- I dont think you are being overcautious and here is why. About
2 years ago I sold a little boy, about 10 weeks old, very playful
eating well, fully weaned, no problems in all that time. The
family had a child about 6. All other children grown. They were
given all the usual instructions about care including being
careful not to drop or step on him. One day later i get a call
that he had a seizure. Thought it might be low blood sugar and
advised to give some nutracal that i had provided for that purpose.
Still had seizures. took to their vet (in very rich area of LA)
not that it matters, vet did all kinds of tests and I spoke to
him. Could find nothing obvious, but finally admitted to me
(quietly) that the puppy had probably suffered some sort of an
accident shortly after going home with them. The final result
was the puppy had to be put down. I refunded the purchase price
and they had a big vet bill. A bad situation for everyone. So
I have decided Ill never go through that again, and dont sell to
buyers who have small children, of course there are cases where
the family has had other maltese,etc. and the children are exper
ienced in handling small puppies, but if it doesnt seem safe to
you dont do it. Sorry this is so long.
Pam
- I agree with Pam, and heartily endorse your decision NOT to
place one of your babies into a situation with which
you are not comfortable. We have also had a similar experience
where we allowed a smaller pup to go into a home where there
were two young girls (about ages 7 and 10). The parents had another
dog (Yorkie about 5 lbs full grown) which had "survived" the two children
through its puppyhood, already. We decided to take the chance - the parents
were obviously able to afford to provide care to the animal and their Yorkie
was in great health and condition - physically and mentally.
About a month after acquiring the pup we were called and asked if
there was any history of Epilepsy in our "line". When interrogated
the woman told us the pup was brought to her by her daughter and it
was having a seizure. Their vet could find nothing wrong and, when
assured by the Lady that the pup had not been dropped or eaten rat poison or
something like that, announced that it could be Epilepsy and to notify the
Breeder. It has now been several months since the incident and we've called
a couple of times to insure the pup was fine - and she is fine. The child
HAD to have dropped the pup or simply allowed it to fall off of the bed.
You must only be true to your own convictions on this issue. Perhaps you
could retire an adult Maltese into a situation like this where the animal is
much more likely to be able to fend for itself or at least place an older
and larger Maltese into a home with smaller children. We are reluctant to
place out extremely tiny pups (expected to be under 4 pounds at full
maturity) in ANY home with children under the age of ten or twelve depending
on the situation.
Go with "gut instinct" as it usually serves one well. If you had to ask the
question then you were evidently not comfortable with the idea. You can
always feel that you made the right choice when your decision doesn't gnaw
at you on the inside, afterward. Our best friend tried to help a nice couple
locate a nice quality Maltese since she didn't have anything readily
available. The couple ended up traveling to a "flea market" and buying a
female Maltese from "dog alley" - I think the Research Labs shop for
specimens here, also. They were so proud that they only spent $400 for their
precious little girl compared to the prices of the local Breeders. Two days
after getting it home the dog developed Parvo and died quickly. Now these
same people are again asking my friend to locate another dog. My friend has
told them that they need to wait at least five or six months for the Parvo
bacteria to "die" so a new pup would not be at risk and she's promised to
help them locate a pet within that time frame. The are mad because they cant
have that "instant gratification". Jay, would you sell them a dog under any
other terms ? You know they will probably go somewhere else and buy a dog
rather than wait. Isn't this a lot like the situation with small children ?
Why would you EVER place one of YOUR BABIES "into harm's way" willingly -
regardless of the nature of the "HARM". Sorry also to be so long. MALTESE RULE !!!!!
Larry & Angie Stanberry - Divine Maltese
- Jay, let me first start by saying that I have a tremendous respect
for your knowledge & expertise regarding Maltese. Additionally,
I feel the same regarding Larry Stanberry & other breeders who I rely on to
give sound advice on this page. I too have small children (ages 2 & 5) &
was unable to obtain a Maltese through a breeder. I too had contacted you
via email. Since I love the breed and wanted a small dog who would not
intimidate the children, I wouldn't settle for any other breed. Believe me I
took the breeders advice very seriously. After serious consideration & only
obtaining the puppy knowing that I am home full time with the children &
that they would never be left alone with the dog. I too was left with the
only other option (hesitantly) of a "pet shop". Jay, these animals are
aboslutely fragile and I agree whole heartedly with your caution. Our children are under constant supervision when they are with Pepper. Our two year old is not allowed to
pick up the dog & our 5 year old can only pick him up, if myself or husband
are there to support her should she have difficulty. I am constantly
careful where I step as not to accidently step on him... adults can be just
as harmful to this puppy as children. While the majority of people may not
be able to be home fulltime & supervise their children, I do believe there are those people who are genuinely concerned about the puppies well being & would certainly not put
it in harms way. I suppose it is a judgement call that I am sure is
understandably very difficult for a breeder to make. I would never allow my
children to be alone with a babysitter that in anyway would be harmful to my
child & I am sure you feel the same way about your "children".
Lydia/Pepper
- Well said - I only wish, as I'm sure the other breeders do also,
that more prospective puppy owners would exhibit the same caution
as you obviously do. Every situation is different and, as I related
to Jay, as long as you feel in your own heart that you are doing
the right thing then go ahead. Your situation is different than most,
however, as you personally supervise the children with the dog at
all times - but, it only takes an instant of inattention to allow
that opportunity for disaster - and only You, as a parent, know the
level to which your own children to use prudent judgment at all times
while handling their pet. Hooray for you, Lydia, but I still dont
trust most of those "other parents".
Larry Stanberry - Divine Maltese
- I can sure empathize with you but no, I certainly do not feel
you were overly cautious. I agree with everyone else who has
responded so far.
I can't begin to recall all of the horror stories I've heard, directly
and indirectly, about children and small breeds, particularly
our favorite breed. Yes, there are valid and acceptable exceptions
to the rules and Lydia and Larry have pointed out two. In general,
I think your rules, or guidelines shall we say, are highly
justifiable.
As has been quite evident from reading this forum for the past
several months, responsible breeders such as yourself are not
into this for the money but for the love of the breed. Would
you really, with your gut reaction, place one of your loved
ones in harms way?
I think you are REALLY concerned about promoting pupply mills.
Jay, you can educate and even preach from time to time but
some actions are just bound to happen. If these people are
insistent about purchasing from a pet store, even after you've
told them about the dangers, just how conscientious do you think
these people would be about caring for your little one? (Keeping
in mind that there are exceptions from time to time.) I think
that the safety of your little one, both physically and
mentally, is the most important thing here. You will be able to
continue to fight the puppy mill war on another day. Today you
fought for and won the battle to protect your "baby". And just
think, if you placed your puppy with an inappropriate party, the
RIGHT part would be denied the pleasure of his/her companionship.
Tonya
- I am not a breeder but I'd like to put in my 2 cents worth. 2 years ago we
purchased a Maltese from a pet store(didn't know any better at the time) and
our 2 daughters were 5 and 7 at the time. Our daughters were very well
behaved "most" of the time. The weather was nice one day and we would put
our Maltese out in the yard under a shady tree on days such as these. I was
busy in the house when I heard our Maltese crying and yelping. I went to the
window and couldn't believe my two "little angels" were throwing apples from
the tree at our pet. I of course punished them for their actions and placed
our Maltese with a relative as I could no longer trust my children with him
after what they had done.
I asked my oldest daughter who is 9 now if she'd remember what she had done
and she said yes and feels very bad about. I then asked her "why did you do
this" and she replied "I don't know, I thought it was fun at the time".
What I am trying to say is no matter how well behaved, kids will
be kids. I would advise anyone contemplating of getting a small toy breed
such as a Maltese to think long and hard before jumping into it.
I strongly agree with you both Jay & Bev on your policy concerning children
and have the utmost respect for you both for taking the initiative to follow
through with such a responsible decision that you have been forced to make.
Dr. Alexander Haley
- I agree with Jay. My mom has raised Maltese since before I was born, so as
a young child I was "trained" to not hold them unless I was sitting on the
floor, not to pull their hair, and that they were fragile. I would not
recommend anyone purchasing a Maltese as a first dog, or even if they
already have a dog if they have young children. Children who are young that
aren't raised in a "doggy" environment don't understand how they can hurt a
little Maltese. Especially a small puppy. I commend the mother
who has young children and managed to keep an eye on them all the time with
the dog, but I don't think any parent can say that they can keep an eye on
them every second, and it only takes a second to drop a dog and crash their
head on the floor. Jay, as much as we love our breed and want others to
enjoy in our fondness of these little dogs, I do not think you are being
overcautious. If they want a Maltese badly enough, they should be
concerned with quality and be willing to! wait. And if they're not, you
can't hold yourself responsible for it. I would love to go into every
puppy mill and shut it down, and go to every pet store and buy all the
Maltese there and take care of them, but unfortunately I can't. I think
you are doing what you can do by being a concientous breeder and running
this website to educate people on the dangers of pet stores and puppy
mills.
Taram
- I received the same phone call from the man in New Jersey this morning. He
was looking to buy a 10-15 pound Maltese. After explaining a little about
the breed standard, I recommended he consider another breed. I agree 100%
with the previous posts, and feel strongly homes with children that age
should wait until purchasing a maltese. I also do not sell a Maltese under
the age of 12 weeks of age. The clubs I have membership with states this as
part of their "Code of Ethics," and I am also in total agreemen t with this
policy.
Linda Coleman - Lin-Lee Maltese
- You've already gotten so many messages supporting your stance
that you really don't need another. However, I'd like to add
an experience of mine to the list. My Lucy is an absolute delight
and loves everyone and vice versa. I live in a townhome community
and, of course, there are many children living here. When Lucy
was about 5 or 6 mos old (and about 5 lbs), my nextdoor neighbor's
6=yr old daughter asked if she could hold her. At the time, the
child was sitting on the porch and, of course, I was right there
with Lucy. So I put Lucy on the little girl's lap and they were
both loving it. In the flash of an eye, one of the other kids
in the neighborhood yelled to this little girl to come over to
play and she leaped up, dropping Lucy right out of her lap and
onto the porch. I was hysterical. Fortunately, Lucy was okay, but
it could have been a disaster. The upshot of this is that I NEVER
let any of the kids in the neighborhood do more than pet Lucy whil
I hold her or when she is standing firmly on the ground. And when
Lucy sees this particular child, she immediately lies down, rolls
over on her back and will not let the child do more than scratch
her belly. Because Lucy is such a charmer, another of my neighbors
who want to buy a puppy were considering a Maltese. They have
a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old and I told them NOOOOO!! Either wait
or get a larger dog. So don't be thinking YOU are the one with
the problem. You are absolutely on target about this. Stick to
your guns.
By the way, thanks so much for maintaining this board. I know it
probably requires lots of work from your end, but it is so full of
good information and clearly everyone appreciates it.
Cathy Brown
- Jay, I do not think you are being overcautious but I do think there
are situtations where children under 10 can do fine with a small
puppy. My daughter was 8 when we got our Maltese. She has been
taught how to hold and care for our puppy. The only person who
has come close to dropping Sassie was my mother-in-law. However
every home is different. I have friends with a yorkie that have
three children, 8, 5 & 1. The poor dog is draged, pulled, thrown
and droped on a regular bases. How he has surived I do not know.
I do not allow friends of my daughter to pick up our puppy and I
always watch when they are in my home. If you could meet the
family and see how the parents respond to the children and how
the children obey the parents you can get a better idea a what
the care will be like in the home.
I would never feel confortable with a small puppy in a home with
toddlers or pre-schoolers, but a 7, 8, or 9 year old child could
in the right conditions be perfect for a puppy.
As a footnote. We had a small Maltese puppy die of a seizure
in January. The puppy had a large open fontanel(almost 3/4 an
inch long and 1/2 an inch wide). My vet recommended returning
the puppy but I could not bring myself to do it. I was holding
the puppy when he had the seizure so I know he was not dropped.
There was pressure on the brain because his head had been swollen
eariler in the day. This experience has made my husband,
daughter, and I extra careful as we all know the heartbreak of
losing a puppy. We also now know the problems you run into when
buying a Maltese through anyone other than a true breeder.
ChrisL
- A maltese puppy plain and simple is much too fragile for a small
child to treat as one of their toys. If you placed one in a home
and something happened, you would never forgive yourself for going
against your intuition. Its nice to see people that care enough
to take a stands such as you have.
Carole
- I definitely understand your concerns, but disagree. It's like saying you
can only have children 10 yrs. apart because a younger child might hurt the
new baby. Any responsible parent teaches, coaches and monitors the
interaction between new siblings. That is how th introduction of any new
puppy should be handled when children of any age are present. We keep our 3
and 6 year old nephews over weekends and have no problems with their
interaction with our 3 1/2 month old Maltese puppy. They are used to a 100#
Yellow Lab at their house, but understand that our puppy is like a new baby.
Lefty
- We would like to thank all who took the time to voice their opinion. We feel much better now to know that we are exercising the right amount of caution and will continue to do so in the future.
Jay & Bev Bianco
