# Maltese puppies from pet owner



## jacqueline (Oct 4, 2008)

Hi, I'm looking for a maltese puppy in a price range of under $850. I found some good breeder in my area but their price are too high for my budget. I also found some maltese puppies from this person who said the parents of the puppies are her pet and she is not a professional breeder. The dad is register with ckc and the mom is register with akc. The mom maltese does have some champion bloodline in her pedegree. If I buy a puppy from her she will give me a puppy package that includes training pad, nutri-cal, food, and some other stuff . The puppies are register with ckc but she is trying to which to akc. From our conversation she seem like a very good pet owner and care a lot about your dogs. Do you guys think I should buy from this person if all of what she said is true? Is it a good idea if I buy from seller that are pet owner and not professional breeder. My husband and I will go visit the puppies this weekend. Here are some of the picture of the dogs that she send to me. Tell me what you think of their quality. thanks

jacqueline

mom & sons

















mom

















dad


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

The risks are too high to buy from a backyard breeder. I would save more money and
wait for a better breeder. You might pay less with this breeder but you may pay a lot more
in vet bills and heartache in the end.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

This is definitely a case of a classic backyard breeder - someone who breeds their pets without really knowing what they are doing. 

I would ask her where she got her dogs from. If she says a petstore, I would walk away. Even if one of the parents came from a petstore, i still wouldn't take that chance. But that is just me.

That said, I think the mom is cute. Dad has a longer muzzle than I like and I can tell he isn't as pretty as the mom. 

If you're wondering if you'll get a puppy that actually grows up looking like a maltese without having to pay show breeder prices, than yes, you might. I would also ask how much the parents weigh to give you an idea of puppy size. What age does she let the puppies go? That would also be an indicator of how knowledgable she is about the breed (if you live in the US, at least, I know it's different for other parts of the world)

Good luck with your decision! I know it's hard to justify spending the extra money, but buying a puppy from a show breeder can be a good investment in the long run!


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## aggiemom99 (Dec 3, 2007)

Since you are limited to less than what most good show folks charge for their pups, would you be happy with an older pup or retiree? I know Rhapsody and Euphoria have both retirees and older pups. I would think some of the other well known show folks would as well. Just a suggestion where you would get a good maltese and still be within your budget.


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

I got my Annie from a rescue and she originally came from a backyard breeder/puppymill situation. If I added up the amount of money I have spent on her health issues at the vet I could have bought a few dogs from a top tier breeder. I knew this was likely when I adopted Annie, though. But, if someone had bought Annie from this breeder they wouldn't have been expecting to spend thousands on her medical care. They would have thought they were getting a healthy pet. Just something to think about. You may think you are saving money now, but it may cost you a lot more in the long run. Perhaps saving up until you can afford a maltese from a breeder whose history shows that they breed healthy dogs would be something to think about.

Linda


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## jacqueline (Oct 4, 2008)

What is a backyard breeder? This lady live in an apartment building so I don't think she have a backyard though. She said the parents are the only 2 dogs that she have. and she raise the puppies in her house. Thank you for all the help. I live in Orange County of California. Can anyone recommend me to good breeders that have puppies ready to go this month or december? thanks


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## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

Oh, my goodness, please don't do it. My first Maltese came from such a breeder, but he had AKC papers. It didn't matter. The puppy was wonderful until he started chewing his feet, then his body. We spent thousands on vet bills, much more than it would have cost to buy a more expensive dog. Pay more on the front end and pay less in vet bills. Our dog died at the age of 6 of heart failure because of the meds he had to take for all those years. Do yourself a big favor and don't go to a backyard breeder. It can be such an expensive mistake with these small dogs.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

QUOTE (jacqueline @ Nov 7 2008, 05:09 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666139


> What is a backyard breeder? This lady live in an apartment building so I don't think she have a backyard though. She said the parents are the only 2 dogs that she have. and she raise the puppies in her house. Thank you for all the help. I live in Orange County of California. Can anyone recommend me to good breeders that have puppies ready to go this month or december? thanks[/B]


A backyard breeder is someone who breeds their pets casually without having extensive knowledge of the breed or what they're doing. They do not show dogs in the showring. You will be better off saving your money until you can purchase from a reputable show breeder. For $1,500 you can get a male puppy (this is the low end of the price range), and females usually start at $2,000 or $2,500. My first Maltese, Benson, was from a "backyard breeder" (before I knew any better) and he was sick his entire life. He had a liver shunt, which would have required $5,000 surgery to correct, but unfortunately we had to put him down when he was only 1 1/2 years old. He was too sick to have the surgery.

Please do not purchase a puppy from this breeder, or from any breeder who does not actively show dogs in the showring. If you would like suggestions of reputable people to contact for puppies, we would all be happy to steer you in the right direction.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

QUOTE (jacqueline @ Nov 7 2008, 07:09 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666139


> What is a backyard breeder? This lady live in an apartment building so I don't think she have a backyard though. She said the parents are the only 2 dogs that she have. and she raise the puppies in her house. Thank you for all the help. I live in Orange County of California. Can anyone recommend me to good breeders that have puppies ready to go this month or december? thanks[/B]


A backyard breeder is someone who takes their pets and breeds them. it doesn't matter that she lives in an apartment, whatever and the dogs are well cared for - she is still a backyard breeder. 

I'm in california (central valley) and I know there are several good breeders in the LA area. I would look at the American Maltese association breeder list (which is organized by state) to try to find the perfect baby for you. http://www.americanmaltese.org That's what I did when I first started looking for a maltese and I found a beautiful baby and it sparked the show bug for me. 

Would you consider an older puppy or a retired show dog?


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## godiva goddess (Nov 19, 2007)

:goodpost: 

QUOTE (BellarataMaltese @ Nov 7 2008, 11:13 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666247


> QUOTE (jacqueline @ Nov 7 2008, 07:09 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666139





> What is a backyard breeder? This lady live in an apartment building so I don't think she have a backyard though. She said the parents are the only 2 dogs that she have. and she raise the puppies in her house. Thank you for all the help. I live in Orange County of California. Can anyone recommend me to good breeders that have puppies ready to go this month or december? thanks[/B]


A backyard breeder is someone who takes their pets and breeds them. it doesn't matter that she lives in an apartment, whatever and the dogs are well cared for - she is still a backyard breeder. 

I'm in california (central valley) and I know there are several good breeders in the LA area. I would look at the American Maltese association breeder list (which is organized by state) to try to find the perfect baby for you. http://www.americanmaltese.org That's what I did when I first started looking for a maltese and I found a beautiful baby and it sparked the show bug for me. 

Would you consider an older puppy or a retired show dog?
[/B][/QUOTE]


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## k9Cracker (Feb 22, 2006)

My first maltese was from a backyard breeder (purchased in ignorance). She was the cutest thing, and so were her parents. The dogs were VERY well taken care of, but turns out not put together well. At 2 years old, she was having problems with her back and had to be put on back supplements, etc. I don't really think it is worth it.


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## jacqueline (Oct 4, 2008)

I'm finally convince not to buy from this breeder. I will start looking for a show breeder from now on. Please let me know if you know any show breeder near my area have puppies. I had a great learning experience reading all of you guys posting about maltese on this website. thanks everyone.


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

QUOTE (jacqueline @ Nov 8 2008, 02:21 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666311


> I'm finally convince not to buy from this breeder. I will start looking for a show breeder from now on. Please let me know if you know any show breeder near my area have puppies. I had a great learning experience reading all of you guys posting about maltese on this website. thanks everyone.
> [/B]


 :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033: Good for you!!
I am glad your taking all the advice, trust me you WONT be sorry.
Best Of Luck :grouphug:


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## norcalgal (Sep 16, 2007)

I think you've made the right decision.  It is well worth the wait and the money to get a puppy from a show breeder. I hopefully be brining mine home sometime in the summer of 2009.  I don't know where you live, but if you go to www.americanmaltese.org and click on "Find a Breeder", it will give you the list for local maltese breeders. If they don't have one, they will refer you to someone who does. When you talk to you breeder, find if what kind of health testing he/she does on her dogs. I don't mean annual check-ups, I mean do they certifiy their knees with OFA, do they do bile acid tests (test that checks for liver problems which are really high by the way in the maltese breed) on the parents etc. You are going to pay a whole lot of money for this puppy, so I would check. 

Good luck with your search,


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Good for you for taking everyone's advice. 

My Lady is a rescue, but originally from a backyard breeder. She has had health problems since I adopted her, epilepsy, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, heart murmur, and is hypothyroid. At age thirteen, her medications and vet bills are approximately *$5,000 a year *! And that's normal maintenance. We usually have one serious health issue a year which runs an additional $500-$1,000 on top of that. :OMG!: 

So to me paying $2,500 upfront for a puppy from a show breeder is a deal.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

QUOTE (NorCalGal @ Nov 8 2008, 08:30 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666431


> I think you've made the right decision.  It is well worth the wait and the money to get a puppy from a show breeder. I hopefully be brining mine home sometime in the summer of 2009.  I don't know where you live, but if you go to www.americanmaltese.org and click on "Find a Breeder", it will give you the list for local maltese breeders. If they don't have one, they will refer you to someone who does. When you talk to you breeder, find if what kind of health testing he/she does on her dogs. I don't mean annual check-ups, I mean do they certifiy their knees with OFA, do they do bile acid tests (test that checks for liver problems which are really high by the way in the maltese breed) on the parents etc. You are going to pay a whole lot of money for this puppy, so I would check.
> 
> Good luck with your search,[/B]


Please don't dismiss a breeder because they don't do all the testing that is now 'expected' of breeders. It's not unreasonable to expect bile acid testing done on the parents but if it's not done on the puppies, age is a factor there.


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## norcalgal (Sep 16, 2007)

QUOTE (BellarataMaltese @ Nov 8 2008, 12:06 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666587


> Please don't dismiss a breeder because they don't do all the testing that is now 'expected' of breeders. It's not unreasonable to expect bile acid testing done on the parents but if it's not done on the puppies, age is a factor there.[/B]


I think it makes great sence to test all breeding dogs for liver problems, as according to Dr. Sharon Center's research (at ther recent semenar she gave at one of the shows my friend attended) 80 to 90 percent of maltese and yorkies have elevated bile acid test results. As far as testing puppies, it's recommended to do at 16 weeks if so deisred and can be re-checked later. The most desireable tast is done on the empty stomach first, then the dog is fed and the test is run again.


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## Toby Cooper (May 30, 2008)

Don't know where you live what about shipping a pup Tina of It's Magic Maltese has beautiful pups. I got mine from her and really love him.
Linda :wub: :wub:


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## jacqueline (Oct 4, 2008)

QUOTE (Toby Cooper @ Nov 8 2008, 08:05 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=666717


> Don't know where you live what about shipping a pup Tina of It's Magic Maltese has beautiful pups. I got mine from her and really love him.
> Linda :wub: :wub:[/B]


I just went to the breeder website that you refer me too. Seem like they have very good price for their puppies quality. I prefer to see the puppy in person before I purchase him though. But I will bookmark this breeder website just incase I change my mind :biggrin: . Can somebody give me their opinion on this breeder (good or bad)?


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## cloey70 (Jan 6, 2008)

Tina is a very, caring and good breeder. She is on this forum, and u can discuss with her any questions you might have..............I would get a pup from her.


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## Poppy's mommy (Dec 21, 2007)

Tina is awesome. I spoke to her when I was thinking about adding a maltese to my family. Her fur babies are adorable! I would reccomend her.


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