How to toilet train a puppy

During the car ride home of twenty kilometers or so, Nicole sat on the front passenger seat, quiet and uneasy, sensing that she was in unfamiliar territory. I stroked her back and crooned to calm her down. I was afraid she would wet the car seat which would mean plenty of headache for me. Lucky thing, she didn’t. I stopped at a convenient place and placed newspapers beneath the rug, just in case. When I lifted her from the seat, I could tell she was quite frightened since I had to practically prise her off the seat. I placed her on my lap. She began looking out of the window at the passing scenery before lying down and placing her jaw on the crook of my inner elbow. I guess she needed the assurance of human contact.

The first thing she did when she arrived at her new home was to wet the hall and walk all over her urine. Yuks! I cleaned up the spot, introduced her to the washroom, then told her in no uncertain terms to do her business there. She didn’t get it. For the next few days, she began wetting in different areas of the house. Each time she did it, I made a ruckus, warned her and took her to the toilet bowl again to tell her to do her business there. She’s scared of the toilet and of falling in. Now she doesn’t wet or poop in the open but does it in hidden corners, which is even worse. Phew, for the past few days, I’ve been like a maid cleaning up after her. ” Nicole, Nicole, when will you get it?”

Cindy, the dog lover

Picture shows Cindy with her niece, Sook Yi, the family dog, Sally and Nicole

Apart from taking care of hubby and two growing boys, Cindy picks up stray dogs, nurtures them and finds foster homes for them. According to Cindy, both Sally and Nicole are sisters whose mother is the church dog. The latter has given birth to several litters. As always the female puppies get abandoned whilst the males have no problem getting adopted. It looks as if there is no end to sex discrimination as long as humans are involved.

Though Sally and Nicole are sisters, they are as different as day is to night. Sally is smoky brown from top to toe except for two white spots above the eyes and around the mouth. Even her eyes are brown. They blend so much into her face, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish the difference in the dark. Nicole, on the other hand, is snowy white and the tips of her ears meet each time you call her.

Apart from color, they are also different in character. Sally is more spirited and endearing. She jumps all over you, wagging her tail, licking you, begging to be patted. Nicole, on the other hand, tends to be timid and reserved. Her favorite place is under the sofa. I had a hard time choosing between the two. I was inclined towards Sally because of her high spiritedness but in the end, I chose Nicole because she looks like a mixed breed.

Cindy was sad to part with her.
“Say bye bye to mommy," she told Nicole as she bent down to kiss her. You’ve got a new mommy now,” she added.

Sally is available for adoption and after that Cindy will go look for other strays to take care of.