# Little Pup Not eating



## nicolen412

Hi All, 

Thanks for all the help so far! I have finally gotten my Maltese puppy and he won't eat anything! He will drink his water etc but he just wont eat the food I put out. I am currently using Artemis small breed puppy mix and he just wont have any. I am concerned. What should i Do? 

Also, how do I add a photo for everyone to se


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## Summergirl73

Hi, unfortunately a puppy not eating can be a dangerous thing. They can slip into hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) VERY quickly. Need to ask you a few more questions so that we can better help you. How old is your puppy? Are you putting out the same food that the breeder was using with him? When was the last time he ate? 

Some things to try: a little bit of yogurt or peanut butter on your finger or a spoon. You may need to give him a tiny dab of Karo syrup to get his sugar up, but you must quickly follow that with a protein source, otherwise his sugar will go high and then dump back out. When we got Bella she was not eating either and I spent so much time crying, because she just refused to eat. The Vets staff spent over an hour with her trying to get her to eat stuff and she just wouldn't go for it really. Eventually the yogurt (on a spoon), then peanut butter, then a tiny portion of the Natural Balance in the roll got her going. Now the little monkey eats anything lol!

I'll wait to hear back from you to provide more suggestions.


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## Furbabies mom

Try some Gerber chicken sticks, (in the baby food aisle) mix a little with the puppies food. Do you have any Nutrical?Not to be used as a food, but to keep the puppy from going into hypoglycemia.you also could wet the food, if it's kibble, with a little warm water. Let us know how things go???


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## nicolen412

okay so he ate a bit but not much at all and is now going crazy in his xpen and absolutely refuses to pee on his potty but is happy peeing anywhere else. I am significantly concerned.


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## Furbabies mom

Oh it takes a while for puppies to get the hang of going where they should. If you see him beginning to squat or circling, put him on the pee pad. Lots of praise and I gave mine tiny pieces of a treat every tine they went. You must be consistent and patient. Don't give puppy too much freedom, you must be able to keep an eye on him. Glad to know that he ate. Puppies need to eat at least three small meals a day. Good luck, you'll get there!


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## lmillette

You got some great advice. Another thought is he might not like that food either so maybe you should try something else. Keep us posted on how he is doing with eating. Potty training can be a long process and it's key to have patience and be consistent.

Here are directions on posting pictures.

Posting a picture: Hit the "Post Reply" button at the bottom of the thread - left hand corner. Once you in this post, scroll down and click on "Manage Attachments" then browse out to you’re computer and select the pics you want to upload. Then click the upload button. Links of the pics will appear and then you can close out that box completely. Once you close that box your pic links will appear where the "Manage Attachments" button is. You can then preview your post before submitting it to view the pics and the post comment you want or just hit submit reply. 

Uploading an Avatar: Click the “User CP” tab up at the top in the black bar. Then to your left click “Edit Avatar”. Click the browse button to browse out to your computer. Select the picture you want to use. Then click “Save”. You should be all set. To see if it worked, click the “Active Topics” link at the top in the black bar, go into your thread and you should see your avatar. Hope this helps!


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## Zoe's Mom88

I am not sure what your feeding him. If its dry food you could add something to it, maybe a couple of pieces of boiled chicken. There is a product you can buy called Nutrical....it comes in a tube and it will give him some of the vitamins, etc. You can buy it in Petco. You may want to consider that. Please keep us posted on your little baby.


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## Ladysmom

From your other post it sounds like your puppy is only 8-9 weeks old. The risk of hypoglycemia is very high in puppies this young which is one of the many reasons reputable breeders don't allow Maltese puppies to go to their new homes until they are at least 12 weeks old.

For now you will have to be very careful to watch for signs of hypoglycemia which can be life threatening if not treated asap.

This is an excellent article:

Toy Breed Hypoglycemia

Bailey's breeder suggested Gerber chicken sticks if he wouldn't eat.

Have you taken your puppy to the vet yet? It's very important to make sure a puppy so young doesn't have any parasites (worms, fleas, etc).


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## nicolen412

Hi Deborah, 

Thanks for the advice I have got him eating now but he basically has to be fed by me to eat and I don;t want to continue this behaviour. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions re what you replied in teh other post I had? I have adopted your newspaper all over technique but what happens when he pees on one bit? I am thinking of switching him to outdoor training do you think it is too late?


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## Sylie

I am joining kind of late. What I want to say is for right now do not worry about hand feeding him. Your puppy is very young. Bigger dogs can leave their mom and litter mates at 8 weeks, but small dogs need to stay longer. Now, YOU must be his mother. If you have to hand feed him, that is okay. He will grow up and not rely on that forever. He is also quite young to expect much in the way of house training. For now, just be patient and remember that he is a BABY.

Can you ask his breeder for help and advise? If not, then just make sure he eats...whatever it takes. Right now your main concern is keeping him alive, later you can depend on us aunties for help in the other aspects of puppy training.


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## nicolen412

Hi Sylvia, 

Thanks alot for all the advice. It is driving me crazy with the training though. I am fairly certain it knows where the potty is but today in 20 minutes he peed four times and now he has peed for 2 hours. I am so confused, i have a schedule btu it is apparently not working....


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## Summergirl73

I know that all of this is very hard on you, but it really is just part of getting a Malt so young. This too shall pass. Stick to your schedule, hand feed him and as he matures, his bladder and training abilities will also. And don't worry about the hand feeding. As mentioned earlier, it's not a big deal and he will outgrow the need for it in time. How old is he right now?


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## nicolen412

Hi Summergirl, 

He is literally just 8 weeks old. For some reason all breeders in Aus do this. He is doing well now. He ate some with some prompting especially when we dont leave the food on the floor. he is still iffy with potty training but I gave a local dog trainer a call and he recommended a potty technique that ladiesmom recommended until he comes around at 10 weeks to get the puppy nice and trained. 

My aunt also gave him this little rabbit soft toy that he really loves and now hes calmed down significantly. with that said, I've been in my room all day listening to lectures online whilst hes ben in the toilet with the door open. he seems quite happy. For now at least. 

Is it cruel for me to not allow him to sleep because I want him to be asleep tonight?


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## Grace'sMom

If he is just 8 weeks old -- accidents are going to happen. He doesn't "know" where to pee yet. He is still learning. So BE PATIENT.

As for the food -- Try putting his kibble in the blender and adding warm water to it. He may not have enough teeth to eat the kibble yet.

Gerber sticks are great. Boiling some chicken and giving him some of the broth in the blended food would be good too.

make sure to leave the food down. Maltese are very tiny. So he will only eat a very small amount many times during the day.

Just FYI -- I had to hand feed Grace for a while when she came home. Just until she adjusted.

She now will eat on her own, but prefers a plate to a bowl. But at 8 months - she is still a grazer (needs food left down all the time) eating small amounts instead of meals.

Young puppies at 8 weeks NEED a lot of sleep. So he needs to be allowed to sleep during the day.

Adult dogs sleep 17-20 HOURS.... yep... unless they are working dogs or really high energy - the majority of a dog's day is sleeping. So please remember that.

Keep him up 1-2 hours before you want to go to bed and play with him 30 minutes before. Really play! That will tire him out.


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## edelweiss

It sounds to me as though this may be your first puppy????? You are getting good advice here. Try & remember that this is a baby---just like a newborn and 8 weeks is way too early to expect him to potty on schedule---did I say that loud enough---WAY too early! He also needs lots of play (does he have enough toys, and something safe to chew on?), and yes, lots of naps! Babies are like that. I am honestly wondering if a puppy was the right choice for you, but I guess that is water under the bridge. I think you really need to spend some quality time w/him---not teaching, just playing. Puppies learn through play---and their personalities develop through play, and well . . . . . . . . everything through play. 

Please don't think I am being harsh---I think you are a newbie & still learning. . . so I wish you and your little guy only the best. Please stick around & ask away. I hope you understand that we mean well.


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## nicolen412

Hi All, 

Thanks for the advice I think I will be taking it a step at a time now. 

@edelweiss I sometimes wonder that too, I did not expect it to be that hard because everywhere I looked on the internet it seemed so easy. At least he slept through the night last night and was quiet whilst I was asleep but he is going insane now because I refuse to cater to him when he is whining. 

And yes this is my first puppy on my own. We have had a family dog before but he was an outside dog so he knew immediately to pee on grass and he was a bigger dog too. Also, mostly my grandfather trained him!


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## pippersmom

Puppies ARE a lot of work (just like human babies) but it gets easier and easier all the time. Yours is still very young, just have patience and give him time and he will learn. He will have bratty moments though:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley: :angry::angry:but its all part of being a puppy. The puppy time will go fast and before you know it, you will look into those big eyes and think "what did I ever do without you" :wub::wub::wub:


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## Grace'sMom

His whining needs attention.

It is not catering at this age. At this age - he SHOULD still be with his mother. And he would whine because he needs something. His mother WOULD respond to him and give him what he needs. Right now like everyone is saying -- he is like a newborn baby.

Get a little sling... or make one out of a blanket.

Carry him around with you for periods during the day.

It won't spoil him. He is very young, and as others have said -- needs nurturing and attention right now more than training. He is probably whining because he isn't getting enough contact right now. If he was with his mother and litter he would be sleeping with them, snuggling with them, rolling on them.

Toy breed puppies are fragile. It looks easy online (understand that) but it is not easy at all. I think out of all the sizes - toy breeds are most like human babies in the needs and fragility department.

Your malt won't be able to regulate his own body temperature for another 4 weeks or so. If he seems cold at night please put a shirt on him (that fits well - not loose enough for him to get off).... For Grace when she was first home with us (older than 8 weeks) we used the end of a long sleeve shirt.... we cut it to fit her length (cut the belly shorter for a boy - longer in the back - so curved).... then holes for her front legs.

But like Sandi said right now -- play, love him, snuggle.

He technically should still be with his momma dog for another month. So try to do your best -- lots of physical contact (carrying him in a sling), toys, play.

Like others have said -- this is a wonderful place for info.


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## Summergirl73

Grace'sMom said:


> His whining needs attention.
> 
> It is not catering at this age. At this age - he SHOULD still be with his mother. And he would whine because he needs something. His mother WOULD respond to him and give him what he needs. Right now like everyone is saying -- he is like a newborn baby.
> 
> Get a little sling... or make one out of a blanket.
> 
> Carry him around with you for periods during the day.
> 
> It won't spoil him. He is very young, and as others have said -- needs nurturing and attention right now more than training. He is probably whining because he isn't getting enough contact right now. If he was with his mother and litter he would be sleeping with them, snuggling with them, rolling on them.
> 
> Toy breed puppies are fragile. It looks easy online (understand that) but it is not easy at all. I think out of all the sizes - toy breeds are most like human babies in the needs and fragility department.
> 
> Your malt won't be able to regulate his own body temperature for another 4 weeks or so. If he seems cold at night please put a shirt on him (that fits well - not loose enough for him to get off).... For Grace when she was first home with us (older than 8 weeks) we used the end of a long sleeve shirt.... we cut it to fit her length (cut the belly shorter for a boy - longer in the back - so curved).... then holes for her front legs.
> 
> But like Sandi said right now -- play, love him, snuggle.
> 
> He technically should still be with his momma dog for another month. So try to do your best -- lots of physical contact (carrying him in a sling), toys, play.
> 
> Like others have said -- this is a wonderful place for info.


:goodpost:


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## tobysmom

and expect him to have accidents even past 8 months old, even after he is trained which might take him til 4 months or so.

as for sleep, he's sleeping in the same room as you, right?

and i hate to tell you this, but you can forget him going potty in the right spot, he is just like an infant that has no control over his bladder, he doesn't understand it and cannot predict it. Accept that he is too young for that. Put him in a playpen with some weewee pads if it really starts freaking you out. other than that, it's like when a baby pees on your lap.


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## tobysmom

and feed him wet puppy food from a can if he doesn't want to eat dry, you can always put him on dry later.


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## nicolen412

Hi Tobysmom, 

He sleeps in my bathroom but the door is right next to my bed and he can see me from inside! He gets very destructive in the mornings if he has woken up and I am not awake yet. I presume this is due to hunger (??). He has been doing well with food so far but this morning he didnt eat as much as he normally does, I hope this is nothing to worry about. 

I am such a newbie at all of this! He is going potty in the garden though (thank god) 

May I please just ask one more question to everyone out there, 

1. Is there a way to tell the difference between attention whining and hunger/cold whining 
2. How much attention is too much attention? Currently I am attempting to get him quiet in his crate for approx 15 mins and then I reward him with alot of play. 

Thank You, 
Nicole


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## Summergirl73

Hi Nicole, it seems to me that you really may not be into this whole puppy thing at all. Is that the case? I know the puppy stage is A LOT to handle, but it appears that you are more interested in having an independent/non-needy dog. A Maltese and certainly a puppy are not that. Attention seeking at this age is a non issue, he needs nearly constant opportunities to be nurtured and snuggled against you. He is practically BEGGING you for it. Your puppy desperately needs to feel safe ~ not be so regulated. You may be setting yourself (and him) up for major behavioral challenges down the road. Is it possible that you may be able to take a deep breath and just snuggle with him? Do you enjoy having him out and just snuggled and playing with you? Not everyone does, so if this is the case, maybe yall would be better off if you found him a home that can provide that ~ thus giving you less stress. Sorry to be so direct, I'm just really worried about this guy.


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## edelweiss

nicolen412 said:


> Hi Tobysmom,
> 
> He sleeps in my bathroom but the door is right next to my bed and he can see me from inside! He gets very destructive in the mornings if he has woken up and I am not awake yet. I presume this is due to hunger (??). He has been doing well with food so far but this morning he didnt eat as much as he normally does, I hope this is nothing to worry about.
> 
> I am such a newbie at all of this! He is going potty in the garden though (thank god)
> 
> May I please just ask one more question to everyone out there,
> 
> 1. Is there a way to tell the difference between attention whining and hunger/cold whining
> At this age every need is a valid need! If he is crying, try & figure out why and address that need quickly & happily.
> 2. How much attention is too much attention? Currently I am attempting to get him quiet in his crate for approx 15 mins and then I reward him with alot of play.
> None is too much. . . or --you can't give him too much attention at this age.
> 
> 
> [/COLOR]
> Thank You,
> Nicole


Did you get hi:m from a breeder? Maybe she would take him back & give you an older dog---maybe a retiree who likes to sleep. There is nothing wrong w/realizing you may not be the right fit. If you want to still give it a try please keep asking questions & we will try to help.


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## Grace'sMom

I agree with what Bridget and Sandi said...

And it does sound like you are wanting and expecting a puppy who is older and ready to be independent. Like Sandi said -- That is NOT a Maltese, nor is it a toy breed puppy.

You said growing up you had a large dog who was outside. I want to just compare some things for you.

An 8 week old large breed dog (or even an 8 week old medium size) like a Lab is much different than a toy breed (or even small breed) 8 week old like a Maltese.

It is NOT just size that separates these puppies.

At 6 weeks - Lab puppies are fully weaned from their mothers and are starting to play, wrestle, and learn their doggy social rules - these rules are things like how to behave with other dogs, dominance, how hard to bite while playing, AND this is also when LARGE BREED puppies learn how to interact with humans. Sometime between 4-6 weeks is when the breeder will separate their sleep area and potty area and begin potty training. By 6 weeks a large breed puppy regulates their own body temp and is more interested in his siblings than nursing with his mother.

By the time they go off their new homes at 8 weeks (standard for large and medium breeds) a large breed puppy has all their teeth, is comfortable eating kibble, is started on the basics of potty training so they are easier to housebreak, and they are also more like a human TODDLER than an infant.

Now.... let's look at a toy (or even small) breed pup like a Maltese.

At 6 weeks - many of these puppies are still very newborn. They don't explore very far from their mothers. A toy breed puppy's ears and eyes open later than a large breed. So this puppy is still adjusting to their world. They DO NOT have very many teeth if any at all. And they are still nursing as a main food source.

At 8 weeks these puppies are starting to get teeth. They may be licking up mush or starting to chew some kibble but MOST toy breed puppies nurse until they are around 10 weeks of age, because most toy breeds do not have enough teeth until 10 weeks of age, so their MOTHERS do not try to wean them until this later age.

So just there is a HUGE difference. By this point a lab puppy has been weaned for WEEKS. A Maltese is still possibly nursing. Perhaps only at night, but still nursing.

A Maltese puppy usually will not get most of their baby teeth in until 12-16 weeks. This is 1-2 MONTHS after a full breed puppy has most of their baby teeth.

A Maltese puppy really does not start learning their doggy social graces until around 8 weeks. Which is why so many of us push for these puppies to stay with their litter until 12 weeks. Because your puppy at 8 weeks is missing some HUGE social learning that he can never get anywhere else.

A Maltese puppy, like I said in my last post, will not regulate their own body temp until around 12 weeks. If you have a small puppy (under 1 pound, or under 2 pounds by this age) they still may need help regulating their temp.

This is over a full MONTH after a Lab puppy can regulate their own temperature.

The standard for a large breed pup to go home is 8 weeks. The Maltese standard is 12 weeks. But most breeders (the great ones  ) will keep them until 16 - 20 weeks.

Because at 12 weeks when a Lab puppy is already in puppy school and learning to sit, probably doing well with potty training, and able to be in a crate or small area alone for 3-4 hours during the day... Compareable to an OLDER Toddler who is more confident in their environment....

A 12 week old Maltese is still very much like a human INFANT. Large breeds go home as "toddlers" .... Toy breeds go home as INFANTS.

The puppy you have is still a NEWBORN. Not even an INFANT yet.

So please, please, please --- This is a wonderful place for advice and support. But please listen to us.

He cannot be alone for long periods.

If he is crying - he NEEDS you. He is not crying to be annoying or manipulative. He is crying just like a 1 week old HUMAN baby would cry - because he NEEDS something. And that something may just be he needs to snuggle with you.

Being alone in a bathroom all night is like leaving a newborn to just cry it out in their cribs all night long. It is, in my opinion, cruel.

He does not have his mother. He does not have his siblings. So he is crying for you.

His becoming DESTRUCTIVE in the morning.... at 8 weeks that is a HUGE red flag for me. That tells me his needs are not being met. Yes puppies chew and rip things up... but since he is doing it after whining and being ignored - that tells me he is not getting his needs met.

Having a puppy (any puppy - any size) means waking up earlier than you may like. Because puppies have a hard time going 6-8 hours without human contact. So even if you had a large breed 8 or 9 week old puppy - he would still want to get up with you early and see you, snuggle, get some attention..... Sorry, but that is the responsibility you sign up for when you get a puppy.

Please listen to us....

He needs attention and snuggling right now. Not boundaries and structure.


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## tobysmom

nicolen412 said:


> Hi Tobysmom,
> 
> He sleeps in my bathroom but the door is right next to my bed and he can see me from inside! He gets very destructive in the mornings if he has woken up and I am not awake yet. I presume this is due to hunger (??). He has been doing well with food so far but this morning he didnt eat as much as he normally does, I hope this is nothing to worry about.
> 
> I am such a newbie at all of this! He is going potty in the garden though (thank god)
> 
> May I please just ask one more question to everyone out there,
> 
> 1. Is there a way to tell the difference between attention whining and hunger/cold whining
> 2. How much attention is too much attention? Currently I am attempting to get him quiet in his crate for approx 15 mins and then I reward him with alot of play.
> 
> Thank You,
> Nicole


My dog would cry and cry if i got in the shower, b/c it meant he couldn't see me. If i were to have gotten out to give him attention, *that* would be too much because it would mean i wouldn't be showering. I attempted to carry on with what i needed to do and every other moment was spent teaching him lessons, or playing, or walking outside (me carrying since he was too young to be on the street), and i got him at 12 weeks. I would actually leave him alone 3 hours at a time 2x a day for 4 days a week, and the rest of the time, i would do nothing but watch him waddle around, or be playing with him. He'd go into the play pen with some toys for those 3 hours. And your dog is even younger, but a very important few weeks, this is a major development stage in dogs (the 8-12 week stage). Don't worry about giving him too much attention, a baby doesn't turn out to be a jerk if he's given too much love as an infant. 

15 mins in a crate seems fair, i'd let him whine that out. But what about a playpen with a crate inside it? that way you can put wee pads inside the playpen. then an hour in a crate 1-2x a day maybe. I would seeks out how many hours he can be in a crate a day, and the rest of the time you'll need to have your eyeballs on him or giving him the ability to follow you.

If he were a larger breed or working dog it you'd need to prepare them for some independence, but these tiny little toy dogs are literally a whole different breed. Not to belabor the point, but at 9 weeks he would generally be playing non-stop with his siblings, so you have to basically let him be around you all the time. I tried to get an adult dog because i didn't want to deal with the whole puppy thing, but for a very specific set of reasons, i ended up with a 12 week old. Did not enjoy it, i can tell you that. Won't ever do it again.

I guess it comes down to what you want from it later on. If you want it to be an independent dog, call the breeder, send it back! these dogs are unreal how velcro they are, it does my head in sometimes, srsly. But if you're okay with a mostly velcro dog, i'd say concern yourself with too much babying at a later age, not this age.

If you don't mind a velcro dog breed i'd say re: the whining, if he's spending hours be able to be touching you, and then whining when you're not, fine, it's just wanting to be near you and he will settle down, but he must be able to see you most of the time. But if he's whining and not able to spend hours touching you, it's attention whining that needs to be attended to by allowing him to be touching you. When he's cold he'll shake, when he's hungry he'll eat what food you have left out for him.

As for destructive, please read a book on puppies. : ). It is not hunger, it is not a symptom of anything other than being a healthy puppy that likes to chew on things, which is what every puppy does. There should be nothing on the floor for him to "destroy", he will be chewing on things until he is 5 months or so. This is what puppies do. And how is he being destroying things if you're asleep? Wouldn't he still be in a crate or playpen?

As for your being thankful he's going in the garden, that's not going to last, and it's not because he's not catching on, it's because he's not going to be house trained until he, 1, has complete understanding of where, when, what,why, and he's very young, he won't fully get that for a few more weeks. and 2! not until has full control of his bladder, and that doesn't happen for a long time. Like i said, even after 6 months old he will be having accidents. And he will pee on your bed, and he will find a shoe you like and he will chew it up, and as soooon as you wash your sheets he'll find a way to get on them and pee on them. Like a baby human, everything he can put in his mouth, he will, only their teeth are sharper. I will never get another puppy again, adults for me from now on. If i could show you a picture of me after a few months with my puppy, i was skinny cuz i had lost so much weight, it is stressful and time consuming. What you're going through now you'll be going through for the next few months, i am not exaggurating. I feel for you, b/c i got mine at 12 weeks and for 3 months i stressd out, that means you've got 3 months and 3 weeks of it to come. 

But definitely get a book on puppies, i think it will help you understand that there is no need to get frustrated at a dog chewing on things or peeing in the wrong place at 9-16+ weeks. And specifically get a magazine or 2 on toy breed/toy breed puppies.


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## nicolen412

HI all, 

Thanks so much for the concern. Whilst I understand your concern I think I am getting the hang of things! When I mean he is being destructive in the morning I generally mean that he just rips up all the newspaper I lay out on the ground under the xpen (I am trying a method recommended by a user here that said I should try eliminating it bit by bit). 

And I genuinely do keep him with me but he even whines when he is in the xpen. I usually let him out once he is quiet but he is with me for most of the time? I'd approximate it at 45 mins per hour? And then I take him out to pee. Mostly I put him in his crate to get used to it. 

I have also video'd him for the past 2 days and have realised that he will be silent when he realises I am not around but then once he hears human footsteps/door opening he will start whining furiously! I've left him probably for about 2.5 hours each time  

What I am mainly concerned about is that when I speak to my vet etc they all tell me that if i attend to his whining he will learn to "control" me to do it and bascially whine whenever he wants attention even if I have just smothered him in attention. I am very confused and I really am trying my best  he has been doing very well recently and I think I am getting mroe accustomed to the new responsibility. 

Anyway hopefulyl this will improve and thanks for all the advice I will definitely take it on board because despite it being hard hes so adorable! 

Thanks, 
Nicole


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## nicolen412

Oh also, I think he is okay with regard to cold. the coldest it gets here now is approx degrees and my mum is really sensitive to the cold so we blast the heater all day ! 

again dont know what I'd do without everyone here. I will try my best to take ont he advice. Does nayone know just out of curiousity why breeders in Aus send all the pups home at 8 weeks if this is the case :S ? I spoke to 5 breeders and they all did the same thing ...


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## nicolen412

AAAH ONE FINAL QUESTION  

when you say "play" and snuggle sitting in bed all day just holding him is fine right? i dont really have the energy to always be out running around ... Sometimes i just play small games with him in bed whilst I listen to lectures!


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum

Hi Nicole, I'm also in Au - about an hour north of Sydney, where are you? 


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


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## Maizy Moo's Mum

Hi there!

Here in the UK the rules on picking up puppies are less strict than in the US seems the same as in AUS, over here most puppies leave there mum at 8 weeks 10 max, my breeder kept Maizy until she was 12 weeks which meant i knew i had a good breeder! My friend has a maltese and she was told when she picked him up he was 8 weeks when she got her pedigree paper work though it turns out he was only 6 weeks old :angry: terrible breeder and poor little baby, he is a naughty little boy but its no wonder leaving his mum so early and missing out on valuable lessons!

I did alot of research before getting a maltese and realised that they are the most loving breed and most of all want to be with you all the time! My advice to you is dont get to hung up on what people say is socially acceptable do what works for you and your puppy!!

For instance we shower with the door open, so if she wants to she comes and sits on the floor so she can see us, she sleeps in our bed, where some people dont agree with this (which is totally fine) we learnt that whats makes maizy happiest is being right next to her mummy and daddy!! (although we did not let her do this until she could hold her wee through the night!) She definatly doesnt think she is the master but just loves being cuddled and being with us!! 

My job takes me away maximum of 2 days a week and whilst we try to arrange for her to go to parents/ friends house etc it is also good for them to get used to being on there own, from about 14 weeks we started leaving her little bit at a time, firstly just in the kitchen which we learnt quickly she hated then we allowed access to the kitchen, hall and our bedroom which we now know she is much happier with as can sit on our bed and sleep!! We never crate trained her she just didnt like it, she prefers to have a bit of space! What works for some might not work for you!

All im trying to say is dont get to stressed this is yes by far the hardest part but try and make it the most fun for you and for pup!! Dont get to caught up on do's and dont's and just try different things until you find what is happy for your puppy and for you :aktion033:

Oh and i forgot you seem to be doing better on the food situation but my breeder reccommended slightely dampening the kibble with a bit of water when maizy was a puppy as this makes it a little softer for them!! and mix in a little wet dog food if you need to!! Hope this helps!!


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## nicolen412

Harley & Dakotas Mum said:


> Hi Nicole, I'm also in Au - about an hour north of Sydney, where are you?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PG Free



Hi! 

I am in Melbourne, Vic. Did you get your pup from a breeder named Rita? She lives in Windsor NSW


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## nicolen412

Hi Lisa, 

Thanks for that! I am slowly learning the tricks of the Maltese raising trade I think. Arthur was vry happy today and was completely silent when i left him twice for 1.5 hours each time (please dont judge me for this I had to go out to do things and visit a friednw ho is only in town for a week). and he was fine !! YAY. what i realise is that when he can see me he has a massive cry/knows I am around but usually he is perfectly fine in the bathroom.

soemtimes to soothe him I put in a hot water bottle and he has a bunny toy that he really loves. I've noticed however re food that he wont have much breakfast and lunch but will CHOW DOWN dinner! its quite a sight. 

he also poo'd loads today. but i didnt change food intake... 

AHHH slowly but surely! I still refuse to give him too much attention because I dont want him to grow dependent so I leave him to play himself in small time frames. and then lavish him with attention. 

Also, I have to get back to uni ASAP and I dont know how I am going to do this. The couple living next door have a dog but they are elderly and their dog is currently ill so I dont want to ask them to check on him. My housemate also works fulltime and my grandma who lives close by is absolutely terrified of him! she stands at the door and yells his name but runs away when he gets close. I think she will be ok with puttting food down for him but I am not sure what I am going to do about attention  I feel really bad but i Also cant not go to uni *rips hair out* 

oh the woes of having a little cutie in my life


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum

nicolen412 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I am in Melbourne, Vic. Did you get your pup from a breeder named Rita? She lives in Windsor NSW


No, my Dakota isnt from Rita, is that where you got your pup from?


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