# LOOKING FOR A PET MALTESE/



## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

After a very bad experience with a new puppy owner this past weekend, I thought I would post some of what is going on in my mind this morning.

Maybe this will save new puppy owners misery as well as the breeder. Right now, I am prepared to refund the money and take my pup back. See, after getting it home, she is unhappy because it has buff on the ears (and a stupid neighbor convinced her it wasn't a pure bred Maltese, even though the sire is a champion, and there are many more listed in the pedigree).

When you start out to search for that new Maltese, sit down and write your expectations as to standard. We, as breeders, are faced more and more with people whose standard for their new pup is actually a show dog. They have the idea in their head that they want one that looks like those they in the show pictures or on TV. That is fine, but they ask for a pet pup, which around here, is as close to standard as possible, but is just not one I feel can be competative in the ring. If the expectations you have for your new baby is the same as those for show dogs, then be up front with the breeder from the beginning. In this case, it would have saved me hours of talking, exchanging pictures, and saving this pup for them. 

I have learned from this because I will be more diligent about having the prospective owners describe exactly how they want their pup to look.


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## msmagnolia (Sep 8, 2004)

Awww! I feel for you Faye. I'll bet every breeder has to deal with this stuff, which is one of the many reasons that I wouldn't be a good breeder. I'm not sure if the buyer was located in your general area, but if so then they are dumb as dirt because MS hardly even has a reputable breeder. Good luck to them in finding their perfect puppy anywhere around here.....and I'll bet they won't want to pay the huge bucks either!

On the other hand, I do think that puppy buyers probably want as much info as you can give them - even if it seems unimportant to you. I didn't care that Sadie had some lemon on her ears, but I wanted to know every single detail because I was so excited about getting her.....

Sounds like your pup will be better off coming back to you and then finding another home soon....


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## Maltese_NH (Jul 23, 2006)

You'll just never make some people happy.....I love Haylee's lemon ears!


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I think, sometimes, maybe many times, prospective buyers see a pic or see a maltese someone else has and believes all maltese are just like that one. I call it dog blindness. You know the type. The ones who think all dogs of each breed look alike. Anyway, they go after a pup and are certain, because it comes from champion lines or they were sent to the same breeder as that dog they saw originally, that all pups will look just like that one. This is another reason why education is so important in acquiring a purebred dog. 



Oh, and yes, I think it's just as important for the breeders to know their clients' needs and desires. If the breeder is asking a hefty price, they should make a point of insuring the right pup is with the right buyer.

This wasn't directed to you, Faye. I know you are doing all you can, but it shows you how difficult it is to please everyone all the time.


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

That is such a shame....Sounds like they missed out on a great pup. If I'd sent Abbey back for her lemon ears I'd have missed out on the sweetest pup in the world!







Abbey's ears faded but she still has lemon on her back but I love every bit of her!!!


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## Jacki (Jul 13, 2006)

Faye, I'm ready to go *ninja-nutty* on the nasty neighbor who instigated this. Anyone who knows you, knows that you are a great breeder and your dogs are of very high quality. If these people were thinking about things rationally, they would realize they'd rather have a puppy from you with a little buff on the ears than a pup from someone sketchy that's pure white. Doesn't a bit of color on the ears usually grow out anyway? AND, who really cares, as long as the baby is happy and healthy and its personality fits in well with the new family? GRRR.









I probably had some dog blindness when I started looking for Sprout. I really wanted a gorgeous little Malt with big black eyes, a well-proportioned face, and silky long hair. At that point I didn't know the difference between a good breeder and a careless byb with pet store breeding stock. I was shocked when I saw poodle-looking Malts walking around (poodles are cute, to be sure -- but not what I had in mind, you know?). Where was I going to find my silky-haired little baby? Then I started doing research. It took a while to find someone I trust 100% and feel great about getting my little baby from. I knew I could not spend $3,000+ on a show puppy, but also knew I wanted a healthy, well-bred baby who looked like Malts are supposed to look. 

Now, with Sprout, I feel I am getting the best of both worlds. A pet pup who is gorgeous and comes from good parents. I'm in love with the little guy already. And while I am really excited that Sprout is super-cute and has a pretty coat, I am more excited that he is coming from someone responsible, ethical, and careful in the practice of breeding Maltese. 

Well, I'm getting long winded. But from the sounds of it, these people are really going to miss out on a special baby over silly reasons. I'm sorry that neighbor would say such things. I know how much you care for your Malts, and care about doing things right, and it must have been hurtful to have someone question you in that way.







Love you much.


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

I can't imagine any of your dogs pet or show looking any less than like a pic of a perfect maltese.
I am sorry for her ignorance she'll see later her stupid actions and maybe her neighbor is really just jealous she WAS going to have a beautiful dog!!!!
Sorry for the pups transistions







and your wasted time too







.
I know in the long run this baby will get a better home bc of it.








Are we going to get to see it? That would just be torture for me.









Lisa


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

> After a very bad experience with a new puppy owner this past weekend, I thought I would post some of what is going on in my mind this morning.
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> Maybe this will save new puppy owners misery as well as the breeder. Right now, I am prepared to refund the money and take my pup back. See, after getting it home, she is unhappy because it has buff on the ears (and a stupid neighbor convinced her it wasn't a pure bred Maltese, even though the sire is a champion, and there are many more listed in the pedigree).
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I can honesly say that I had absolutely no expectations when I got Lucy. I just wanted a little dog that would not create problems in my household, because the hubby did not want me getting a dog in the first place. Your puppy buyer wouldn't have been happy with Lucy either, because she had some color on her ears and lots of tearstaining. 
[attachment=19624:attachment]
First day home and not looking anything near show quality.
[attachment=19625:attachment]
1 year old and show quality. 

So even if I had expectations on how Lucy should 'look' when I got her, I would have been wrong. As far as personality expectations, she more than exceeded anything I had hoped for. Oh and Lucy is also champion sired, her mom wasn't a champion. 

I know I probably sound like a broken record here, but I think it's a good example of puppy appearances being decieving!


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## ancox0430 (Feb 19, 2007)

Your neighbor needs some sense. It makes me angry for owners to be so concerned with just the LOOKS of their pets. To me..sending a little puppy back after you adopted him or her because you dont like how they look..is the same as having a baby and asking them to put it back in cause it's not cute enough!! Rediculous!! I understand if you want to show your dog..but a pet maltese is about their sweet loving personalities..not just their pretty little faces! She should be ashamed! I could never be a breeder..no one would ever be good enough for me to sell my puppies too! haha. I have so much respect for Breeder's who deal with all this


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

Faye, I am so sorry you have this problem. Will the buyer be returning the pup to you? There really is no accounting for poor taste...and obviously this buyer has poor taste in pups! Did they say anyting about the pup's personality? My guess is no.


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## Littlemans Mom (Apr 6, 2005)

They do not deserve one of your babies




























I hope you do take the little one back


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## May468 (Dec 5, 2006)

you just want to ring some peoples necks. This is another reason why I couldn't breed. I don't have the patience for Stupid.


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

> Faye, I am so sorry you have this problem. Will the buyer be returning the pup to you? There really is no accounting for poor taste...and obviously this buyer has poor taste in pups! Did they say anyting about the pup's personality? My guess is no.[/B]



I got another email, and she talked of how sweet he was and that he was potty trained, just as I told her. I think she is beginning to look past the color on the ears. He was snuggled in her lap. 
I will do pictures of the brothers (she got first pick) so you can see the color. They pretty much look alike, except they chose the larger of the group. These pups were posted on a thread earlier. I believe it has a red plaid background, as I caught them in a cute pose when they were just babies. The color has faded since then, as they are now 12 weeks old.
By the way, this isn't all the story. I showed her the sister who was born last December. I wanted her to see how he would look as an adult. I am very proud of this girl, and I thought it would give her a good idea of what to expect. She had pictures of the parents, but I didn't show them to her, as she didn't ask. They were here, and I could have. Her neighbor also had her convinced that I must be a broker because she didn't see both parents. I co-own two males, and they are not always here. Also, wonder if she has ever heard of FedEx and shipping sperm. And, I guess she doesn't know that some breeders just keep a few in coat, and those are the "parents" for whichever pup is being sold on a given day. I wouldn't do that, but I could have by showing them Secret and Emma who are in coat. Or, I could have bleached the color out before she got him, as is also common, but I thought honesty was the way to go. 
Oh well, maybe if I done the bleaching and charged a much higher price they would have been more satisfied.


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## mmo (Sep 4, 2004)

This just make me crazy. 
You should have seen Nacho when i got him, he had lemon on his ears and on his back which also contributes to his AMAZING pigment. Th lemon markings are now gone and he couldn`t be more perfect, in every possible way. 
I just don`t understand some people, they think it`s the Home Depot where if you are not satisfied you can take it back and get a refund. A puppy is a HUGE commitment, it`s not something one can take as a "trying" thing. 
Bottomline, i can`t imagine someone looking for an adorable pet and not wanting him or her anymore because he has some buff in his ears!!!! Has she smelled him? has she taken some time to look deep into his eyes? has she cuddled him? 
I just don`t get it


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

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Well I am glad to hear that she seems to be warming up to the pup. My breeder joked with us that the FedEx man is V'doggie's father. Another thing our breeder told us was that lemon ears, while not always, often indicate good coloring later in life. As you can see from our photos, V'doggie has a beautiful black nose and perfect black rimmed eyes. Her paw pads are not completely black, but that's fine by us. I have heard that it is not unusual to take a Sharpie pen to the paw pads to make them appear black. I guess that goes right along with the hair bleaching.


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

I don't understand people. I have had a few people tell me Bogie can't be a pruebred Maltese because he has lemon on his ears and some on his back. The lemon markings were one of the reasons I picked Bogie. His brother was pure white, but Bogie had so much more personality.
I knew I wasn't getting a show dog. I didn't want a show dog. I wanted a good pet. I got that plus. There are many dumb people out there. Why does your buyer care what a neighbor says? I sure don't. Unless your buyer is breeding or showing isn't the personality of the dog the most important factor in a pet. It seems like your buyer is more interested in impressing the neighbors.

We all know you are a reputable breeder. I'm sorry you're having a bad expericence with your buyer. I wish all breeders were as reputable.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

Your Bogie is adorable!


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## mmo (Sep 4, 2004)

> Your Bogie is adorable![/B]


i totally agree


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## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

Or, I could have bleached the color out before she got him, as is also common, but I thought honesty was the way to go. 
Oh well, maybe if I done the bleaching and charged a much higher price they would have been more satisfied.
[/QUOTE]

Bleached the color out? OMGosh, I have never heard of such. Coco had some lemon/tan on her ears, but I was so happy to finally have my puppy that I didn't care. I had actually turned down one earlier because she had some tan on her back. I saw that same puppy when I went to get Coco, and I could not see the patch of tan any longer. You don't really see the lemon/tan on Coco's ears anymore because the white has taken over, but it is underneath the white on her ears. I just don't give a flip. I love my dog, and she has the cutest face I have ever seen. Even the best bred dogs can have some color on them when they are little. Faye, did you think of having her read the Maltese standards? It even says that some tan/lemon, whatever, on the ears is acceptable, although not preferable. I know I am not an expert on all things Maltese, but I can't imagine some color on the ears bothering this person. Pathetic. LOL! An aside, my last Maltese was as white as he could be, but he was the sickliest little dog I have ever seen and died at 6. I wonder if she wants a healthy dog or an all WHITE dog? I hope she was looking for a healthy pet.


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

The majority of Malt puppies I've seen, both in person and in pics, have at least a tinge of buff on the ears. Frosty had the ears and a batch on his back as a baby. He also has exceptional black points pigment. Maybe the theory about the buff and dark points is factual.


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## thelittlepet (Apr 18, 2006)

My pups parents are both champions. All four of their grandparents are champions. One is a ROM. I think even all of their great grandparents are champions. However, Lily has some lemon. which according to standard is perfectly acceptable. I saw it in pictures and could care less. Her pigment is so dark and she is an absolute riot. I chose a breeder that I could live with and that way it would be alright for me to fall madly in love with my pups they day they were born. My reason for chosing a good breeder were health and ethics not a certain look. 

people like that are never happy. The first look and I was hooked. and after I held them oh lord they were mine, I could not have lived without them. Good Luck Faye

Aimee


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

I agree with you Dee, about the darker pigment matched with a little color. I did have a breeding not too long ago where a couple of the pups came out with a lot of color. I will not repeat that breeding, and I will not keep one of the pups to include for further breeding. I do know that when we line breed, stacking the genes does increase this chance in some cases.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

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Shows how much that nosey neighbor knows!

I have always heard it was a red flag if both parents were on the premises! It's the hallmark of a backyard breeder who gets two dogs from anywhere and lets them mate just because they are biologically capable of doing so.

As Faye says, careful breeders make sure that every breeding is as perfectly matched genetically as possible. How many times would that match be right there in the same house? The Fed Ex man is Cupid in many of those careful matings.


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

Wow, How could you not love that pup. You can hardly see any color. That pup is beautiful. As long as the puppy is healthy, the buyer should have no complaints. I wish I could take him.


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

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And some people send their dogs out to others to do a breeding. I just returned a dog yesterday who was here for breeding. She lives over 800 miles from me, so I don't think any new owners will be seeing the sire.


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

Faye,



You can't please all of the people all of the time and sometimes you can't please any of the people.



Please rest with the fact you know you did what was RIGHT and always do.



LOVE TO YOU!
Melanie


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

> I don't understand people. I have had a few people tell me Bogie can't be a pruebred Maltese because he has lemon on his ears and some on his back.[/B]


Some people just don't have the whole deck. They like to pretend they are experts in everything. I've had people - Maltese owners, groomers, etc. - argue with me that Sophie is a purebred Maltese - she's not, she's a Maltese/Poodle mix. She does look more Maltese than poodle though. One group of Maltese owners at the groomers actually had me thinking maybe she is all Maltese.







What's funny though is she looks nothing in person like she looks in pictures. So, if someone was going just on pictures - they'd sure get a surprise when they saw her in person - of course, she looks much cuter in person. I hope all works out for you and the pup.


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## Cathy (Mar 19, 2006)

Gee Faye, I can't imagine anyone returning a puppy because of lemon on the ears. How silly is that. Even my Smudge has some color on the ears but I know it will grow out. It did on my other two Malts so there is no reason to think that it won't grow out on her too.

As we know, no 12 week old puppy is going to look like an adult, well groomed show dog. Getting that look takes a ton on time and patience. I guess they don't realize that they can make their little guy look like a show boy IF they put in the effort. Gee, if they grow the coat I bet they wouldn't even be able to tell the difference between him and one in the ring. I grew my Sophie's coat and even though she wasn't show quality she sure looked like she could have been shown. At the time I didn't know structure etc and I bet they don't either.

Thank goodness buyers like these are in the minority. Concentrate on your happy owners and forget losers like these ones.

Cathy


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

I don't think I would want her to have a pup after hearing all this. I would ask her to wait and think this over!! Are you sure she just wants a PET or is she planning on breeding? That pup deserves a better home and I vote for taking him back!


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

> I don't think I would want her to have a pup after hearing all this. I would ask her to wait and think this over!! Are you sure she just wants a PET or is she planning on breeding? That pup deserves a better home and I vote for taking him back!
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Well, I've heard no more from the owner since I got the email about how sweet he was and that he was cuddled in her lap.
As for breeding, he was sold without that option, as all my pets are sold with spay/neuter contract. If he is bred, it won't be so they can register with AKC. 
One thing about it is that if he is returned he will have a home with another family here who wants a pup.


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## brendaman (Mar 7, 2006)

I understand the concern your buyer faced, but it seems rather than do some research, she chose to listen to a neighbor who we presume is also not very experienced. Books about Maltese, as well as websites describing Maltese, do have explanations of the coloring. I remember reading about this and looked up again what it says in the akc.org:

"Light tan or lemon on the ears is permissible, but not desirable."

I would take "desirable" to mean that of a show dog. I've read also that the coloration could fade. And indeed it has faded a bit with Shayna. 

When I was looking for my puppy, there was so much I didn't know. (For example, that breeders are critical about other breeders, but you should not participate in this criticism. Breeder A told me that Breeder B's puppies had tearstains. When I discovered this to be so, I emailed Breeder A to say she was right. Breeder A forwarded my email to Breeder B. Breeder B called me and told me I shouldn't say such things and email them out. It turned out OK as Breeder B was very nice as she knew I was serious about buying a puppy. I had thought I wanted a Breeder A puppy, but not after this incident. That was my welcome to the small world of Maltese breeders. ) This forum was and continues to be a godsend in finding information and advice about Shayna. I hope your buyer has access to the Internet so that she can be a knowledgeable and happier buyer and hopefully a more knowledgeable Maltese owner. 

Shayna has the imperfections we expected because she is NOT a show dog. At 15 months, we still see sides to her personality we had not seen before. We could tell early on what her temperament would be. In the end, appearance is only skin deep (or in this case, a few discolored hairs deep). Shayna still has some color in her ears but we LOVE her pieces!!

Shayna as a puppy with some lemon and beige
[attachment=19661:attachment]


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Maybe Faye or one of our other experts can clarify this, but don't the puppies with a little lemon or tan as puppies usually end up to be the ones with great pigment later on?

I just can't imagine getting so hung up on looks when health and personality are so much more important.

I also can't imagine letting a neighbor's uniformed comments make me consider getting rid of a puppy I'd already bonded with!


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## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

You should have tried selling him as a rare blonde maltese for a bargain at $4,500!







(jk) 

I would say I don't understand why someone would be so picky, but on the other hand, I was being picky when I was looking for a maltese too--just about other things that were perhaps easier to evaluate in photos. 

I think the best thing to do in that situation is to not argue and just graciously accept the dog back and find him the right home. I would be worried that if I got defensive or argumentative at all that she'd just stop communicating and resell him... possibly not to the type of home you would--perhaps even to the highest bidder. I'm a worrywart though and can be a tad cynical. I hope she has bonded with him and gotten over her concerns!


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

Now that everyone knows Jacki is getting Sprout from me, I'll post a picture of the pup in question. I took it at the same time I took Sprout's last picture. Mine are usually off color with my camera, but I took this one outside to show how he really looks. It is the last one I sent to the new owners before they came for him.
Oh, and I haven't heard anything else from them. I think they realized they got a good deal in a healthy, well adjusted pup.


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

> Now that everyone knows Jacki is getting Sprout from me, I'll post a picture of the pup in question. I took it at the same time I took Sprout's last picture. Mine are usually off color with my camera, but I took this one outside to show how he really looks. It is the last one I sent to the new owners before they came for him.
> Oh, and I haven't heard anything else from them. I think they realized they got a good deal in a healthy, well adjusted pup.[/B]


 

*SIGH* I'm in love. He's cuddly cute. Anyone would be lucky to be owned by him.


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## Jacki (Jul 13, 2006)

He is soooo cute.







I hope the new owners have bonded with him and decided to ignore that nasty neighbor!!


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## halfpin21 (Nov 22, 2005)

oh my gosh he's soo cute!!!!!


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## May468 (Dec 5, 2006)

Very Handsome Guy there.. some people are just fools.

Makes me wonder just what they really wanted the Pet for?


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## cruisinpat (Jan 29, 2007)

He is one beautiful little pup.


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

he looks PERFECT to me!







what a cutie!


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## lynda (Oct 11, 2005)

He's a little doll.


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## msmagnolia (Sep 8, 2004)

Oh MY!!!! He is a doll. I'm sure they have fallen madly in love with him!


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

He is adorable!








Looks perfect to me!


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## Bijousmom (May 29, 2005)

He is beautiful, healthy, and well adjusted, so what else could they possibly want!


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

He's beautiful!!!!


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