I know I can but should I ?

[Layla]

Hi,

My partner and I are moving to Singapore in a month or twos time. My one last big problem is our puppy, she is a 5 month old GSP (German Shorthaired Pointer), in otherwords a mid to large sized dog with a short coat, she loves to run and play, be outdoors, they are very intelligent and as easily bored as they are trained.

I know a lot of expats have taken their dogs to Singapore with them and im wondering is bringing her with us the best thing to do for HER.

We love her as much as we did our last dog who died 2 years ago and are in turmoil thinking of our options.  

1/2 the people here in Australia are telling us that they think it would be cruel to take her over there what with the climate, city living, and the fact that obviously we will go out sometimes etc and she will be left alone, i will probably not be working but will need to do some things to keep myself busy that might not be able to include her and i also will not have a car

I dont know what to do would it be better for her to find her a good home here and bear the heart ache for her benifit or am i thinking that it would be worse for her there than it really would be.

She is young and im sure within a few months would be ok if we found her a new home but im having trouble coping with the idea of doing it unless im sure it is the best thing for her.

I guess im just trying not to be selfish and bring her because its the best thing for us, i need to think about what the best thing is for her.

I guess any dog lovers out there will understand where im coming from, everyone else might think im a bit nuts stressing about it this much  

thanks in advance for any help.

[Cat lover]

Hi,I can sympathise with your dilemma as four months ago we moved hers and left our cat at home with friends who have taken her in.We had had her for ten years and loved her dearly.My two boys also loved her.
We felt that the climate was jusy way too much for a pet used to a much less hot and humid weather,and decided to leave her at home.
Whatever you decide I know that it will be hard.I personally think that it will depend as to where you opt to live.If you are in a condo then I think that there will not be enough room for her.Also,around here it is very hot for regular dog walki unless you get your maid to do it also.
But, I also see some happy dogs living a good life here.
Good luck with your decision.

[Leanne]

I also sympathise with you.  We have adopted 4 cats in the 5 years that we have been in Singapore.  When we (eventually!) move back to Australia we will DEFINITELY bring them back with us as they have become so much a part of our family here.  One thing to think of is how much the dog will pine for you if you don't take it along. Do you know if you will be able to get a place with a yard? (often no more than living in a condo)  If so, this would make all the difference to you and your pooch. The positive thing is that the quarantine between Australia-Singapore-Australia isn't too long.  Good luck with your decision.

[PhilM]

We have two miniature schnauzers who are kept clipped to the skin rather than in the traditional cut. They tear around the garden while we are out and we do exercise them. As someone who grew up with a shotgun under my arm I am used to owing working dogs but regret to say I would not contemplate having one here.

Pointers are working dogs who can develop  behavioural problems if they do not get enough exercise and mental stimulation. Unless you are going to live in a landed property and have the time to give plenty of exercise I feel it would be kinder to leave your pup at home.

[ljs]

We were faced with a similar problem only we had 2 dogs and 2 cats. After contacting this board and doing research via the net the deciding factor was a. our apartment (serviced) would not allow pets b. our vet who knew all our animals suggested we find a good home for them since our boys had never been crated, let alone shipped anywhere, are used to being off leash and are very friendly and used to wide open spaces. Our vet had been to Singapore. This was one of the hardest decisions to make for us-we felt like we were giving up our children-however now that I have been here a while I realize we did the right thing-the dogs have a great home near the beach (their favorite place in the world) and great new parents who would be sad if we returned sooner than later-our cats have adapted into their new homes and seem fine. My picture of my animals still brings tears to my eyes but I know I did the right thing for them. They are in an area they are comfortable with and have adjusted without us. So it can be done here but I am glad we made the decision we made. I am not working now which has been a big change-we are no longer 2 work alcoholics but just one and it has been a rigourous adjustment for me. I'm not knocking it but it has brought many changes to our lives. I sleep better at night knowing all four of our animals are in good homes are receiving lots of love and care and would not be as happy here as they are back home. It does not change the fact that I miss them a bunch but they are in the right place. Hope this helps! Good luck!

[doggie dog]

Please leave the dog at home. Singapore is no place for dogs. Can't take them anywhere.
They cannot run free. Do your dog a favor and make the right decision.

[Lewis]

We had the same predicament when we moved over in September last year. We have a 1.5 year old labrador back in Oz and although heart wrenching we did leave him home with friends. It was a very difficult decision but we know it is the best for him. We thought we would first come over and re -assess hoping that we could bring him over a few months later but the lifestyle here is so so different to Oz and we basically would not have enough time to spend with him to give him the quality time he requires and is use to(we both work 6-7 days a week). Space is the other factor and there are no off leash parks like back home. His quality of life would take a big nose dive. Now 8 months down the line we are very reassured that we have made the right decision and he is doing very well with his new parents. We do though have many many photos of him in the lounge room and miss him dearly.
On the otherhand we have friends from Oz who are being posted to Hong Kong and they are taking their labrador over with them in conditions which are much more restricting than Singapore so it will be interesting to see how they will go. Their theory was that the dog would be worse off without their parents than the lifestyle they were accustomed to.

[Louie]

Layla, I think you are right to question the whole idea of bringing your dog here.
I have three working gun dogs back home in UK, and whilst I went through the same turmoil as you to come to my decision, I know, wholeheartedly that it was the right one.

All dogs and but more especially those from working lines need mental stimulation as much as (and often more than) physical excersise. That would indeed be a challenge, although not impossible to do at home here. But your pointer will want to hunt through the undergrowth as he does back home and take in all the scents that stimulate his mind. I'm not sure that you would really want to (or be able to) do that here.

I don't mean to be rude Leanne but I'm afraid dogs don't pine for us, contrary to popular belief! They might be unsettled for 24 hours or so, but as long as they are in a good loving and caring home they do not think about us AT ALL. Dogs live for the here and now. They are far more selfish in this respect than we are!

I don't know how long you expect to be here but you may be lucky and find a "temporary" loving home for her even for a couple of years.
My three are cared for by different friends. One lives with a close girlfriend who doesn't feel able to commit to a dog for 15 years, but adores her; another lives with a young family and two other dogs simply because they wanted to have her so much; and the third, who was a puppy of three months when I left, lives with 8 others of her kind, in a working / training kennel where we pay a nominal amount for her "board and lodgings".

Whenever we are home in UK, they all move back in for that period, which works well and gives the friends a break. We pay for their food, vets bills, expenses etc and thankfully everybody seems very happy with the arrangement.

It is us, not the dogs, who suffer the separation. Their minds do not work the same way, I'm afraid (but glad!) Sure they're exstatic to see you on your return and slot back into your life as though they were never away, but the same applies when they are returned to their temporary homes.

To compensate for your pining why not volunteer to do dog walking at the SPCA here?
There are so many needy dogs there who would love your attention.

[Layla]

THanks for all your help guys,

After some long hours talking, and sleepless nights we have decided to leave Piper in Oz.

We spoke to our breeder (who i have known for years) and she told us that she would find her a great home with a really nice new mummy and daddy.

Im really sad (cant even put it into words)and get teary evertime i think about it, but thanks to all your advice im pretty sure this is the best thing to do for her.

Thanks again

[Adeline]

You know, sometimes it isn't as bad as it seems, especially if you're responsible and spend time with your pet. I have a full-grown Rottweiler that is a big puppy. She gets 3 walks a day of moderate distances, gets to go to the beach and have a big romp every week. I live in an apartment, and the air conditioning is turned on for her everyday when i'm at work. I'm spending lots of quality time with her when i'm not at work.

She has a medium low energy level and spends a lot of time asleep when i'm not around, the lack of space never really bothered her. (I have a webcam installed and monitor her from the office).

Good luck with you and your pets, if you want to know more dog/cat lovers in Singapore, doggiesite.com has a mailing list with a lot of information.

Cheers.
Adeline
alesis@pacific.net.sg

[LULU]

Instead of finding a permanent new home, perhaps you would consider finding a temporary home for say six months. That would give you a chance to come here - see for yourself - and get settled. I think that after a few months you'd have a pretty good idea of whether your dog would be happy here. In general, big dogs or working dogs aren't a good idea out here because of the heat and lack of suitable places to exercise them. However, having said that I have friends with the biggest great dane ever + a lab. The gt dane was rescued from a small cage in a pet shop here in Singapore in which he couldn't even stand up properly. They have a house with a small patch of ground, but more importantly a car so they can take the dogs out and exercise them properly. I have to say, both the dogs looked as happy and healthy as any I've ever seen.

Just trying to say there are two sides to the picture and that it really depends alot on where you are able to live once you get out here. It might be better to decide for yourself once you're here.