New Owner -Maltese?

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New Owner -Maltese?
by Marg Lawson
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
New Owner -Maltese? I just acquired a Maltese crossed with a Shih Tzu (they think). I just got her from our Humane Society - maybe 9 mons old? Needs some training etc? They have no info on her at all but loves her belly to be tickled. What should I feed her etc? Would greatly appreciate any info. Thank you.

DISCUSSION:

Congrats on your new addition! I always applaude those who provide homes to the discarded babies at the local Humane Societies. My girl, Muffin, is a SPCA acquired Maltese cross and is my little darling. She looks 100% pure except for her leg length and weight (14 lbs.). I feed both she and Nicky (100% purebred) the same premium food. Most here would recommend that you seek out a premium food from a store such as PetsMart, etc. or a local pet shop the DOES NOT sell puppies/kittens. The brands are a bit more than the lesser grade, but well worth the money and go further too since they pack a bigger nutritional whaloop. Be sure to have your dog checked out by a reputable vet and get a clean bill of health. He/She may have a few suggestions re: foods for you. Good luck :-)
Tracy

Marg, First let me congratulate you on your new addition. I'm sure she will give you alot of love and affection. You will get alot of response from your question and alot of different opinions so choose from what you feel is right. First research everything Jay has on this site. It is very helpful and will answer alot of your question. As for me.....I am feeding my 7 mo old Buster IAMS Puppy food. When I got Buster I paper trained him but now he goes outside. It only took a month to train him. He is a fast learner. He can sit and shake already too. Good Luck and keep us posted.
Libby & Buster

Dear Marge; How nice for you to have a new little sweetie! The first thing you might want to think about is getting her to a vet right away. Find out how healthy your cutie is. Your vet will probably suggest some dogfood for small breeds. Like Proplan or Iams or something. You will want some small toys that can't be chewed up and get stuck. You will need a crate. (they Love their crates!) You will need little water bowls that won't tip over. And brushes and combs. Any a book on training. What fun! Shopping!

Read the archives. They are the fastest way to get knowledge on a lot of topics that can cause problems. But remember - for every problem listed, there are probably 100 happy doggs! Keep us posted on your progress!
valan

I feed my baby Authority dry lamb and rice mixed with Authority lamb and rice canned food{more dry than wet} Tasha is going to be 6mos. old in a couple of days. The only problem with Authority is it is sold only at Petsmart. My Vet is into Iams, which I'll probley swith her when she goes to adult food as Petsmart is to far for me to go for dog food. I would try to stick to mostly dry food. Hope this helps.
Dottie