What the heck is going on? There seems to be a high number of maltese in rescue now and rescue orgs. frantic to find foster/forever homes.[/B]
You know, I have thought about this even before this post. I really think that a lot of people are not prepared for what a Maltese (& particularly a puppy) personality truly is like, especially a first-time small-dog owner. I was this way with my first Malt, Rosebud (R.I.P.) back in 1990. When I first brought her home she was very sweet and shy. Fast forward a couple days and she was a hellion. I was overwhelmed ... I didn't know how to deal with her. She was just being playful but I was inexperienced and didn't recognize the signals she was giving me. I was wondering what I had gotten myself in to. Thank goodness she and I finally bonded and it was a love affair for 12 more years.
However, I can imagine how people can be overwhelmed with a Maltese puppy, especially if they don't understand how to train them and perhaps use harsh methods or they let the Malt get the upper hand and end up with a very bossy dog. Or they may think a Malt is a great dog for very young children and then find out otherwise.
Seeing a Malt puppy at the breeder's ... they just seem so sweet and innocent and then they get home and secure with things and get rowdy and very playful and mouthy and bitey. That is the reality and some people just want a perfect dog right away. They may chew furniture, bark all the time, be slow to potty train, bite your house shoes or feet as you try to walk, pull on your clothing, appear to not be trainable and so forth. For a first-time small dog owner, these traits can be unexpected and a turn off. Suddenly, their idea of a sweet, little docile Maltese has been shattered.
When people come on SM and say they want a Malt but have never been around one before and that it is their first small dog and they have toddlers in the house and maybe a husband or boyfriend who isn't too keen on the idea, I always cringe and worry about the Malt. [/B]