Considering a 2nd Maltese
by DeeDee
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Lucy is now 8 months old is just a wonderful little love ball. We are considering a 2nd Maltese for two reasons. We love the breed and would like to have a playmate for Lucy. John and my concerns are the usual. Has anyone gotten a 2nd Maltese and they do not ever get along? I know there is usually an adjustment period, but we're more concerned about permanent dislike. This is not a concern as much as curiosity - Is it any easier to housebreak a 2nd Maltese? Lucy was fairly difficult to housebreak, but she doesn't miss a beat now. Does a 2nd Maltese use any of the first Maltese behaviors as examples or are they all their own personalities?
DISCUSSION:
DeeDee: My Maltese Pete is 3 yrs. old and I adopted a 1 yr old Maltese a little over a month ago. It took Pete a little time to warm up to Ty but now they are best playmates. They run and play all the time. They both sleep in the bed with us (Pete lets Ty know were he can and can not sleep on the bed) They both are sweethearts, however they do have different personalities. Pete is the sweet and cuddly one who always looks at you as if to say, "Who me I wouldn't do that Mommie." and Ty is the mischevious one who always get caught, he does not like to cuddle as much as Pete (maybe because I did not raise him from a puppy and I am a real hugger - he's first Mommie kept him in a pen most of his life) About the potty training. This is just my experience and does not mean it will happen with you. Pete was an A++++++ student on his potty duties, but since Ty has come along Pete has been having(I do not call them accidents beause I know he knows better) He pee pee's on the floor, on the rugs and pooh pooh's too. I am trying to be patience I'm sure he will come around. Even with the little potty problem, having two Maltese is just double the pleasure, double the fun and double the love. Good luck on getting a 2nd baby.
Belle
DeeDee, I doubt very much if you would have any problem at all introducing another Maltese to Lucy. I feel the most important factor being the age of Lucy at 8 months old. Now if you were to say Lucy was 8 years old, I wouldn't be so adamant with my answer. Your post couldn't have come at a better time. Just yesterday we placed one of our 15 week old pups(female) with a couple that wanted to get their second Maltese. Their first being a 10 year old(female). The two people were real dog lovers, there was no mistake about that after meeting with them. They took the puppy home with them which was about a 4 hour drive where they would be introducing the new arrival to their 10 year old. I received a phone call this morning at 8AM from them asking if they could return the new puppy as it didn't go well at all. I of course told them it would not be a problem whatsoever. They just left a few hours ago and both were so heartbroken and the woman was in tears with uncontrollable crying. It wasn't a pleasant scene. They had bonded with this new puppy in that short amount of time (expected with a Maltese) and did not want to give it up but they felt they had no choice. I at first thought they didn't give it enough time but they later explained and I agreed wholeheartly that returning the puppy was best. What happened was within a few hours after meeting the new puppy, their 10 year old(Candy) had chewed her *own* tail completely bald, then started to chew the hair off her paws. She never let up snarling, growling and snapping at the new one. To keep the puppy safe, they put Candy in their bedroom. Candy proceeded to pee all over their bed(which they said she NEVER did before).
I think Candy being as old as she was just didn't want to share the love and undivided attention of her owners with the new puppy. I don't know if this whole situation could have been avoided if perhaps they were first introduced on "neutral" grounds instead of the home? Maybe Anne Hudson could comment on this.
Jay
I agree that things can get rough if the dog is older. When I got Clover, Ashes (mini Poodle) was 12 years & Soot (toy poodle) was 6. Soot and Clov hit it off from the *very* beginning...Ashes, being so old, growled & snarked alot. Now, Exactly 1 year later, she doesn't growl very much at all (but she growls to remind him she's the alpha...and she's a grouchy old lady!) and hasn't snarked for 6 or 7 months now. You have to give them time. And for the note, even after six years she growls at Soot, too!
Remeber, it is usally best to get the opposite sex of the dog you already have - less likly to fight (as if very many fur babes do!) Good Luck! ~Karen&Clover (For those who don't know, A "Snark" is a Snarl & a Bark mixed up in one very strange niose!)
Karen&Clover
I strongly disagree. I don't believe in a Maltese that the sex of the 2 has any bearing on whether they get along. I have seen all the possible combinations work out or not work. I think 2 females will get along just as well as 2 males or a male-female.
Now, if you have 2 males and a female, I have seen big "3 is a crowd" problems with that combination.
Jay
Hi! I have 2 maltese. One 1 year on July 4th and the other one is six months. Beau (the older) is like a cat in personality. He is very calm and mellow. Maisy is a nut. They wrestle constantly and it hasn't died down at all. They never seem to hurt eachother and are equally matched it seems. Also, they follow eachoother around the house and seem to want to be together. I love having two. My only concern is if the wrestling is ok. (Jay, what do you think?) They both get along great with my brother's female (4 yrs) lab. Go for it Dee Dee. Twice the fun!
Tricia
DeeDee, when we got our second maltese Munchkin was already five years old. It took maybe couple of weeks for her to warm up to Amber but now they are the best friends. They play, chase toys and sleep together. Have a great day!
Zeyneb
Bailey is a three year old female and Buddy is a one year old male. Like Belle's two Maltese, Bailey is sweet, cuddly and submissive, and Buddy is playful, dominant and sometimes a little stinker! They play tug of war with toys, and chase each other all over the house, it's really hysterical! Bailey usually tires out first and she will give Buddy the signals to leave her alone. Being a typical male though, he usually doesn't pick up on the signals, so she gets mad at him! About once a day, I have to separate them, just so they calm down a bit. But two are definitely twice the fun!
Ellyn
Hi y'all.....I'm baaaack! And glad to be!
Jay, not knowing (but suspecting)things about the relationship between the couple and their older Maltese makes it a little difficult to say whether things could have worked out or not. I definitely think you're right about meeting on neutral territory, but suppose this dog was a much coddled one and had never been around other dogs much. That would have a great bearing on the meeting. Moving the older dog to their room, while in our eyes was positive, more than likely added to the stress of the older one. Bringing the pup into the household and pretty much ignoring it while paying more attention to the older one is a way to get past a tense meeting, too. There are so many unknowns here that it's hard to say for sure. Knowledge and use of calming signals helps soooo much as I'm sure Gloria can attest to. I taught her about them and she says it really helped with Spanky. They're great for dog to dog and human to dog.
To answer the question though, I'd say that...yes...it could have worked in the hands of knowledgeable owners. Unfortunately though, that's not always the case.
anneh
| Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advise. |
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