21. Case study - Follow-up on Case 20. Pom toilet training behaviour

On 6/25/08, David Sing wrote:

3 pictures much appreciated. Is the Pom paper-trained 100% now?

--- On Tue, 6/24/08, <....@gmail.com> wrote:

Subject: Re: Paper training a Pom
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 6:00 AM






--- On Wed, 6/25/08, ...@gmail.com> wrote:


Subject: Re: Paper training a Pom
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 1:05 AM

Hi Dr Sing,

My pom is still not totally trained. He is quite mischievious. While in the crate, he knows that he need to shit & pee in the newspaper. But he will purposely do it on the tray w/o newspaper. Moreover, if i let him out & he feels like peeing, he will just do it on the floor.
I can see that he can control his bladder really well as once i brought him to a friend's house, he control his bladder for 3 hrs.

He is still the same. I need to bring him to the crate & ask him to pee before he does that. He won't go there on his own.
Still trying to train him.

Regards,
Name of owner





Re: Paper training a Pom
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:54 PM
"David Sing"
To:
...@gmail.com>
You are progressing quite well. Remember it takes 2-4 weeks of training. Since you don't train full time, toilet-training may take as long as 12 weeks. But I believe that you should achieve success within 4 weeks. You just can't vary your routine e.g. bringing the puppy to your friend's house as it gets distracted and of course, confused.

You just need to give the puppy a same daily routine. I think it is hard for you but it is just like "focus" to succeed in life. For example, many successful business people/top students focus on their activity. They also work very hard (perseverance).

We see them very wealthy/top in their cohort of students. Behind their wealth/academic excellence, there is much hard work (time spent in learning etc) and focus (no distractions).

If you do not focus, it may take as long as 3 months to get the puppy toilet-trained as from my interviews with some dog owners. If you want fast results, spend time and focus. No other way unless the puppy is very intelligent and knows what it takes to make you very happy.

I thank you for a most beautiful picture of the Pom looking at the camera. That is the best of the 3 pictures. I notice there is a ramp for the Pom to come down from the crate. That is where you make a mistake of buying a high floor crate.

To answer 2 interesting and common complaints of yours (in bold letters):

1. If you were a puppy, will you want to climb a steep ramp to get into the crate to pee and poop when it is so difficult and steep to do it? This is a common complaint of other owners with such a crate. There is no solution except to change to a low floor crate.



2. It is good that I see your puppy's housing from your picture.
Most likely, the puppy considers the newspapers as his bed. Now all puppies want to be clean. Why pee and poo on his own bed inside the crate? So, he does it on the other half of the crate, onto the wire floor and into the tray!

That means your paper-training is very difficult as the puppy now eliminates on the wire flooring. Most likely a grate + pee pan set will be needed. See such cases in my website.

Thank you once again for your pictures.

20. Case study - Toilet-training a 3-month-old Pom in Singapore

Thursday, Jun 12, 2008

THIS CASE STUDY ILLUSTRATES THE COMMON SITUATION ENCOUNTERED BY MANY FIRST-TIME SINGAPORE PUPPY OWNERS --- Puppy coughing and peeing and pooing everywhere. With 3 pictures supplied by the owner, it is easier to give advice as each puppy lives in a different environment and housing.

On further examination of the pictures, the crate seems to be of a higher level than the other type and the puppy (if short-legged like Chihuahuas) may not be able to hop back into the crate to pee and poop. Therefore, it will not be possible to get the puppy to eliminate inside the crate. Half of the crate is covered with newspapers and the other half is the sleeping area. The puppy has started to eliminate on the newspapers and should be paper-trained if the owner confines the puppy inside the crate when she is working and let him out when she is at home.

She still has to place some newspapers with the puppy's urine smell outside the crate as the puppy is too smart to get inside (knowing he will be locked up - as usual - as he knows that will be the case in the morning when the owner is going to work). Keeping the crate inside the kitchen is a good idea as the kitchen's tiled floor is easier to clean. Also, confinement to the kitchen is important in toilet-training success. Confinement needs to be for 2-4 weeks till paper-training is successful as this is what the owner intends to do.

In getting the puppy to eliminate inside the crate, no paper must be used on the crate wire flooring. However, the owner needs to clean up the wire flooring promptly and she has to work. The wire flooring permits the puppy's urine to flow onto the floor. If the puppy poops soon after eating, the poo is promptly removed and the flooring cleaned with tissue paper. If the puppy poops many times, it is not easy to use this method unless the puppy's sleeping area is outside the crate. This is done by extending the crate area by using 3 panels of fencing outside the door so that the puppy has a bigger clean area to sleep and play while using the inside of the crate as the "toilet". This is a much more complicated way to train and needs more time and attention.



Some solutions are proposed by Dr Sing Kong Yuen of Toa Payoh Vets.



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Paper training a Pom
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:13 PM
From:
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"David Sing"
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"...@gmail.com>
Thank you for your pictures. I don't see the newspapers covering half of his crate. Can you send me the latest pic.

Almost all puppy owners have the same conclusion as you --- the puppy refuses to get back into the crate if let out. This is what the other owners think --- the puppy knows that he will be locked up again.

It is good to confine the Pom inside the kitchen. From your 3 pic that your toilet training and can advise the following:

1. NEWSPAPERS OUTSIDE THE CRATE so that the puppy can run to it to pee and poop. He is not so stupid as to run inside if he knows you are sure to lock him out. There should be some of his urine smell on the newspapers you put outside the crate (2nd piece of soiled newspapers to be put outside the crate. In some pet shops, a water bottle with dual nozzles is sold so that the puppy can drink from outside the crate as well as inside. In your case, I don't know whether you are using water bowls or water bottles. If you use water bowl, place another bowl outside the crate as part of the paper training when you are at home.

2. OPEN THE CRATE DOOR so that the puppy can run into the crate to pee and poop. Some owners are successful in this way and do not need newspapers outside the crate.In such cases, the newspapers must be REPLACED promptly with clean ones. If you are working, your mum or somebody may do it. In this way, the puppy is paper-trained quickly.

3. If the crate has a high level such that the Pom cannot jump into it, then you need to use a ramp. But I see from your picture that your crate is not that high.

Re: Taking jab with a limp
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:24 AM
From:
"....@gmail.com>
Add sender to Contacts
To:
drsing_98@yahoo.com


Hi Dr Sing,

Here are 3 pic of my boy..





DRAFT



Anyway, i am still trying to train him to potty. Started to train him on Last Saturday. Placed newspaper covering half of his crate. He knows how to poo on the newspaper while in crate after 2 days. I am trying to train him potty while he is around the house. Confined him in the kitchen only, with his crate nearby. However, he still doesn't seem to know where to potty when he is out.. He is afraid that if he goes into his crAte, i will lock him up, thats what i feel.

Anyway, i am still trying.. teaching him everytime i knock off.. hope he can potty real soon.

XXX

On 6/11/08, David Sing wrote:

Can take vaccination if he is eating well and is normal. Limping is not a problem.

--- On Tue, 6/10/08,

From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Taking jab with a limp
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 1:28 PM


Hi Dr Sing,

Thank for your advice.. YYY has recovered!

Anyway, he hurt his leg... falling from a table.. have a sprain... can he actually take his 3rd vacination with his limp?

Please advise me.


XXX


On Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 7:40 AM, David Sing wrote:

Kennel cough includes infection of upper respiratory tract ie. nose area. Try and clear his nose. If he does not recover, check with your vet.




--- On Fri, 6/6/08,


From: ....gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com

Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 4:30 AM


Hi Dr Sing,

However, my dog does not cough, he only sneeze like 2 times a day and keep sucking air into his nose in a hard way(like having a nose block) all the time. I thought the symptom for Kennel cough is cough?
He has this symptom for 3weeks already. He has seen a doctor earlier on.. about 10days ago and under medication for 10 days. However, i did not see any improvement from his sneeze & sucking in air.

Is it because i place him in the crate all the while and nv clean the wire grill thoroughly or clear his pee tray as soon as he pees?

I have stop the medication for him. He is still as active as usual & eating very normally.
Please advise me.

XXX




On 6/6/08, David Sing wrote:

Looks like he has not recovered from his kennel cough and viral infections of his breathing system. You need to wait till he recovers fully before vaccination. This may take a few weeks in some cases.

If he has no problems breathing or if the environment is not dusty/too cold, let him recover by himself. If he has problems, see your vet.

--- On Thu, 6/5/08,

From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 2:28 AM


Hi Dr Sing,

I was really busy.. working till the wee hours at work... I will send you the pic by Sunday..

By the way, i have a question for you. My 3mth pomeranian has been sneezing & kind of always forcing air out of his nose. Sometimes his nose is wet.. like have a cold.. I heard this is common for dogs with 1 out of 3 having this symptom. Is it true & is it normal?

With this symptom, can he take his 3rd vaccination where he suppose to take really soon?

Or is it there anything causing my puppy to have allergy? Should i let him wear a shirt?


Hope to hear from you soon.


XXX

On 5/30/08, David Sing wrote:

Thank you for your reply. In Singapore, many Pom are fed 2x per day according to the common recommendations of pet shop/breeder puppy sellers and they seem to do well, in my research. The puppy eats till it feels full and so the exact amount varies with the puppy's behaviour.

In the restricted feeding method, if the puppy eats all in 5 minutes and asks for more, you will have to add another 10 - 50% and see if he is still hungry. If he is, that means you need to give more. Check on its belly. A few puppies eat till they are bloated (swollen abdomen) as they seem to be gluttons and such puppies should not be overfed.

In the free feeding method, the puppy is given the food in the food bowl and it eats whenever it feels like eating. Certain puppies do not gulp down their food at one go as if they are not interested in eating. In such situations, the owner may leave the food throughout the day and observe that the puppy finished the amount at the end of the day. Mini-Malteses, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers and Pomeranians may be puppies with little appetite. In such breeds, 3 or 4 x feeding per day is advised as they faint or become comatose due to the lack of blood sugar.

Therefore, much depends on your puppy's appetite and energy to know how much to feed. Usually the seller's recommendation and the weight of the puppy is your guide.

If it is OK with you, please e-mail 3 pictures of your puppy inside the crate for my case research.

Best wishes.



--- On Thu, 5/29/08,

From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2008, 7:55 AM


Dear Dr Sing,

Thank you for your prompt & elaborate reply. I will definitely try it out & hopefully everything turns well.

I am actually unsure about how much should i feed my puppy. He is a male pomeranian of 3 mth to day. How to know how much food he needs? Is three times a day enough?


Regards,
XXX


On 5/29/08, David Sing wrote:

Your email has been forwarded to me. I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Please see reply/some advices below.

--- On Wed, 5/28/08,

From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 3:36 AM

Hi Judy,

I have lots of doubts and burning questions to enquire about my new bought male pomeranian of 3 mth today.

Being a 1st timer in keeping a puppy, i am really at a loss how do i discipline, toilet train etc etc with my puppy. I just got him on 17 May 08 which is last last Sat. What i did is i placed him in a crate/ playpan ever since. He poo, pee, eat, sleep in the crate itself.

I wanted to make him toliet train in the crate where he is supposed to pee/ poo there.

THIS TOILET TRAINING TAKES SOME 2-4 WEEKS OF CONFINEMENT IN THE CRATE. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN OVER A FEW DAYS.


I feed him 3 times a day and his water bottle is always there for him. This crate is like the one in the shops where he steps on a wire grill and the newspaper is below the wire grill. Something like this below.

Active training, rubber mat as toilet location. 10 days successful. Toa Payoh Vets

He don't normally poo after his meal, and it takes like 4-5hrs later before he poo. He does poo also in every morning.

SOME PUPPIES POOP WITHIN 30 MINUTES AFTER MEAL BUT NOT ALL. THERE COULD BE DISTRACTION FROM YOU OR YOUR FAMILY DURING FEEDING TIME. SO THE PUPPY 'FORGETS' TO POOP.

IN MY OPINION, do not pay attention to the puppy during meal time but it is hard for the first-time owner and her family not to do it. Normally, the puppy eats everything fast within 5 minutes. Is that what your puppy does?

The owner should then remove the feed bowl. Or remove the feed bowl after 10 minutes whether the puppy has had eaten or not, but be aware that the puppy has not been sick. This method encourages eating all food at one time and pooping after eating. If the puppy is given food all day long, then expect pooping to be many times.

In your case, the puppy probably is distracted by many admirers and has no "privacy" to poop after meals. Feed him inside a quiet corner if you want success. I know it is not practical advice.




I tried to observe him for signs of going to pee, poo. It is kinda hard since he poo at weird hours. For peeing, i can't see any signs of indication that he is going to pee. He just pee whenever he wants as in there is really no signs of him going to pee..

SIGNS OF PEEING - Many owners complain of quickie pee. They can't see signs of the puppy wanting to pee. When the puppy book says "look for signs of wanting to pee (squatting, sniffing and turning around etc)" and bring the puppy to the newspaper or the CRATE as in your case, it means that the puppy is supervised and monitored in an outside area where the puppy has never peed or pooped BEFORE. If the floor if full of urine smells (which you can't smell but the puppy's nose is very sensitive compared to human noses), then the puppy simply let go her urine. USE WHITE VINEGAR:WATER 1:3 TO WIPE THE FLOOR/ FLOOR GRATE OR GRILL TO NEUTRALISE PUPPY URINE SMELL.).


I intend to let him out, prob sleep in my room after he is toliet trained..ie. he will go back to him crate to pee/ poo when there is an urge. However, how am i going to toliet train him when he actually sleeps and spend most of his time in the crate, only to be let out when i am at home at about 7pm after work?

TOILET TRAINING NEEDS 24-HOUR TRAINING FOR THE FIRST 7 DAYS , ACCORDING TO FEEDBACK FROM MY CLIENTS. Since you are not free, it will take much longer than 4 weeks to toilet train the puppy in the crate.

ONE OPTION IS FOR YOU TO KEEP THE PUPPY IN YOUR BEDROOM WHEN YOU SLEEP. CHANGE SOILED NEWSPAPERS EVERY TIME THE PUPPY PEES. REDUCE THE NEWSPAPER AREA TO THE CORNER (WHERE the puppy usually pees on). This will happen after a few days of observation. Once you reach this stage, then keep changing papers so that the puppy has a new paper.

IF NO NEWSPAPERS ARE PLACED as you want him to pee onto the pee tray, ALWAYS WIPE THE WIRE FLOORING (Vinegar:Water at 1:4) with tissue paper to keep it clean. The puppy will want to be clean too and pee in a corner usually.


In addition, he will run real fast immediately i release him around my hse to every corners, licking every edges and biting shoes, floor rugs... I make real loud noise, he still does it.

EVERY PUPPY DOES THIS. THEY LOVE FREEDOM AND ATTENTION. CHEWING, LICKING. THE BEST IS TO RELEASE THE PUPPY TO AN AREA ENCLOSED BUT WITHIN THE CRATE. In this way, the puppy may or may not go to the crate to pee and poop. Then after 2-4 weeks depending on your progress, release the puppy to a room, then 2 rooms and so on.


Another problem i am facing is... He seems really brave & not afraid of lots of things. He is very hyper and always barks in the morning. Waking my whole family up where they feel really irritated by this. I yelled and scolded "No" to him, beat him with my hand, used rolled newspaper and even hitting the floor really hard to scare him, however, after 5seconds after my action, he will be barking once again.

SHOUTING AND MAKING NOISES OR USING ROLLED NEWSPAPERS ON THE FLOOR JUST SHOW THE PUPPY HE GETS WHAT HE WANTS. He barks for attention. You respond.

THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. One solution is the TIME-OUT. That means the puppy in the crate is put in a place or room where he get NO attention every time he barks. This time out takes around 10-20 minutes. Do not shout or pay attention to him. Put him inside the quiet room. Cover his crate with towels so that he can't see anything for 10-20 minutes. Can you do it? It takes owners with certain forceful personality to do it and the puppy respects this type of owner.

Every time he barks, it is time out for him. So, depending on the intelligence of the 4-legged, he will learn that if he wants company, don't bark.




What should i do? What do you think there is other things like routine stuff, disciplinary things, training that i need to do right now to discipline him?

U NEED TO BORROW SOME BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY REGARDING OBEDIENCE TRAINING. NOW, THE BEST OBEDIENCE TRAINING IS TO GIVE COMMANDS LIKE "SIT" BEFORE YOU FEED HIM. THIS is the time to do it. But how to do it when this puppy just want to play with so many spectators and family members --- I can't advise you. Usually, a couple with no family members has greater success in obedience training. Sometimes, neighbours will pop in to admire the new puppy. They cause havoc to your obedience training. Something like grandparents "spoiling" the grandchild?


By the way, he just caught a slight cold.. under medication now... and the vet said he got mites in his ears. So i am treatin him... Since he is only slightly sick, he behaves very normally.. still hyper & very active.

HOPE HE WILL RECOVER.


Please advice me on what i should do. Thanks alot.


EVERY PUPPY IS DIFFERENT. IN CONCLUSION, I GUESS YOU HAVE A BIG FAMILY AND IT IS GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR YOU. GIVE THE PUPPY A ROUTINE- FEEDING TIME, PLAY TIME, NIGHT SLEEP TIME, CHANGING NEWSPAPERS/WIPING OFF THE URINE FROM GRATE FLOOR EVERY TIME (IF YOU MUM WILL HELP WHILE YOU WORK) WHEN THE PUPPY PEES. Remove poop promptly.

A 3-month-old puppy pees every 2 hours (N-1) formula where N=age of puppy. Uncountable number of peeing. Pooping is usually 2-3 times for the Singapore puppy if there are no distractions and the feeding is not all day long in the feed bowl.

I HOPE YOU HAVE GOT SOME USEFUL ADVICES. Basically, it is the routine and the time you spend in training. Time out is a very useful tactic but few Singapore owners are aware of it.


Yours sincerely,
XXX

PS: He seems happy in the crate, he will play by himself with the plastic dog bone, balls i have for him in his crate.. He is not afraid of the crate.

19. Case study: How to get the adult dog to go to the appropriate toilet location?

Jun 1, 2008


Dog: Shih Tzu X Maltese
Male neutered, 2 years

PROBLEMS: Pees and poops in the living room. So smelly. Despite scolding and warnings to go to the bathroom, he still did it. So the owner took him outdoors and now he seldom eliminates inside the apartment. Unfortunately, he became infested with ticks despite the use of Frontline.


"The Frontline cannot prevent ticks," the couple in their mid 30s asserted. "My dog is full of ticks, his room is full of ticks and we don't know what to do?"

"Some ticks are said to be resistant after several uses of Frontline" I said. "There is the Frontline Plus and other brands and you can make your dog wear booties when he goes outdoors so that ticks will not attach themselves into his paws. Check his paws when you go home from the daily outdoor exercise to eliminate...."

"We just want your groomer to clip our dog bald and get the anti-tick injection," the couple was fed up with the ticks. "We want our dog to stay inside the apartment so that he will never be infested with ticks! But he just will not go to the bathroom to pee and poo.

"Now, the pet shop owner recommended that we put the ticks inside the hot water. Is there a way to get rid of all the ticks inside the apartment? Especially in the dog's room and under the bed of the maid?"

Small ticks started appearing on my consultation table. I was wondering whether there is a solution to his two problems - ensuring that his dog and his apartment can be tick-free. Is there a solution to every doggy problem?

SOLUTIONS:

1. SOLUTION 1. Getting rid of ticks inside the apartment.
"You can use insecticides to spray onto the corners and areas where the ticks are. But you may poison your dog if he licks the insecticide.

I will recommend that you remove the dog from the apartment, e.g. boarding somewhere after clipping his coat. The ticks will come out of the cracks and hiding places to look for the dog to suck his blood. You will see them on the floor. Get the maid to vacuum all the ticks on the floor and wall. It is easier than catching or sweeping them and putting them into hot water."

"How long must I board the dog?" the man asked.

"2 days but more than 7 days will be better," I said. "It is a matter of costs."

"How long can the ticks survive without the dog to suck blood?" the man asked.

"This is a tough question as the exact number of days is hard to say," I replied. "I expect the small ticks not to survive more than 7 days if they don't have blood to suck, from my observations with other owners. Your dog will be given an anti-tick injection that will last for around 3 weeks. I need to do research on the survival of small ticks without access to the dog."

1. SOLUTION 2. Getting the adult dog to go to the approved toilet area.

"Your adult dog purposely goes to the living area to pee and poop because that area has a strong smell of urine and poo despite your maid's mopping," I said. "He has had been using this area since puppyhood. You need to start toilet-training again, as if he is a puppy."

The wife asked: "How do I do it?"

"Confine the dog to the bathroom for 2-4 weeks. Install a baby-gate so that he can see you but cannot climb out. If you want to use a pee pan and newspapers onto the pee pan, put the pee pan at one corner. Away from his eating and drinking and sleeping area which may be nearer the baby-gate. Over time, you will notice that the dog will eliminate in one corner far away from his eating area."

The couple did not say anything.

"How big is your pee pan?" I asked. "If it is too small, your dog will pee or poop outside the pee pan. Its length should be 2x the length of the dog!" I used my consultation table which is around 3.5 feet long to demonstrate that his long-bodied Shih TzuXMaltese will need this length.

The couple had to think hard.

"Does your dog shred newspapers," I asked. The wife thought so but the husband did not agree.

"If he does not shred newspapers, then put some soiled tissues with his urine and poo smell at the far corner of the pee pan. When he smells it and steps onto the pee pan, his whole body will be inside. If you put the soiled tissues in the centre of the pee pan, his backside may be outside the pee pan and you can't be successful."

So many things to consider just to toilet train a dog to use a pee pan and newspapers.

The couple will try. The dog was boarded for 2 days and I hope he will be tick-free forever. The couple remembered that they have a big crate with pee pan below and will try to toilet train the dog in this crate placed inside the bathroom. This is a more complicated step.

Many Singaporean owners have this idea that their dogs will never get ticks if they don't bring him downstairs. So they keep the dog indoors. This is correct as long as the dog is not brought to a place where there are many dogs, e.g. the groomer or veterinary places.

The use of urine scent is important in toilet-training of the dog. Neutralisation of the dog urine smell with vinegar:water of unapproved places where the dog has had peed is equally important to succeed in toilet training.

Check the paws of the dogs when you go home after visiting such places. It may be difficult in long-haired paws of Shih Tzus but it must be done.