438. The Pekinese terrorises all maids of a Hillview Condo

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


"All the maids in Hillview Condo quickly carried their dogs whenever they see our Pekinese let loose in the condo," the mother said.

"Why?" I asked. A small male Pekinese of less than 5 kg can terrorise all the maids of a leafy condo in Upper Bukit Timah Road. It is as if elephants are afraid of a mouse.

"The Pekinese just rush to all dog, bark at them and pounce onto them," the mother of the grown up daughter told me. "He also pees on my son's bed and everywhere in the apartment."

"But he does not urine mark in my home," the married daughter said. "I told you to cane him whenever he misbehaves, but you just talk and reason with him."

"I just do not beat dogs," the mother replied.

So now, the dog has to be neutered.

"Will he be better behaved?" the mother asked.

"Generally, yes," I said. "However, the urine marking may or may not disappear after neutering as you have waited over 1 year to do it."

"Oh," the daughter said. "He urine marks for the past 3 months only. My mum looks after my dog as I was not free."

I inspected the Pekinese. Rough scales on the armpits and the coat. He had a thick woolly luscious coat but beneath the hairs, rings of bacterial and fungal infections blossom.

The neutering had to be postponed. The dog was clipped bald and treated first. It is important that the dog be checked daily for skin infections under the thick coat. Normally owners will brush the top half of the dog and there will be no skin problems there. But the lower half and bottom part are usually neglected.

"Can the neutering be done today?" the mother asked.

"I will not advise doing it. What if the skin bacterial infections get into the operation area and cause illness? No, I rather not operate."

It is best to be safe than to face unpleasant conseqeunces of illness after surgery, due to expediency to make money or solve a behavioural problem.