Taking care of your Maltipoo in Singapore (Dos and Don'ts)

Do you have a maltipoo (or even maltipoo puppy) in your care now? Here are some tips to make sure that he is well taken care of in sunny Singapore!

Grooming

Nugget lazing around after a tiring bath

Maltipoos have a low-shedding coat of soft, wool-like fur. Hence, he needs daily brushing to keep his coat clean and free of mats, which can be very uncomfortable for him. Furthermore, due to how maltipoos do not shed fur, they should be clipped regularly to keep them neat and cool, especially in Singapore's hot climate. When it comes to clipping fur, there are 2 options: bringing them to a groomer,  or clipping the fur yourself. If you are very confident in doing so, go ahead with clipping your dog's fur by yourself. However, it is a well-known fact that many dogs dislike staying still while u clip away, so it can be dangerous for both you and your pup if he suddenly moves while you are handling those sharp clippers. Thus, I strongly recommend that you take your maltipoo to the groomer if you have no experience with grooming dogs. 

Apart from fur, maltipoos tend to have tear-stains around their eyes, as their eyes constantly secrete fluids. It is important that you regularly wipe and clean these tear stains so that he can be comfortable. 

Bathing is another activity that maltipoos in Singapore enjoy(?) more often. For myself, I shower my pup once a week to ensure that she stays clean and fresh! A key thing to note would be that due to the fur type of maltipoos, you cannot just let him dry off by himself, as that would lead to chances for infections to occur, especially under the ears and neck. Therefore, after showers, be sure to blowdry your maltipoo, ensuring that he is completely dry.

Exercise

Nugget going for a walk at the beach

           

Maltipoos are known to be very active and energetic, requiring daily exercise to exert all their energy, so that they stay happy and healthy! Be sure to make your maltipoo stay active, doing activities from taking walks outside, playing in the house or even playing dog games like tug of war or fetch. After all, a tired dog is a happy dog.

If you really cannot take your maltipoo out for daily walks, playing in the house would suffice since he is so small. Just make sure that the surroundings are safe for him to run about freely. This makes maltipoos perfect for Singapore as well, since there can be days where it rains non-stop, preventing us from taking our dogs down for a walk. 

If you want to take your dog on an adventure or have a special walk at dog parks, this link will show you the top 15 best dog parks to take him in Singapore:

https://www.petbacker.com/blog/facts/best-15-dog-parks-in-singapore-for-2020

By going to dog parks, your maltipoo will be able to truly enjoy their walks, mingling and socialising with other dogs as well. Socialising with both new people and other dogs is an important part of your dog's life, and can affect his overall health and mental well-being. However do take note of other overly-excited or aggressive dogs that might injure him while playing, and always stay near to him so that he feels safe and protected. When letting him interact with new people, also make sure that they are treating him right, and do take extra precaution when introducing him to younger children. These children might be too excited and not control their strength when playing with your maltipoo, potentially injuring him by being too ruff (rough).

Training

Last but not least, training your maltipoo is a very important part of taking care of him, so that everyone, including your pup, is happy. There are a few key aspects to train your pup in, from potty training, tricks and behavior.

Firstly, potty training would certainly be a very important aspect of living with your maltipoo. This link would teach you how to do so, but for maltipoos, they would probably get the hang of it pretty soon since they are intelligent dogs and people pleasers! Just remember to use positive reenforcement training rather than scold them when they make mistakes, as they are very sensitive and react much better to praises:

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-house-train-your-dog-or-puppy

It would be fun to teach your pup some tricks and games. When it comes to dog games like fetch and tug of war, it should come naturally to them, so just have fun and enjoy playing with them! As for tricks, prepare some dog treats to reward your maltipoo when teaching the trick, so that he would pick it up quickly!

Finally, letting your dog know of the house rules is very important. For example, if you are living in a more controlled and compact housing estate, you would probably not want your maltipoo to bark at every small thing, as this might disturb and annoy your neighbours. Also, it is important to set some boundaries to ensure that your pup knows who's in charge, and not try to overstep their position in the pack. Be firm with your dog when disciplining him, and at the same time reward them generously when they do well. 

Through all these forms of training, your pup will definitely be a well behaved pupper!

Well-trained nugget greeting us

Conclusion

There are many things to take note of when you are taking care of your maltipoo. It is certainly no walk in the park. I have covered some of the more prominent aspects of dog care, and I hope that this post have been useful in providing tips on how to take good care of your dog! If I have missed out on anything, or if you have any other tips to share, feel free to leave a comment in this post, so that we can all learn from this committee of pet owners!