Lego is a young Lagotto Ramagnolo living in Singapore and he’s here to share a simple pupcake recipe! You don’t have to wait for your pet’s birthday every year before indulging in pupcakes. Now, you can simply make them yourselves at home.
10. Line baking tray and fill them up with the mix
11. Into the oven they go!
Bake for 10-15 minutes
And they’re done!
Note that pupcakes recipes are generally not a balanced meal and should be fed in moderation. Pawrents should be the gatekeepers in deciding what should be included in their pet’s diet.
Special thanks to Lego for sharing this simple recipe!
Grooming is essential for all pets actually, but more so for our doggos. These fluffballs became dirtballs after their daily walks or play. It can be frustrating trying to keep them clean each time.
Every day since I started the Instagram journey of @kikithemp in end June, many people had asked me about grooming items as I’ve been grooming Kiki by myself for a while.
A disclaimer, I am not a grooming expert or a professional groomer, I am self-taught by watching Youtube videos and trial and error.
As a first time dog owner, and adopting a dog with chronic scabies, I was totally clueless of what is needed. I remembered just following the instructions of the vet and trying out various ways and means to groom Kiki in a way she felt comfortable with. We did not bring her for professional grooming during this period as most groomers we asked said that they cannot accept dogs with infestations. Kiki has to be cleared by the vet before they would let in.
For a start, Kiki’s skin was raw and bloody, she will wince and jump in pain whenever her skin touches the water and worse, shampoo. Then the ultimate nail trimming process as she refused to let anyone touch her paws. It was a long and arduous journey trying to get her used to grooming. After much patience, we finally got Kiki to be used to grooming and could stay still and let me work on her for… 2 hours straight.
I still do occasionally bring Kiki to the groomers for Full Grooming once every 3 to 4 months, and the in-between, I do my own self grooming. I believe that as pawrents, we need to do some sort of very basic grooming everyday or at least once a week so as to maintain its hygiene. A hygienic dog is a healthy dog.
Here are some of the top few grooming essentials that I used on a daily to weekly basis, which I think all pawrents should try to do as well.
Daily
Brush – Any type of brush that your dog is comfortable with should be fine. I typically use both a grooming comb and a slicker brush. Brush their fur at least once a day to untangle unwanted knots and matting.
Sanitiser – Not any kind of sanitiser is pet friendly but one which is chemical free and 100% natural would do. I typically spray it on Kiki’s paws after walks and whole body before bedtime. This helps to keep her clean and odour free too! Do you know that bacteria growth on fur is very smelly? Not only do I use it on Kiki, I also use it on the mat, bed, playpen she uses often. I recommend Pets Activated Water Sanitiser by For Furry Friends SG. (Code KIKI5 at http://www.forfurryfriends.com.sg for 5% off with free gift.)
Dental Chew – All kind of chews is good as long as the ingredients used is natural. Some people gives natural chews like antlers, pizzle, tendons. That works well. For me, I usually go for Absolute Holistic ones as it is not as smelly and Kiki goes crazy for it. However with all form of food, give in moderation. Kiki usually have 1 every night. It has been ingrained in her nightly routine. (Get dental chew here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/6lPGOkY)
Tooth brush and toothpaste – I highly recommend brushing their teeth at least once a day to keep plague and tartar at bay. This helps to eliminate bad breathe and also with good dental hygiene they do not have to go through frequent dental scaling which may need them to go under anesthesia which can be quite scary for older dogs. I have been using Virbac toothpaste since Day 1 and Kiki loves it. She can even hold the toothbrush and brush it herself. (Get your 360 Toothbrush: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/KM0P2bp, toothpaste: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/70vGyZY)
Weekly / As when necessary
Ear Cleaner – This one is something I highly highly recommend to do once a week. We do not need to wait for the groomer to do it for us okay! Maintaining a good ear hygiene makes the dog a happier one. Try to go for non oily ones. I’ve gone through quite a few different brands and found that Kiki tolerate well with the Ear Cleaner from For Furry Friends SG. Also, after ear cleaning, you can also try to use a tweezer to pluck out ear fur at the outer ear canal. This helps to reduce ear irritants. This helps to reduce and prevent unwanted bacteria growth causing yeast infection and smell. (Code KIKI5 at http://www.forfurryfriends.com.sg for 5% off with free gift.)
Tear Stain Remover – I do this as and when I find tear stains on Kiki’s eyes using a cotton pad to soak up the stain. Kiki tend to have eye gunk every now and then and they will stick to fur near her eyes. This helps to unclump the fur and also keep their eye area clean, which makes them cuter too!
Pet Dryer – I cannot stress enough about this. If you do home grooming enough times, you’ll realise how ineffective our own human hairdryer is. They take ages to dry their fur and then because of the long drying process, it makes their skin so dry too?! Always go for a pet dryer if you can! I use a 2-in-1 pet dryer that has a brush attachment on it. It saved up so much of my time! A typical 20 minutes drying process is cut to 5mins! (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/KNqJX2P)
Electric Pet Nail Grinder – This is another must-have item in your grooming kit. Yes, you may bring your dog to the groomer monthly, but nail maintenance is something I personally feel is a must-know. The conventional way of nail maintenance is using a pet nail clipper which many owners I know are fearful of. Like how do you know if you’re hitting the quick? What if I have shaky hands? That’s where the nail grinder comes into play. Due to Kiki’s past experience, she hates the clipper and will attempt to bite us whenever she sees it. So that’s when I researched and found out about the Grinder. It is a tool that files away the nail bit by bit. Yes, it takes longer than a traditional clipper but it is less scary and you do not need to worry about hitting the quick! No need to second guess yourself and don’t need to worry about shaky hands. Just grind away and monitor accordingly! This is one of the best grooming devices in my opinion. (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/rpJPLxq)
Pet Shaver – Since we’re at the topic of nail grinder, I highly recommend pairing it with a pet shaver. Even if you are not going to shave much, get one with attachment for paw pads. Do you know that the paw pads are areas best for bacteria growth especially when the fur is covering the pads? In addition, if there’s too much fur covering, our dogs will have walking issues too! I typically will shave Kiki’s fur to a poodle feet style as I really prefer the cleanliness and effortless maintenance. (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/7BnODJ0)
Pet Shampoo and Conditioner – In the humidity of Singapore, I prefer showering Kiki weekly. However it is up to personal preference, some does it bi-weekly or monthly. If your dog sleeps with you on the same bed, maybe you might want to shower it more frequently. As Kiki has sensitive skin, I normally goes for 100% natural unscented shampoo / conditioner so as to reduce any skin irritation. I uses the Gentle range from The Blep Club and it has been my favourite shampoo thus far. Best of all, it is a conditioner shampoo. So I don’t have to rinse twice!
Optional Items
Grooming Scissors Kit – I personally use it when I trim Kiki’s fur to give her a cute face and pretty paws but I do not recommend it if you have shaking hands. When I first started this grooming journey, I feared for both Kiki’s and my life when the scissors is very near her eyes. I was so scared of poking her eyes unintentionally you know! But with much practice and also curved scissors (inside the kit), it helps a lot! (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/6149wWZ)
Items like the pet grinder, pet shaver, brush, dental chews, toothpaste and so on, can be easily bought from Shopee SG. You can use KIKI12 for 12% off (capped at $6) on all pet-related food and items! (If you’ve already used it, feel free to DM me on Instagram at @kikithemp for more codes. I have a long list of it!)
I know after reading this, some of you may be thinking…
“Wow, that’s a lot of things to do for grooming. I will just let the groomer do it.”
My question to you will be…
Yes, sure you can wait and let the groomer do it. But remember Circuit Breaker? Everything is closed. What if a second wave or third happens? What if it was extended for several months? No one knows what will happen. But one thing we know for sure is that our fluffballs might become dirtballs, ungroomed and prone to all sorts of problems.
So what you’re waiting for? Go get your basic grooming supply now! What’s more, all the year end sales is upcoming! Go Go Go!
If you know my dog Kobe and interact with him before, You know that he is a sweet boy that loves human and other dogs! Even thou he is missing a leg, always have a smile on his face, I still have many people thats afraid of him.
Have you ever just walking your dog and minding your own business, and from afar, you see X stops abruptly and find another alternative path; or X starts walk diagonally as they stare down your dog to avoid it.
Have you ever just exiting the lift with your dog, and you release some sort of invisible force repealing X thats about to enter the lift?
Have you ever just minding your business while walking your dog, and suddenly you hear someone screaming, you thought someone was in trouble, but oh, your dog is cause of it.
Have you ever just resting in public places, and your dog starts wagging its tail and smiling to X, and X deems your dog to be aggressive and scary?
Have you ever goes to a dog park where there’s couple of small doggos, the moment you off leash your dog, X picked up their dogs and leave the place soon after.
Have you ever just walking and keeping left side on the lane, and someone incoming using their phone without paying attention, and suddenly you release some sort of invisible force again, repealing X immediately, and X got angry and “TSK” at you, or worst, confront you and ask you to walk your dog properly.
Thats a sign of people suffering from Cynophobia develop the condition as a result of negative experience with a dog in the youth. Eg: Been chased or bitten by a dog, witness someone get terrified by a dog, or have grown up with someone who’s aversion to dogs become their own fear.
Cynophobia, pronounced (sy-no-phoia), is a phobia or a fear of dogs.
Oh, let’s not forget there a small fraction that just outright dislikes dogs.
Base on my own experiences above; and speaking as a dog owner, and an animal lover;
I think that depends on the situation:
A) the owner, and B) how the dog is behaving.
Certain dog owners will get mad at everything, but also there are dogs that behave badly or are new to the owner and haven’t been trained yet, so their owners will probably understand if you get upset.
For me, I will try my best to be respectful if I’m out with my dog and notice someone eyeing him with uncertainty. I will shorten the leash and have him close and give the person room to pass. I always keep my very socialized / trained dog on my side and sit as they passes with fear. By doing that; I let the person know ahead of time that my dog is a friendly one.
(That dog is a mongrel and omg he is looking at me, he is about to come and bite me)
While I respect their fear and I won’t try to force them to like dogs or be offended by it, in some cases I don’t understand. I often wonder if the person had a traumatic experience, or if they didn’t grow up with dogs and don’t know anything about them, or a certain breed thats stereotyped as aggressive.
My small little advise to you if you’re suffering from Cynophobia:
If you’re really afraid of my dog, I totally understand! I’ll make sure he doesn’t come up to you. But please, do not start screaming. There is no reason to scream. Although he is very friendly, I have train him to not having to greet everyone he meets while walking, so he’s not even going to come up to you. People do get scared sometimes and keep their distance. BUT if you start screaming when he is literally just standing there, chances are you will scare him just as much as you are scared, which is bad enough, and try to bolt, which is worse.
And if someone made my dog that uncomfortable I’ll be pissed off as all hell. He might not mind it, but I’m only human.
So if you’re scared of my dog, please politely say, “I am afraid of dogs” and back away a little bit. I will get the message and will move him away from you. If I notice you look scared, we will move away. I believe all dog owners are responsible for that, but of course, we also have a small fraction that feels that they are above all, and doesn’t give a damn about your fear, then I am sorry about your negative experience of dog owners like that.
Fear is something that alerts us to possible danger and helps keep us safe. It’s good to be aware of what scares us, and then choose to either be afraid of that thing forever, or learn about it and determine when you need to be afraid and when it’s really okay. Both options are valid.
Im coming to attack you with my cuteness
On the flip side, we also have people that over enthusiastic animal lover. Well, thank you for getting so excited seeing my dog in public, I’m fluttered. But your excitement might spook my dog too.
If we are resting and your kid decided to approach us and wants to pat my dog while making a lot of loud noises, please respect us that we might have to politely decline your kid’s enthusiasm and walk away, and often is because we know our dogs better than you, and we do not want to be accused that our dog is creating a problem.
Lady-Mae is my first Singapore Special. We adopted her in 2012. She is my seventh dog in my life. When I was growing up, we could have unlimited number of dogs as long as they weren’t a nuisance to the neighbours.
As an experienced dog owner and handler, I did something totally out of the ordinary when it came to choosing Lady-Mae. I went purely with my instincts. I didn’t research about owning a rescue dog, I just went ahead to get one. (If you’re a new dog owner, I highly suggest that you speak to many fellow Singapore Special owners. A variety of owners and not just one type of owner. It’ll give you a more realistic view of this dog. Please do not follow my example.)
As time went by and I got involved in the dog community, I realised that many people struggled with their Sg Special because either their dog wasn’t properly socialised or they did not get a suitable trainer. So here’s a list of 12 things that I think will help you to decide if the Singapore Special or SS is for you and if you’re up to the challenge.
1. They are the toughest dog to train, even harder than a husky: Most trainers will tell you the Husky is the hardest dog to train. Well, move aside Husky because the Singapore Special tops that list. Singapore Specials don’t care about anyone. They are not bred to want to listen to you. They are bred to solve problems on their own. They do not do well with a wishy-washy handler. Not being able to make a decision on the fly is going to make you be a weakling in the Singapore Special’s eyes. Once you’re seen as a weakling, they will exploit that. I often tell fellow owners that making a bad decision is better than not making one at all.
2. You’ll need to find a GOOD balance trainer: A good balance trainer means a trainer who knows how to use Positive Reinforcement and knows how to teach corrections in a fair and just manner. Singapore Specials are sensitive dogs. They do not do well with high aversive training and neither do they do well solely on Positive Reinforcements only.
3. Singapore Specials need a firm owner: Being firm these days is being labeled a dictator. On the contrary. Being firm means that when you say NO to your dog, be prepared to say NO another one thousand times before your dog will take you seriously.
4. Critical Learning Period For every dog, not just the Singapore Special, the critical learning period is from 3 to 5months. During this time, if a dog is intentionally socialized well to the environment, people, and the lifestyle of the owner, it will grow up to be a balanced dog. However, this is highly critical for the Singapore Special. Missing out on this window creates many of the behavioural issues that the dog will carry through its life. The only reason why the dog becomes good is because of good management. So be prepared to manage your dog but it doesn’t mean you will see the problem behaviour go away.
5. Socialising your dog is a crazy long list over a crazy long time: For many Singapore Specials, they find it hard to adapt to the urban lifestyle that we live and move in. They need to have POSITIVE experiences from the time they are rescued all the way until they have matured adults (4 to 5years old). Socialisation is not going to be a ONE-time affair. These dogs need the consistent positive experience. Socialization isn’t bringing a dog to a dog park and letting it do what it wants. Socialization is an intentional affair with a specific goal.
6. Knowing who you are is critical: Self-awareness is probably the one thing that most SS owners struggle with. So before you bring one home, know what makes you tick. Know how you make decisions, what needs you have so that you can make decisions. And be comfortable in your own skin. E.g. some people need TIME to make a decision. If that’s you, then be aware that if your dog reacts, you should already have a backup plan because there will not be time for you to deliberate. Your Singapore Special is going to know you before the first day is over. And it’s going to know what your weaknesses are and how it can exploit you. E.g. if you’re afraid that the dog will bark its lungs out and get a complaint from a neighbour, the Singapore Special is going to bark the heck of its lungs out because it’s going to push every weakness button. It wants to see which of our weaknesses it can exploit.
7. It needs leadership: Leadership has become a nasty and dirty word in the dog world today. It’s sad because Singapore Special needs a person who is able to provide them clarity. These dogs need someone to give them clear definitions of what is and what isn’t acceptable behaviour. And they need someone to give them clear guidance on how to achieve acceptable behaviour. Failure to provide this will result in a Singapore Special that is highly fearful, reactive, or aggressive.
8. The Singapore Special is wild at heart: I think too many people downplay this trait in the Singapore Special. They are very feral. Almost wolf-like. But they are dogs. They will be eager to please if you can provide leadership. You’ll never be able to domesticate the Singapore Special but it doesn’t mean they cannot be in a home. I always felt guilty for adopting Lady-Mae because I felt like I was caging her by adopting her. It took me 8 years to be able to say that my rescue dog is beginning to be more like a dog that has been carefully bred for centuries.
9. Singapore Specials need an outlet for problem-solving: Because these dogs have evolved to problem-solve daily, they need to be active participants in their training. One of the things that I do is WAIT for the dog to offer me a behaviour that I find acceptable. I don’t give it a command. This is what we call Free Shaping in dog training terminology. Eg. I will wait for the dog to calm down and not jump on me before putting the leash on. I will not tell the dog to sit etc. I will wait until the dog is calm and gives me eye contact before I reward the dog. Having fostered and helped so many dogs and families, Free shaping is highly integral for a Singapore Special. It keeps them engaged. It makes them think about what you want and that taps into their instincts to problem solve. Know how to work with their instincts not against it.
10. They need to roam free: Every Singapore Special yearns to be off the leash. It’s sad that many owners aren’t able to train their dogs to the point where their dogs can be off the lead and ignore people and dogs and just be engaged with their owners no matter what happens. So if you ever adopt one, be prepared to put aside EVERY free time you have and work with the dog until you can get here. Your dog will thank you daily.
11. They are purpose-driven: Singapore Specials are not the usual pet dog. If you’re looking for one, be prepared to go to a trainer who is adept at knowing how to train working breeds. They need a job. Some Sg Specials are really adept at obedience work. Some are great with tricks. Some are awesome with people, (yes there are some Sg Specials who are). And then, there are some who are like my dog, Lady-Mae who enjoys helping people and animals in distress. It’s going to take you at least a year or two before discovering that your dog’s purpose is. So be open minded, go try many activities. Lady-Mae and I have tried, Obedience Competition style training, Tricks, Pet therapy, Agility, Lure coursing. All these flopped terribly and miserably. My dog just stood there and looked at me like she was bored. Until we tried Nosework. Lady-Mae enjoys the search especially for an animal that’s in distress. She enjoys it so much that you can’t even lure her away with Mcnuggets!
12. They are resilient, have great perseverance, and are highly intelligent: Many times when I see descriptions of a Singapore Special up for adoption, nothing that is on that paragraph is what you’re really going to get. Singapore Special is a highly resilient dog, meaning it can withstand a lot of psychological challenges and it’s going to use that with you throughout its lifetime. The SS is also a dog with great perseverance hence they might look very stubborn. However, if you are able to persevere together with them, you will not only gain their love, loyalty, and devotion but their utmost respect. Lastly, the Singapore Special is highly intelligent. I think people do not give enough credit to this dog. Lady-Mae hasn’t ceased to surprise me every day with her ability to offer an innovative solution.
The Singapore Special requires us to put their needs way above ours for a very long time. Adopting one will consume you. It will take up a lot of your time, money, and energy daily for a good 3 to 4years before you’re able to see a highly reliable dog. That’s if you put in the work daily. I have not met a SS owner who said their adoption journey was easy.
Every SS owner will tell you how hard they worked to get where they are. I worked hard but I know of owners who had to work much harder than I did. If you are still up to adopt one, then, welcome to the club. You chose a dog that will not just change your life but it will force you to grow you in ways you never imagined.
Adopting a Singapore Special is not for the faint-hearted. It’s for people who are prepared to take on a self-development journey.
When you think about training your dog, what comes into mind? For many of us, it’s a list of things to check off. Can I suggest that while that’s useful because it helps us be goal-orientated but that’s also VERY UNHELPFUL. Why? Because it becomes GOAL centred and we should GROWTH centred.
What is GROWTH? Growth doesn’t necessarily only mean our dogs can exhibit a behaviour. Growth takes into the account that we are considering other factors like our dog’s age, it’s emotional maturity, it’s cognitive capability, and its capacity for learning. If our dog isn’t hungry to learn, there’s no point in making a lesson a lesson.
Being growth centred means we take a more wholistic approach to development. We measure the dog’s response instead of the result. We measure our response with our dogs as well. We look into our development as much as we care about our dog’s.
WHAT YOU MEASURE MATTERS
Fellow dog owners have asked if I ever get tired or nonchalant about training. My answer is NEVER. My secret is because I don’t measure my dog on the response. I measure my dog on her overall ability to handle life’s pressures and her ability to RECOVER from those stressors. E.g. Lady-Mae is sensitive to sounds and vibrations, to this day, you can see her get startled. I’m not measuring her on her response. What I look for is how she deals with it. Even though you can still see her body react, she brushes it off and goes about enjoying the environment. That’s GROWTH.
The feedback that we receive from our dogs is a CONVERSATION, not an indication of how great or bad you are as a handler. If your dog has its tail tucked, stop fussing. It is sharing with you that it’s afraid of something. When that happens, I usually look around to see possible triggers. If there’s none, I just ignore it and continue what we’re doing. This is how it will sound like if the dog could speak: Dog : (Tail tucked) “I’m scared.” Human: (Look around assess the situation, calmly continue the walk) “I know you’re scared but nothing her to be scared, I’ve got you.”
Stop measuring the response and start measuring the recovery time your dog takes to offer the desired behaviour. And, START having a non-verbal conversation rather than reacting to your dog.
KNOWING YOURSELF WELL MATTERS
Too many dog owners have very little self-awareness. By this I mean, you have got to know what motivates you and how to motivate yourself. For example, I enjoy partnering with people to work on a common goal. I enjoy being able to consider risks and find the best options in training. I enjoy things better when I have clarity and I enjoy spontaneity and variety.
If you read what I enjoy, you’ll quickly realise that I won’t make a very good dog trainer because dog training is about consistency (repetitions) and being predictable.
When I adopted Lady-Mae, I thought about what kind of a dog I would like her to be in the midst of people who did not like dogs. My motivation to raise her to be a balanced dog came out of “I want other people to enjoy my dog too.” It wasn’t because she could make my life easier but it was the benefit of my community.
The second way I keep myself motivated is always evaluating the risks and options I have during the training process. Sometimes, this can look like I’m always changing my mind. If I’m training for others, I make it a point to communicate my intentions and why I made a change in decision.
The most important thing for me is CLARITY. Without this, I’m often frustrated. So, when I adopted Lady-Mae, I was constantly reframing my goals until I had clarity of the kind of dog I wanted to raise. My WHY gives me emotional clarity and helps me to be focused on Lady-Mae’s growth rather and goals. It helps me to also not compare myself to other handlers and keeps me focused on what Lady-Mae’s strengths are.
Lastly, I don’t have a habit of training my dog for more than 5 mins at a time, because I enjoy variety, I work on a few things that are related in the developmental process. And in order to beat the bore of predictability and repetitions which drains me, I don’t have a fix schedule on when I train the dog. I also don’t have a fix goal that I need to check off each day. I keep it fluid within the week. Instead of having daily goals, I have a weekly one that I work towards. That helps me manage my weaknesses while leveraging on my strengths.
So the next time you’re struggling with your mojo, you may have to have clarity about your GROWTH plan. Or you may have to change what you’re measuring or you may have to take time to know yourself better because it could be what’s hindering you from helping your dog unleash its potential.
Every person getting a new dog, be it first-time or experienced dog owners, would arrive at this question at some point during their decision-making process: What breed of dog should I get? There are the usual pedigree breeds that have been labelled as “family-friendly” like our adorable Golden Retrievers and “easy to train” Maltipoo cross-breeds which we have crossed paths with during one of our evening leisure walks. However, when one considers between adoption and getting their new furkid from a known breeder, a major deterrent against opting for adoption is the lack of information on the temperaments of Singapore Specials (SS) (our affectionate name for our kampong dogs, also known to many as “mongrels”, “mixed-breeds” or “strays”).
As a first-time owner, I too hesitated on adopting a dog because I simply did not know much about SS. It seemed like an easier option to buy a pedigree dog whose temperaments, quirks, prey drive, receptivity to training was already analysed and readily available on the Internet. On the other hand, searching up “Singapore Specials/mongrels” on Google left me with few to no results about the things to expect from owning an SS. Thus, I finally decided to write about my experiences with owning an SS and behaviours characteristic to SS in hopes that this article will raise more awareness about our beloved local dogs and many potential owners will consider adopting a Special as their future companion, and best friend.
Before diving into the particularities of Singapore Specials, I felt that I should introduce myself first so you could put a name and face to this article. I’m Sabrina and this is my best friend, and “grandchild” (according to my parents), Kyla.
Kyla at 6 months old and still a compulsive worry queen
Kyla is nearly 7 months old and my family had adopted her from Mercylight in July 2020. While I am currently abroad for my undergraduate studies, I had spent most of my days in Singapore prior to my departure caring for Kyla and thus I will be sharing my experiences from that period (currently, my family is caring for her and I receive regular updates on her growth). In the process of writing this article, I had also spoken to other SS owners to compare my experiences with them so as to give a more accurate representation of SS as a “breed”. Of course, given that SS were never specially bred for any purpose as was the case for many pedigree dogs, their personalities may differ from what I write so that should be kept in mind when you read my article.
So without further ado, what are Singapore Specials like?
Past experiences can mean fearfulness and skittishness
While some SS may have been rescued when they were only a few days old, many others are often introduced to shelter life and exposure to humans after months or years of roaming and scavenging for food. Having spent their entire lives hiding from humans and sleeping near construction sites or fields, this means that they have never experienced living with humans in apartments, eating from bowls, being touched nor walking on leash. Naturally, SS which have not socialised properly are more fearful and resistant to a change in the environment. While I was fortunate enough to have adopted Kyla when she was still very young and thus could socialise her to new environments fairly easily, many other SS owners have to restart the socialisation process. This usually implies slowly introducing “unnatural” elements to them, even the smallest things like the TV or rooms in the house. One SS owner had shared with me that her SS was still very skittish even after four months of being with her family and had stayed in the same room for almost two months. It takes constant repetition, exposure to the same environments over and over again for Specials to recognise that these spaces are safe. Adopting an SS means harnessing that mountain of patience to go slow, and to reassure them that humans, other dogs and even their reflection in the food bowl is nothing to be afraid of.
Be prepared for a high prey-driven dog
See that rat that just ran past the pavement? The flock of birds minding their business on the grass patch next to you? You better hold your leash tight. Singapore Specials are your diamonds in the rough when you consider them as hunting dogs. Over decades of surviving on their own, they have acquired an acute sense of smell and sight valuable for sourcing out food. It is in their nature to hunt down birds and other small animals. Even Kyla, who never had to scour for food on the streets, was very attracted to rats and birds that she spotted on our walks. She would whine and tug very strongly on the leash when we prevented her from going closer to the rat hidden in the grass. On one walk, Kyla had found a dead flattened rat on our road and picked it up like it was a precious chew (and you can guess who had to forcefully take the rat from her). The point is, expect that SS have a high prey drive and if you ever thought of letting that rabbit next door be her new best friend, you should probably think twice.
Reactivity and the importance of training
A similar point to how past experiences have shaped the personalities of Singapore Specials, another common characteristic to note is that SS have the tendency to be more reactive and sensitive to new people and dogs. In defining “reactivity”, I refer to behaviours such as growling, barking, and defensive stances. While Kyla is more sensitive towards people (barking) and very playful around other dogs, other SS I have met are reactive to the latter and easy-going with people. Then again, there are some Specials that are friendly to all and have no problems with interactions, so it may not be set in their personalities after all. Nevertheless, given the fact that they are generally more fearful and skittish, it would be a good idea to invest time into obedience training sessions to learn to manage their reactivity and to desensitise them to new environments. Group training sessions are useful as they allow you to practice managing SS around other dogs-in-training which provides a controlled environment for correcting their reactive behaviours.
happy girl passed her first obedience training!
Highly intelligent thinkers
Singapore Specials are very intelligent. Period. Their resilience cultivated from their survival instincts ultimately means that they are determined to crack that puzzle to obtain that bonus treat. It took Kyla approximately a month to figure out how to push the baby gate open to let herself up to the second and third floors of our house, and she was able to recognise her reflection in the mirror in our living room after one house visit (back when we were still in the process of adopting her). However, because SS are able to solve challenges fairly quickly, it is also important to engage them intellectually to ensure that they exercise their mental capacities. This may mean making them work for treats and spending some time engaging in challenging play (personally, I play hide and seek with Kyla to do so).
Your best bodyguard, a fiercely loyal buddy
Last but not the least, SS are your residential guard dogs. Their sensitivity to new environments is also a valuable asset that can be harnessed. Perhaps it is the fact that they are eternally grateful to you for giving them a furever home and a lifetime supply of tasty treats, but Specials will reward you with their unwavering loyalty after they gain trust in you. One day, I was waiting at the void deck for my family to buy dinner with Kyla. She laid down 1m in front of me and was calm when people walked past us and went about their day. However, when one man had approached me to ask about her, Kyla immediately stood up and barked at him, always putting herself between me and the man. This was when I had realised that Kyla’s barking was due to the fact that she primarily wanted to protect and not to display dominance and aggression. You can therefore say that SS are amazing guard dogs, and their alleged “hostility” should not be taken for aggression but their strong loyalty to their owners.
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If you have read till this point, thank you for your support and I sincerely hope this article has helped one or two potential dog owners to make an informed decision regarding their new family member. All I wish for is that this article sheds more light on the temperaments of Singapore Specials so that we remove the stigma regarding stray dogs and that many may consider adopting an SS now with better information on what raising an SS is like. 🙂
Many thanks to those who have helped contribute to this article in one way or another!
There are many benefits of bone broth for both humans and dogs! It makes a great addition to your dog’s diet and helps with joint aches, digestion, healthy gut etc. Simply search online and you will find a list of benefits.I have tried using a variety of different types of bone – pork, beef and lamb (did not try chicken since Bam Bam is allergic). I recommend using marrow bones or joint bones with cartilage as they contain a significant amount of collagen that gives you a gel-like consistency. I get lamb bones from the neighbourhood market at $6/kg, pork bones from Sheng Shiong at $7-$8/kg and beef bones from S.S.KIM at $4.50/kg or OMNI at $2.57/kg . I find bones with little to no meat take a shorter period of time and will yield more since there will be lesser fat.
What you need:
2 kg of bones
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV) – I had more success in achieving a gel-like consistency using Bragg’s ACV as compared to HEINZ
3 L water (approximately)
A dog to taste test
Method:
Place 2 kg of bones inside the pressure cooker.
Add in 3 tbsp ACV and approximately 3 litres of water. A good gauge would be to ensure that the bones are fully covered with water or until it reaches the maximum capacity of the pressure cooker.
Place it on high heat and cover with the lid.
When the pressure has reached its max, lower the heat and let it boil for 8 – 9 hours. I use an induction cooker with a heat range of 1 – 9 and usually leave it on at level 4.
After boiling, strain the bone broth and leave it to cool. Put it in the fridge overnight to allow the layer of fat to form at the top. This makes it easier to remove it the next day.
Tips/things to note:
I used to defrost the frozen bones before boiling but I find that it did not make a difference if I used the frozen ones immediately.
After boiling the broth on high heat for 5 mins, I would also skim off the scums before covering it with the lid. Again, not much of a difference when I skipped this.
It took me a few tries to get the duration right to achieve a gel-like consistency. Do not fret if you are unsuccessful the first few attempts. The following factors may play a part:
Types of bone used – joint bones contain a high level of collagen. Gelatin is the cooked form of collagen which gives you that gel-like consistency. I have tried using normal soup bones and was unsuccessful.
Amount of ACV – the acidity helps to extract the collagen.
Duration – You may need to boil the broth longer to extract the collagen out from the bones.
Gelling happens when you cool it down in the fridge. If you put it out at room temperature, you will start to see it ‘melting’ into a liquid form which is normal. Bone broth is still nutritious even if it does not gel after refrigeration! Gelling is just a sign that it contains more collagen. I found this article useful in understanding why my bone broth was not having that gel-like consistency: Troubleshooting Bone Broth: Why Won’t It Gel?
Also, please remember to watch the cooker when it is on high heat. Once, I completely forgot about it and by the time I heard the noise, it was too late, and my pressure cooker was spurting broth and it flooded the countertop and floor! There was bone broth all over the wall as well, ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!
You can also add in vegetables in your bone broth. I tried adding carrots and spinach once and the results were the same.
As homemade broths do not contain preservatives, it can sit in the fridge for only 3 – 4 days. Pack it in several containers and freeze it. You can also freeze it in big ice cube trays and defrost it before consumption.
If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can use a slow cooker but do note that it will take much longer (possibly 18 – 72 hours).
Enjoy and have fun making bone broths for your puppers! I have yet to add it in my daily diet but I came across a bone broth recipe that said “Better than Botox”. Time to reconsider!
As an owner of 2 dogs – Lilo, a 12-year-old Maltese, and Cookie, a 2-year-old Pomsky mix Shetland, I have always thought “what if I can understand why she’s doing this or that, etc etc.” Hence, I decided to share more about my journey in engaging an Animal Communicator (AC)!
Cookie & Lilo (henlo everypawdy!)
As Lilo got older, I was making a conscious effort 1 year ago to search for a good AC in hopes of understanding more about Lilo so that I can make her remaining years the best ever possible, but my main motive was to know her bucket list! I also got the AC to check in with Lilo about her health conditions and some behavioral issues. As for Cookie, I wanted to understand more about her; her character likes and dislikes.
While I was researching on which AC to engage, most AC allows up to 10 questions per animal, which I feel that it is enough to know everything important about the animal. For 10-15 questions, ACs usually charge between 80~180 SGD. Most ACs are able to communicate with any kind of animals, be it dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, etc.
I chanced upon Nicole, from @pawsandcrystals on Instagram as she was launching a “pay as you wish” initiative to kick off her animal communication journey. Nicole is currently doing this full-time and her current rates are as below which is super affordable! I felt this instant draw towards her and decided to drop her a dm. We clicked off and immediately set an appointment date for her to do her sharing via a video call. FYI, Nicole usually discusses with her clients over WhatsApp messages or IG DMs, and this special arrangement to do a video call was made as I wanted to share more about some questions you guys might have while contemplating to engage one.
Nicole’s very affordable rates! (Supporting small biz owners as much as possible)
But first, some funny stories that Nicole shared with me! An owner wanted to know why his pug kept getting shocked by his own fart sounds, and the pug told Nicole that he did not know that the sound was coming from himself LOL! Nicole communicated with the pug that not all sounds are scary and the sound came from him. The owner then updated Nicole that the pug smiled at him when he farted the next time! How cheeky is that!!
Nicole also shared that when she first started her AC journey, she chanced upon a chicken near her residential block that looked lost. To practice her AC skills, she proceeded to take a picture of it, went back home, and tried to communicate with it but there wasn’t any response. She thought that her AC skills were not working and then proceeded to bring her dog, Bubbles out for a walk. The moment she opened the door, the chicken was right at her doorstep! HOW IN THE WORLD?!
Nicole’s very cute dog – Bubbles and said Chicken that appeared at her doorstep
According to Nicole, there are different ways that an AC communicates with animals. Some of them do it through visuals, taste, smell, etc.. For Nicole, it was visual while her friend was through taste. Example: to ask a dog what it likes to eat, Nicole will show different visuals of various foods and get the dog to show her the visual of their favorite food, while her friend will get a taste of the food in her mouth. Cool right?!
So… What do you need to prepare when engaging an AC?
In order for Nicole to communicate with our dogs, we sent her an individual photograph of the dogs that we took recently. Do make sure that their eyes can be seen clearly! We also sent her images of us (the dogs’s main caretakers) so that Nicole would know who the dogs are referring to when she gets the visual replies from them. You should prepare a list of questions which Nicole will communicate with the dog and share her findings with you via IG Dm or voice memos.
When Nicole starts her communication with the animals, she’d say hello, introduce herself to the animal as their papa/mama’s friend and give them a heads-up that she’ll be asking them some questions. For our dogs, Nicole shared that Lilo was more aloof like “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before, what do you want?”, while Cookie was really excited like “HELLO! OK! ASK ASK!!” reaction!
Now some of you might wonder ‘What questions should I ask an AC’? There is really no fixed set of questions to ask. You can really ask anything you want, really!
Here are some of the questions you may consider:
What do you like/dislike
Any pain in your body or discomfort
What is your bucket list
What activity do you enjoy the most
Do you have anything to say to us
Who do you love the most
Why do you do this (behavioral issue)
What type of food you prefer
What do you enjoy most that we are doing for you now
How can we improve your quality of life
Whilst Nicole was sharing with me her visuals that she got from my dogs, I basically went “omg ya omg ya omg yaaaa!!” the whole time because she was quite spot on! For example, she asked Lilo what she likes and Lilo showed her a visual of the milk balls that humans eat. This treat choice is pretty uncommon among dogs and I did not share any videos of Lilo eating the milk balls on any platforms, ever!
Lilo’s favourite sweet potato milk balls for dogs that looks just like human’s!
We also asked about her behavior of lunging at other dogs first when we are outside. Lilo told her that she is territorial and now that she’s older, she wants respect from other dogs. What a diva! Lilo also told Nicole that she doesn’t like grass and does not understand dogs who chomp/eat grass on their walks LOL! You may want to ask about bucket list because Lilo expressed that she wanted to eat a plate of sausages but she has never tried sausages! So Nicole explained that sometimes, animals want the food that they see or smell when the humans eat.
For Cookie, she communicated that she really loves zoomies, running in dog runs without leash. She also loves to come to me for sayang, and to play rough with hoodad. Quite spot on as this is what she does daily! This girl even complained that she hates the hairdryer because it’s noisy… which explains why she keeps trying to run away after a shower hah! Cookie also expressed her preference for meaty and dry food. Just for fun, we got Nicole to ask Cookie who she loves more, mama or papa? Interestingly, Nicole said that she saw Cookie jumping between us and told her that she can’t choose, she loves both of us a lot!
Supawdawg! Cookie doing her zoomies as usual!
At the end of the session, I felt that I knew more about my dogs and how to improve their quality of life. I would suggest for all pawrents to try out AC as it does help to understand your pets better. Afterall, we all want our pets to live the best life possible, right? If you ever feel that there is a sudden change in your dog, you may want to consider speaking to an AC or feel free to reach out to Nicole. She’s super friendly! We are all learning how to be better pawrents for our furkids, so hang in there because you are doing great now!
My big sister had been asking for a dog since furever , but mama was never convinced enough to get one for her, as she doubted if my big sister truly understood the amount of responsibilities and commitment of having one.
It was on the 31st May 2019, when papa and mama spotted a post listed by a pet store featuring the LAST goldendoodle from Ireland available for deposit. It was the innocent, puppy eyes and wavy fluffy golden fur that caught their eyes.
It was on the next morning, where my mama suddenly asked:
“So how? Did you ask about the puppy?”
At that point in time, papa and mama had agreed that my big sister was old enough to care for a dog, and it was probably time to let big sister learn to be more responsible.
My big sister had researched A TON and watched vlogs and tips on Youtube about goldendoodles, until she was finally convinced that they were well-prepared and it was all going to be okay when they finally receive me. It was all so surreal, the fact that she was finally going to become a dog owner!
And that was how my journey with my hooman slaves started!
About me:
The pet store had told my hoomans that I would be estimated 14kg because I am a F2 goldendoodle, and I would definitely be smaller than a goldie. They also said I was hypoallergenic and would not drool.
Currently, I weigh 30kg, and am bigger than many other goldies! I drool like crazy and I shed like it’s snowing at home everyday. Until today, my hoomans look back and think: how on earth did an estimated 14kg dog grow up to 30kg? It is more than double the estimated weight!
The first time meeting my hoomans:
Me in big sister’s arms.
When I first arrived in Singapore, I was already big enough for my hooman to cradle in her arms. my hoomans were shocked at how big I grew within the span of a few months!
When I was roaming freely in the pet store together with my other siblings, my hoomans could tell that my siblings and I have very different fur textures varying from straight to wavy even though we were all siblings.
I was reserved when I first met my hoomans, I crawled under a table, away from the rest and did not interact much. They guessed I was probably having a jet-lag.
My first night home:
This was me when i first got home, sleeping soundly.
During my first night home, my hoomans fed me apples and they realised that I love apples! My papa had to sleep on the couch beside my crate that night because I had separation anxiety, and would whine everytime my hoomans were not within my sight. Even though my hoomans thought that I was so attention seeking , they could not help thinking how cute it was for me to whine for them to stay with me.
I vividly remember, during the first few nights, my hoomans had to wake up to clean my poo as I would start whining loudly whenever I soiled myself. My papa even had to wash my bed (which was full of shit) at 3am.
It was only after a month or so, that I developed a condition called: Giardia. Giardia is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal illness known as Giardiasis. I had non-stop diarrhea for days, and my hoomans brought me to the vet.
The vet accessed me, and asked my hoomans where they got me from. When they said I was from a pet farm in ireland, the vet concluded that I had probably picked up the parasite from the breeder, since it’s a farm. The vet then said that Giardia can be passed from dogs to humans, so my hoomans had to wash their hands everytime they clean after me and whenever I lick them. The vet also told my hoomans that I will definitely be above 14kg by looking at the size of my paws.
I was also diagnosed with kennel cough and had various hot spots on my belly area. Let’s be honest: being a first time pet owner, this was probably the worst nightmare. This was not the type of experience someone would want as a first time dog owner, seeing your dog become sick only a month after bringing it home, having multiple diarrhea episodes every few hours and having to stay up all night to clean.
My hoomans stocked up on pee pads. However, I was not pee pad trained yet so I did not know how to pee or poo on the pee pads. Papa got me some diapers but it was a diaper buying gone-wrong experience since he got a size too small and it could not ‘hold’ the poop because of the design of the diaper, which had a hole at the tail, which allowed my poo to come out. My hoomans had to staple the diaper hole, which unfortunately did not work.
With all these happening at once, my hoomans suddenly felt that despite all the research they have done and tips they were given, everything was so hectic and a huge mess even though it had been a month or so since they got me.
It felt like they were not capable of raising a dog at all.
To make matters worse, my papa had to go for an overseas business trip and it was just me, my mama and my 2 sisters at home when I had Giardia, kennel cough and hot spots all at once. There was no doubt my mama was going crazy cleaning my shit day and night, with my sisters having to go to school during the day. My hoomans were at a loss and really were at the brink of giving me to someone who would be able to look after me better.
Thank god, they held on, and here I am today!
My hoomans do look back and think about what a journey I went through. Yes, I had a rough start, having to go through all these ordeals. But my hoomans are certainly glad it is over now, and that I am now growing healthily and well.
Nevertheless, my hoomans love me very much, and there is absolutely no doubt that I am actually one of the biggest blessings that happened to them. Even though my mama never liked dogs, I am now her favourite as she baby-talks to me and is pretty much obsessed with me. Big sister also kept her promise to look after me and care for me.
Even though I am big in size, I am actually a gentle giant at heart.
Throughout this whole journey, my hoomans had learnt that it is important to have more patience with our fur friends and it does take time for our little fur friends to settle down. Looking back, my hoomans do regret one thing: not carrying me when I was smaller and alot lighter. Given my current weight, only papa can carry me.
It is indeed part and parcel of the process to go through rough patches throughout the puppy stages. To all new dog owners out there experiencing a similar experience: It will all be over soon! Fighting!
In our previous article, we mentioned about the arduous journey that we took to tackle Porkchop’s excessive barking. We tried various methods and finally settled on using e-collars. With all the commotion going around about e-collar bans, we thought that this would be a good time to share our reasons on why we continued using the e-collar and our experience using it as part of the training. (we said part because you will know when you read more below)
Just to be very clear, the e-collar that we used was the mini Educator and this article will be referencing this tool only. You can check out the link here for product specifics. We do not support any other brands as we do not have any experience using them. We also don’t want to provide a blanket statement that all e-collars are harmful. From our experience the mini Educator works for us.
It is not painful.
The mini Educator does not electrocute your dog like a criminal. It delivers a tapping sensation similar to vibration but more intense. More intense like how? Well the best way to gauge this was to try it for yourself.
When we first got introduced to it we had a face to face meet up with our trainer who let us try on the collar first hand and we did not feel any pain. It was uncomfortable yes, but not painful. It did not cause our skin to itch or make us jump. The key thing here that our trainer did was to help us understand the tool, what it is, how it works before you get into it. He educated us to make sure that we understood this is a tool to help us say no to Porkchop in an annoying way and that the e-collar brand that we were getting was equally important. Don’t go around buying cheap $10 ones because that would be a whole different story.
The critical point here is to manage the intensity. With the mini Educator, we are able to control a huge range of intensities. However, we are taught to manage the levels according to Porkchop’s state of excitement and reaction. The idea here is not to make him jump or squeal. Just a slight irritation for him is enough to get him to understand or remind him.
It is consistent.
When we read up more on dog training and got ourselves educated, we realized that one key thing to success was consistency. We had to make sure that our actions and our training were always the same so that Porkchop got it. After understanding how the Educator works, we used the Educator to help us to achieve this.
One of the main difference we found when we were trying leash correction vs mini Educator was that the leash correction was highly dependent on us executing it correctly without going over the line and hurting Porkchop, but yet managing to provide the correction effect that we wanted him to have. That brought out a lot of trial and error on our part because we didn’t know what level of leash correction he needed in which situations which meant that our efforts were very inconsistent. The leash techniques varied from person to person which also added to the inconsistency.
With the Educator, it was really clear for him and us. If we needed to correct the behaviour, we tapped and it was the same consistent stimulation throughout. If the situation was more distracting or he did not respond, we tapped at a higher intensity. It allowed us to change and adapt to situations easily, providing a consistent way to say no.
A post shared by Bethany | Dog Stuff (@walkingdogtraining) on Aug 29, 2020 at 7:43am PDT
Like any form of dog training, the important part of correction is to catch the behavior at that instant and correct it. For us, it was difficult to capture the barking behaviour at home because we were not always beside him or near enough to correct. By the time we went over to correct, the timing was gone and he was unable to comprehend the reason for the correction. What we needed was a tool that could help us to capture that moment quickly. When he barks, we tap straightaway and he stops because he knows he is not allowed to bark. With this consistency and accuracy, he is now less sensitive to strangers outside the door and does not bark at them much anymore.
It works for us.
From our previous article, we mentioned about excessive and attention barking which was one of the key issues we had when we first got Porkchop. Honestly as first time pawrents we started off with zero knowledge of how to train him and we thought that reward based training would suffice, since he did follow and managed to learn sit and stay at home through this training method. Well, it works. To some extent.
It became a different story when we brought him out to dog parks or walks. He didn’t have any food drive and was not responding even when we brought his favourite treat to get him to listen. He did not come when we called him and just ran off because other dogs were more interesting than us. Besides the excessive barking which made the whole family wakes up at 4am in the morning, he also had really bad leash pulling issues. It always felt like he was walking us whenever we brought him out on walks because he was just so excited and stimulated by the surroundings and wanted to rush off everywhere.
We needed an effective way to say no.
After we got the Educator, we used it as a tool to tell him no. When he pulled us on walks, we tapped to say “hey, that’s not right” and he came back immediately. We then added this training with reward based training. When he obeyed and came back, we praised him, gave him our pat of love and rewarded him with a treat.
See what we did here? We did not just tell him no. We also rewarded him to tell him yes. This was what we meant by part of the training – we did not discount reward based training and only stuck with the Educator. What we learnt was to use a hybrid of training methods so that Porkchop knows very clearly what’s yes and what’s no. It works for us. It is a case of negative reinforcement used in conjunction with positive reinforcement. These two methods work brilliantly hand in hand for us.
Our stance.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE5OgvOpMKJ/
Having a dog is like having a child. You care for them, you train them, you love them and you want to keep them safe. There are many ways to do this and it’s up to the parents to make decisions based on what works for their child. You can’t tell every child that you will buy them an iPad if they do well in exams every year. It might work for some children but it might not work for others. (Some might even just be happy with a lollipop)
In all honesty, we did face backlash from our family when we first started using the Educator. Everyone felt it was inhumane, thought that it sent shocks into Porkchop’s body, he looked pitiful etc etc. However, we then educated (no pun intended) our family by letting them try the Educator on themselves and also taught them how to use it when we were not at home with Porkchop. The result was that it corrected his behavior really well and our family was impressed by how well behaved he became. Porkchop’s grandparents even started to advocate the Educator and shared with close friends his success story.
For us, we understand that every dog is different and we feel that as an owner, it is your responsibility to train your dog and make sure they are obedient. What we need is not a ban but a close look at the products in the market on a case by case basis to understand what works and what doesn’t. Next, set up an education system for owners to learn how they can use the tools correctly and accurately. If we can have lamaze class for first time parents, shouldn’t we have some form of education workshop for pawrents as well?
In short, don’t blame the tools. The pawrents who are using it should be responsible and educated to use them correctly so that they don’t anyhow.
Resources
If you would like to read up more on the mini Educator and training, check out the links below:
