If thay are any owners of a maltese dog or someone who knows alot about these dogs , i would be very greatfull for your honest opinon on the dogs GOOD points & BAD points, health...temp...etc, as i am considering getting one for the Wife! but i need has much detailed information on these dogs which some sites dont give the real side to owning these beautifull dogs. I am worried that these dogs are know to be a jealous! & only stick to one person! thus becoming snappy! is this true or not? i dont fancy a dog inbetween me & my wife in bed at night!! :-)
Thanks !
2007-01-09 10:25:26 · 7 answers · asked by JOHN G 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
First thing about Maltese that's important, they don't shed. Basically this makes them as close to hypo-allergenic as possible. They often have a big dog attitude in a little dog body, but are also able to carry it off as often they are true "alphas". They are very smart, very loving, and make a great pet.
2007-01-09 10:31:30 · answer #1 · answered by David L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maltese are like all little dogs that tend to be carried everywhere. By carrying them you are unknowing putting them higher up the pack and they see every one lower than themselves. If you get one make sure you have as much interaction with it as your wife will. Share the feeding and training. If you allow it on the furniture, occasionally pick it up and put it on the floor and then sit in it's place. Just as an alpha leader would in the wild. Always eat B4 you feed the dog even if it's just a biscuit. Like in the wild it's always the alpha that eats first.
2007-01-09 10:45:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We never had any problems with our maltese that we had. Health wise we didn't really have any trouble with her. She had a hernia and we would of lost her when she got older. They don't do anathesia very well. Our maltese would roam the house at night and check in on everyone through out the night when we where sleeping.
And as far as a dog inbetween you and your wife that is something you teach the dog. You teach it that its place is on the floor. Not on the bed.
2007-01-09 10:34:13 · answer #3 · answered by Brandi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My maltese lived for 16 years, the smaller the dog the longer their life. She only weighed 5 pounds her entire life. A lot are born or become deaf (b/c of their small size, their ear canals can become easily infected but the owners will not know about the infection in time to heal him/her properly. Poor things become deaf from the infection.) Deafness in a maltese is not as bad as it seems for them or for you, trust me, it's very easy to live with a deaf poochie. Also, they "cry" red goop from their eyes almost every day. Don't know why, it's just their nature. It's not dangerous but looks gross and you'll have to clean it up with a tissue. They also might develop bad hips b/c of their tiny size. It's usually pretty manageable and the hips should slip back into their socket on their own, it's pretty manageable for them. They must be groomed often, as their natural fur length is floor length, so they either need a short haircut on a regular basis or a good bath and combing out. You need to brush their fur regularly to avoid it becoming matted, which is very painful for them when being brushed out Be careful of their teeth health too, they are tiny and need to be cared for regularly.Those are the "bad" things that might occur.
Malteses are LAP DOGS and toy dogs. Lap dogs MUST, at all times, touch a human! It's odd. They must lie on the pillow behind you on the couch, or next to you, or on your lap, or on your bed (don't you dare move your legs though, they will growl at you!!) or anywhere. Notice how Liz Taylor's maltese is always always on her lap, even in her wheelchair?? LOL. They were born to be held and touched often and will demand to be touching you when you are at rest. They will spin in circles for you to greet you, even if you've only left the house for 60 seconds. They will become depressed when they see suitcases in the house, meaning they know that one of you is leaving-they really get depressed! They are extremely smart (most of the time!!) and never forget a thing. They are very silly in the sense of trying to "attack" a huge mean dog on their walks b/c malteses do not realize just how tiny they are to other dogs-they really think that they are gigantic pit bulls!!! They are extremely affectionate but they are needy for affection and touch. Their health should be pretty perfect like I said, the smaller the dog the longer they tend to live, meaning less health problems early on in life.
I miss my maltese terribly and cannot wait for the day I am able to have another one in my life. Buy your wife one and teach the dog not to get jealous of either of you (as you would for any dog or a child) or of her and your life will be so much fun and happy with a maltese around. Buy one, you won't regret it!!!
2007-01-09 10:53:38 · answer #4 · answered by Krissy 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
some do become snappy but being a pet groomer and working with a lot of these dogs i can say that many toy breeds become snappish if the behavior is tolerated. if you train consistently from the beginning you'll have a wonderful pet. has anyone told you about the tear staining/saliva staining almost all white dogs have? please let me know if you have more questions or i can help further.
2007-01-09 10:43:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This site is amazing for dog breed info. http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/dogbreeds/index.html They give the good nad the bad about the breed, incredibly honest about all breeds.
2007-01-09 10:32:32 · answer #6 · answered by Heather L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Didn't you know that they are low to the ground.
2007-01-09 10:32:35 · answer #7 · answered by Jorge's Wife 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋