| The dog makes a good pet, companion and co-worker. It is often regarded as man 's best friend because of its renowned loyalty to its owner. This stems from its pack animal instinct which it derives from its ancestor the wolf. |
Purebreed or Crossbreed? 
Purebreed dogs have well-defined breed-specific physical, temperamental and behavioural characteristics. Fanciful selective breeding and unscrupulous in-breeding however have resulted in purebreed dogs with congenital abnormalities and weaker constitutions. Many popular breeds have long coats that need daily grooming and periodic professional grooming.
Crossbreed dogs on the other hand are hardier, easier to look after and more adaptable. |
Male or Female?
An unsterilised female dog comes on heat about once every 6 months and can leave one with a litter of unwanted puppies. Sterilisation prevents this. Female dogs are more loving and homely and easier to manage while male dogs are more territorial and aggressive. Male dogs are often kept to guard premises and are more likely to bite. Sterilisation makes both male and female dogs better pets (see the section on sterilisation). |
Puppy or Dog? Where from?
A puppy needs more care and attention but is easier to train and socialise while the adult dog comes with set behaviours. Decide whether you want a playful and active companion, or a quiet and homely one. There are many puppies/dogs looking for good homes at the SPCA. You can also check with friends, dog breeders, pet shops or adopt a stray. |
Looking After Your Pet Dog
 When your puppy first arrives it should be quickly familiarised with its new home and made to feel that it belongs. It should be taught the house rules which should be agreed by your family and enforced consistently.
Socialise your dog with your family, friends and other animals so that it will grow up well-adjusted and behaved. It can be socialised with most animals if it understands that they are all one family. It is best to socialise them when young. This should be done gradually and in a relaxed atmosphere.
Discipline and train it well. Training requires a lot of patience on your part. Reward your dog for each instruction correctly followed. Food or attention is commonly used as reward. Regularly repeat the instruction to reinforce what has been learnt. Punishment of a wrong behaviour may sometimes be needed and if done should be immediate, i.e. at the time of the wrong behaviour. You do not have to beat the dog to punish it. A stern scolding or a very firm scruffing of the neck may be enough. The punishment should not harm the dog.
You can also take your dog for formal obedience training conducted by a professional dog trainer. As the training builds on the master-dog relationship, both you and the dog must attend the training together. Following the formal training, you should reinforce the lessons by periodically repeating the training exercises at home.
Your dog should preferably be allowed unrestricted access of your whole house but it is good to have an area where you can confine it for those occasions when it cannot be let loose.
You can feed your dog homecooked food or commercial dog food. If you feed homecooked food it should be balanced and varied to include grain staples, meats and vegetables. Leftover food from the dinner table is acceptable so long as it retains the nutrients and is fit for human consumption. Never feed your dog spoilt food or swill.
Commercial dog food is formulated to cater to the dog is convenient and can be stored. Dry food is preferred over canned food because dry food contains nutrients in much greater concentration (for the same weight of food) and the dog will only eat what it needs and not more. This helps to prevent obesity. Dry food also aids dental health and oral hygiene.
Dogs with long fine hair should be groomed daily to ensure that the hairs do not get matted. Mats form especially after a bath if the wet hair is not brushed and dried properly. The nails should be clipped regularly to prevent in-growth. This is usually not necessary if the dog gets regular exercise on rough, hard ground.
If your pet has a short coat regular bathing with a suitable dog shampoo will suffice. You should not need to bathe your dog more than once a week. It is recommended that a longhaired dog be sent for professional grooming once every 3 months. Professional grooming usually consists of a bath (and a de-ticking wash if necessary), emptying of the anal sacs, cleaning of the ears, clipping of the nails and a suitable haircut.
Your dog should be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, kennel cough, influenza and parvovirus at 6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks of age (or 8 weeks and 12 weeks of age), and once a year after that. It should be dewormed against roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm. Consult your veterinarian. |
Biodata - Dogs
Lifespan: up to 20 years
Reproductive age: from 5 months
Gestation period: 58 to 64 days
Average litter: 2 to 6
Weaning age: 6 weeks
Age when eyes open: about 10 to 14 days |
DOG RULES
All dogs older than 3 months must be licensed. Licences can be obtained from the Centre for Animal Welfare and Control (CAWC) located at 75 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118507. Applications can also be done in person or by mail or fax. Licences are valid for 1 year. The current fee for a male dog and a sterilised female dog is $14.00. The fee for an unsterilised female dog is $70.00. There is a one-time registration fee of $6.50 for each application.
Private premises are allowed a maximum of 3 dogs. HDB apartments are allowed 1 dog of an approved small breed or its cross. The cross should be 40 cm or less at the shoulders and weigh 10 kg or less.
All dogs have to be leashed when in a public area. In addition, the Pit Bull, Akita, Neapolitan Mastiff, Tosa and their crosses, and the Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog (and related breeds), Rottweiler and  Perro de Presa Canario must also be muzzled.
Owners should not allow their pets to run at persons, vehicles or bicycles in public places or cause injury to any persons. They should also not allow their pets to become a nuisance (e.g. uncontrolled barking, defaecating in public places, etc). |
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