Cross Breeds

maltese puppies?

my family is thinking of adopting a maltese puppy that is currently 2 months old. i already have two dogs [a mutt and a cocker spaniel, both small and well-behaved] but i never adopted a maltese before. i research some info on malteses but i think i need more. any tips?

Public Comments

1. http://www.malteseonly.com/ http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/maltese.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_(dog) http://adopt-a-maltese.1-800-save-a-pet.com/ http://www.petfinder.com/
2. I have a cocker spaniel and my mom grooms dogs and we get some malteses, they are really good to each other, I'm not sure about the other dog though but I'm sure it would be ok. i would think more about three dogs though we have 3 and they get a little out of hand in the house, there is poop and pee every morning (we have them in a cage outside now though dont worry its nice but i still think its mean) and one stays inside. i really would think it over.
3. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/maltese.htm http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/breeds/1100167/ Please consider adoption =] Petfinder.com
4. I dont think you completely understand just how small maltese dogs are - esp. at 8 weeks. Maltese dogs dont have the best skeleton structure, they are easily "damaged". I have a 6 month maltese puppy who recently dislocated and fractured his shoulder from jumping off a couch that was 30cm high. He had no congenital problems, was from a registered breeder, came with papers etc etc. My dog is not an exceptional case, there are plenty of horror stories around, just check out some of the forums listed above. The bottom line is that maltese are very fragile. Most reputable breeders will not sell puppies to families with young children for the same reason. A cocker spaniel is huge in comparison to a maltese. If you do want a cute white, little dog, go for a bichon frise, they have much better bone structure than maltese. As a matter of fact, it might interest you to know that the maltese actually descended from the bichon. Go figure.