Lulu the (Previously) Gangster Dog

To finish off our three-part fostering series, we asked Charissa what her most memorable foster was. Her first response was, “Wah, that’s hard, because they are all memorable!” However, here is her story of Lulu Lamb.

Lulu lamb at an adoption drive.

“Luna, or Lulu as she was affectionately called, was one of the puppies that Save our Street Dogs (SOSD) rescued. For some reason, Luna failed her numerous trial homestays as a puppy and ended up with another foster before she came to me. SOSD allows potential adopters to have one week of home trial stay before potential adopters sign the adoption papers. In Lulu’s case, they all returned her because she was stubborn or aggressive.

Goofy at Bishan dog run!

Lulu is the first foster dog that I didn’t get to do a meet-and-greet with my own dog, Lady-Mae, because her case was rather dire. At six months old, she already had a record of failing more than three home stays! As a dog grows older, it’s usually harder to rehome them because most people prefer to adopt cute puppies.

When I first met Lulu, she was a lanky, out-of-control dog. These were some of her problem behaviors:
– pulled on the lead
– very little impulse control
– barked to get her way
– sensitive to being handled at the collar (she gave me a rather nasty bite the first time I held her collar)
– did not allow people to pet her head
– barked at strangers
– lunged at everything that caught her attention
– not trained in basic obedience (sit, down, stay, come)
– highly distracted, could not focus
– ate anything off the ground
– not accustomed to being touched at her paws (another nasty bite!)
– jumped onto table and counter tops to steal food or to look out from the window

In short, Lulu was never taught manners as a young puppy and hence grew into an adolescent that displayed all the classic traits of a dog lacking in training.

Learning boundaries.

I chose to give special mention of Lulu because in the six months that she stayed with me, I saw how she had to learn all the necessary behaviors that a dog needs to have to adjust to our human world. And, because she had a late start, it was more difficult for her; it took her much longer to learn acceptable behavior(s). Also, her story reminded me of my first dog, Curly, a Bishon Frise that was abandoned. And just like Lulu, Curly took over a year before he became a well-adjusted dog.

During her stay, Lulu learnt to trust me and allowed me to hold her by her collar, tug her ears, play with her tail, rub her paws, cut her nails, inspect her ears and mouth. She also learnt to respect boundaries, i.e. no jumping on kitchen counter tops or tables or the couch. She also slowly learnt to trust humans of all shapes, sizes and skin color.

One of her biggest milestones was allowing strangers to pet her at adoption drives. All the volunteers at SOSD were amazed and thrilled to see Lulu transform from gangster dog to man’s best friend.

Through it all, she learnt to focus. She learnt all the basic obedience commands and could even hold a stay on a pavement along a busy road.

Sit-stay by a busy road.

The one thing that stood out for her from the other fosters – she knew how to test my patience and push my buttons. Dogs that push our buttons are always the ones who teach us about ourselves and how we can personally challenge ourselves to grow.

It was also through Lulu that I got to see a different side of Lady-Mae, who started to accompany Lulu and I to the various adoption drives because I accidentally discovered that my dog knew what was happening. I discovered it when someone came to my home to view Lulu. Lady-Mae greeted the potential adopter and showed Lulu how to greet and get to know strangers. She also took out her toys to play with Lulu and kept nudging me for treats. That caught the amusement of the potential adopter who told me that my dog was trying to promote Lulu the foster dog.

I saw it happen again recently when Toto’s potential adopters visited my home – Lady-Mae went through the same routine.

New collar and leash from Charissa as she goes off to her forever home (as a symbol that they are going to start a new chapter of their lives with their new humans).

Through the various fosters, I saw how generous Lady-Mae is. She’d take out her favorite tattered and torn toy to play with the foster dogs. She’d offer her favorite toys and not the ones she doesn’t like.

Fostering dogs also means I have less time for Lady-Mae. Over this past year fostering, I learnt to set one day a week that I’d take Lady out one-on-one. These outings help to give her respite from the challenging dogs that come to live with us. It also reinforces to her that she’s still my number one priority.

Dogs are like us, they too sometimes connect better with some dogs. For the fosters that Lady connected better with, it did affect Lady when they left. Lady would be slightly depressed for a couple of days. For dogs like Lulu who had such a hard time looking for their forever home, Lady knows how to share the joy.

Photo op at the Green Corridor.

Recently, we met Lulu with her adoptive family at the Botanic Gardens and Lady was overjoyed to see everyone together again. Lulu’s family, first-time dog owners, said that they have no regrets adopting Lulu because she’s such a good dog. She listens to everyone in the family and has adjusted well in her new home.

Lulu’s story tells us that the old saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is a myth. Her story shows us you can teach an old dog new tricks, you just need to be patient, and that is what Lulu taught me in return.”

What a heartwarming story! We really admire all the patience, selflessness and generosity that goes into fostering. We just want to have a special mention of Charissa’s current foster, Roody, in case anyone is interested in opening up their home to him!

Roody the black beauty at an adoption drive.

Roody is almost six months old and “has the highest ‘positivity’ I’ve met in a dog!” Highly intelligent, he learnt his basic commands and mastered them in the home within a week. He learnt ‘Fetch’ in ten minutes and was soon bored of it. Dogs like Roody are special. And special dogs need special humans. Roody will need a human that’s willing to put time and effort to continue training him. He is affectionate and good with people and dogs (although he does tend to bark at a pack of dogs out of insecurity – this is what Charissa is currently working on with him).

As a young dog, Roody needs a human who is willing to teach him how to integrate into the human world and be a well-adjusted dog. If you wish to inquire about him, leave your contact via SOSD’s adoption page here.

The Practicalities of Being A Foster

Last week, experienced foster Charissa shared her insights on Fostering Lives (our Singapore Specials). In this post, she shares the basic training and boundaries she sets straight away for the dogs that come through her home, however transient or long-staying, and her thinking behind each.

Preparing for the Foster Dog
Charissa: “Before the foster dog comes to stay, I usually take my dog, Lady-Mae, for a meet and greet. If the two dogs get excited and go into play, it’s a good sign that they’ve bonded and you’ll be assured that the two dogs will get on easy. Sometimes, the meet and greet ends with the two dogs minding their own business. That’s okay because some dogs just need time to get to know one another. If the meet and greet doesn’t go too warmly, it is advisable to separate the dogs when you leave your home so that it doesn’t give them a chance to get into potential fights.”

“It’s important to bear the needs of your own dog in mind because your dog must always come first. We cannot neglect our own dogs because of our fosters. If that should happen, it means we do not have the capacity and time to look after another dog.”

When the Foster Dog Arrives
Charissa: “When I foster a dog, I think about the end in mind. Meaning: I am entrusted to help look after this dog until it finds its human. With that in mind, these are the areas which I look into carefully as a foster:

• Diet: My choice of food for foster dogs is kibble. The reason is simple: I don’t know what the potential adopter’s household budget will be, so keeping the dog on the most basic choice of diet will help to increase its chance of being adopted to a family from any socio-economic strata. Of course, keeping a dog requires a household to be somewhat financially-abled.

Feeding time! Lady-Mae gets meat while the other two foster dogs get kibble. And everyone must wait for their food until permission to eat is given!

• Boundaries at home: Every foster dog that comes to me earns its space; they don’t get my entire apartment. They earn a bigger space every time they are consistently able to show that they respect my belongings and not soil the area entrusted to them unsupervised. Some fosters will not agree with me, but I like to keep it strict so that if the adoptive family has a lot more house rules, it’ll be much easier for the dog to adjust to its new family. Not every family will want their dog inside the house. Other things I teach to each foster dog include waiting for food, not rushing out the door, loose leash walking and basic obedience.

Summer: access to the rest of the house must be earned.

Lulu: toilet timeout for ignoring commands to stop barking at passing strangers.

• Socialization: This includes exposing the foster dogs to other dogs, children, babies, elderly. This works if you foster a puppy. If you’re fostering an older dog, always check to see if the foster dog has any issues.
• Man-handling: Take time to check your foster dog’s paws, teeth, body, tail, etc. Again, if you are fostering a puppy, do it as soon as you can because these exercises will teach the dog that it’s okay to be touched in all these areas. If it is a older dog, always check where their sensitive spots are. The more sensitive spots the dog has, the more time is required for training and rehabilitation.
• Trust in humans: This is the foundation for any human-dog relationship. It will help in training and rehabilitation.”

Forever Home Found
Charissa: “My mantra is that every dog I foster will leave my home for their forever homes. Even though there have been times where I’m very tempted to keep the foster dogs, I make every effort to go back to why I want to foster – to help people find joy in having a dog.

Dogs and humans have had a history of 35,000 years. Today, we’re seeing more behavorial issues because we’ve become more permissive with our dogs. Sometimes, we even treat them like humans, and forget that a dog is canine lupus, not homo sapien. It is because of these stories that have led to me to want to help redeem the longest animal-human relationship.

When each of my foster dogs leaves my home, I present them with a new collar and leash. It’s a symbol that they are going to start a new chapter of their lives with their new human(s). When I send a foster dog to its new home, I’m always filled with joy because both the human(s) and the dog know that they have found a best friend in each other.

Wise Words
Charissa: “Treat your dog like a canine lupus. Know how to fulfill its needs and in turn, it’ll give you love, loyalty and friendship. It will awaken a part of your soul that you never knew existed.”

Here is Summer with her new leash and collar, giving us a cheeky wink as if she knows she’s going off to her forever home 🙂

Charissa with current foster dog Roody and her own Lady-Mae at the recent adoption drive last week at Biopolis. We hear Roody got many enquiries!

Fostering Lives

We invited Charissa of The Orange Chalk to share her experience in fostering dogs. Over the last few years, she, along with her own Singapore Special Lady-Mae, has been an active foster for local rescue pups.

Charissa’s current pack: Roody (left) is a cutie pie and up for adoption, chilling with Toto (right), another foster dog who will go off for his homestay next month.

What is fostering?
Fostering is opening your home and your heart to a dog to be part of your family in a home environment until the dog finds a permanent home. Many rescuers and shelters depend on fosterers because it has been proven that it is easier for the dog to adapt into a family (from the streets, forests or construction areas where they were rescued from). The goal of fostering is to have a successful adoption.

What are some things potential fosterers need to think about?
1) It is important that everyone in the household MUST agree to take on the foster dog. If one member of the household does not agree, then hold off fostering the dog because you could do more harm then help.
2) If you don’t currently have a dog, make sure you and your family sit down and agree on rules of the house (e.g. no dogs in the bedroom or couch). Note that not all shelters will allow first-time dog owners to foster.
3) If you currently have a dog, do bring your dog to meet the foster dog. Getting your dog’s help on fostering helps tremendously.
4) Knowing your capacity and ability is important. For example, if you work long hours then, it is not advisable to foster a very active dog. Or, if you are a novice at dogmanship, then it may not be advisable to take on a dog that needs rehabilitation.

Autumn and Roody learn how to sit quietly at cafes.

They key to successful fostering is clear communication with the rescuer/rehomer or the shelter that you’re volunteering with. My biggest mistake as a foster was when I took on a dog without realizing that the root problem of the dog’s behavioral issues was separation anxiety. I was working long hours at that time, and that affected the foster dog so much that she was not gaining weight. Instead, she was reducing to be skin and bones because no matter how much I fed her, she pooped it all out.

Do I need to pay for anything?
Fostering requires your time, energy and resources. Most shelters will cover the cost of vet fees. However, daily needs such as food, training treats, tick prevention or heart worm prevention may not be covered (although some shelters may pass you some tick and heartworm prevention because these are more expensive to purchase). Be prepared to fork out extra money for your foster dog.

How does fostering work?
Communicate clearly to your rehomer/shelter what limitations you may have as a foster, and that will help them to match you to a suitable dog. You may state how long you are able to foster for, although a minimum of two months is advised so that the dog has some stability.

If you can’t bring your foster dog to the vet for visits and check ups, the rehomer/shelter can arrange for other volunteers to do so.

I am quite a hands-on foster, which means that I try to be at every adoption drive that my foster dog goes to because that’s when I get to see which human might be the best fit for the dog. I also work closely with my rehomer (from Save Our Street Dogs) to give input on what kind of a family would make a good fit for the dog.

While the foster is not required to be at adoption drives, it does help your foster dog when their foster is there with them. One example was the recent adoption drive that I went with Roody, whom I’m currently fostering. He had so many inquiries that day and he did everything he was told. He showed he could Sit, Stay, Down and Come.

Dogs may also only obey someone they are acquainted with. My previous foster dog, Lulu (offically known as Luna), was so loyal that she would only sit if I gave the command. She wouldn’t sit for strangers. Lulu’s potential adopter tried many times and asked me why. I had to explain that in Lulu’s case, they had to build trust and a bond with her. Being personally present, I was able to share with her potential adopter what they could do to build a bond with this dog.

Lulu is now adopted and has been with her family for 6 weeks and I’m glad to report, they love her to bits and even though she’s dug up their garden, they have not regretted bringing her home.

Lulu (or Luna) learnt to wait by the road with Lady-Mae while the human scoops poop.

Can you share some of your experiences? How did you first start?
I got started with fostering dogs because Lady-Mae’s brother, Brownie, was being rehomed by his family. Lady-Mae’s rescuer warned me before I took Brownie that, because he was already a year old, I had to be prepared to keep him for a longer time (as compared to cute puppies). Brownie was eventually rehomed to a wonderful family after 4 months.

Lady and her brother, Brownie, wait so very patiently at the boundary to the kitchen while food is being prepared.

Now, I volunteer for fostering because I realize that many dog owners struggle with their dogs in the initial period…some owners have shared with me they didn’t know what to do. I want to foster dogs to help people find joy in having a dog.

Charissa will share some practical tips next week on how to she eases the foster dog into her home, the boundaries she sets and the basic training she puts all her foster pups through. Let us know if you have any questions for her on fostering!

Oh, and if you’re interested in adoption little Roody, please fill out an adoption form at SOSD.

Adopting Muddy

Contributed by Tanya Rongkavilit
My husband and I had always talked about having a dog. It was always a ‘we’ll have one, one day’ kind of thing. In end-2012, I quit my job and went on vacation, and when we got back to Singapore, I was jobless for the first time. What to do!

I thought of all the things I had wanted to do but couldn’t because I had a full-time job, and one of them was having a dog. I searched on Facebook for fostering opportunities. To me, fostering was the perfect option for us to try out the whole dog thing and see if we could actually really do it. Fortunately, I have a friend that feeds, rescues and shelters stray dogs at her own expense. I asked for her help to find me a dog to foster and she offered a dog called Muddy, one of her shelter dogs. He was ten months old and she had found him severely wounded in the mud near a factory in the west.

He was found in the mud, no strength to stand up or sit up.

He was in really bad condition, had multiple bite wounds that were maggot infested, had lost all his fur due to malnutrition and was super thin. The biggest wound was on the back of his neck that was about a size of a golf ball.

His biggest wound from the 20+ bite marks all over his body…

Our guess is that he had wandered away from his territory to look for a female in heat, and the males in that area attacked him. Muddy was one of three in his litter, and the only one who survived more than a few months. He had stayed under his mama’s protection up until the attack.

He was brought to the vet by a my friend and underwent several surgeries. The funds to treat him were all from donations, which we are so so thankful for.

So we went to see Muddy at the vet. BOOM – my husband took him home and I was still in shock of what we just took on. I was actually freaking out! We agreed that we would give the fostering a three-month trial and take it from there.

In really bad shape… Poor boy!

Day One: my husband went to work and I was left at home alone with this creature I didn’t know. I was scared that he would pee and poo in the house, bite stuff (or bite me!) and just make a mess. He didn’t seem to like me very much – he stayed away and always kept his distance. He didn’t allow me to pet him and would dash away with any movement I made (like going to the bathroom!). He wasn’t cooperating with anything I wanted to do. Even treats didn’t work. So by the end of the day, I felt trapped, scared, and helpless. I wanted to give up.

Day Two: pretty much the same or even worse. I think it was because I was losing patience and wanted to see some progress. We had a bit of a battle as I tried to put Frontline on him. This ended up with a few scratches and small bites on my arm, and at that point I was literally crying.

Day Three: no progress. That’s when I told my husband that I don’t want this dog anymore and if we could just return him? But he told me to hang in there for another two weeks. He told me to live my normal life, go out, do yoga, meet my friends and not to worry too much! But most of all to give the dog some time. He reassured me that if after two weeks I still felt this bad about it, we could return Muddy. With teary eyes, I agreed.

Two weeks turned into four months, and we finally refused a potential adopter to see him and Muddy was ours.

The beginning was really hard, but I did learn a few things on this journey with Muddy.
1) I realize that I was expecting too much from a dog that was terrified, who had no idea what was happening to him, where he was at, who these people were and what we wanted from him. I expected for myself a fun happy experience, but because he’s not a ‘normal’ puppy that we bought from a pet shop, I forgot that he had a past, and I needed to factor that into how I treated him and what I expected from him.

Muddy when he was a puppy at a factory in the west. He was a few months old here. Look how cute and furry he was!!

Nope, definitely not a pet shop kind of puppy.

2) He needed time to trust, to ease into this new life he was shoved into and learn to love us as his humans. We had to give him space and care for him in a way that wasn’t intimidating.
– We touched him when he came around us and gave him treats, and tried to not approach him first but waited for him to come to us.
– We gave him time and left him alone during feeding so that he felt comfortable enough to let his guard down and enjoy his meal.
– He had his own space that we did not invade (well, it was the size of his towel, but better than nothing!).

Muddy’s own space.

3) We gave him boundaries so that he would know what he could and could not do, and made sure he knew we could lead him and that he could trust me enough to follow us. Examples of boundaries we gave:
– The bedroom and the office area were off limits to him and he was not allowed to enter.
– On walks, he had to go at our speed and stop when we stopped.
– The sofa was also off limits.
– No growling or snapping at humans or dogs.
It took a lot of time and effort to teach him these rules, but with time, he realized that his life was safe and under control and he grew in confidence that we would lead.

When Muddy learnt to trust us as his leaders, he was invited up on the couch.

4) We took small steps, one day at a time, and I had to let go of any expectations I had. I still continued on my life. I think it’s important to balance out your life with a new dog because we tend to focus so much on them that we forget. The day shouldn’t revolve around them. Or else by the end of the day, you just feel overwhelmed and stressed, and then the dog also feels that tension. If you relax, he will learn to relax too.

Today, Muddy is a different dog! We can now say that he is officially a pet. The reason I say this is because when he first came to us his instinct was to survive, stay safe and fend off any threats all on his own. Today, he trusts, depends and relies completely on us. He’s not on the lookout anymore and instead is the laziest dog ever – he relaxes and sleeps in the busiest of places, he allows strangers to interact with him and it has gotten to a point where he can be off leash on walks (sometimes). He still has some way to go on trusting strangers, but we think this is intrinsic in his character and since he poses no threats to anyone, even if they approach, we will leave him as he is.

So my best advice on adopting or fostering a dog is to take it one step at a time, especially with rescue dogs, have no expectations, be firm with rules and be a consistent leader. Then just let that all work its magic over time. Maybe lots of time. And hopefully, they will all turn out to be a Muddy!

Today he is a happy dog and we give him all the love we have to give!

For those of you who are torn between rescuing a dog and purchasing a puppy, I would say to think hard about what you are looking for and how much you are willing to work. Both decisions will have their pros and cons in completely different ways. We have no regrets whatsoever in adopting Muddy, and it is maybe even the best decision we’ve ever made as a family. Make sure you are willing to put in the work long term…it may take two months, six months, three years or even the dog’s entire life, but I promise that it will be a rewarding journey that you will never regret taking. Your life will not be the same, but the thing is, you don’t want it to be the same anymore anyway.

Muddy hopes you enjoyed his story and wishes you all a happy holiday 🙂

Puppies: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Contributed by Vivien Chin
Puppies are cute, cuddly, lovable and the first few weeks after bringing one home you wonder what possessed you to do that. However, after those first few weeks of hell, everything will start to fall in place and they suddenly become cute and wonderful again. I remember picking up Kafka from the Dallas airport in Texas. He had traveled all the way from Belgium to the USA. Only a tiny 7-week old puppy, he had peed in his crate during the long transatlantic journey. When I opened the door of the crate, he came running out and crawled right into my lap. That frightened and whining puppy is now my protection sport dog. Kafka’s first night in his new home was tough. He was jet-lagged and he told the whole world about it. He slept in his crate early in the evening and whined at 4am in the morning. He also had some separation anxiety. He could not be left alone in the nice big playpen I had bought him, or outside in the yard, or in another room, or more than 6 feet away from me. Did not want to be outside in the yard?! I thought there was something wrong with him. The first couple of weeks were a series of frustrations and sleepless nights but now, I can leave Kafka at home or at a friend’s place and I’m confident that he will be well-behaved and their homes will be intact. He is toilet-trained and settles down comfortably in anybody’s home without complaining.  

Kafka getting his 18 hours of sleep.

I probably forgot how much work puppies are when I decided to foster one. Olive was one of the puppies part of a dramatic rescue at Bukit Batok. When animal control raided the forest near the MRT station, many people were mobilised to save as many dogs as they could. The puppies looked somewhat like German Shepherd puppies. Because I have a soft spot for German Shepherds, I succumbed to their cuteness and volunteered to foster one. Olive had gone through many different homes before she found us. One of the people fostering her had done such a great job toilet training her that I did not have to do much more. My task was to crate-train her and to teach her the rules of apartment living. Because she’s such a greedy pig, it was easy for her to like the crate and sleep in there.  

Olive having a drought of mischievous ideas.

My memory is not great so I had forgotten, again, what it was like to wake up 2-3 times a night, mop up pee and having a screaming banshee at home. During that memory lapse, I found myself opening up my home to two puppies from SOSD. They were then called Pickles and Jester. Now, Jester is known as Cole and is part of Bryan Wong’s family. I am really happy that Bryan appreciates the hard work that was put in. He keeps telling me how well-trained and easy Cole was. Don’t tell Bryan, but Jester/Cole was a massive headache when he first arrived! You can read more about Cole’s adventures with his new family at The Wong Dogs.

Jester/Cole has a secret to tell Lulu.

Pickles, now known as Summer, is Cole’s sister. I fostered her for a few days before deciding that the two puppies had to be separated. They were teaching each other how to fight and swear, and if they had stayed together any longer, they would have be joining gangs and painting the town red. I had to make the decision of sending Pickles/Summer to another foster home. For those of you who are thinking about adopting or buying more than one puppy, Patricia McConnell strongly advises against adopting puppies from the same litter.  

Pickles/Summer learning to stand on a foot pad.

Pickles/Summer was the first in her litter to be adopted. Unfortunately, she was recently given up by her owners because she liked to tell the other dogs what she really thought of them and was honing her gardening skills. She is now being fostered by my friend, Charissa, who is one of the most patient people I know. Charissa is documenting her time with Summer on a blog http://60-daysofsummer.blogspot.sg/ We hope to find a good home for her.

Snowy in her crate. Chilling out in the crate is important for all puppies.

A number of puppies have gone through boot camp since then. The latest is Snowy a Japanese Spitz. She’s in the board and train program while her owners are away on their honeymoon. I must say that she is the type of lady who will scream her lungs out if she’s unhappy or excited. Hell hath no fury like a Snowy left alone. Among many things, Miss Eliza Dolittle has learned to do her business on grass and on the pee tray, walk without pulling on the leash, appreciate the crate, wait at the door before going out and recite “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” in perfect upper-class style. Getting a puppy to adjust to your household is not a walk in the park. I have fallen ill because of the demands of bringing up a puppy right. If you drink lots of water, take some aspirin, know what to do and have the perseverance to live through the first few weeks, you’ll see the joy in having a dog.

If you want more tips on what to do when you first bring that puppy home, check out Rao Canine.

Kafka’s first night in Texas.

Crate Training
Crate training is one of the first things I teach a puppy. From the very first day it steps into my home, a puppy starts learning to go into the crate. It facilitates house breaking or toilet training, helps prevent separation anxiety, and gives the puppy a place to rest, relax and feel safe. It prevents the dog from picking up bad habits like chewing up furniture. It can used in the car when you chauffeur your dog around and it can be used as a confinement area when your dog needs to convalesce after an illness or injury. If you ever want to travel on a holiday with your dog or need to move to a new location, your dog has to travel in a crate.

Kafka’s play pen.

Apart from the crate, I also use a play pen for puppies to relax in and stay out of trouble. In the half-a-minute your eyeballs breaks visual contact with your puppy, it can pee on the carpet, tip over the trash can and eat your mouldy chocolate cake, rip your blinds off windows, redecorate your room and tear up this month’s issue of that $19.95 magazine you’ve not read. Putting your puppy in a play pen helps to give your eyes a rest and helps you from going insane. This video shows you a “high drive” working dog puppy doing its thing in a play pen.

Impulse control
Waiting for permission to do something is also an important behavior any puppy needs to learn. Waiting for food helps to keep meal times orderly and peaceful. Waiting for permission to go out the door makes walks more pleasant and prevents catastrophic accidents especially if you live along a busy street.

Discipline
Your puppy should understand which behaviours are acceptable and which are unacceptable. E.g. mouthing your hands, biting your clothes, jumping up on you, growling at you because they want to protect their food or treats are not allowed. It is most effective to address such potential behavioural issues right at the beginning rather than waiting for your puppy to grow up and for it to become a serious problem.

Socialisation
Introducing your puppy to as many people, dogs, different environments and stimuli as early as possible in its life will help it grow to become a stable and confident dog. If you have a mongrel or a “Singapore Special”, this is especially important because they tend to be more fearful and wary of strangers. Ian Dunbar recommends letting your puppy meet 100 people before the age of 12 weeks. After 13 weeks of age, socialisation becomes less effective.

Conditioning your dog to touch
If you have a puppy that is a fervent grower of hair, you will find yourself sending your pooch to the groomer’s fairly often. In order to make the experience more pleasant for both the groomer and your dog, you need to teach your dog to like being handled. You will definitely make a visit to the vet at some point in your puppy’s life when you will find the same training useful.

Basic commands
When you sign up for a basic obedience class, what you will learn is usually how to teach your dog basic commands. Learning commands is very useful but not the priority when I first bring a puppy home. I teach Sit in the first week, but may wait up to a month before teaching the puppy other commands like Down or Stay.

These are the foundations for a good house dog. Check back with The Furry Tales to learn how to crate train your dog, teach impulse control and perform other training exercises.