401. Daniel and the Lions?

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


The 10-year-old chocolate Poodle sprung his neck at every human being within 1 metre of his private space. Baring his sharp canine teeth. You don't have to touch him. Attack is his best form of defence.

"He was abused," the lady told me. "The Filipino vet at the other surgery wanted me to put him to sleep. The previous owner wanted him to be sent to the animal shelter if I do not adopt him."

What to do with this alert biting canine?

Daniel, the new vet had to learn by being hands on. If I told him what to do, he would not learn. "Go and restrain this case. Do not let Anna do it otherwise you would not gain the experience of handling biters." I said. It was like throwing Daniel to the Lions. In this case, it was a poodle that could sink its strong yellow fangs into his hand if he does not know what to do.

The poodle bit the lady owner now. Biting the hand that fed him. Daniel furrowed his forehead. The lady owner was the particular type and had complained that old man receptionist had thwarted her attempts to telephone me. Whether that was correct or not, I could not know as the receptionist denied the allegations.

So now we had two parties to handle. If the handling of this case is bungled, Daniel would get bitten and this would be the last time we would ever see them.

I gave Daniel a few seconds. What to do?

"Muzzle him," I advised. Daniel pulled out a green muzzle. The owner went out of the consultation room, sat on a chair in the waiting room and muzzled the poodle.

"You have given her the incorrect size of the muzzle," I said quietly to Daniel.

"It is all right," he decided after he hesitated.

"It is ridiculous," I said to him. "The owner would complain."

Inaction. Indecision. Inviting complaints.

"How come the muzzle covers my poodle's eyes?" the lady complained. "Would the eyes be injured?"

See what I anticipated? I had to apologise that the incorrect size of the muzzle was given. I went to the drawer and fished out the "S" size muzzle.

This mentoring of new vets is part of teaching. The new vet learns from being hands on. There is no other way.

Fortunately, Daniel was not thrown into the Lions' den as in the biblical story. It was a "ferocious" miniature poodle. But the reputation of the vet depends on how he restrains fierce dogs, without him and the owner being bitten.

Once muzzled, the poodle was quieter. The fire was still in his head. He would not permit examination of his body as the owner had complained of itchiness returning to the chest.

"Hair had grown profusely where there were bald patches on his chest 4 weeks ago," the lady said. "Now he is scratching his chest again."

How to restrain the poodle now?

"Hold the scruff of the neck," I advised Daniel. I could not afford any more hands-on experience in order not to antagonise the lady. I took over the case and had a long chat with the lady with ten poodles.

As I don't get many ferocious dog cases, it was important that Daniel be given the chance to be hands-on, under mentorship. Can this subject be taught in the Vet School? A fierce robotic dog to train vet students?