and advices. Once his toilet training habits are good, he should be able to roam around the apartment freely. He needs a structured life. A routine. A time-table. Strong pack leadership from the family but the pack leader (Rachel's mum is at work)!


DAY 4
A success story---Kiki
Dec 20, 2006

Surprisingly, the owner of Kiki, a brown male chihuahua, 17 weeks old, asked about Rachel's chihuahua Kopi whom she saw at the Veterinary Surgery sometime ago.

"Kopi is in a new home for the last 3 days," I said sadly.

I was thinking of the chihuhaua Kopi who might be returned back to the Surgery if he continued to bark a lot and therefore a noise nuisance.

Barking for attention is like throwing tantrums in 3-year-old children. I told Rachel's mum to totally ignore Kopi's barking on the first day at the new home. The maid and the grandmother ignored this advice.

So Kopi knew that the maid or the aged grandmother would come to see him if he barked long enough. This is known as a negative reinforcement training?

Just like a 3-year-old I met at Thomson Medical Hospital visiting somebody who had a newborn baby. Her 3-year-old niece just had to open her mouth to cry. The aunty would quickly give in to what she wanted. No need further action.

If Kopi was ignored on the first day, he would not bark anymore. But the maid was attentive to him. The grandmother would see him.

It was also important that Kopi be given a routine of feeding and exercise so that he could be properly toilet trained. That meant crating him up for most of the time for the next 7 days.

However, too many visitors and play distracted him. So he pooped outside the crate, under the dining table and on the tiled marble floor. Or pooped many times as he held back wanting to play. In the end, he would be returned to Anna through no fault of his own.

He is home alone most of the time. My veterinary assistant, Anna has to work. Kopi is better off with a family with more people. Kopi is a social dog. He just loved company.

Back to the Surgery room. I said to Kiki's owner. "Kopi has been given as a present to Rachel, a 7-year-old girl about the age of your daughter. How old is she?"

"Tell the doctor your age," mum said.

The little girl said "I am eight years old." She was not as talkative as Rachel.

I could see that the mum was the pack leader and that was the secret of her success in training Kiki. She trained him continually as Kiki tried to get out of the carrier crate. I had put Kiki on the operating table to take pictures under the operating light.


"I need Kiki to come out of the carrier as there is light for photography," I explained to the mum as she kept commanding Kiki to stay inside the crate.



This mother had time to train the dog.

Rachel's mother was a hardworking career woman. She could give instructions from her office. But she could not be home all day.

Still it was best for Kopi's future that I followed up. Barking was the main problem. Chihuahuas are said to be loud barkers. But so are many other breeds.

Disruption of his routine by so many visitors was another. Distractions affect his pooping times.

The maid was told to give Kopi a time table of feeding and exercise. Rachel still had not recovered from her fear of dogs. At 3 years old, a big Beagle jumped onto her back. At that age, she became fearful of dogs. So, she was a bit afraid of Kopi even though Kopi should be afraid of her. She was 10 times bigger. To Kopi, she was gigantic.

"How's the toilet training in the flat?" I asked the mother. She has another child to care for. The maid was with her at the Surgery.

"I don't live in a flat," she told me she was residing in a condo. By "flat", I mean an apartment. But I guess it meant different to others. A condo has a swimming pool and other facilities. A flat does not have such facilities? The Speak Good Englishment Movement of Singapore people may need to educate me.

The mum has a very good way of toilet training the puppy.

Toilet location: Shower stall with glass door for 2 weeks. The glass door enabled the chihuahua to see the owners but not to come out for 2 weeks.

Newspapers covered the floor except for the area where the plastic carrier crate is.

Bed: The plastic carrier crate is the den. Soft towels and two chew toys. The door is left open.

On week 3, permitted to go to the kitchen. Restricted area with no urine smell and near the shower stall.

Positive reinforcement training. Food treats given after elimination on newspapers.

By 14 days, this puppy was paper-trained. No need for food treats now. Just poop 1x/day, 5 minutes after eating. Pees 5-6 x per day.

"How often you change the newspapers?" I asked the maid. It was 5-6 times a day. This was about the same as reported by other owners of 5-month-old dogs. But pooping once a day was really exceptional as most do it more than once.

New sleeping area: Kitchen, inside the carrier crate.

It sounded so easy. However, the mother was a strict teacher who spent time teaching as I could see her pointing fingers for Kiki to go inside the carrier crate while I wanted to take pictures. She was afraid that Kiki might come out and fall down the operating table on which I took pictures. I needed the light as it was a heavy 24-hour raining day today and there was no sunlight. The operating lights would do.

Success comes to those who know what to do and spend the time--- work hard to do it.



DAY 6
December 22, 2006

3 days before Christmas. Would the re-homed Chihuahua be returned by Rachel's mother? I had to follow up but tried not to be a pest. Rachel's mother said, "Kopi has settled down. He barks very loudly whenever he hears somebody outside the apartment. However he poops on the newspapers inside the playpen."

So far so good. I read a newspaper research article that children strive when given a "structured" life. What is a structured life? It means that a daily routine so that the child does not get upset or surprised, like homeless kids.

A structured life is also necessary for puppies and re-homed dogs. If they have a time-table of what to do daily, they get toilet trained. Submissive dogs become confident and loved.

Disciplining and training of dogs and children seem to have much in common. Would there be similarities in the practice of counseling people and "counseling" dogs with behavioural problems? There may be common principles.

32. The 1-year-old Jack Russell pees off-the pee tray and newspaper

Only last month did the female Jack Russell start to pee or poop outside the pee tray with newspapers. Why?

LOCATION OF THE PEE TRAY
The pee tray is put in a living area corner, to the right of the entrance to the kitchen. It is about the length of the long-bodied Jack Russell. The dog will step onto the pee pan and newspapers but will eliminate outside the pee pan.

So, the entrance to the kitchen needs to be cleaned daily.

POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS
1. The female dog wants cleanliness. The newspapers may now not be so clean for her as the soiled ones may not be changed often.

2. It is possible that the dog feels that the toilet location facing the wall of the corner is not good for positioning to pee. So, she missed the pee pan.

3. Some dogs may like to eliminate looking at open space instead of a wall?

4. Distraction earlier? So, eliminate incorrectly for the past 1 month. The urine smell at the entrance to the kitchen reinforces the peeing instinct.

5. Seeking attention? Get scolding for elimination is better than no attention as the couple is working.

6. She may be having her first heat. Needs more space to clean herself after peeing and after passing blood.



SOLUTIONS
As the entrance to the kitchen is so near the toilet location, one possibility is to relocate. Clean and neutralise the whole corner with vinegar: water 1:2, so that there is no urine smell.

Spread more newspapers outside the pee pan.

31. The 3rd Golden Retriever sibling is off-target Refer Blog 17 & 18.

Dec 16, 2006

Do Golden Retriever puppies all look alike?

This shy Golden Retriever was born on the same birth date (Aug 3, 2006) as the ones at Blog 17 and 18. Big-boned and big body. She was purchased from the same pet shop and from Australia. She was sociable at home but was nervous at the surgery. Whining to go home. But she was bought only 1 week ago.

TOILET TRAINING
Newspapers with the commercial urine spray in the middle of the papers. Papers were placed in the master bathroom, near the door. Effective. The puppy was accurate. However, she peed outside the edges of the newspapers which were also placed in the living room near a wall. Same sized newspapers. Why she was off-target? The papers also had urine spray.



Three possibilities:
1. The puppy has grown bigger. The newspapers were too small as a toilet area.
2. The commercial urine spray was put in the centre of the newspapers. Should be at the far left corner. As the puppy sniffs the centre of the newspapers, she would be standing outside the newspapers as she is a big breed. So, she pees outside the edge of the newspapers.
3. Facing the wall of the living room. Difficult for the puppy to pee with the head close to the wall of the living area. The newspapers were placed flushed against the wall. Either increase the coverage or put the newspapers further outside the wall.

In the bathroom, the newspapers were placed near the door but inside the bathroom. The commercial urine spray was also spotted onto the centre of the newspapers. But the puppy had some head space and peed onto the newspapers. The smell plays a part in toilet training. The only thing I can think of is that the puppy had not much space, facing the wall in the living room. In the bathroom, she had much more head room. Could this be the explanation as some owners do complain about the same problem.

30. Start Young

Start Young. What does it mean? Is it Good Grammatical English?



A child of 6-8 years old loves to read when encouraged to read at a young age. However, most Singapore parents do not know how to cultivate a child's love for reading. This is the same situation for a young puppy 8-12 weeks old. The puppy can be easily taught toilet training, but many first-time Singapore owners don't know how to do it.

Yesterday, I had a father with two 10-12-year-old daughters bringing in a Miniature Schnauzer. A very small compact puppy. A Taiwanese-originated Schnauzer is much smaller than the Australian one.

"So, how is toilet training after one week at the new home?" I asked.

"The puppy pees and poops every where. I spank him and put his nose to smell his poop. I take him to the newspaper and tell him to poo on it. He still does it. So, I use a cane now."

"Is caning effective?" I asked. In rare cases, an owner had told me it was effective. "Spare the rod and spoil the child", one owner said to me.

The daughters laughed: "No."

I advised all 3 to read any puppy toilet training books. Dog trainer Mark was called to teach them the basic.

Mark said: "Punishment has shown not to be effective. The puppy just becomes frightened of you.

"Observe his elimination routine. When they pee or poo. Watch for signs of circling, squatting or sniffing. Put the puppy onto the newspapers when you see the signs. Then give a food treat of interest to the puppy and praise. Later, no more food treats."

"You make it sound so simple," I said to Mark. "The puppy is kept in a playpen."

"Most puppies will not dirty their sleeping area," Mark said. In this situation, there is more to Mark's advices. The puppy must be confined to the playpen for the first 2 weeks. When taken out, he must be closely monitored and not given more than a big room to exercise.

Most likely, the owners distract the puppy by playing with him after meals and not spending full-time on toilet training him. They don't know how to do it.

Start young. Spend full-time with the puppy or child. Get the timing for pee and poop correct by watching for elimination signs.

The theory is easy. In practice, it is hard if the puppy gets distracted, beaten up, made to smell stools after the act.

Start young. But know what to do with the young one.

29. JPEG, TIFF, RAW, PNG picture files. Easy to understand?

A brief report as follows for Daniel whom I hope can show some interest in digital photography.

I wish I had come across this easy to understand article earlier. I wasted 2 years using jpeg and getting poor image quality.

Source: PC World Aug 2006, pg 132.
Digital photography skill is very interesting and useful but few young men in their early twenties are interested in learning more. .

1. JPEG. Uses less disc storage space. Portable. Every photo editing or viewing software can read it. Image quality is lost everytime you edit and the file as .jpeg. Hence it is called "lossy" compression. More times you make changes, poorer the quality. So, save the JPEG file at the lowest compression level (i.e. at the highest image quality.)

2. TIFF. Files are larger (need more storage space) than Jpeg. But image quality is not affected when you create, edit or save a TIFF file. Hence it is called "lossless" compression.

For best quality, save shots as TIFF files all the way even if you make changes. Or you can save at the best JPEG quality. Then after editing once on your PC, save as TIFF files. You lose quality only on the first editing.

However you need to save a copy of the TIFF as a JPEG file if you want to e-mail or place it on the web, as the TIFF format is not universal.

3. RAW. Best quality. Lossless compression. Uses most disc storage space. NO loss of image quality as TIFF. It has 12 bits of colour per pixel compared to 8 bits for JPEG and TIFF. The camera does not adjust for any white balance, sharpening or any other effects. It is an unprocessed source file. You can't save your changes to RAW files. Keep 2 copies. Original RAW and edited JPEG or TIFF file. RAW files are handled differently in various camera brands. Nikon calls it "NEF". Canon calls it "CRW" and "CR2"

4. PNG. The alternative format. Used by Macs and nearly all browsers can open them. . Photoshop's PSD images is also "lossless". However, you need to save the files as JPEGS to share them as most are proprietary.


In conclusion, save as TIFF. Edit once as JPEG. Save as TIFF if you want to publish the pictures in books. Otherwise, use jpeg for internet posting.

28. 3-hour "crate training" for 3-month old Golden Retriever?

A young man with a left ear stud had a small-sized Golden Retriever. The puppy weighs 4.6 kg. This puppy may be from the smallest of the litter.

"How do you toilet train him?" I asked. The undergraduate said he had read my toilet training blog and had applied the "3-hour bring the puppy to the toilet area" method. This was the "crate training" method.

In his case, the puppy was confined to the playpen or the carrier crate. The puppy would not soil its own sleeping area. He was let out to the backyard many times at around 3-hourly intervals. In between, he peed in the living area if let out of the playpen, also in the living area.

"For 3-month-olds, the bladder control is estimated to be around 2-hourly," I said. "The n-1 formula is a guide. N=No. of months. So, for a 3-month-old, his bladder can hold the urine for 3-1 = 2 hours."

The formula is a guide-line. It seems that the puppy peed in the living area because he was let out for more than 3 hours after breakfast. He had to pee inside his carrier crate after midnight because the owner could not wake up to take him out. The young man had to study.

"Why not let him get access to the backyard (BY) after midnight?" I asked as the owner was living in a ground-floor apartment with a backyard.

"It is not safe to leave the puppy alone," he said.

So, what's the solution?

1. Neutralise the living area with vinegar:water 1:2 to remove urine smells.
2. Fence up a corner so that the crate is inside the corner. Take the panels of fencing of the playpen to make a bigger corner (2 walls are sides of the corner) and let the puppy pee on urine-soiled newspapers covering this corner area.

In this way, the puppy can pee outside the carrier crate after midnight. Or he can pee on newspapers and not the living area in the morning.
3. No milk or water intake after 6 p.m. This is important to help the puppy to control his bladder overnight.



Each puppy and his home environment is unique. Application of toilet-training solutions vary considerably. The n-1 formula is a good guideline. 3-hour may be the limit this 3-month-old puppy can hold his urine.

My toilet-training blog and all puppy books can never provide answers to every case. It needs real cases like this to learn and advise. I hope this young man graduate with honours in his civil engineering course and his puppy is well trained.

27. Six ways to toilet train your Singapore puppy (from another Blog 160)

COPY OF BLOG 160 in another Puppy Toilet Training Blog.



Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


6 Ways to Toilet-Training puppies in Singapore?

Few books write in detail about toilet training. From my research and talks with owners of new puppies at my Surgery, there are at least 6 ways to toilet train a puppy in Singapore.

1. PAPER TRAINING - newspapers, training pads, pieces of carpets/rugs
2. CRATE TRAINING
3. OUTDOOR TOILET TRAINING
4. PLATFORM + PEE TRAY
5. PEE TRAY
6. LEASH to a small area for bigger breeds.

1. 8 WEEKS OLD. Move away from the nest to pass stools. Do not urinate during sleep.
Can control bladder and bowel movement for a few minutes but people must watch the movements to pass stools and urine. (SIGNS: Circling, sniff around the ground in circles). Some can tell owners to remove the stained papers by barking.

2. 16 WEEKS OLD. Can control bladder and bowel movement.
3. 32 WEEKS OLD. 95% of puppies can control bladder and bowel movement unlike human babies (3 or 4 years old).

3. MISTAKES.
3.1 Not anticipating or noticing the SIGNS.
3.2 Letting the puppy "all over the house".
3.3 The instant it has finished eating. Take outside to garden if outdoor training.
3.4 Easily distracted by being taken out to the garden or newspaper. Patience.
3.5 Push the puppy outside and expect it to pee or poo without training and patience.
3.6 Inconsistent training.
3.7 No specific toilet location. Sometimes papers, sometimes outdoors. Beating the puppy. Make it smell its own urine or poo expecting it to understand that it has misbehaved. Roll of newspaper to slap puppy on back or slap the floor. Slap the puppy's face. Still a common method of training amongst Singaporeans who learn this method from older people or friends.

No longer recommended as it makes puppy frightened of owner. Physical punishment said to contribute to fear aggression, submissive urination and other bad behaviour.

3.8 Use of proper floor cleaning detergent to neutralise the dog urine smell. But some owners buy the wrong type which reinforce the urine smell and then wonder why the puppy still misbehaves at the spot.

4. REWARD
4.1 Eliminate on command "Poo here", reward with treats or praises when it performs.
4.2 Clicker method. Whistling method. Electronic collar method have been used.

5. RAINY DAYS,WINTER. Disadvantage of outdoor toilet training. Newspapers best. Confined area e.g. playpen. Recent newspapers, not those kept for long time (rat urine etc). Newspapers at door, then shift to garden.

6. TWO PUPPIES OF SAME AGE. Difficulty. One messes the playpen. The other may try to be clean.

7. PUPPY LEARNING FROM OLDER DOG. Sometimes successful.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS OF LOCAL PET SHOP OPERATORS IN SINGAPORE

8.1 Feed twice per day although many puppy books recommend 3 to 4 times a day.
Feeding twice a day instead of free feeding disciplines puppy and help in reducing stool formation. An 8-12-week-old puppy passes stools 3-4 times a day but pees a lot of times.

8.2 Drinking water not given before puppy sleeps. Helps to control bladder.

8.3 Puppies making noises at night - May want to go to the toilet or ask the owner to change newspapers. Owner sleeping. Unaware. Goes up to beat the puppy for making noises offending neighbours.

9. Successful owners - Less than 7 days. Some puppies associate newspapers well and just move to pee or poo on the newspapers on reaching home. Some don't know and shred papers. Some take more than 2 months. Some never successful because the house is full of urine smells and the older dog just pee or poo on such spots and get beaten.

9.1 Sleeping with the puppy overnight. When it wakes up, bring to the toilet. Owners who do that will find that toilet training within 14 days successful. Take leave. Usually owners don't know about this method.

9.2 Worst case. Use Crate training. Put in small crate for 1 hour for 8-week-old puppy. Take out to playpen with newspaper. Observe. Pees or poos. Back to crate. Next hour, repeat. 2 hours for 12-week old and 3 hours for 16-week-old. Needs time

26. The 10-year-old girl gave "treats" on performance and paper-train the toy poodle in 5 days

White Toy Poodle, Female, 13 weeks.
European father and 10-year-old daughter with a list of questions.
Filipino domestic worker.

The poodle was 1 kg. Kept coughing for the past 5 days and at the Surgery. So vaccination postponed now.

The pet shop operator advised "give treats when the puppy pees on the newspapers." The little girl did that full-time, as it was school holidays. The puppy was paper-trained in 5 days.

Playpen + IKEA office floor protection mat (S$40.00) which prevents wooden floor from being scratched by chair legs. This mat was effective as the puppy could not chew onto it and shreds it.

The puppy shreds newspapers and ate plastic sheet.

Day 1. Poops 10 x per day. Soft and green stools. Day 2. Poops 6X.
By Day 5, poops 2 x per day, according to the domestic worker.

Food soaked in water.




A LIST OF QUESTIONS
1. Can the puppy be given milk?No, if she does not have milk before. Stick to the same feed formula as the pet shop's to prevent diarrhoea.

2. How to bathe this 1 kg toy poodle? Very smelly. Urine stained hind legs.
Use a wet towel or soak the puppy in a basin of warm water. There is a need to clean up this smelly puppy.

3. Why is the puppy "vomiting"?The puppy is suffering from kennel cough --- a bacterial and viral infection. Not much time to rest as the girl plays with her. She also wanted to play. There was no fever, temperature being 38.9 deg C. The puppy had less appetite but was still active.

No more playing with the puppy. Give medication and keep the puppy in a quiet place inside the playpen for at least 7 days. Recovery will be faster if there is no active running around. Soft food as the throat is very sore. "Or barking," I said. But this puppy does not bark.

4. Why the pet shop operator advise feeding sugar water to the puppy at least 3 times per day?
Toy poodles and other small breeds like Pomeranians and Yorkshire Terriers may suffer from a low blood sugar as many do not eat much or do not eat in a new environment. The sugar water brings up their sugar level otherwise they become inactive and sleepy. Low blood sugar can result in fits and death.

I ask my vet assistant May to record down all the questions. I don't know whether she is able to write a report on the FAQ (frequently asked questions). Will ask her.

25. A friend said "newspaper + puppy urine" will train the Jack Russell

Young man in late twenties with gold ear stud in his left ear.
Jack Russell, Male, 3.5 months old.
Bought: Crate with pee pan.


A friend said, "Soak newspapers with the puppy urine, you will be successful in paper-training him."

But this Jack Russell shreds newspapers, pees in 3 corners in his bedroom and occasionally went to the crate with pee pan to pee. The puppy poops inside the crate and does sleep on one side last time.

"The problem is not with the puppy," I explained. "He has been given too much space and so cannot hold his urine in time to go to the appropriate toilet location. That is the crate. After peeing on the bedroom floors, he is attracted by the urine smell to go to the same 3 corners.

"If this puppy is not trained now, he will never be toilet trained at all."

"How to paper-train him?" the young man asked. "He just chews and shreds all the newspapers."

SOLUTIONS

1. Neutralise all urine smells in the bedroom with vinegar:water 1:2.
2. Confine the puppy inside a small area for 2 weeks at least.
For example, put the crate inside the master bathroom. Cover the bathroom floor with newspapers. Change soiled papers often.

Allow him sufficient space but not too much to sleep on the floor. Most likely he will sleep in a corner (cleanest) near the W.C. He will go inside the crate to poop and may sleep there.

3. A baby-gate at the bathroom door permits the puppy to see the owner but not come out.

4. Watch for signs of circling, turning and squatting when letting the puppy out of the bathroom. Carry him into the bathroom immediately. Praise and reward when he pees on the papers.




Is there another solution? How about the Pee Pan with Wired Flooring (PPW), the young man asked.

The PPW is not what he wanted. He wanted to paper-train, not to PPW-train the puppy.

How successful he will be will be known in 3 weeks' time.

24. NO URINATION graphics in an HDB lift

Around 20 - 30 years ago, Singapore had a problem of people urinating inside the HDB lifts. Naughty boys usually. I guess the smell of urine encourages urination. There were, at one time, closed circuit television cameras.

In 2006, this misbehaviour is rare. Very few Singaporeans will see such graphics inside their HDB lifts.

So, this metallic graphic may be valuable in 50 years' time. It seems the residents vandalise such graphics, in my observation of 3 HDB lifts.

23. Sleep deprivation in puppies

Sleep is important for a puppy's proper development. During sleep, the hormones are rleased for growth and development while tissue growth and repair takes place.

Child experts say that children between 5 to 12 years old need around 10 hours of sleep. (www.sleepfoundation.org). So do puppies.

If puppies don't get enough sleep, what happens?

Unable to recover early from infections like kennel cough
Passing blood in the stools
Loose stools
Diarrhoea, dehydration and death.

Not every case of diarrhoea with blood is parvoviral infection. Some are due to insufficient sleep. For example public exhibition of puppies at pet fairs.