Having a go-bag for our puppy Donut has been a lifesaver for us. Any time we go for a walk, we don’t forget a single item because it is all packed away beforehand.
One instance where we fully appreciated a go-bag was when Donut had to be rushed to an emergency vet because she choked on a kibble. In one quick swoop, all her items and vet records were with us when we got to the vet.
I’m here to share the items we pack:
Treats and kibbles:
During walks, vet visits, or training sessions-treats and kibbles are necessary to reward and affirm your pup. We always have a day’s worth of kibbles and treats for our daily activities.
Collapsible Bowl & Water
Taken from Amazon
I generally do not allow Donut to use communal dog bowls in water stations because it only takes one sick dog to use it before Donut is infected. We bought these bowls on Carousell for $2 dollars each and Donut can drink anytime and anywhere.
Portable Fan
Taken from Amazon
Singapore’s weather has been extremely unpredictable. It’s raining very hard then a few minutes later, it fee
ls like the heat of the sun is piercing my skin. I’ve learned to prevent heatstroke by bringing a portable fan for Donut. There isn’t always shade or air-conditioning in places we walk our dog but this fan allows us to make them a bit more comfortable everywhere.
Wet Wipes and Plastic Bags
Taken from Amazon
Accidents happen, dogs get messy. From rolling around mud to pooping and peeing in random places, these items help me get Donut clean again.
Vet Records
You’ll never know when you’ll be needing this go-back quickly for an emergency visit. It’s always good to have your vet records on hand in order to give more information to the acting vet. Additionally, some restaurants and dog friendly places ask for proof of vaccination status before dogs can enter their premises.
We hope this checklist has helped you as a pawparent! With our furkids, it’s always better to be overprepared than underprepared.
Getting a bulldog, as I’ve read in countless articles and magazines, would be hard. I knew that. I knew that I’d have to deal with skin issues and separation anxiety. But what Google didn’t prepare me for was how much I had to sacrifice.
The tugging and pulling
I’ve had MomoKill for about 7-8 months now. The longest I’ve ever left her alone is 5 hours, when I had to leave the house for other commitments. One of the biggest reasons is this:
Every time I try to leave the house, she’d pull my clothes or my bag, holding me back. Going up against a bulldog isn’t the easiest thing. She has so much strength that I’d leave the house sweating, like I just got into a fight.
The heartbreaking cries
It gets harder when MomoKill gives up. The moment she realises that I will leave whether she pulls me back or not, she’d start crying and whining until I go back in the house. Strength is not a weapon anymore at this point. But she knows her cries are my weakness. I try not to give in, but whose heart wouldn’t melt with a face like this staring at you?
Going out without MomoKill
The only thing I can think about when I leave the house is whether my baby feels like I’ve abandoned her. Not one time have I gone out without worrying about MomoKill.
This got to a point where my friends got annoyed because all I’d talk about is my furkid. All I’d think about is what I could get my furkid while I’m out. My friend even told me off because he thought I was “too dependent on MomoKill”. I was honestly tempted to end the friendship because of that.
Here is a photo my mum sent to me while I was out. MomoKill was waiting and looking out the window, acting anxious and pacing around.
Returning home
When I finally return home after a few hours, the first thing I see is her waiting at the door for me to come home.
My photo gallery has pictures of her and nothing else. When I can bring her, MomoKill comes along with me everywhere I go. It has come to a point where my friends have accepted that if they want to see me, they’d see my dog as well. It may not be very healthy, but I don’t ever want to leave her.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m so thankful for her and for this relationship that we have. However, my internship is starting soon and I’d have to be out more. I don’t know how she would be able to cope without me. More importantly, I don’t know how I’d be able to cope without her. Nevertheless, she’d have to learn, and I guess I’ll have to as well.
Many books and online articles try to help dogs with their separation anxieties. I hope someone writes an article on how pawrents can get over their separation anxieties with their dogs too..
(P.S. If you happen to have tips or can relate, please leave a comment so we can help each other out! ?)
I have been dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse for a few years, and was admitted to IMH a number of times since. It was always a lonely, tiring road that seemed like it was going nowhere.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, COVID-19 hit and I was forced to stay home during circuit breaker. Because of the restrictions, I could not meet my psychologist as often, or escape by making myself busy. I felt even more like the end was near, I thought all hope was lost. That is, until I met my saviour, an English Bulldog named MomoKill.
When I saw her, I immediately knew that we could connect. She was an excited young pup, but the other dogs didn’t seem to like her as much as she liked them. She was constantly being growled at, ignored, yet always remained hopeful and happy. Being an English bulldog, she kind of has a resting angry face, but if you look beyond that, you’d see a beautiful, gentle soul.
I remember a call I had with my therapist at IMH. She encouraged me to get a small support animal, like a hamster. The next day, I brought home a 23kg English Bulldog. I guess that’s close enough to a hamster, right?
Through the ups and the downs
Since then, when I needed a hand, she lent me a paw. I remember countless of nights where I would not be able to sleep, and MomoKill was right there beside me, always. She licked my tears and sat in my lap (yes, a 23kg doggo) until I calmed down and went to bed. She would try to cheer me up when she sensed something was off. I remember her comforting my sister and I when we had a huge fight, and helped us reconcile in the end. When I felt the urge to relapse in my addiction, she sat beside me and I knew she was rooting for me not to give in.
What she taught me
Being a chonky doggo with multiple rolls of fat, she helped me realise that you could be plus sized and beautiful at the same time.
I’ve learnt that not all superheroes wear capes. Some are covered in fur and snuggle in your bed. MomoKill and I are very similar, and don’t have many friends, so it’s us against the world!
Sometimes I get scared of what will happen when she passes on, but she reminds me that even though she will not be with me my entire life, I’ll be with her throughout her life. And that is enough for us.
When my husband and I were moving into our new home, we both knew that our home will not be complete without a dog; He had grown up with one while I have always wanted one. We were dreaming of all the moments we would share with our furry companion, and while we never regretted our decision to adopt Talia, I wish I knew these things (to prep myself mentally) before adopting a dog:
You’re Gonna Spend A Lot of Money I thought I would be a chill pawrent, and she’s just gonna get the basics. She’s gonna sleep on the IKEA bath mat (recommended to us by the shelter), eat her kibbles, and probably have just a leash, collar and a couple of toys under her name. Well, I thought wrong. Talia currently has two beds (she even had a Sealy dog bed at one point which I sold at a loss because she decided that she doesn’t want to sleep on it), one crate, a boxful of toys, more leashes and collars than she needed, and enjoys a home-cooked diet and pet treats. But that’s not all.
There are vet visits, both scheduled and unscheduled ones that will happen. If you think a visit to the doctor is expensive, a trip to the vet is even more so. While I know roughly how much the yearly check-up visits would cost, it’s the unpredictable trips to the vet that really burn a hole in my pockets. After one acute pancreatitis episode, I now set aside a rainy day fund for Talia for such unpredictable situations!
What’s more, if you don’t own a car, the cost of bringing your dog out for fun activities is even higher. Before we had a car, I had to get a GrabPet ride everywhere to take Talia out to fun experiences. A trip to the beach to and fro could easily come up to $30, and if excursions are a frequent thing, things would quickly add up.
Do Not Expect Your Dog To Be Like Other Dogs When we first got Talia, we wondered why she was so different from what we expected of a dog. She didn’t care much for other dogs when we are out on walks, and she doesn’t engage in play with dogs even if we bring her to the dog park. It took me a while to come to terms that she has her own personality, and that she takes a while to warm up to other dogs. Even then, she only has a small group of doggy friends that she would initiate play with.
Extended Travel or Weeknight Plans Will Be A Thing Of The Past
Before we had Talia, going away for extended periods of time was no issue. Now, we don’t go away longer than 2 weeks, firstly because our family members are taking turns to dog-sit her, and secondly, I would miss her far too much. We also used to have dates on weeknights, but we no longer do so because she needs to be taken out for her potty breaks as she’s grass-trained, and she would be starving since she only had her meal more than 12 hours ago. Unless a family member can come in to take care of her on our behalf on weeknights, weeknight plans are now history.
Training Doesn’t Stop, Ever
I thought passing the obedience test required for dogs under Project ADORE would be the end of all the training that’s required. Most people usually stop there (and so would I), but after Talia developed separation anxiety and also ran out of my workplace once, so I decided to engage a trainer to help her with that, and to work on her recall. We are done with the second round of training, but we still go for classes and talks to learn more about dog handling and understanding Talia better. We train because I want to be able to take her out everywhere with me. Everyday, we still practise what we have learnt and occasionally teach her new things to keep it interesting for her!
If You Choose To Feed A Home-Cooked Diet, Make Sure It’s Nutritionally Balanced
We didn’t manage to transition Talia to a kibble diet because she was a picky eater, and partly because she was fed a diet of rice and pork when she was at the factory. She is used to fresh food, and we decided to keep it that way.
What we learnt from our first trainer was that the food intake should be about 2-3% of her body weight so we kept that in mind when we prepared her meals. In terms of her diet, she got eggs, brown rice, carrots, minced pork/beef. However when she started to itch and scratch more, we decided to do an elimination food trial to determine the source of her itch.
The vet recommended us to start with a protein that she hasn’t tried before, and duck was our option at that point. We started giving her minced duck, she was just enjoying it, and I only realised my folly when she started having black tarry stools and vomiting. She was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, and after the vet gave us the all-clear, I decided to engage a nutritionist to design her diet and conduct the elimination food trial at the same time in a safe way. That’s when I realised that while we want to feed our dogs fresh food, it is important that it’s nutritionally balanced to avoid unnecessary health problems.
You Will Learn A Lot Of Things
If you wish to give your dog the best life possible, you would probably be on a lifelong journey to acquire knowledge and to understand your dog better. I’ve learnt things I never knew before like how to trim a dog’s nails, to prepare kefir and even animal communication. I enjoy learning so, yay for us!
I started allowing Duoji to sleep in the room with me when she was about 9 months old. Subsequently, that progressed to her sharing the bed with me (or my sis, depending on her mood). At that time I didn’t really give much thought to it, nor was I aware that some experts online actually actively discourage this practice. I thought it was fairly common, cos who wouldn’t want to cuddle with your furry pal?
Some of the reasons cited include feeding into the dominant streak of your pet, increased risks of parasitic infections/diseases, and disrupted sleep, amongst others. Yet for every piece of literature discouraging this, there are also many other articles touting the benefits of sleeping with your pets.
For pawrents who are still on the fence, here are some of the pros and cons of letting your pet sleep with you, based on my personal experience over the past year.
You get to spend more time together
This was actually the main reason why I made the switch.
For her first seven months at home, Duoji slept alone in her playpen at night in the living room. My whole family works full-time and during the day, Duoji is alone at home. When I get back from work at night, I typically have about 3-4 hours with her before I have to shower and get ready for bed etc. That also signals her bedtime, where I’ll then secure her in the playpen and bid her goodnight. I would occasionally still hear her barking for attention, or whining, especially when she was younger.
The next morning, I let her out for her meal, pat her for a little bit, then I have to rush off to work. If you think about it, the actual face-time isn’t much. I do try make up for it over the weekends but still, there’s this sense of guilt gnawing at me inside. I felt like I wasn’t being a good pawrent #mumguilt.
Nowadays, with our new routine, Duoji automatically follows me when I head back to my room. Even when I’m doing my own things like reading, watching shows or waiting for my hair to dry after shower, she’s right there keeping me company (and vice versa). Or she would be snoozing in bed.
It may not seem like much but sleeping and spending time with your furkid before bed indirectly increases the amount of time you both spend together. Personally I noticed that Duoji became less whiny at night and more calm in the morning. Previously she would always be very excited and energetic in the morning, having not seen anyone the entire night. And that’s not helpful when you’re trying to get your dog to settle down and eat quickly so that you can head to work on time.
It can strengthen your bond
What better way to bond with your pet than sharing a cuddle at night? Or giving your furkid a belly rub as you netflix and chill in bed.
Sharing a bed (or room) with your pet is another way to connect without demanding too much from each other. Having a relaxing time with each other can help also help to build trust and confidence in your pet.
It may not solely be due to the sleeping arrangements but I did notice Duoji becoming more physically affectionate with me as she gets older. I often find her leaning up against me as she’s resting – on the sofa or the floor, or sitting on my lap, even when it’s not bedtime.
A short game of fetch before bedtime.
It’s comforting
For those who live alone or have their own rooms, having the presence of another living thing near you as you sleep can be a great source of comfort. It’s also extra cosy!
Waking up to a cute face or warm licks on the face is also a super nice feeling. I sometimes find myself wanting to stay in bed longer just so that I can prolong these morning cuddly moments.
Conversely, allowing your pet to sleep with you can also help your furkids feel more at ease, being close to their humans. Dogs are pack animals by nature. This can be especially beneficial for those who tend to be more insecure.
You feel safer
There’s a reason for the term Guard Dog.
It’s a known fact that dogs have excellent hearing and most are fairly protective of their humans. If there are any sounds or movement, you can be sure that your furry pal will sound the alarm and alert you.
Whether it’s an intruder (touch wood!) or just the presence of an unwanted critter. It’s like having a built-in protection system.
While it’s true that not all dogs are guard dog material, even a fearful whimper or scuttle across the room works as an alarm signal too! Just the knowledge that your dog will react in the event of something amiss can help you feel safer at night.
You can respond faster if anything happens to them
Having your furkids in the room with you is also a way of preventing them from roaming around and getting in trouble if they’re sleeping elsewhere. More importantly, it enables the pawrent to be more vigilant and react faster in case of any emergencies.
There was once I woke up to a loud wheezing sound. It was from Duoji, loud enough to jolt me from sleep. I would later find out that it’s possibly reverse sneezing but at that moment, it freaked me out. On hindsight the episode probably lasted less than a minute but it felt way longer to me. All I could do was to comfort her while waiting for it to stop.
Another time, I woke up in the morning to some retching sounds. Duoji had vomited bile.
While both occasions were not life-threatening, I was able to respond and soothe her almost immediately. For that I am thankful. Or else I might just be fast asleep, leaving her to suffer the discomfort alone in the living room.
Lost bed space
And now, on to the cons.
Top of my list is definitely the lack of bed space. Once you let your dog in your bed, to them the bed then becomes theirs. On many occasions I’d walk into my room or enter after showering to find Duoji sprawled across the bed or right smack in the middle, leaving me with little to no space to sleep unless I push her away. Fortunately she’s quite small in size so I can always pick her up easily.
“What chu staring at?”
Right smack in the middleForced to the edge of the bed and still got to provide belly rubs. #minionlife
Damaged items
If you’re like me and sometimes leave clothes lying around on the bed, be prepared for them to be damaged overnight. In the middle of the night, while everyone is asleep, your furkid might be awake and get bored. That’s when they may start to ‘attack’ items around.
I’ve personally woken up to discover damaged zippers on my clothing or missing buttons. These days, I try not to things lying around. In a way it makes the room neater so it’s a plus point I guess.
Woke up one morning to find Duoji ‘enjoying’ my bolster.
Sleep disturbances
Some people say that sharing a bed with your dog can be disruptive to your sleep. Perhaps that may be true for those more sensitive to movement or sounds but personally for me, that has never been a problem.
Duoji moves around throughout the night – sometimes my bed, my sister’s bed, her own bed but I usually manage to sleep pretty well even when she’s around. Maybe I’m blessed in this area. Even the occasional sound of her snoring isn’t that loud to be an issue.
In actual fact, I think my presence actually affect Duoji’s sleep even more. Dogs are already more sensitive to movements and noises. Add that to the human tossing and turning in bed, I think it’s more likely for the dog to be kept awake and not have a restful sleep.
I’m also the kind who sets multiple alarms and snooze them repeatedly so imagine the din that Duoji has to endure every morning. Yikes!
Disruption of nightly routine
One thing that I had to change recently to accommodate Duoji was my nightly routine. I’m a night owl and usually sleep after 2am. These days, I find myself consciously retiring to my room earlier so that Duoji would follow suit and get ready for bed.
Knowing that she prefers to sleep in dim lighting, I also started implementing ‘Lights Out’ time. I’d be doing my usual stuff like reading or watching shows on my tablet with a night light and earphones on so as not to disturb her. It’s a small trade-off though, one that I’m very willing to make.
What to take note of?
If you’re intending to welcome your furkid to bed, here are some things that you might want to take note of:
Make sure to only start after your furkid is fully toilet trained and is old enough to hold their bladder overnight. You wouldn’t want to wake up to a soiled bed or pillow. I have a pee tray in my room but Duoji only used it a couple of times. Usually she’s able to wait till the next day and pee after someone lets her out of the room.
Best to wait till your pup outgrows the chewing stage or you risk waking up to damaged items. When Duoji was younger she used to like chewing on my hair. Well, I’m glad she wasn’t sleeping with me then.
Is your bed too high for your pal? The height of your bed should ideally be safe for your furkid to jump up and down without hurting themselves. Alternatively you might want to use pet stairs.
Is your pet a drooler or shedder? If you have sensitive skin or allergies, you might want to reconsider or do a short trial. Personally I have mild eczema and sensitive nose but perhaps because Duoji is a toy poodle, the shedding issue is quite insignificant. I never had any issues with allergies or sensitivities caused by her.
Dirt and fleas can be picked up by your dog and brought into your bed. The best way to deal with this is to keep your furkid as clean as possible. That means cleaning their paws and body thoroughly with anti-bacterial wipes after every outing, cleaning the muzzle and butt after meals and poop, etc. I believe that this is something that many pawrents already do as part of their routine care.
And lastly, do know that once you start to introduce them to your bed, there’s no turning back. They may never leave!
Do I regret inviting Duoji in? Absolutely not. To me, the inconveniences are nothing to shout about compared to the extra bonding moments we have together. Perhaps the situation would be different if it involved another breed, or if she was bigger in size, or she’s the more active or disruptive kind. Or if I have worse allergies.
At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice. But for me, for sure I wouldn’t get to experience moments like these if I had left Duoji sleeping alone at night. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Rude little girl lying on me.Curled up next to me
<3
Do you sleep with your pets as well? I’d love to hear your experience.
I became a volunteer in 2018 at The Right To Live (TRTL) dog shelter, and have been volunteering there ever since. Many people have asked me what it’s like to volunteer at a dog shelter. They wonder about the friendliness of the dogs, what I do to care for them and how the environment is like. Thus, I thought I would pen down my experience as a volunteer in hopes of encouraging animal lovers like yourself to support local shelters!
What kind of dogs do you care for?
Manja and I at Jurong Lake Garden Dog Run ❤️ (*taken before COVID-19)
“Are there any puppies at the shelter?” is a popular question I often receive. It is a misconception that most dogs you will meet at shelters are purebred young pups. They are mostly mongrels (aka Singapore specials), which refer to dogs who are bred on the streets. Singapore specials are commonly rescued from construction sites or sadly, families who have abandoned them. As they are a product of different dog breeds, Singapore specials do not look like purebred dogs. Despite their differences in appearance, they are no different from any other purebred dogs. Every Singapore special that I have met have their unique quirks, just like Manja in the photo above who REALLY loves her belly rubs.
“Dear hooman, rub my belly please… “
What do you do at the shelter?
Toffee giving me paw-fives ?
TRTL houses over more than 120 dogs. At our shelter, volunteers can walk and bath the dogs. The scope of work for volunteers may vary for different shelters but most shelters primarily need more volunteers to help with walking and bonding. As Singapore specials spend most of their days cooped up in their kennels, they do not get to make many hooman friends. Therefore, they get SUPER excited when they meet volunteers. Like many pet dogs out there, Singapore specials take time to warm up to new faces. The longer you commit, the better they will get to know you. One problem shelters face is finding regular volunteers who would stick around for long. These dogs need to foster a sense of familiarity with humans.
How is the shelter environment like?
Other TRTL volunteers ? (*taken before COVID-19)
When I first started, I had to gain the trust of many dogs at the shelter. Dog shelters house many dogs with different temperaments. Due to past experiences, some dogs may take more time to open up than others. Nothing wrong with requiring that extra boost of patience and T.L.C (tender, loving, care) right? What inspired me to continue my volunteer work at the dog shelter was witnessing how much I could brighten a dog’s day. Their smiles, hugs and antics keep me going.
“Not today hooman”
In a nutshell, many shelters in Singapore are looking for passionate helping hands to help care for our beloved Singapore specials. Besides joining volunteering programs, there are other thoughtful ways in which you can support local shelters. You could choose to adopt and not shop for a pet or become a dog sponsor. My volunteering journey has certainly been a fulfilling one, and I hope that it has sparked some inspiration in you to start your journey as well!
As we are consumed by work, it is inevitable that we spend merely a few hours with our most precious furry companions every day. However, rather than thinking that this should be the least of our concerns, we should realize that even our most popular dog influencers and cat influencers can get stressed out and sad due to loneliness as well. Here are some tips you should follow to ensure that your favourite fur-friend gets to spend quality time with you:
Go on pet-friendly outings!
One easy way to do so is to take out some time during the weekends just to spend it exclusively with your pet, and what better way to do so than to bring your pet to pet-friendly areas and events? Be it just a neighbourhood walk at the park or a large-scale pet-friendly event, your pet will definitely enjoy its time socializing with new (human and animal) buddies, and exploring rather than being cooped up at home alone. You don’t necessarily have to organize social outings with other owners and pets, but do take note that pet-friendly areas are often crowded during weekends!
Do things for your pet
Doing things for your pet is an indirect way of spending some good bonding time with your fur-friends. Be it cooking up a new treat recipe, or making something for your pet like DIY-ing a pet collar, your pet and you can enjoy the quality time spent. Not only will your furry companion appreciate its new gift, but you might also be able to pick up a new hobby and make some new friends along the way. Many pet owners and pet-related companies post up free recipes and tips online, and some of them may also organize affordable workshops for such activities.
Spend more time with your fur-friend (literally)
If you can’t afford to take the time and energy out when you are on a tight schedule, just remember that even a few minutes alone with your fur-friend everyday will make it happier than usual. Be it just allowing your pet to cuddle up next to you or a short 15-minute walk, such little moments together can also contribute to improving your overall relationship with your furry friend.
Most importantly, do remember that you should never make any excuses when it comes to spending quality time with your pet. No amount of Instagram likes, followers and comments can replace actual bonding moments and make your pet happier.
