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Looking for advice
We are curious about differents "flavors" such as toys, standards, etc. or are they all pretty much the same size. How are they with other pets (e.g. cats, goldfish, alligators, etc.) Is it hard to keep their hair short? Any other advice is solicited and appreciated in advance!
We haven't visited any breeders yet, because we have so many questions to ask prior to wasting anyone's time.
by emptybox
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Maltese range in size from 4-7 pounds when full grown (larger weights are not uncommon in pet quality though). Mine loves cats, ignores fish, barks at hampsters but will leave them alone as trained, and tolerates other dogs. He has never met an alligator, and I hope he never does! I may be a bit biased, but I think they are about the best pets a person could possibly hope to own or be owned by. To keep the hair short requires clipping about every 6-8 weeks (some do it themselves, others use a professional groomer), and daily brushing helps keep them from getting matted. Check out the directory on this site for lots of information, and even some survery results. The archives is also a good source.
Aimee
Well, first things first, you must know that these are high-maintenance doggies! They needs lots of brushing (I brush twice a day), cuddling (constant), and are definitely house doggies! They are also prone to eye stains, which take a lot of work to keep clean (washing two - three times per day). Regarding standards, check the menu on the home page. You need to be weary of who you purchase your little guy from. I will admit that we were not the best informed people when we began our search. We just got lucky and didn't end up with with a 15 pounder with a cotton coat! Not that the bigger doggies are any less lovable, but they just aren't to standard and a cotton coat can be extremely hard to keep up - they get matted no matter what you try to avoid the problem. Go with a reputable breeder, not just out of a newspaper. Ask your local vet. Read everything on this site that you possibly can and then go from there! Also -- you shouldn't be embarrassed to tell your guy buddies that you fell in love with an adorable fluff-ball! My husband, is a big, stocky guy and he loves our little Sophie to death! He puts her in the arm rest of his pickup truck and they romp around all over town together! Good luck!
Carrie
Hi! No, maltese are NOT good with alligator's!! I'm hoping that was a misprint! From what I've heard they are good with cats. As far as size, you would have to talk to a breeder and see what the parent's weigh and base their approximate adult weight on that. I have three maltese and they are all different in size. My oldest is 2 years 8 mo.'s and weighs 6 pounds. My second oldest is 1 year 4 mo.'s and weighs about 4 pounds. My youngest is 5 months old and weighs almost 2 pounds. As far as their hair - it is not hard to keep short. You can have the dog taken to a groomer and get a puppy cut. Or you can learn how to groom the dog yourself. Since I have three it saves me a lot of money doing them at home instead of paying a groomer to cut them. Good Luck!
Angel
First of all you need to research this whole site....Jay has lots of great info on the Maltese that will be very useful...A Maltese is a very loving and smart dog and requires lots of attention. Good Luck in whatever decision you make.
Libby & Buster
Dear Empty, go to the archives on this site and spend about three hours reading it and you'll get more information and advice than you can shake a stick at. Get some books about this breed and try reading one or two. As far as keeping their hair short, how hard is it to keep your own hair short? It's about the same with a Maltese. Maltese play with cats, eat fish and are eaten by alligators, does that answer your questions? Maltese keeping is a serious business. Read the archives! By the way, what does your hair look like if you don't brush or comb it every day?
full of it
My wife and I have a Maltese. At first I felt pretty funny walking "Lexie". She's small and cute, I'm not. I also thought I was the only guy who ever accessed this web site. Maltese are great dogs. Smart, loyal, clean etc. Grooming can be a chore if the hair is left long. However you need not keep it long.
David/NY
As you'll no doubt hear repeatedly on this forum, Maltese is an incredible breed! Maltese is a toy breed. The Maltese standard is 4 to 6 lbs. They don't shed, are wonderful companions who require human companionship (so plan to spend a lot of time with them), are very bright, loving and beautiful! I have two maltese and love them very much! Good luck and keep us posted!
Sandy (Shelby & Nikki)
We have two malteses. They are great pets and very good with each other, considering Amber came to home when Munchkin was already 6 years old. We keep our dogs short "puppy cut" this works out great. Like others mentioned they are between 4 to 7 lbs. But our Munchkin is 9 lbs. so we always have to watch her diet carefully. On the other hand, Amber is only around 5 lbs. (almost 2 years old). So they vary sometimes. Let us know your decision and good luck.
Z.P.