Travel with Pets - Cold weather dogs in hot weather climates.

I have just been offered an excellent opportunity involving a position in Singapore.

Ordinarily this would be a no-brainer for me, except I recently inherited a 150lb Newfoundland dog.

The summers here get hot and I keep him inside, but the nights are fairly reasonable and he seems to do just fine. But Singapore has pretty hot nights too, plus the humidity too. Is having such a dog over there completely unreasonable?

Additionally, what are you looking at for transporting such a big dog that far? I imagine taking the nonstop from LAX would be best for the dog. Would it be worth hiring the services of a company that specializes in pet transport?

Singapore is NOT a dog friendly place. Most people live in mid-rise apartments which are small at best. Dogs as pets are so rare that often in the shopping centers there are displays of mother dogs and puppies so that children can see puppies.

Every day of the year the climate is about the same. It really doesn't cool off at night at all. The dog would never get a break.

Singapore is a super clean city with a strong set of laws that keep it so. I have no idea where you would walk such a dog.

As an unpleasant aside, in South East Asia dog meat is often on the menu!

MastaHanky, I don't have any personal experience with Singapore but it was an interesting enough question, I did a bit of research. I have to agree that Singapore has some "interesting" laws especially regarding public cleanliness but it appears it has progressed a bit with dogs (not so much with cats).

There's a website for expats living in Singapore who talk about their dogs:

http://www.entersingapore.info/expat-lifestyle/livingpets.php

The website even has a pet forum. It lists all sorts of dog friendly places in Singapore like cafes, boarding, etc. I don't know how active it is but here's the link:

http://www.petschannel.com/home/

As far as a cold-weather dog, like a Newfie, I would think it depends on the dog. I had a husky who absolutely hated the snow and would lounge all day next to the pool in the baking sun in the summer. I had a St. Bernard who spent most of the summer in a baby pool and slept in the bathtub but she was fine. If you do make this move with the dog, make sure to find a good groomer who knows how to groom a dog for hot weather, maybe trim a little closer than normal (but *don't* shave because the coat provides protection against heat and sunburn). Keep him in the A/C, walk him after dark and make sure he has access to cold water. In other words, common sense. The dog will adapt.

Good luck!