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Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Anna

Hi...I'm new to the maltese world...but i have been reading up on the breed...mainly in this site. I am 13 years old and love animals to death. I am friends with the breeder that I will be getting the puppy from and am confident that it will be a healthy dog. I am getting it for $50 because the friend of mine owes me a lot. I have a few questions to start out with and would be overjoyed if someone would answer them for me.Here they are:
1) Would it be okay to have my new puppy penned up in a laundry room with food...water...toys...and it's crate while I am at school from about 6:30am-2:50pm? The laundry room will be closed off with a baby gate and I am planning on setting up a radio in there so it hears human voices.
2) Will it be harder to housetrain a puppy if I am gone all day at school?
3) How much does it usually cost for obedience school? I am not rich...but would like to go to get my puppy in obedience school...and at what age to start my puppy in obedience school? I will take all suggestions on getting and training my new puppy. Thanx.

DISCUSSION:

Anna: I'm pretty new to the maltese world too. We have had our baby 17 mo. The town that we live in has different park activities and one of them was obedience training. The instructor wanted the dogs to be at least 6 mo. old and proof of shots. I think the cost was about $ 65.00 . Our little Skippy was the smallest in his class of Dobermans and Labs., he was also the best behaved ( I'm not biased ). The best thing to remember is to be patient and give them lots of love.
-Pam

Anna,I don't know if there is a PetSmart near you, but their basic obedience training is $49 for 5 sessions. Also check with your local humane society--ours here offers inexpensive courses. Your baby will need to have all its shots before it is safe to take him or her to school (and the school/trainer will want to see the certificate from your vet). Lucy was about 15 wk when I took her to school and she was the smartest baby there. You should be fine using a laundry room gated off to keep the baby safe when you are at school. Check the archives here for housebreaking information--there is a lot!--and also check Jay's home page because he has all kind of information that you will need there. Wait until you get your new baby and find out just how lucky you are to own and be owned by a Maltese. They are the best! Have a good time.
-cathy brown

Anna, I had a very similiar question (look below at No One Home During the Day) and received mostly positive responses about how it can work out fine to have a puppy and be gone for long periods of time. Also, look in the archives and at back at the website (the index on the left side of the screen). There's info. there about Separation Anxiety. Good luck with your new puppy!
-Sandy

Hello, Anna. It sounds like you will be a very good parent for your new puppy. In regards to baby gates, I do have one issue with them that I haven't seen discussed on this site, but I don't think Jazz could be that unusual. He would try to climb Mt. Everest if he was being left alone! The first time I left him in an exercise pen for a few hours, when I got home he met me at the front door, all tail-wagging and puppy-kisses, so glad I was home! It was quite a surprise. Next time, I put him in it and went to the next room and left the door open a crack to "spy" on him. I watched him climbing the up the pen...it was a tremendous effort for him, but he was so determined. I'm afraid a "climber" of the petite size of a Maltese could certainly injure itself with this kind of acrobatics. He also climbs baby gates. If I am in the same room with him he doesn't even try this maneuver, which is a good thing, because I needed to use the exercise pen to paper train him. Now, if I have to leave him alone, I put him in the bathroom with all his "stuff" and close the door. He doesn't like this one bit, but at least he hasn't tried to eat the door, or do anything else I would worry about. Anyone else have a climber?
-Marsha O & Jazz

Oh Marsha, I laughed and laughed. When Lucy was little, I was home most of the time and when I could took her with me to clients. But when I had to go without her, I wanted to be sure she was "safe" and in one spot. First I bought her a playpen. She chewed through the side of it and met me at the door when I got home. Then I did the baby gate in the kitchen door. I was going to be gone all day, so my son dropped by to check on her and walk her at lunchtime. He came in the house, saw the gate in place, but couldn't find Lucy anywhere in the kitchen. He called her and called her, walking through the house in a panic. She was sound asleep in the bathroom upstairs on a towel she'd pulled down. He put her back in the kitchen. When I got home, she was asleep on some dirty clothes on the floor of my closet. She hadn't done a thing in the house except find a paper towel in the trash that she'd pulled out and shredded. That was the last time I ever gated her and to this day I am not sure how she "escaped." Having read your post, I'm thinking that maybe she, too, is part mountain goat!!
-cathy brown

Thank you for all your help...If my little KC turns out to be a mountain goat then I will just start closing the door to the laundry room. Thank you all for your advice and information...and I will most likely be back with even more questions once i pick up KC on the 6th of September. Thanks again.
-Anna

Hi Anna!!! I am also 13. I got my puppy when I was 12. She is 8 months now. I found no problem housebreaking and going to school. She was taken outdoors while I was at school by my mother. If one of your parents doesn't stay home it might be wise to find someone to take her out to potty once or twice. Good Luck!! Jackie and Mika
-Jackie Florio

Hey Anna, I'm Nikki and I'm 13 also, I haven't gotten my bundle of joy yet and I can't wait. I think that putting your Maltese in the Laundry room is fine as long as you make sure she will be able to relieve him or herself if noone can take him out,and most importantly make sure you puppy-proof the room especially put away the laundry detergants to make sure your pup will be happy and safe when your gone.I was thinking of that too when I go to school in 9-3, but my father will be here and hopefully will take her out. Hope I was of any help. E-mail me sometime we can chat, BubzyBear aka Nikki
-Nikki