What do you think of this dog?

Question

ANYONE FAMILIAR W/ A MALTESE? IF, SO, WHAT SHOULD I KNOW AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT IT? SOMEONE IS PLAN'N ON GIVING AWAY THERE NEWBORN MALTESE -
I NEED SOME INFO ON THIS PET...HELP?

Answer 1

I have a Maltese X. He's about 2.5 and I've had him since he was 10 months old.
The longer the puppy can stay with his/her mom is better, unless something happens to the mom and they have to go to someone else. Depending on the age of the puppy when you get it, you may need to use milk replacer for it. When you start feeding it "real" food, you might want to start with the canned food, as puppies don't have big enough teeth to crunch the kibbles. Make sure you feed him a puppy food, and preferably a good-quality food. There are some foods specficially made for small dogs, and you may want to get these, as their kibbles are smaller.

In terms of the actual breed, this is a good site to read: http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/breeds/1100167/ or you can do your own search. Unless you're planning on showing the dog, I'd highly recommend that you get their haircut ever 6-8 weeks, and keep it short--ask for a kennel clip or a teddy bear clip. Or you can do it yourself if you want to learn how and get the equipment. When the fur starts to get long, it's a real pain to keep clean. It's prone to tangling, gets dirty really easily (they're white!!) and because of it's length and texture, it can often pick up twigs, burrs, etc, which can be a pain to remove, and hurt the dog.

They need *lots* of socialization with other dogs, and people, and will do best in a home where someone is with them all day. They are one of the most common breeds to develop separation anxiety, and this can be tough to deal with.
They are difficult to housetrain--probably because they just want to be with people all the time. Crate training is a must, and I'd highly recommend a doggy doorbell.
They do well for learning "tricks" or simply things such as "sit" and "down". Stay is difficult, because they like to be with you! My dog is going to start in agility next month. Be careful letting your puppy on furniture; due to their size, a fall could hurt them seriously. Do not let them jump onto or over anything that is higher than their shoulders until they are at least 18 months old.
They are also prone to food sensitivites, skin problems (allergies), and early tooth decay. Using a high quality food and brushing their teeth will help reduce this.

A general search will help you find out more.
If you're not sure you can handle one of these dogs (they do require special care), please suggest a local Maltese Rescue to the person who has them now. (Search for Maltese Rescue and your city or state)

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

I have a Maltese X. He's about 2.5 and I've had him since he was 10 months old.
The longer the puppy can stay with his/her mom is better, unless something happens to the mom and they have to go to someone else. Depending on the age of the puppy when you get it, you may need to use milk replacer for it. When you start feeding it "real" food, you might want to start with the canned food, as puppies don't have big enough teeth to crunch the kibbles. Make sure you feed him a puppy food, and preferably a good-quality food. There are some foods specficially made for small dogs, and you may want to get these, as their kibbles are smaller.

In terms of the actual breed, this is a good site to read: http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/bre... or you can do your own search. Unless you're planning on showing the dog, I'd highly recommend that you get their haircut ever 6-8 weeks, and keep it short--ask for a kennel clip or a teddy bear clip. Or you can do it yourself if you want to learn how and get the equipment. When the fur starts to get long, it's a real pain to keep clean. It's prone to tangling, gets dirty really easily (they're white!!) and because of it's length and texture, it can often pick up twigs, burrs, etc, which can be a pain to remove, and hurt the dog.

They need *lots* of socialization with other dogs, and people, and will do best in a home where someone is with them all day. They are one of the most common breeds to develop separation anxiety, and this can be tough to deal with.
They are difficult to housetrain--probably because they just want to be with people all the time. Crate training is a must, and I'd highly recommend a doggy doorbell.
They do well for learning "tricks" or simply things such as "sit" and "down". Stay is difficult, because they like to be with you! My dog is going to start in agility next month. Be careful letting your puppy on furniture; due to their size, a fall could hurt them seriously. Do not let them jump onto or over anything that is higher than their shoulders until they are at least 18 months old.
They are also prone to food sensitivites, skin problems (allergies), and early tooth decay. Using a high quality food and brushing their teeth will help reduce this.

A general search will help you find out more.
If you're not sure you can handle one of these dogs (they do require special care), please suggest a local Maltese Rescue to the person who has them now. (Search for Maltese Rescue and your city or state)

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

number 1 it is not illegal to sell or give away a puppy under the age of 4-5-6-7-8 weeks of age its not a good idea to separate the pup younger than 7-8 weeks of age. the Maltese as a breed is a happy little dog , loving, they have grooming needs you must brush every day or keep the dog shaved down. most of them have problems with their teeth. good dental hygiene is a must like brushing daily, or you will be at the vets having dental done every 4-6 months, most of the time we extract all the teeth by the time the dog is 5 years old but this is the worst case scenario.they are a high maintenance dog at best but they are very loving. Like all dogs that get spoiled and do not know they're boundaries they can become biters,and they have a tendency to be barkers.

Answer 4

Maltese dogs tend to be very sweet-natured. They need to be kept groomed so their hair doesn't matt up and tangle. They can get brown stains on the fur around their eyes, but it's not as bad as some other breeds. Maltese is the kind of dog I want to get if/when I get a dog.

Oh yeah, you have to be very, very consistent when house-breaking Maltese dogs, they can be stubborn about going outside to go potty, but they are intelligent and if you are consistent, they will get it.

P.S.- I agree with the person who said puppies shouldn't be weaned away from their Mom too soon. A puppy should be between 6 and 8 weeks before it is weaned. Mommy dogs provide them with essential nutrients, and they also teach them things that dogs need to know how to do.

Answer 5

i have maltese-picenese mix, dominantly maltese. They are fabulous house dogs and very friendly. They stay about 8-12 inches tall and about 15-20 inches long. they are not really a dog to cuddle up to when they get older, but u can occasionally, or if u do from birth. very easy to housetrain... great dog... doesnt shed.... tiny poop. doesnt eat too much, great coat if u brush it a lot. dont get white, they discolor easily.... good luck!

Answer 6

it is illegal to sell or give away puppies under 8 weeks,
new born pup depent on mum for every thing
food
to stimulate them to go potty
to regulate the temp
for colustrom (first milk containing anitbodies)

if they give it away at this age it wont shand a good chance of growing up healthy.

if they dont want it they should keep it untill 8 weeks then sell it, give the whole famaly away or sadly put it down (some breeders do this to runts,blind,deaf or defective pups)

i would contact a dog protection charity and tell them about this.

but hand reared pup need to be kept warm, stimulated to go potty by rubing around ther privats, fed every couple of hours on puppy formula and colusterum first it they are new born.

Answer 7

I'm very familiar with the Maltese....they taste just like chicken...I prefer mine breaded and baked.

Answer 8

If you are going to play with your maltesse puppy make sure to tie its hair up so it doesnt get matted
From dog owner and lover

Answer 9

they are nice little dogs. their hair can grow pretty long and will need grooming.