# Maltese and small children



## babycake7 (Jan 30, 2012)

Hey all! Many of you are familiar with my ongoing quest to get a Maltese. Its been quite a challenge and learning experience. In an earlier thread today, one of our fellow SMers pointed out that the fact that I have a child age 5 may be a roadblock or hindrance in my attempts to find a Maltese through show breeders and/or rescues. I am starting to think maybe its time to put my Maltese dream on hold for several years but before I shut that door I would love to hear from any of you who have a Maltese AND small children. Looking forward to hearig what advice, opinions and experiences you can share.


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## LizziesMom (May 4, 2010)

When I first got Elizabeth, Michael was only five years old. Elizabeth came from a rescue, but it wasn't a maltese rescue, so they really didn't know a lot about the breed. I will tell you that even though Michael had been raised around dogs, greyhounds actually, I still had to do a LOT of watching with him. Elizabeth was such a small puppy, and I was so afraid he would hurt her, that I didn't allow him to pick her up at all. He was only allowed to pet her and only with one hand. It was rather stressful, but we all made it and Liz and Michael turned out to be good friends.


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## *Missy* (Oct 7, 2011)

I would have to agree in theory because kids sometimes do not know they could hurt even kill such a small puppy or dog and they play rough or even could be walking along and trip and fall and the dog could be under their feel or anything....it does get scary when you think about what could happen for sure. I got Rustee four years ago which would mean my brother was 3 and I lived with my mom then *He never payed attention to Rustee and never paid attention to our other dogs who are small also. He was always being supervised so if the dogs were playing around him then my mom would see what was going on anyway. *Some children may be fascinated with smaller dogs and some like my brother could really care less but I think at 5 they can certainly be taught rules about the puppy and many of the issues can be eliminated. Obviously it would not be a great idea for the pup to be alone wih a five year old or be picked up just in case but I feel like its not necessarily safe for a five year old to be around an infant human baby either....but of course I would not hold off on having a baby just because I had a toddler or 5 year old in the house who might harm the infant. If it is taken lightly then it can get dangerous or if a dog is treated like a play thing for your child then yes but I know this is not the case. When I was two I was allowed to hold my infant sister while sitting next to my mom who was Doingthe real holding lol I wasn't running around like a wild child with my sister lying on the floor! *So yes I do think it is dangerous but at the same time I don't believe the puppy will just be roaming around and your son doing whatever he wants with her or him. *If you find the breeder you want to get your dog from them and they *wish for you to wait then I would wait because it couldn't hurt and you will just be that much more in love with your baby. After reading the puppy buying etiquette article it could take that long before the right pup comes along anyway lol! With rescued adults I wouldn't think it would be great without knowing their history because your 5 year old might get hurt or something also.*


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

From my experience two or even three year olds just don't know how to be around a small dog...plus they are clumsy. A sensitive five year old could be fine...provided the child was indeed a calm sensitive person. On the other hand, I find that a Malt requires so much time and care, that the average person can't handle both a child and dog who needs a great deal of care. And if you also need to work outside the house, I would warn you that a Maltese is not the dog for you. I wanted a malt in 1989....it took a long time for me to get her. You need to assess your situation very carefully. If you are a stay-at-home mom, or if you have housekeeping help, and enough money to take the baby to a groomer twice a month...blah blah blah. If you have a job, a little child, housework and a budget, then I suggest you hold on to your dream for a time when it will be a dream come true, not a nightmare.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

A small child can be taught to be gentle with a small dog, but they're still kids! Kids run and jump and fall. They are excitable and rowdy! My almost 5 year old granddaughter knows all the doggie rules at my house. She can run and jump and fall and get rowdy, but not around the dog's! I waited until my kids were older before I got my first small dog . Besides worrying about the safety of the dog's, I couldn't devote enough time to a dog at that stage in my life.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I have young grandchildren, 7 and 3, who visit me about once a month or so. Bailey adores them, but I have to constantly supervise them. I would never ever leave them alone together. I have heard too many stories of Maltese and Yorkies getting seriously injured by children dropping them, falling on them, etc.

It is stressful always having to watch Bailey when they visit especially since he thinks they are the most wonderful toys ever! I can't turn my back on them which would be difficult on a full time basis. Bailey is bigger, too, about nine pounds and very sturdy, but I still have to be careful. I am exhausted when they leave from being "on guard" all weekend.

I would recommend waiting until your son is a little older if you want a Maltese. It will be much easier for you to get a puppy from a reputable breeder when he is a couple years older. Or maybe consider a sturdier breed like a Bichon?

I attached a couple of pictures of Bailey with my grandchildren. You can see how much he loves them!


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

My niece is 6.5 years, and my nephew is 8 years – I am constantly on guard when they are here. They both ADORE Harley & Dakota, and would never intentionally harm them, but they are not allowed to pick them up – if they want a cuddle, they must sit on the floor & let Harley or Dakota come to them – H & D are never forced to cuddle. I never let the 4 of them out of my sight either.

This is just my experience, but I hope you get stories from the other side of the coin – from those with small children where it works well for them.


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## LizziesMom (May 4, 2010)

I will chime in with this... Isabelle seems to be a perfect size dog for my boys. She absolutely adores playing chase and fetch and wants to be in the midde of whatever the boys are doing. She is a beautiful girl, but because she is a mix, she is bigger and sturdier than Elizabeth. Maybe look at rescuing a maltese mix? I know there are lots of pups like Isabelle, poodle/maltese mix, who need rescuing.


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

I came home from work one day to have my then 3 yo GS tell me Spookie went flying. Huh? He had picked her up and was swooping around the living room. PopPop was supposed to be watching him. They were lucky I let them live. GS #1 loves dogs, but can be way too rough. GS#2 is like, ehhh. She is still afraid of both.

I'd wait a few more years, if you really have puppy fever bad, why not consider a small Aussie, or JR? They could keep up with your son, be a real friend for him. Instead of being watched constantly.


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## StevieB (Feb 2, 2012)

Hi, Hope - I have 3 kids ages 8, 7, and 5. I recently rescued a 1 year old maltese. He is bigger than a standard maltese at 10+lbs. He does ok with my kids, but I will tell you he has decided he is 100% my dog and just puts up with everyone else. I am fine with that as they are in school and I am the one home with him all day so we are buds. But if you are looking for a family dog then in my opinion, based on my limited experience, a maltese is probably not the right choice. I would look into something bigger and sturdier like a bichon or havanese - I hear they are great with kids. Or a mix like a malti-poo. As I said, my guy is pretty big, I can't imagine having a teeny tiny maltese with little kids. In addition to the risk to the dog, I would think the activity level of small kids would make a tiny dog nervous and it might take to growling and snapping in defense. I am not a maltese expert by any stretch, but this has been my experience with mine so far. Good luck with your decision!


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## French Maiden (Feb 5, 2012)

When I applied to buy Charm I had to state if I had kids adn how old they were. 
I also had to have a phone interview.

The breeder said she didnt usually sell her malts to people with kids, but because I had had a malt cross before she was confident in my ability to keep Charm safe.

My sons are 5 in 2 weeks and just gone 3. 
We had a maltese cross when My eldest was just 2 and my youngest was 3 months old. He was a FANTASTIC dog my sons and he were best friends. In the begining it was more the dog hurting the kids with his needle sharp little teeth of his lol. 

Constant supervision, a crate for when your kids want to have uninterupted play time and teaching the kids before the dog arrives of how to treat it.

I have started sitting the boys down with a soft toy dog and telling them they have to sit nicely, if they want to hold charm they have to sit on hte floor and hold her in their laps whil patting her gently. 
No poking, no pulling, no runnig while charm is out of her crate. 

And PICKING UP EVERYTHING!


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## Noah (Jan 6, 2012)

I think it really depends on your situation, your child and who the dog is for. If you want a dog for your child, I would probably suggest a different breed. Maltese are more of a lap dog, than a play dog. 

I got my fluff from a shelter and he wasn't a puppy, but I definitely got him for me. My son is 4 and a half and is never alone with the dog. Some people have said that they find this stressful, but I don't think so. I would never leave my child unsupervised anyway, so to me it's not additional work. Also, my son grew up with Greyhounds which I had before he was born and so he is used to having dogs around. Greyhounds actually have a similar personality to Maltese I think. 

I think only you know what is best for you and your family. Good luck in finding the perfect fluff if that's what you decide!


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

I would be a wreck trying to watch a 5 year old with a little Malt. No matter how gentle they are etc etc. kids are generally pretty clumsy. It is just so easy to step on them and for them to get hurt in so many different ways. I had no idea really. My kids grew up with a Bichon Frise. She was the perfect personality and size for them. 15lbs was ideal. An amazing dog, with a very happy go lucky, loved everyone temperament.


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

I don't know if this helps at all. I can understand the resuce organizations being hesitant in allowing a Malt be resuced with a home that has a 5 year old child. Sadly, you don't know the complete background of the dog, so if I did have a 5 year old, I may be leary.

On the other hand, lets face it, how many adults, buy a puppy, and oh my gosh the puppy pees in the wrong spot, or gets into something, and they loose patience, and off the the shelter they dump it.

Whether you get a pup, with no children, you always have to supervise. and our so curious about everything, I constanly keep my eye on all 3, I do not have any children, but I still have to constantly supervise.

When I first got dear Ana, she was 1.5 pds. Mia got the size difference right away and Leo, that weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee play time :chili:, and didn't quite get the size difference. Oh he would never hurt her at all, but Ana and Leo are play buddies, and at first he didn't get the size difference, when I would toss toys, and they both would run for it, so I taught him right away, and he completely got it.

So, I really don't see a difference if you have one child who is 5 years old. You will have to supervise anyway, and it does of course depend on the 5 year old, and set ground rules and again continuously supervise. 

I think it's almost like if the family had a five year old, and then had a skin infant, the 5 year old would have to be taught to be oh so careful.

Sometimes 5 year olds have far more sense, that some adults who have dogs. 

I think if the parent knows their 5 year old is gentle and loving, supervises, set ground rules, keep the puppy safe at all times, we do that anyway, whether we have children or not.

So, personally, I think it can be accomplised and a very special loving bond, would be present, and something so special.

Hey, if Leo got it, I am sure a 5 year old would get it. 

It takes constant supervisoin,when you get a pup, whether you have children or not. Mia and Leo are 3, and I still keep a very close eye on them. 

My nephews have been around my babies, just for a visit, and I am like a Mommy hawk, they must sit on the floor, and pet nicely, and the precious babies, get so much joy, kissing them. Grant you, they are not 5, but still need a very close eye. 

So if a Mommy has a 5 year old, I think she would know her daughter and know what is best, and I think this would go for any breed. 

You always have to supervise whether you have children or not. Like I said, if the Mommy would have another child, of course it would be an infant, and of course it would take close supervision. I honestly don't see the difference.

There are some adults, who just shouldn't have dogs. Sometimes they scare me, with their dogs, who don't treat them as a priority, don't do what is best for them, and the novelty wears off in no time. And like I said, God forbid the pup has an accident, some adult have zero patinece for that, Hello, it is a pup, may have an accident, may get into things so we always keep a close eye.

I honestly don't think that a loving Mother of a 5 year old, who realizes how much extra supervison it would take, should be denied the joy of having a fur-baby.

Just my thoughts.


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## LuvMyBoys (Jan 2, 2012)

We had our Maltese before our children were born. I guess we are a little different since there was a Maltese in the house from birth for them. We lost our first Malt when the kids were 5 and 3 and six months later had our new rescue all settled in. He was also 3 and only 5 lbs, but again, we didn't have any problems. Alvin hated children so he stayed away from them at first, but within a year he loved them and pestered them to play with him. You can see the love pictures in my album on this site. My oldest didn't pay as much attention as the younger one did. He loved him and wanted to be touching, holding or kissing him at all times. It was just a matter of reminding him how little Alvie was and he really did very well. Just my experience and not an endorsement!

Like Mary said above, I really think it depends on the situation, the dog, the kid and you.


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## Patsy Heck (Jun 10, 2011)

I really think it depends on the child. There are some 12 year olds I wouldn't want around my girls. That being said something that is also an issue are the 5 y.o. toys. They can be very dangerous for a puppy. I dont remember if you were wanting a puppy or adult.


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