Does a good breeder ship their dogs?

Question

I am planning on buying a Maltese, what are the things that I have to beware of? What are the main difference between teacup Maltese and a standard one? Is it hard to take care of? How do I know the Maltese is a teacup and not a tiny sick puppy?

Answer 1

Visit akc.org for breed info. Don't adopt without meeting both the pups ,the mating pair and the breeder. Responsible breeders do not adopt to people they do not meet and should be asking just as many questions as the purchaser.

Answer 2

For one... a Maltese is a Maltese there is no teacup Maltese.

You ask if a good breeder ship their dogs. I am not saying all breeders that ship their dogs are bad. I just choose not to do that. I feel if you want my dog bad enough you will come and get it or at least meet me half way. Never will I ship a dog. A lot of people does.

Please make sure your dog is AKC register and that both parents are and NEVER leave with out the litter register. AKC is very good about getting the papers to the breeder.

My advice to you would find a breeder close to you..and not to fall for a breeder telling you it is a teacup. They might have a runt in the batch, but not a teacup. NO such thing.

Answer 3

You don't really know for sure do you? One thing to be aware of is breeders who ship their dogs may be trying to scam you. They could take your money and you would never see a puppy at all. Its always best to see the dog in person, and ask the proper questions before ordering. Oh and one more thing...There is no such thing as a 'teacup Maltese.' Unknowledgeable breeders use this cutesy phrase as a 'marketing term' for the smallest Maltese, but in reality, there is only one Maltese breed, ranging from about 2 pounds up to about 10 pounds.

You do NOT want a Maltese under 3 or 4 pounds, no matter how cute it is. These individuals are great risks in the health department. Their bones are fragile, there is not enough room in their mouth for healthy teeth, and their internal organs are often very weak.

They tend to have lots of health problems and great difficulties
regulating their blood sugar. Often they live a few years and then
their owners wake up one morning and find them dead in their baskets from sudden heart or other organ failure.
To make matters worse, some breeders actually charge MORE for these high-risk Maltese. There are breeders on the Internet taking advantage of naive buyers with prices of $1000, $1500, $2000 for "teacup" Maltese. Don't be taken! Stick with Maltese who will be 4 pounds and up at maturity. And don't pay more than $400 or $500.

"We as human beings have coined the term "Smaller sounds easier than huge, right?" Well, Not really. While they won't break your teeth, they may break their own legs hopping off the bed or getting caught in a door by mistake. Stepping on any tiny breed can cause serious injury to the dog. Trying to avoid stepping on one can cause injury to you. They are prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and dehydration because they are so small. A bout of diarrhea inconsequential for a normal-sized pup can mean hospitalization for a 'teacup' puppy.
Dental problems are also significant, with retained puppy teeth and rotting adult teeth needing surgical attention. Again, their charms more than outweigh their downfalls, but anyone contemplating an extreme size should be aware of what they are getting into. Basically, the ancestors of the dog were 35-45 pound wolves with pointed noses, erect ears, short coat and long tail. The further you get from that general model either in size or shape, the more trouble problems you are likely to discover."

I am a dog-loving person, and I am active in an animal rescue
groups and groom dogs on the side for family and friends, but I am not a veterinarian. Please do not regard the material
I have posted above as a substitute for advice from a veterinary
professional. Please seek a vets opinion before you get a small and medically weak breed such as the so called toy or teacup variety breeds.

Answer 4

Well, things you should be aware of when looking online are:

-Breeders who will only accept Western Union as a form of payment. It is very risky for you to pay that way, as it is almost impossible to trace.

-Breeders who can't offer up many pictures and descriptions of the parents of the pup as well as the pup itself. Ask for diffreent poses, or to have something placed next to the puppy and/or parents like a soda can. It helps to weed out those that are posting stolen pictures of other puppies.

-Ask about where the parents are housed, and where they house the puppies and nursing mommy. they should be able to tell you, and be ware of those that keep them strictly in kennels. You want to see breeders that have the parents kept as more house pets than money makers.

-Ask the breeder how often they breed their females, and then ask the age of the mother of the puppies as well as what number litter this is for her. A responsible breeder will not have puppies having puppies or have the females getting pregnant more than once a year.

Breeders who ship puppies are not bad breeders in my opinion. It is safe to ship puppies.

If you're looking at a breeder local to you, the same applies as far as what I wrote above, but instead of requesting pictures and such ask to see the parents when you vist..and obviously the puppies as well.

The main difference between a teacup Maltese and a standard Maltese is the size. A teacup will be almost half the size of a standard Maltese. It is not hard to take care of, but it does mean taking time, and making the puppy a priority as far as potty training and obedience training. You will have a reckless dog that does it's business all over your house when it feels like it if you don't take the time up front to establish a schedule for the puppy, and make sure you show it who is the master!

Answer 5

Teacup Maletese do NOT exist. It's a backyard breeders way of selling you a runt. There is no such thing as a "standard" Maltese either, just a maltese. Don't ever buy a dog from a "breeder" who claims it is a teacup.

Answer 6

There is no such thing as a Teacup maltese. Breeders who use this term are trying to sell you an undersized puppy. This is unethical and how they make a buck. The average sized maltese is the only one the AKC recognizes.

A good breeder would not sell a puppy to a person without meeting you and you should never buy a puppy without seeing it first.

Answer 7

I agree with the shelter answer, you can get a dog that is trained, you know what you are getting and get to "test drive" it first by visiting the shelter and walking it and interacting with it. The shelters are not full of angry biting dogs, those dogs are not put up for adoption. Great care is taken to socialize them and they are good dogs who really need homes. I had always gotten my dogs at the shelter but did not take my own advice with the last one i got.....
We did have it flown, breeder said she did it all the time and the dogs were fine....well this one wasn't....we spent over 1200 to get the dog, have it flown here and pen and so on...it was the worst dog I have ever had, I kept her for 8 months and couldn't take it anymore.....she was not trainable and I think it was the flight that messed her up, that is clearly just my opinion. I took her to our shelter, paid them to take her, felt really bad, but they assured us that through their "meet your match" program, they would find her a good home....the main thing was she hated our cat, and the cat, 12 years old, obviously was not going anywhere. So it's kind of a crap shoot when you get it from a breeder and many times they are just puppy mills......older dogs are much much easier than puppies too...it's just my opinion, but why not at least visit your local shelter first...you might just find your match!!!!!

Answer 8

Yes, many good breeders ship their dogs. Today you could not get a decent dog without some kind of shipping involved. I get all my dogs out of Europe, and I get several a year, that would involve a lot of travel. They are shipped to me from a breeder I know and trust and I have never had any problems. The key is to know the person or to at least have others who know them. There are breeders out there that have been around for years and they have produced some great dogs. These people are always happy to give you references of their dogs and customers. As far as papers go, I could care less either way. I have NEVER registered a dog with the AKC because I think of them as the bottom of all registries. They only want your money. If the dog is what you wanted, then you have a good dog and AKC papers do not prove anything.

Answer 9

You never want to buy a puppy sight unseen. A good breeder would never sell a puppy to someone they haven't met.

You want to see at least the mother of the puppy, hopefully both parent dogs. You want to see the family tree for both parents to be sure that they aren't related. You want to see what the environment was like that the puppy was born into. I.e. a filthy cage or a whelping box in someone's house.

If the mother and father dog are happy well adjusted dogs, then the puppy's will be too. If the mother and father are related, the puppy will be a mental mess.

Answer 10

The people you are buying it from will help you, they should know if its a teacup or not...Good luck and have fun!! Watch your shoes!

The guy above me does have a good point...there are a lot of dogs out there that need owners...I just got a Miniature Yorkie from a local shelter and he is the cutest thing in the world!!! And he was free...they are usually really expensive!!