# Help & direction in adding a Maltese to our family



## Miaomeng (Jun 28, 2011)

I am beginning to do research now, though we do not plan on adding a Maltese to our family until 2012, unless the perfect Maltese for us finds us somehowB).

A, a little about us: I live with my 7 year old daughter and our 4 cats (ages 11-15) in a house with a large yard in Arlington, MA (a suburb north-west of Boston). My daughter plays piano and does Ballet and Karate. I work as an Office Manager for a global financial firm. 

Until April 2010, we lived happily with our 5 year old Australian Shepherd (with whom I earned her CGC and RN titles) and our 3 year old Irish Setter (earned her first leg of JH title with me). When my ex-husband and I divorced, he took both dogs with him (I pray every day for those dogs). 

Needless to say, there is a huge hole in mine and my daughter's hearts right now. But we are looking on the bright side of this as a chance to evaluate our lifestyles so that we get a dog that is right for us and our personalities. After much online and book research, we have narrowed it down to a Maltese.

Here are a few of our starter questions:
1) Are there any distinctive personality differences between males & females or is it dependent on the litter?
2) Are there any good breeders in New England, New Jersey or New York?
3) What are the average prices for a Maltese? (we know this will be a huge range, but knowing helps)

At this time, we are solely thinking of a good companion family pet. We are looking forward to the daily grooming and fully intend to keep our Maltese groomed in full show coat. We will do puppy kindergarten and rally and obedience training (as we did with our other dogs) at the New England Dog Training Club in Cambridge, MA.

Any guidance and assistance any of you can provide will be graciously accepted.

Thank you!

Heather & Adriana


----------



## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

Hi Heather and Adriana,
You have come to the right place. My first suggestion to you is to do what I did. Google Maltese Breeders. Look for ones that focus on their adults show dogs, as opposed to the ones that focus on selling puppies. Their will be lots of info on the breed, including choosing a male or female. No matter what the sex a Maltese should be gentle, loving, fearless and fairly calm. You can e-mail them and ask for a price range. In general females cost more than males (in my experience, anyway.) It is good that you are researching in advance, you might have a wait with the breeder you choose. I trust others here can give you more suggestions...that's just my two cents worth.


----------



## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

Hi and welcome!!

before googling maltese breeders, I would check the American Maltese Association recommended breeder list and go from there. Googling for breeders can be a bit tricky if you dont' know the 'red flags' to look for and unfortunately, not all breeders and maltese are created equal. I just googled maltese breeders california and only two breeders showed up on the first page that I would even think of contacting. And some of the others one? No thank you!

American Maltese Association

Even if the breeders listed don't have puppies available, they can help point you in the right direction of good breeders who may have puppies.

Male puppies from good show breeders typically start at $1200-$2500 with female $1800-$3000

Typically, they say the females love you but the males are IN LOVE with you but it definitely depends on the individual puppy and litter. I bet your daughter is excited to get a maltese! My daughter was 7 when we got our first pet maltese and she is now 12 years old and has shown that same pet maltese in junior showmanship and is one of the top toy junior handlers in the country, so getting that first pet maltese from a show breeder was one of the best things I've ever done!


----------



## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

Hi and Welcome!
What a great first post, I'm sure you will be a superb home for a Maltese. 

A question for other members: 
In your opinions, would it help if the chosen Maltese breeder had cats too?


----------



## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

Welcome to SM! Your research and early planning are excellent starts to being a great Maltese mom. Stacy gave you some great ideas, especially going to the AMA site.

Additionally, one of our members, MaryH, is a breeder of superb quality Maltese, and she is in MA. You may want to PM her and inquire whether or not she expects to have puppies available next year. She may also be able to steer you toward other quality breeders in your area.

Best of luck, and keep us posted on your search. Maltese are truly the best additions to a family.


----------



## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

I don't have any advice other than what has been given but wanted to WELCOME you to the forum!!


----------



## Miaomeng (Jun 28, 2011)

*Thank you for the kind welcome!*

Wow. Thank you so much for the wonderful welcome. I am so glad I found SM online. What a great surprise to find such kind people willing to share their first hand knowledge of Maltese with us.

It is good to hear that we are on the right track. We really want to have the right dog for us and are certainly willing to wait for that to happen.

We have heard that Maltese take a bit longer to potty train, so we are wondering on average how long it took each of you to potty train your Maltese, and was this while someone was home all day, or working?

For our first Maltese, is it better to consider a puppy (12 week old) or an older puppy that has already been potty-trained and is getting their adult teet? Why do you think this?

What other things should a potential Maltese owner know and what should we ask a potential breeder?

We are hoping to find a breeder in the New England region or New Jersey or New York that we would be able to visit far in advance of getting a puppy. Do any of you have thoughts on this? Is it better to visit a breeder, or have several email and telephone conversations with a breeder father away who might have just the right dog?

We are not adversed to getting our Maltese from the West Coast, but I would be interested to find out what breeders you got your dogs from and what made you choose them. If you do not want to post here, please feel free to send me a PM.

Thanks again. We are bound to have more questions every day!

Heather


----------



## lisaj1354 (Aug 9, 2010)

Welcome!

You're asking all the right questions, and I'm sure you'll find the answers here. Personally, I would want to meet the breeder, the pups parents and see the litter, and make sure that all the proper health testing (not just vet visits and shots) have been done - like OFA and hips. A good breeder will also work with you to make sure that you get the right dog for your family. A good breeder will also take the dog back at *any time *if here are issues.

That said, have you considered adopting a rescue? I adpoted Pepper (who is a probable maltese/yorkie mix) through a group called Shih Tzu and Furbabies Rescue. He came to me fully potty trained, and with fabulous manners. I know for a fact that they have a number of foster parents in MA (Pepper's foster mom is in MA), and the rescue gets Malts and Malt mixes on a pretty regular basis. 

Whatever you choose, I wish you luck. Malts are a fabulous breed.


----------

