How active will she be?

[LJSquishy]

Even though Maltese are small, they can actually build up their stamina and go quite a distance over time. You just have to slowly build up to it. The others are right, your little one will let you know when they are done! Keep an eye out for lots of panting (which is their way of sweating), allow lots of breaks for fresh water especially at first, and make sure the paw pads aren't wearing raw...this can happen easily if you walk a lot on sidewalks at first.

[Lacie's Mom]

As Stacey said -- you will want to complete her entire vaccination schedule before you take her out, but once she's finished with that, Malts do pretty well with long walks.

As others have said, mine let me know when they're tired of walking and want me to pick them up and carry them -- but they really enjoy going on the walks so don't ask to be picked up until they're truly too tired to continue.

You're going to have so much fun with your new fluff. I'm sure you're anxious for her to be old enough to come home.

[BellaNotte]

I think she would be fine as long as she has all her shots, and has been checked by the vet to make sure she is healthy . Maltese have a lot of energy, and I've noticed that my Cici actually can tolerate more physical activity than my friend's Shih Tzu. They still have their limits though, and a young puppy should not get too much physical exercise (even playing) because they could get hypoglycemia, and it's a really scary thing.

Some signs to see when your fluff is too tired can be her slowing down, panting, breathing harder, and sometimes their head kind of droops. It is very important to know when they are too tired because sometimes fluffs want to please their people to the point where they will keep going if the person keeps going, even if they are tired. (some dogs actually stop walking, but not all). I'm no expert though, this is just my opinion and what i've read .

When I take Cici on walks, every time I see her sticking her tongue out for more than a minute, I stop under a shade, give her water, and a minute or two to relax, then when she's ready to go she usually just starts walking on her own .

There's some slings here:
Dog Carriers
Small dog carriers and pet totes
(they're quite pricey in this website, but it's just to get an idea of the different types) I'm not sure if these would be comfortable for you in hikes though.

I think if you're worried about size, you could just get the size that would fit her when she is an adult, depending how much she is estimated to weigh, and if it's too big for her now as a puppy, you could just stuff it with some blankets to take up the extra space

Please share pictures when you get her!

[italianna82]

Thanks so much for the feedback, everyone! I am really excited to bring her home. Two months away feels like an eternity, but she'll be worth the wait. It's funny that with one picture, you can fall totally in love..I'm in big trouble when I finally meet her..hehe!
I will most likely buy the Fundle for her and just carry it with me in case she gets tired and may just switch back and forth so she's getting breaks. I know my friends chihuahua won't walk more than 5 feet, so I want to try to avoid letting her get THAT spoiled

[nwyant1946]

I've been walking Mia around the block (our blocks are kind of long) around 8am and then again around 3pm when I give the cats their treat. That way they can eat in peace..and she's getting the hang of the routine quickly. The cats eat and she gets to walk..LOL But is twice in one day too much for her. She's three years old and weighs about 6 lbs.