TheWongDogs

Discipline vs. Training – The Wong Dogs Are Still Learning!

Puppyhood is not the only part of our pets' lives that training takes place. It is perfectly normal for some people to think I take Cory’s and Cole’s good behaviours for granted. But many do not know it takes loads of consistency... Hey, I love going out with peace of mind you know! Imagine just heading out for brunch at a café and reading a magazine, knowing that your furkids will know their boundaries. As such, the incident above might surprise some…

A couple of days ago, I was faced with a behavioural incident. While chewing on his Deer Bone, the usually docile Cole reacted by growling towards Cory who was being his typical “kaypoh” self. I literally flew from my seat, scolded Cole, got him into a submissive position and held on to his muzzle for five seconds. After which, I separated Cole to be by himself for half an hour in the living room. The whole time, he treated to a guilty look with his shoulders hunched forward. After the entire incident, I had Cole manja-ing me for affection.

This got me thinking and I decided to ask Rao Canine’s dog trainer, Vivien Chin (who was also his fosterer) on whether I had been too harsh or strict with my Singapore Special. Here is what she had to say.

Vivien with Kafka

“I would scold my own dogs if they did that (growling). But I will also teach them not to bother the other canine when it is preoccupied with a treat during meal times. Patricia McConnell, one of my favourite authorities on canine behaviour and training, says that, “Every owner has to decide what is acceptable in their own household; my criteria are quiet warnings like head turns or stares are acceptable, anything else is discouraged.”

You said that, “the usually docile Cole reacted by growling towards Cory who was being his typical “kaypoh” self.” This reminds me of my own dog, Lulu. Lulu used to be Dog B in Scenario 2 of this Pat Miller’sarticle on resource guarding. When Kafka, my German Shepherd, was a puppy, he used to snatch her food from her, she would give it up and walk away. I’d praise her and reward her with another treat. For a long time, she would defer to Kafka. However, after fostering a few puppies that did not know what manners was, her patience gradually wore thin. Lulu now defends her food when intrusive puppies and even Kafka comes too close. Lulu is a gentle dog, when I verbally scold her, she would look remorseful. She knows I do not approve of her growling and a light smack on her butt also serves to tell her my disapproval. However, unless you know your furkid extremely well, I do not encourage pet owners to do that because the dog might turn around and bite. At the same time, Lulu counts on me to maintain law and order. On hindsight, I should not have taken Lulu’s patience for granted, just as you might have taken Cole’s docility for granted. Now, I make sure Lulu gets to eat her food without any disturbance from any other dog and Kafka would wait patiently for Lulu to finish her food before he licks up what’s left in her bowl.

I do not do alpha roll as it does not seem useful. While holding on to Cole’s muzzle may not to be too harsh and your actions were not too strict, it might not be fair and you could be stricter with Cory by not allowing him near Cole. If possible, consider counter-conditioning techniques to get Cole to like the presence of Cory around his treats and during meal times.”

I am not perfect and only by being teachable, I can become a better pet owner! Thank you, Vivien!

*The opinions expressed in this blog post are of The Wong Dogs and Rao Canine’s own. Every case is unique and pet owners should check back with their own canine trainers before attempting any methods on their own.

Labels: dog training, dogsofinstasg, miniature schnauzer, rao canine, singapore special, the wong dogs

❤ "Discipline vs. Training – The Wong Dogs Are Still Learning!" was Posted On: Wednesday, 3 June 2015 @03:14 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Let’s Sail Away – Pet Cruise x Petfie

It has been more than three years since I first heard about Singapore’s very own Pet Cruise. As I have always been yearning to go, I got really excited when I received an invitation from Petfie. Along with my mum and The Wong Dogs, we headed to Marina Country Club at Ponggol (Yes, spelt Ponggol)

Skipper, Joe started Pet Cruise in April 2012 and knows the North-Eastern waters very well. In fact, one of passengers who usually suffers from serious sea sickness found the trip bearable.

For this trip, I was joined by Lucy a Cocker Spaniel and Muddy a Singapore Special of The FurryTales. Seeing as how we had a couple of common friends, it was such a treat to make new ones and allowing The Wong Dogs to interact with other canines.

ANCHORING AT SELETAR ISLAND

Once we reached, the four-legged-creatures were allowed to roam off-leash for about half an hour. Rubbish and pollution aside, I had a great time running up and down the shoreline with Cory and Cole. We then realised that due to low tide, there was a stretch of beach that went out towards the sea, making for priceless picture moment with the boys and their friends.

OPEN WATER SWIM

You know you are in safe hands when Joe makes a last-minute decision to change the location of the open-water swim due to choppy waves. No matter how good a swimmer Fido might be, it is best he or she wear a life vest for extra safety against strong undercurrents.

It still amazes me how well Cory and Cole can swim. It is always cute to see their apprehension before they dive into the water.

Soon, it was time to head back to Marina Country Club for some lunch. The great people at Petfie generously catered pizza for us. Thank you!

Prices start at $30 per head (both pet and human) on weekdays and $40 on weekends and public holidays. The catamaran can take up to 10 passengers, perfect for cosy gatherings,

Thank you Joe of Pet Cruise and Petfie for such a memorable experience. I cannot wait to bring Cory and Cole for their next trip soon. Anyone wants to join me?

MORE ON PETFIE

Petfie is the Facebook for IT-savvy pet owner who wish to suss out other animal lovers around you

Currently only available for iOs, the Android version is set to be released in the next couple of weeks.

Labels: cocker spaniel, gathering, miniature schnauzer, open water swim, pet cruise, petfie, punggol, seletar island, singapore special, the wong dogs

❤ "Let’s Sail Away – Pet Cruise x Petfie" was Posted On: Friday, 1 May 2015 @10:42 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Lunch Over Books – The Book Café.

Before I continue, this is not a full review of The Book Café but a quick meal I had earlier in the day.

Also, today marks my mum’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Mummy!

The Book Café serves quite the list of nosh to choose from. But what I find most attractive is their offering of Asian food.

Having tried a couple of dishes, today the spotlight is on the Salmon Noodle Soup. Singaporeans will identify with the Salmon Noodle Soup as it is uber similar to the popular Fish Head or Fish Meat Bee Hoon. The broth was delightfully tasty with generous portions of salmon though more ikan-bilis would have been appreciated.

More than just a comfortable setting and an extensive menu, is the quality of service. I have experienced the past three times I was there. From the handling of the phone reservation, to taking of orders, everything was perfection. Thank you for making every visit an enjoyable one.

For more information, do visit their Facebook page here.

Operating Hours

Sundays to Thursday: 830am to 1030pm (last order at 10pm) Friday and Saturday: 830am to 1230 midnight

To make a reservation, drop them a line at 6887-5430

Labels: cafe, dogsofinstasg, lunch, miniature schnauzer, review, singapore special, the book cafe, the wong dogs

❤ "Lunch Over Books – The Book Café." was Posted On: Monday, 23 March 2015 @03:23 | 0 Wong comments ✿

A Great Man Has Passed On - Lee Kuan Yew

I never knew Lee Kuan Yew as a dog person. In fact, he never had an official statement on pet ownership in Singapore. However, in memory of his passing, we tend to forget Lee Kuan Yew is only human and like us has a family. He gave and sacrificed so much to Singapore, which I am sure took precious time away from his then-young family.

Thank you Charissa for sharing this picture.

Photo credit: The Straits Times Archives

Labels: dogs, family, LEE KUAN YEW, the wong dogs

❤ "A Great Man Has Passed On - Lee Kuan Yew" was Posted On: Sunday, 22 March 2015 @22:58 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Top 5 Things To Check Out At Pet Expo 2015!

Pet Expo is back with their 2015 edition and The Wong Dogs sniff out what are the five top things to do and/or see at this year’s edition!

Happening from 20-22 March 2015 at Singapore Expo Hall 8, Pet Expo is set to be the hallmark pet event for any furkid owner to attend. Note, this list might get longer as The Wong Dogs trawl the humongous halls during the three days.

1. LARGEST SINGAPORE SPECIAL GATHERING

This year, the Singapore Special (Yes, if you did not know, Cole is a Singapore Special) is in the limelight. Conceived at last year’s Pet Expo, the Singapore Special Club (SSC) celebrates its one-year anniversary and if you ask me, there is no better way to commemorate the occasion with the largest gathering of Singapore Specials to date! All shapes, size and colour, there is not one canine that looks alike – Come join like-minded owners who each have their own precious story on how they came about owning and cherishing their Singapore Special! Any excuse for a gathering, right?

Also, the first 100 confirmed registrants will get an exclusive goodie bag, courtesy of B2K PET PRODUCTS

2. TINY KREW

Less than six months in operation and the ladies at Tiny Krew are participating in their very first Pet Expo. Already, this locally-run outfit have garnered a sizeable following with their range of pet products aimed at pet owners with an eye for aesthetics. Tiny Krew will be debuting new products such as the Flying Pig Squeaky Toy and new rope toy designs all from Jax & Bones.

Also, their popular Business Buddy will have more designs to choose from!

For Pet Expo 2015, Tiny Krew is offering a 20% off your total bill when you buy three or more items at their booth. For more information on what Tiny Krew has to offer, check out their website here.

3. B2K PET PRODUCTS BOOTH

Boasting a huge presence at Pet Expo this year, B2K Pet Products usually have promotions and deals that no pet owner should miss! One of Singapore’s fastest growing and biggest pet distributors, they stock popular pet food brands such as Merrick, Canine Caviar, Natural Balance, Primal Pet Foods and Brit Care just to name a few. As with last year, B2K Pet Products are debuting a number of new items to their ever-growing list.

For example, Merrick’s new range of all-natural, grain-free, gluten-free treats, Power Bites, Dental Chews and Kitchen Bites will be available for purchase.

Natural Balance new Jerky Bark treats which contain a single animal protein source along with limited carbohydrates.

What I am most excited to have a look and feel is the introduction of the uber-colourful Touchdog Beds. It seems Cory changes beds more frequently than me!

Those looking for promotional offers will be glad to know that Primal Pet foods will be having an upgraded form of their Buy-1-get-1. Now, buy five sets of those and get a 14oz bag free!

Big dogs are also not forgotten with Natural Balance 14Lbs bags going for only $50!

For the latest updates, visit their Facebook page here.

4. THE BARKERY SINGAPORE

Home-made pet food and treats are all the rage now. That is why it will take a little more to impress pet owners today.

That is why when I heard The Barkery Singapore is going to launch Barkwaursts, the dog-version of the popular American sausage, I got all excited. Made with human-grade ingredients such as liver, bone dust and celery, The Barkery Singapore sticks to their mantra of no artificial preservatives, additives flavourings, colourings, fillers, salt or sugar. For a limited time only, 200g costs only $8.80 (U.P. $10.80). If you would love to pre-order, e-mail sales@sgbarkery.com for more details.

For more updates, visit their Facebook page here.

5. SILVERSKY PTE LTD BOOTH

For the first time, visitors to Pet Expo 2015 will be able to get attractive offers on premium pet food brands such as Wellness, Eagle Pack, Holistic Select and Timberwolf Organics.

In addition, Silversky brings in trusted pet care brands such as TropiClean, Safemade and Cloudstar which any well-informed pet owner will know about.

So far, promotional items include $2 offer coupons on Petz Route while there will be Schesir cat canned food samples and offers up for grabs. However, I heard through the grapevine that offers will be revealed on the day itself.

For the latest news on Silversky, visit their Facebook page here.