• Dog Training Tips

A Safety Alert for Singapore Dog Owners

Are you staying safe as you share the world with your pet? Introducing a dog into your life means that you have to change your perspective on safety, in the same way that you would adjust your safety habits after having a new baby. Your dog training in Singapore needs to include basic safety for navigating large buildings like shopping centers, office complexes, hotels, and multi-unit residential buildings.

Tragic pet-related accidents can occur within just a few seconds. An elderly HDB flat resident and her dog experienced one such accident on October 9th. The woman had just returned to her building and took the lift to access her apartment. She was momentarily distracted, and her dog failed to follow her quickly into the lift. As a result, her hand was severed in the lift doors, and the dog was left dangling by the leash around its neck. Fortunately, neighbors saw the incident and saved the dog by cutting the leash.

It was a freak accident, but it highlights the kind of serious accident you could experience with your dog if you’re not paying attention. Keeping yourself and your pet safe is up to you, whether you are at home or out in your area of Singapore. Don’t depend on your dog to follow you into a lift; instead, keep the leash short and tight so that your dog stays right with you as you prepare to enter the lift. Be ready in case your dog startles when the lift doors open. Hold the leash firmly so that your dog cannot lunge or bound away.

If you are not in full control of the situation, don’t try to get into the lift. Back away, calm your dog, and wait for the next lift to arrive. Once you are in the lift, keep your dog near you as well, with his front legs aligned with your own legs. If your dog seems nervous, talk to him in a calm, normal voice and maintain a confident, relaxed attitude. Your confidence will reassure your dog that the tight quarters of the lift and the strangers all around him are not threats.

When the lift stops, allow others to exit first. Walk out quickly with your dog close to you, and be sure to block the doors with your arm if they start to close while you are still exiting.
When using a lift, a revolving door, an escalator, or similar forms of transport, never wind the leash around your hand or wrist. If your dog dashes into the lift or through the doors ahead of you and the doors close too quickly, you may not be able to unwrap the leash from your hand or arm in time. Also, make sure that you put away your phone and other electric devices before you enter a lift, cross a street, go up a flight of steps, or go through revolving doors with your pet.

Remember that you’re the human, and you’re in control of the situation. As long as you stay present and alert, you can avoid most kinds of freak accidents. If your dog is afraid of lifts and similar modes of transport, enlist your local Singapore dog training expert to help you and your pet overcome those barriers together.