is a maltese puppy a good dog to get if i have a 6 year old and a 13 year old younger brother?

Answer 1

The 6 year old may be a little rough and the puppy may get a bit snappish. So long as you supervise, should be fine. The dog will be a perfect match for a 13 year old though, I'm pretty sure. Just watch out. I have a 3 year old beagle, recently adopted. He seemed fine at the beginning but sometimes he snaps at my two younger brothers (and me) ages 4 and 8. You never know. Personally though, I'd get a bigger dog, as they'd be less fearful and hopefully be less aggressive later on.

Answer 2

Dogs are like people in that they each have a seperate and distinct personality of their own - one Maltese could be hyper and snippy, and it's litter mate could be mellow and cuddly. My experience with Maltese (I've had three) in general, though, is that they are high-maintenance dogs with a tendency to think they are the center of the universe and they mess in the house, bark a lot, chew on things they're not supposed to, and snap at fingers and toes accordingly. Two of my three were like this, the third was more mellow (not too barky or snippy) but still thought she was a princess. I worry that your 6-year-old might not have enough "dog savvy" to a) keep from getting hurt by the puppy and b) keep from hurting the puppy accidentally by being too rough or careless. Having had teenage younger brothers myself, I also worry that your 13-year-old brother may not be mature enough yet to treat a puppy as small as a Maltese with the delicacy necessary to avoid accidentally hurting it, and the "normal" Maltese behaviors may irritate him enough that he lashes out at the dog without thinking. This would not only hurt the dog, but would also probably make him feel bad when he calmed down and would also hurt your feelings/relationship toward your brother, too. Of course, your brother may be much better behaved than mine were, and would never try to stuff your dog in a sock (like mine did) or put ski-carrying straps around her middle and carry her like a suitcase (like mine did). I guess I would really recommend more of a "family" dog - I really wanted another Maltese this last time but with young children (mine are 10 and 14) I ended up going with a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, instead. Still small, still soft and cute, but much more willing to let someone else be the "alpha" dog/pack leader, more willing to please her pack/family, and WAY more mellow.

Answer 3

I have a malt, and I would say with any situation where children are in the house that you really need to know the situation of your house. Do your younger brothers know the right way to handle a small animal? Will they be considerate of it and it's smallness? Can they understand when the dog is trying to tell them its had enough of being picked up and held and patted? Or are they likely to miss those cues? Malts are pretty solid dogs compared to other toy breeds but they are still little guys and they need to be treated carefully because of it.

Because children aren't fully aware of how their actions affect a small animal you will probably find that many breeders will not adopt to families with children under a certain age.

As a final note, I would consider adopting a malt from a shelter or rescue. You will be helping a dog in need instead of risking a purchase from an unscrupulous breeder.

Answer 4

I was office manager in a vet clinic for a years. I would say..no.
For one thing, mix breed dogs are generally healthier. Maltese pups often have allergies and other issues. Any full breed dogs health and demeanor depends on honrable breeding methods,and that is something you simply cannot count on.
Pet store puppies are out.. thy are most often products of puppy mills and bad risks..

I would say go to the shelter and find a dog that will top out at a medium size.. maybe 40 pounds.. and it never hurts to have a little lab or golden. Those breeds are very kid friendly.

Beagles are very vocal..
Dogs from the working group require a fair amount of excercise to not become behavior problems. And with a couple of boys, including a 6 yr old, i would want a sturdy dog.

sites to check out before you get a dog.

http://www.petfinder.com/

http://us.eukanuba.com/eukanuba/en_US/jsp/Euk_Page.jsp?pageID=BS&paidkw&source=ps06



http://us.eukanuba.com/eukanuba/en_US/jsp/Euk_Page.jsp?pageID=BS&paidkw&source=ps06


http://www.petfinder.com/


and remember.. check your local shelter or rescue organizations.

Answer 5

Only if you have lots and lots of time to spend....they require lots of grooming.....and if the 6 year old lil brother is gentle...they are pretty small dogs.....

Answer 6

These dogs can be snappish with inconsiderate children and may be difficult to housebreak.
For more information on the breed:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/maltese.htm

Answer 7

yes..a super choice for kids..takes some grooming though