300. It's hard to earn an honest living.

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

As part of the toilet training research, I checked out pet shops and veterinary surgeries whenever I went overseas. I don't read those travel books but just walked around the local area near the hotel and read the Taipei newspapers.

There was a new Louis Vuitton store being opened in Zhongshan North Road (an equivalent of Orchard Road in Singapore?). Luxury handbags are not my interest. Nor is Rain, a top Korean entertainment group. The report in the newspapers said that there was a book shop at the fourth floor.

Would there by doggy books? I went there. There was one "Lump the Dog who ate a Picasso" by David Douglas published by Thames & Hudson. The pictures were good.

There was another book space on the 2nd floor. Beautiful coffee books on lifestyle.
Also Louis Vuitton history and some travel books on Europe and New York.

But the most memorable part of the trip was the flyer boy. He was around twenty. He was lean and hungry. Very conscientious. He tried to give the flyer to every passerby. Many ignored him. He looked into his bag. There must be more flyers.

He looked at his watch. He must be having another job or appointment. It was dinner time at past 6 p.m. The Korean Restaurant was filling up with young people. But the flyer boy seemed to be thinking of some appointments to go. He continued with his job. The crowd swelled as they came out from the subway. Like robots, they walked past him without a smile.



If only all these office girls and men take one flyer from him, he would be able to go home early. But they just ignore him. Be Kind to the Flyer Boy. He is earning an honest living. Accept one flyer from him.

299. Back to pet shop after purchase?

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

What is the opinion of a vet?

The Golden Retriever puppy was purchased 3 days ago on condition that the pet shop operator looks after him next week when the busy couple was not free to care for it.

Now, the puppy coughs a few times a day. Still eating. The couple wanted the 3rd vaccination to be done today. He had 2 vaccinations in Australia. In Singapore, the puppy would receive 3rd and 4th vaccination.

He was active, eating well.

"No vaccination," I advised.

"His vaccination is due," the lady said. "He is active and has excellent appetite. The pet shop operator will look after him next week while I go overseas to work."

This couple has an unusual job. I did not ask what job it was. The gentleman would care for the puppy in the morning. The lady would do that at night. Now that the lady needed to go overseas next week, the evening shift duty could not be accomplished.

So, the puppy needed to be cared for by the pet shop operator.

I strongly advised against this move. Although the puppy had 2 vaccinations, he was not fully protected. He needed 2 weeks after the last vaccination to be protected.

But how to solve the couple's problem? They could not find a puppy sitter.

"Do at your own risk," I said. "If the puppy dies of parvoviral infection after you come back from overseas, you have only yourself to blame."

So, would the couple do it? I don't know.

298. Tether and outdoor toilet training for a Corgi

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

How does one busy working couple toilet train their Corgi,Ruby?


Corgi, Female, 4.5 months old

A fixed schedule is important.

1. Grass 2x/day, 2.30 pm and 10 pm
2. Kitchen, leashed to corner. HDB has toilet near kitchen. So, put newspapers (lots of papers) outside entrance to the toilet. Near the washing machine area of the kitchen, pee tray with newspapers.

2.1 Tether (tie) puppy near the toilet area. Preventing indiscriminate elimination.
2.2 So, puppy sleeps on clean tiled area but goes to pee on newspapers outside the toilet door or on pee tray.


COMPLAINT: Sometimes, the puppy pees outside the pee tray. Very smelly urine.
ANSWER: The newspapers are soiled. So, the puppy would not want to step on the papers to pee. So, she pees outside the pee tray. This is a common observation by puppy owners. The answer is to change papers more often, but working couples may not have the time to do that.

Successful toilet-training. Yes. Tether method and going to grass twice a day give a fixed schedule to the puppy.

Poops 1-2 x per day, after breakfast and going downstairs. That is good.
Newspapers changed every night or if there has been too much urine.

SUGGESTION: May need to neutralise the floor area near the pee tray with vinegar:water 1:2 to remove smell of urine.

297. Puppy pictures for the toilet-training project in Singapore

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

1. Pictures of puppies make story more realistic. Owners do cooperate. Sometimes a long waiting lists of other owners make this impractical.

2. Natural lighting best. Indoor lighting necessary in most cases.
Sunrise (soft blue lighting) but not practical. Best is 9 am - 10 am, sunset (warm glow) but not practical. Best is 4 pm - 6 pm. Cloudy day just before storm (soft lighting), indoor at noon (soft lighting), room operating lights and aluminium reflector. Harsh noon sunlight sometimes necessary when out at pet shops to take pictures of equipment.

3. Pictures e-mailed from owners. Camera phones and digital camera pictures. Not easy to obtain but great ones because the puppy is home.

4. Positioning of puppies. Put on table. Some just run. Owner's hand necessary to restrain puppies, but picture not so nice as hands are distractions. Eye contact seems to give best pictures.

5. Lateral tilt. Hold camera vertically. Then tilt slightly to the left or right to get dramatic pictures.

6. Puppy's attention span is short. Very difficult to get eye contact and great pictures. Distract with moving object, owners help in calling puppies.

7. Puppy and child. My best pictures. Parental consent needed.

8. Different angles. From floor, from top, from side. If puppies will stop moving. Caged in. Outside the Surgery. Lighting. Escaping puppies. Cars nearby. A picture that is attractive is difficult to get.

9. Purpose of picture taking. Know what you to take pictures for. E.g. drinking from the water bottle. Splashing on water bowls.

10. Puppy safety. Outside pictures. Puppies may dash and fall into drains, knocked down by cars.

11. Takes lots and lots of pictures. Only 1 or none may appeal to you.

12. Crop picture during picture taking. Take a few steps closer, then one more step. Puppies get distracted. Zoom lens.