# Puppy Search: Time-frame for Research



## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

I was talking about this the other day with a friend. We started comparing notes on how long one can expect to take in searching for a puppy. I know it varies, but I thought it might be helpful to have a thread where some of us could share the time frame of our search. In doing so, we might be able to create a place where people can come and see what it means to really go through a process of research and diligence in assessing the best interests of both your family and the interests of the new pet. 

So for me, I would say I was very lucky because I have found my dogs in what I consider a relatively short period of time. :blush:

Cadeau: I started seriously considering adding a boy to our family in the winter after my Clouseau died in December and my Cloud died in January. I guess I became active in my search in February. I called and emailed old friends who I knew had more knowledge of current breeders. From those referrals I made several phone calls. I also became a member of SM and started reading through old threads and PMing people who had some knowledge of the breeders I was considering. I spoke on the phone with probably more than half a dozen different breeders that were recommended to me and emailed more. I was still considering three or four different breeders when I met Debbie at a show. (I also met a couple of other breeders at that show). Debbie and I were talking about a puppy that would have been available in late summer. But then, someone we all know and love on this forum broke her ankle (I believe it was) and the puppy she was supposed to get from Debbie became available right away. So here is where my luck came into play. I was moved up from the waiting list on a future litter to a special boy available right then. Anyway, Cadeau came home to me on June 6, 2007 (would have been one day shy of Cloud's 16th birthday). 
*Total time frame: 4.5 months*


Cadie: I had thought about getting a girl to show while I was showing Cadeau. I even talked to Debbie about something out of her Annie/Arty babies when they were on their way. Of course, there was no girl in that first litter and even if their had been, Debbie was going to keep that girl for herself. :innocent: So, I was looking and thinking, but not actively. But then my precious Cameo died. And I became more earnest in my search. I knew I wanted a special show girl. I again started asking friends for help. I called some wonderful people and expected to perhaps be on a waiting list of a year or more. I went to Westminster in February and met Sheila Riley. I have to admit at the time I didn't think I was going to fly to California for my next one. But I liked Sheila. We did not talk about my search then though. I met another show breeder who had a litter recently. She thought she might have something for me. But then that baby did not appear to be growing big enough. I spoke with many others. Cadeau finished his championship. I went to the Specialty and had the advice of many people as to who I should call. Three people that week told me to call Sheila. I decided to do so. And again, I was very blessed. She had just had a litter. She sent me the pedigree and I was amazed by all the beautiful dogs in there. She was going to have to wait and see how that litter turned out, but she had 2 girls in the litter and thought I should be able to have one. Of course, one of them was my Cadie. I went to get Cadie when she was 12 weeks old. 
*Total time frame: 7 months. *

Cacia: This is a bit hard to count as I was not expecting her to be mine. I met Debbie when she was showing both of Cacia's parents. I loved them and couldn't wait to see what they would produce. A year and a half after Cadeau was born they had their first litter. But there were no girls, and even if their had been, Debbie was intent on keeping a girl herself from that litter if the girl was showable. So their second litter was due at the same time that I was in the midst of my search for my show girl (Cadie). And of course the second litter came and I knew that Debbie would keep the only girl born if she was able to. So I figured that I would not be getting one from Annie/Arty. But then about 7 months later, Debbie decided she needed to take some time to enjoy some positive changes in her personal life and she was not going to spend as much time going to shows every weekend. So she decided to call me and ask if I was still interested in this little darling. WOW. So depending on how you calculate this one we could go with a *Time frame of **2.5 years or no time at all.* 

So I am hoping that members of the forum might come in here and share their process and the total timeframe involved in your search. Perhaps we can come up with something that will be useful to people who are unsure of what it will mean to do the research. :thumbsup:


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Great topic, Carina! :thumbsup:

Since Lady is a rescue, I have no experiences to share, but I can't wait to hear what other members' experiences have been.


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## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Oh gosh, well I dunno if theres a simple answer for this.
I started my search for a maltese in June 2006. 
I was 14 and after months of begging my parents allowed me to get one for my 15th birthday in October - I don't know how but I ended up getting a pomeranian, jack russell, staffie mix from a shelter, my sweet Roxy!
I love her sooooooooo much and wouldn't swap her for the cutest maltese in the world!
I am so glad I went down to route of rescuing her rather than getting a maltese - because I had no clue - I would have gotten one from a BYB.
A few months later I still wanted a maltese but my parents weren't giving in so I left it - I kept researching the whole time though and looking up breeders, learning about reputable breeders. In June 2009 I found my perfect puppy - I wanted a girl but the breeder sent me pics of 2 boys and a girl - Milo stole my heart and I knew he was for me! My parents bought him for me as an 18th birthday present/graduation present.
So, I'm gonna say *2/3 years*.

maltese #2 - Started my search in September 2009 - looking for a puppy for show, I wasn't in any rush with this so put my name on a few breeders lists.
April 2010 I found out that one breeder had a possible show puppy for me - he has the perfect pedigree - my dream pedigree actually lol so I really hope he has show potential and come to Ireland to live with me 
So, hopefully it will be about* 7 months* for him.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

Well, let 's see...

I decided I wanted a small dog in Jan 2006 and a few weeks later I had Lucy and believe me there was no research done, I just lucked out pure and simple. I did not stumble on this site during my search and i often wonder if anything would have been done differently if I had! Well, I might have crossed classified ads off my list!
*TIMEFRAME - TWO WEEKS*

Caddy came a long pretty quickly
*Time frame ONE MONTH*


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I thought about getting a Maltese for a long time. (Maybe about a year.) I joined SM in *Feb 08 *to learn more about the breed, and to find a breeder. I'd planned to buy in Nov 08. Since some folks had mentioned that a female wasn't as easy to find as a male (in my price range) I got a little antsy...lol.

Then in March, at someone's suggestion, I contacted Janet from Phlick's and she had an 18 week, female puppy come available, as two other prospective buyers had changed their mind. (And I am so glad that they did!)

I purchased Nikki on *March 25*. So it was a little over *one month* from when I first started looking to purchase. 

It was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!


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## maggpi21 (Mar 29, 2010)

My name is Maggie...and my time frame isn't over yet  

I've always thought maltese were gorgeous. A few years ago I finally saw a maltese puppy in the bank at my mall. My mom and I fell in love and I haven't stopped talking about it. My aunt still has a note on her fridge from a few years ago that says "A maltese would be a great birthday present for Maggie"....birthday has been crossed out and each holiday has been put in..haha! 

About a month ago I was driving and saw a sign in a yard that said "maltese puppies" with a number. A week later I had to find out that number so I could at least see one! My mom and I called the obvious backyard breeder and he said we could come look. We did but I wasn't sure about getting one from him and they were quite overly priced! Well I have now decided to do a lot of research on the breed and breeders and have learned about what a backyard breeder is!! My mom and I went to the Sacramento dog show last weekend to look at maltese in their perfect standard! I know I am much closer to that gorgeous pup but not there yet! I'm sure I will update you all when that day comes with tons and tons of pics


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## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

Great thread! Sadly for anyone who wants to read this post, I'm no good at 'abridged versions'. You're going to get the whoooole story :blush:

I first stumbled across websites for 'teacup Maltese' in early 2005. I'm a little ashamed to say I was so taken with their cuteness that I wanted one right away! :embarrassed:Fortunately for me, still being in high school and not having parents willing to fork over that kind of money, I was forced to wait and admire from afar. 

I dropped the puppy idea for a couple of years once I had moved away to college. I was in dorms for two years and then abroad for 6 months, so I knew that wasn't a good time to add the pup, but it was always in the back of my mind. 

Summer of 2009, I really started to consider puppies again. I had been doing research for about a year on just about every breed imaginable. I did all the 'breed selector' quizzes I could find, read Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds type books and other books with titles like What's the Right Breed for You?. Maltese consistently came up as one of the top choices, along with Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. 

It took lots of soul-searching, deciding what I really wanted in a dog, and contacting several breeders from each breed for me to decide on Maltese. Then, my boyfriend and I stumbled across a pet store in NJ that had a cute (albeit poorly-bred) Malt. We took her out into one of the rooms to play and spend some time with her. Having just witnessed my parents raising their rambunctious lab puppy, I was SHOCKED at how calm she was and how happy she was just to be in a lap. If we put her on the floor she bounced right back over to sit on our laps and was ALL about kisses. I was totally in love with her personality, but kept saying, (out loud) "if only you weren't from a puppy mill..". At the time, I thought she was tiny, but she was probably 3 or 4 pounds already and was supposedly 10 weeks old. By the way, they were charging $1700 for her, and accepted Credit and payment plans, interest and all. :new_shocked:

Here's that first little lady, that gave me the final push toward Maltese: 









That was really the last straw for me. I knew I wanted a Malt. I joined SM in October 2009 after lurking for a month or two. I spent most of December reading almost every thread that looked like it might be useful (so...ALOT of them). Finally in Jan., I started emailing and calling breeders. I really wanted a certain look, and contacted both Shinemore and Sunnydales but they didn't have any girls in my timeframe and I was really hesitant to ship that far. 

One day, in early Feb. 2010, while I was looking at the available puppy pages, I happened across Sands Maltese page and saw this picture of a pretty little baby:










I actually posted her up in the breeder section for someone else because it was a little sooner than I wanted to bring a pup home. It was then that one of our lovely SM members (Sophia) gave me a gentle, virtual shake by the shoulders and told me opportunities like this with a beautiful, tiny little girl don't come around every day. I called Amy that night and talked to her for about an hour and a half. I told her I wanted to think it over and talk to my boyfriend and landlord. The next day I sent her my deposit and flew to TN to pick her up 8 days later, when she was 16 weeks old. I couldn't be any happier, and I'm so glad I waited as long as I did so I could really take the time to do research, find out what to expect, find a breeder, and make a little network of fellow malt lovers here on SM :thumbsup:

*From First Interest in Malts - 5 years
From first contact with breeders-arrival of pup : 2 months
*


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

pinkpixie1588 said:


> Great thread! Sadly for anyone who wants to read this post, I'm no good at 'abridged versions'. You're going to get the whoooole story :blush:
> 
> I first stumbled across websites for 'teacup Maltese' in early 2005. I'm a little ashamed to say I was so taken with their cuteness that I wanted one right away! :embarrassed:Fortunately for me, still being in high school and not having parents willing to fork over that kind of money, I was forced to wait and admire from afar.
> 
> ...


you really got a beautiful baby!! I absolutely love her face and does she ever take a bad pic??


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

Ashley, I love Leila also! I don't think she's capable of taking a 'bad' photo.

For my search for Bisou, it took approximately 6-7 weeks of actively looking, speaking with breeders and finally picking her up. I did go to Korea to pick her up from her breeder, but that is only because of my location..it's only 1.5 hour flight for me. If I had been in the US, I would have chosen a US breeder and if I was located in Europe- an European breeder. 

But the research of what I wanted in a breeder and a Maltese started in 2000...and I waited and waited and continued to read all I could about breeders and the breed itself before I actually had one..which was 9 years later.


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## Delilahs Mommy (Nov 22, 2009)

Well, I have been wanting another Maltese ever since my precious Prince was stolen from me back in 1993. So many animals came and left in our lives since then- mainly cats! and of course kids and well, I just never really came across any other maltese.

Then last summer, my son Christopher, his best friends Mom has 2 little Maltese puppies. I fell in love with them and just wish I had some disposable money to get one of them. Well, come Novemeber, I got a email and was asked did I still want a puppy that she would sell me one and I could pay for the puppy later. I was so excited, that within 2 hours of that email I had little Dixie in my arms. 

I had stumbled across SM by total accident, looking for info on Maltese dogs, etc. So I joined when I only had Dixie for 3 days and of course 4 days later we lost her. I was in such a state of shock, because I have never had an animal just up and get sick and pass like that. Also, I didn't even have a clue to what consituted a back yard breeder. I knew what puppy mills are, but just about every animal I have ever owned. I either found on the side of the road, someone gave it to me or I adopted through the pound..

But I got a real quick eye opener here. I was in such a state of shock at Dixies lost and all I could think about was I wanted another one so bad. That I literally speant the next week after that, reading, researching, asking questions. I have to give the credit to the wonderful ladies here. Those of you who took your time to PM me and give me invalualbe advice and guidence to help me find a reputable breeder.

I am so,so glad that I met Debbie. She gave me the puppy of my dreams and I couldn't be more thrilled. Delilah has been a joy and I can definately see the difference in what a BYB can produce and what a show breeder produces. The quality is definately there in Delilah. So I all in all, it took me about 3 weeks to narrow down the top 3 breeders I had in mind (who had puppies at the time).

I can not wait to add another Jacob baby to our family. I see many more coming!


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## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

CloudClan said:


> I was talking about this the other day with a friend. We started comparing notes on how long one can expect to take in searching for a puppy. I know it varies, but I thought it might be helpful to have a thread where some of us could share the time frame of our search. In doing so, we might be able to create a place where people can come and see what it means to really go through a process of research and diligence in assessing the best interests of both your family and the interests of the new pet.
> 
> So for me, I would say I was very lucky because I have found my dogs in what I consider a relatively short period of time. :blush:
> 
> ...


Excuse me Carina but it was my knee, not my ankle........Hee, hee, I just could not resist!! Yes I have a special connection with your little man~~I still have the pic that Debbie sent me of him and I love it when you post pics of him~~~~


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

CeeCee's Mom said:


> Excuse me Carina but it was my knee, not my ankle........Hee, hee, I just could not resist!! Yes I have a special connection with your little man~~I still have the pic that Debbie sent me of him and I love it when you post pics of him~~~~


You need to send me that pic. LOL, the first ones I have of him are from his first day with us. 

Sorry, Mom was the one with the broken ankle, caused by Dodo when he was 9 months old. So it is all a bit mixed up for me.  

We feel a connection with you too, Dianne and our cousin "CeeCee." She is an honorary member of the CloudClan. Afterall, there are two Cs in her name.


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## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

CloudClan said:


> You need to send me that pic. LOL, the first ones I have of him are from his first day with us.
> 
> Sorry, Mom was the one with the broken ankle, caused by Dodo when he was 9 months old. So it is all a bit mixed up for me.
> 
> We feel a connection with you too, Dianne and our cousin "CeeCee." She is an honorary member of the CloudClan. Afterall, there are two Cs in her name.


Ahhh Carina, that is sweet. I will try to find the pic, Heather put all my pics on CD's and they are not in any order. I'll try one day to find it.

CeeCee said she was proud to be an honorary member and RainCee said she would be too if you would have her!!! I just got a chuckle out of that myself!!:biggrin:


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