Moving with a German shepherd from USA to Singapore...

[Germanshep]

Hi All,
I am new here. I am a major animal lover and have a chap who is 5 yrs old.
My nationality is Indian and I live in NJ, USA now. I moved with him from India to US 4 yrs back. He survived the trip well, I didn't.
(sick with worry).

Now after the superior treatment he gets in the USA, I would hate to subject him to anything lesser. In fact, he was not even quarantined when I entered US. I have a potful of questions . Please bear with me.

1) Is there any way he can aoid being quarantined? (he's a real baby!!!)
2) Does he have to be muzzled on daily walks too?
3)Do they allow animals on public transportations like cab etc?
4) Where can I look for a single house with a yard? and what would the rent roughly amount to?

Thanks for your patience ,

[road.not.taken]

1. He'll have to go through quarantine, it's not as bad as you think and you can visit him everyday. He'll be fine, (but maybe you won't).

2. He does not have to be muzzled as long as he behaves himself. Lots of dogs and dog lovers here. Clean up after him and respect the other people sharing the sidewalk and it'll be fine.

3. No cabby I have encountered will let you put that giant dog in his (or her) cab. A lot of them balk at even tiny dogs. Some Muslims believe dogs are unclean and can't even touch one without a drawn out cleansing process. Good news is that there are pet transport companies and vets that make house calls. The veterinary care here is much, much cheaper than in the US. Dog food is imported and expensive, we give our dogs a lot of table scraps/people food since the price is not that different.

4. There are houses with yards all over the city-state. They range in size and price from $40,000 to $4,000 depending on how close they are to downtown, their age, their size. There are also semi-detached houses with smaller yards that share a common wall. Sort of a townhouse. All properties here are walled, which is very good news for dog owners.

[sundaymorningstaple]

2. He does not have to be muzzled as long as he behaves himself. Lots of dogs and dog lovers here. Clean up after him and respect the other people sharing the sidewalk and it'll be fine.

I will agree with all that road.not.taken has said with the exception of her item 2. which is incorrect. German Shephards DO NEED TO BE MUZZLED IN PUBLIC.

- All dogs have to be leashed when in a public area. In addition, the Pit Bull, Akita, Neapolitan Mastiff, Tosa and their crosses, and the Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog (and related breeds), Rottweiler and Perro de Presa Canario must also be muzzled.

I provide the link that will answer most of your other questions. This link can also be found along with lots of other relevant links on my links page for expats in my signature below.

Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore

[road.not.taken]

I should have been more clear, yes the law states that they need to be muzzled -- they are considered to be attack/guard dogs here, and many of the original Shepherds here were quite fierce. Having said that, I see lots of well manner shepherds in my neighborhood out walking unmuzzled, the are good-tempered dogs and no one minds.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Not a problem, and I agree with you, but to be sure, we should always, if at all possible give correct answers according to the law. Otherwise it's mis-information that, depending on the circumstances, could cause grief later.

moderator

[Germanshep]

Thanks for the information!! Good to know that vet services are cheaper. But, is food like Nutro Max ($29 /40lbs , here in the US) much costlier?
Would it be allowed for me to bring say a few bags when I come from here, or do they have restrictions on food brought in. This muzzling rule is so sad!!! They have found out in the US that the maximum number of dog bites recorded have been inflicted by Labradors.
I understand that the high powered dogs need a firmer hand . But to stereotype them so, is very unfair. I mean , my GSD has been attacked by cranky chihuahuas when he wanted to play with them in the park. My boy has all the neighborhood kids home now that spring is here and they all play TAG!!!!
He is happiest when he is playing with them. But, well, rules are rules!!
Thanks so much for the link and info. If there is anything else that I need to know to make life easier for him, I would appreciate if you could share.
Thanks guys!!

[sundaymorningstaple]

You're gonna love it here, especially if you don't like sterotyping!

[Germanshep]

sorry!! Lost the humor there!!! Please enlighten.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Let's just say the government like to niche everything.