210. The boy of few words may lose his puppy

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


"I have given puppies away before," the sun-tanned mother of 2 boys threatened the 12-year-old boy who was not paying attention to my advices on how to take care of his white Miniature Schnauzer. His 10-year-old brother had distracted him with some game card.

There was a lot of nursing required. The puppy was purchased from a pet shop yesterday and it had a "hacking cough" as well as pus in his nostrils. A present for the 12-year-old who had done well in his primary six school leaving examination. I was happy to see a good student. He might not qualify for the top school, having a grade of 255 and last year, the qualifying grade was above 260.



Still he had done well and now he had a present he wanted. A very quiet boy. A boy of few words.

"Quiet boys read a lot," I told the mum. She nodded.

"They are introverts," I said. "They converse with the authors instead of with real people.' Mum nodded.

"How do you get him to be more sociable?" she asked.

"I don't know," I replied. "I was like him. Maybe he had not much interaction with people and would be more sociable when he goes to the university." Mum did not agree that her son had no meeting with outside people. This was a closely knit family and they always had dinner together she said.

She wanted the boy to be responsible for the puppy. The boy had told her, "Mum, it is cruel to confine the puppy in a small area."

So, the puppy was in his bedroom at night. Coughing and disturbing the younger brother's sleep.

"The puppy had kennel cough," I said. "A viral and bacterial infection. There is no drug for viral infection. The puppy needed to be confined to enforce rest. If the puppy plays and not rest, the coughing will get worse."

Mum wanted the boy to be responsible, "It seems I will be the only one looking after this puppy."

I was happy for the boy with few words as now she did not say about giving away the puppy. It takes training and time to get this boy to care for his puppy. If he knew how. But he must listen and he was not paying attention to my veterinary advices.

So, would he do it? I doubt it. But I may be wrong. After all, he is a boy of few words.

"You have better nurse this puppy making sure he drinks and gets hand-fed the one handful of dry puppy food a meal twice a day as instructed by the Seller," I said to the working mum.

"Otherwise, you will have a dead pup in your hands in 7 days' time." She was a working mother who really had not much time to herself. The younger one was in the gifted education program after a common test. He was on the fast track to the top school and I was impressed. The gifted education program promotes elitism but a country needs such people too. Would this playful second brother be kicked out of this program if he does not pay attention to his studies? This was his mum's main concern.

I remember this case very well because I have two sons. They are no more pre-teens. Taller than me. Teenaged giants.

But these two boys sure bring back memories of so much responsibilities to make sure they go to tuition, get good grades and not let their teachers call their mum to meet about their lacklustre academic performance.

They did not make it to the gifted education program or the top school. They are 17 and 19 years old, but they sure love their mums and go with her on holidays.