toilet training, house training puppies

Community education supported by www.toapayohvets.com

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Location: Singapore

A veterinary surgeon at www.toapayohvets.com and founder of a licensed housing agency for expatriate rentals and sales at www.asiahomes.com

Friday, June 16, 2006

322. 70% paper trained after 6 weeks - French Bulldog

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


3 inquisitive boys and a male French bulldog 5 months old can be more than a handful for the young mother.

The puppy was in for the 3rd vaccination. The boys (6-year-old and two boys 4 years old) were exploring the waiting room and the consultation room. Touching the knobs of the consultation table. I got 3 chairs for them to sit while I examined the puppy. But in less than 5 seconds, they got up and went out to the waiting room.

"Is the puppy toilet trained?" I asked.

"70% of the time, he would eliminate on the papers, under supervision," the mother said. "Other times he just had accidents inside the house or or the porch."

"What you use for disinfection of the floor?"

"A product called Pine," the mother said.

"Does it smell like vinegar?"

The mother did not think it was. More like Dettol.

"Most likely it had not neutralised the strong ammonia smell of urine. So, the puppy gets attracted to those areas to pee and poop."

"You think white vinegar work?" she asked.

"Yes," I said as one of the smaller boys cried after falling down from the chair. The mother was looking out for them in case they misbehaved.

It could not be a quick 3rd vaccination and go because the puppy had some skin problems. Loss of hair on left forehead exposing white patches. Some hair loss of the left flank. Excessive wax and pain in the ear canals. Brownish skin on the hind legs and the belly. Coffee-brown oil from the anal glands. A coat with some oily smell.

"How often you bathe the puppy?" I asked.

"Once in 2 weeks," the mother said.

"In Singapore, puppies should be bathed once a week as the high humidity and heat and the outdoor play make the puppy smelly. In cooler countries, bathing once in 2 - 4 weeks have been recommended."

The puppy's ears were irrigated. As fast as I could. The older boy and one brother had run out of the surgery. There would be cars outside although the car park was not a busy one.

This was the first time the mother had experience with a small breed in a foreign country . Now that the mum knew what to do, the puppy should stop scratching and licking when I see him in 3 weeks time.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

321. Teaching responsible pet ownership - The Internet Beagle

The father bought a Beagle puppy for the Primary Six Girl in 2003.
http://www.asiahomes.com/singaporepets/
031011beagle_internet_sale_Singapore.htm.




Now, it is 2006. The Beagle is in an excellent bodily condition. Shiny white coat with black and brown spots. His shiny coat showed good feeding, grooming and maintenance.

But for the past few weeks, he keeps licking his right hock daily. Bite wounds seen. Self mutilation.

"What's the solution?" the daddy says.

"No fast cure," I said. "His left hock and elbow have big sores. Usually due to friction with the floor. Pressure sores. The dog starts licking to relieve the itch. The sores become bigger and infected. The dog licks more. Bites to relieve the itchiness. You can see the bite marks. His right elbow and hock were also injured but not badly."

The Beagle needed antibiotics and daily washing.

"How are his anal glands?" I asked the father. His daughter had gone to a good girls' school. Slim and bright eyed. The father must be happy.

"I could not squeeze out any anal discharge since you did it 6 months ago," the father said. He seemed to have lost weight and grown tired. Or I could be mistaken.

The Beagle was put on the consultation table. Nurse Anna was first to check the anal glands. Black thick oily paste squirted onto the tissue paper. I squeezed the glands and more paste swirled out from the right anal gland. The father was surprised.

Now, this Beagle did not show any signs of anal gland impaction. No tail biting. No dark skin licking blemishes in his anal area or flanks. Yet, his anal glands were badly impacted and the abundant black oil showed that the oil was blocked from coming out daily.

Could the left hock sore be his response to anal gland impaction? Hard to say.

"How about his ears?" I asked the father.

The Beagle wrinkled his muzzle and showed his canine teeth a few times as I tried to put a cotton bud to check the lower ear canal. No way.

"Get a muzzle," I told Nurse Ann. She put on the muzzle. The Beagle used his front paw to remove it.

"Tie the muzzle ends tight," I advised. The ear canals had dark brown wax. The owners just cleaned the ear flap and had not done any maintenance of the lower ear canals.



"I will do the ear cleaning," the father said.

"I will clean the sores," the Secondary School girl said.

I had not expected this sharing of dog care. The father was teaching his daughter responsible dog ownership by example. It was a surprise to me as I had never seen such teaching by example from a father to a child in my past 30 years of practice. He did not leave it to the domestic worker. Father and daughter bonded well.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

320. Time-Out

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

For bad behaviour e.g. barking, the puppy is confined to the kitchen or a crate for around 15 minutes. The puppy is ignored.

319. Family Contract governing children's behaviour

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


When kids are over 12 years old, contracting for appropriate behaviour may be useful.

If given the puppy, I agree to the following:
1. I will feed and bathe the puppy before and after schooling.
2. I will toilet train the puppy whenever possible.

If the contract is broken:

First time: No going out on weekends
Second time: Not going out with friends for 2 weeks.
Third time: Family counselling


_______________
Son or Daughter


_________
Father



_________
Mother

Contracts help motivate kids to be responsible pet owners and to know the parent's expectations.

Such contracts governing children's behaviour are not popular in Singapore.

318. A consistent plan of rewards, praises and restrictions not sabotaged by other family members

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

The difficulty in getting a puppy toilet trained can be due to owners and family members being inconsistent in handling undesired (irresponsible) behaviour. Sometimes extremely strict, then a more liberal approach.

One owner properly punishes the puppy while the other party or family member allows the puppy some privilegs. The inconsistency encourages irresponsibility. All members of the family must be unified in their approach to discipline.

Irresponsible behaviour should bring greater restrictions but responsible behaviour should bring greater rewards.

The system of rewards, praises and restrictions train the puppy to grow up well behaved.

Monday, June 12, 2006

317. A qualified puppy trainer?

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

The wife wanted to set up her own business. The husband was content to be an employee. They asked to talk to me. What business to do in Singapore? They need a local as they are foreigners.

1. Maid agency business. The wife did not know how to assess the viability of the business. She said she would earn $1,000 per maid.


"Is there a demand for your services?" I asked when she said she would charge $600 fees to the employer while the maid pays 3 months of her salary as agency fee.

"Do you know how much it costs the employer to get a Filipino maid?" I asked.

"$250 - $300" she said.

"So, why should the employer bother to get a maid from you?" I said. "The Filipino maid pays 6 months of her salary to the agent. I don't think you want to do such a business. What happens if the maid's family need money for the 6 months? What if she is sacked by the employer? You have to take care of her."

She knew the business was not viable.

2. Supply of Construction workers

"Have you got the contacts?" I asked. "What happens if the employer does not pay the salaries or try to avoid payment by sacking the workers after 2 months?" I asked.
"Are you financially strong to repatriate the workers?"

This idea was dropped.

3. Strengths

"You must be passionate in the business to succeed," I said. "Not just thinking of making money all the time."

I continued, "From my observation, your husband is a fearless person. Not afraid of growling aggressive dogs. If he is willing to go for training in the UK and qualify as a dog trainer, he will be able to start a good business."

I continued, "You don't need a local partner. A well-trained dog is a good advertisement. Referrals will come."

This should be their business. Preferably the couple should go together to UK and get trained. With proper qualifications and attachment to a veterinarian who deals with puppies, they can grow their business.

I think this couple will do very well if they focus and work as a team. I could be their business development manager or agent if they want me to. The husband was real good.

Once an aggressive Jack Russell wanted to bite me when I was about to vaccinate him. The husband held the growling, fang-bared dog with one hand and the other hand under his neck. The dog was docile. I knew he had a flair for dog handling. He had 10 years of experience with handling dogs at veterinary practices and one look from him seems to domesticate the fiercest of the canine species.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

316. A muzzle to stop stool eating?

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

Not a common situation but there are puppies who eat stools.
I get one complaint out of 50 puppies in my Toilet Training Survey.

Some outgrow this bad habit but many eat stools past adulthood.

I had this idea. Muzzle the puppy when the owner is not around and after eating.
But would this be cruel? Can the puppy drink water?

One of my customers said to me: "The muzzle is very useful. It stopped my puppy from eating stools."

"How does it drink water?" I asked.

"The puppy can still drink water from the loose muzzle," the young man said. Good idea.