Maltese are outstanding companion dogs. When treated well they rarely create poor habits of biting or scratching. They're patient with young children so long as the child isn't extremely rough with all the dog. They've a tendency to bond strongly with 1 person, but can nonetheless be affectionate to other members in the loved ones. As with all animals they each and every have a personality all their own, which will create and mature when loved cared for.
What to appear for in a puppy.
As soon as you decide that the maltese breed fits your way of life and personality, there are actually some factor you should look at when you're picking a puppy.
Initial off see what type of place it is coming from. Did the breeder take superior care of the dogs, did they devote time with them, or is it strictly a money-making venture to them? A well-socialized puppy will make a far better adult dog than one who was just left in a kennel somewhere.
Observe the puppies as a litter for some minutes just before you single one out. Is it active and playful? Some puppies are shy once you choose them up at initial, so you cannot judge quite nicely how active it is actually once you handle it.
Look at the eyes of the dog. They will need to be black, and rimmed in black. Generally check for any sores on the dogs eyes, for the reason that they are able to be signs of worse wellness complications.
Next, the coat. Is it pure white? A lot of dogs have lemon spots, which is acceptable, but anything other than lemon, or off-white markings, isn't (the face will have tear-stains, this really is practically unavoidable with most dogs). It's hair also be straight and thick.
For those who plan to breed the dog, then you might prefer to check the paw-pads to see if they're black also. It is not a fault to have pink paw-pads but black is extra desirable. Also, the nose ought to be pure black. Once again, when you just want a companion dog, a little bit of pink on the nose will not hurt you.
Neck: Adequate length of neck is desirable as promoting a high carriage of the head.
Body: Compact, the height from the withers to the ground equaling the length from the withers to the root of the tail. Shoulder blades are sloping, the elbows properly knit and held close to the body. The back is level in topline, the ribs properly sprung. The chest is fairly deep, the loins taut, robust, and just slightly tucked up underneath.
Tail: A long-haired plume carried gracefully over the back, its tip lying to the side more than the quarter.
Legs and Feet: Legs are fine-boned and nicely feathered. Forelegs are straight, their pastern joints well knit and devoid of appreciable bend. Hind legs are strong and moderately angulated at stifles and hocks. The feet are little and round, with toe pads black. Scraggly hairs on the feet may possibly be trimmed to give a neater look.
Coat and Color: The coat is single, that is, without having undercoat. It hangs lengthy, flat and silky over the sides of the physique just about, if not very, to the ground. The lengthy head-hair may possibly be tied up in a topknot or it could be left hanging. Any suggestion of kinkiness, curliness, or wooly texture is objectionable. Color, pure white. Light tan or lemon on the ears is permissible but not desirable.
Size: Weight under 7 pounds, with from four to 6 pounds preferred. Overall top quality would be to be favored over size.
Gait: The Maltese moves having a jaunty, smooth, flowing gait. Viewed from the side, he provides an impression of rapid movement, size regarded as. Within the stride, the forelegs reach straight and totally free from the shoulders, with elbows close. Hind legs to move in a straight line. Cowhocks or any suggestion of hind leg toeing in or out are faults.
Temperament: For all his diminutive size, the Maltese seems to be with out fear. His trust and affectionate responsiveness are really appealing. He is amongst the gentlest mannered of all small dogs, yet he is lively and playful as well as vigorous.
Standard Care
Feeding
A transition from one home to yet another is one of the most important times to maintain consistent diet plan. For the first couple of weeks remain with the diet the breeder had him on. Soon after that it may be adjusted, slowly, to what you believe is ideal.
Due to the fact maltese are such a little breed, puppies and adults alike will have trouble chewing large-bite, or even medium-bite food. Many brands have a small-breed formula, Eukanuba is the one I use.
For puppies a small-breed puppy formula need to generally be made use of. For puppies just starting to eat dry food, it is advisable to soak the food in hot water prior to you feed it to them. For in particular picky dogs or those with bad bites that make chewing additional diffucult you may need to soak the food also.
Commonly a good-quality dog food for little breeds will have the best amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat and vitamins, but in case you are not confident check along with your vet.
Certainly, water ought to be readily offered at all times, specially in hot weather.
Housing
I don't advise leaving maltese outside at night. They're prone to cold and usually don't like getting confined away from the loved ones. Inside, they are fine to sleep on a blanket on the floor, a small dog bed, etc. Dixie, 1 of our females, loves to sleep on a pillow on the floor or in the foot of my bed.
Grooming
One of the most recognizable traits of the maltese, will be the long, lovely coat. Everyone has their own tricks-of-the-trade for grooming, but many of the most popular and useful grooming tools are a little or medium size slicker brush, a wide-tooth comb, and an uneven comb. You will discover a number of shampoos available on the market, a gentle shampoo for white coats will do fine for every thing but the face. For the face a tear-free cleanser is most effective.
Grooming really should begin with puppies, to obtain them utilised to becoming brushed and combed. Even so some dogs are just not going to like it. For the additional hard of these a tiny grooming table could possibly be a very good investment.
Toenails need to be clipped as soon as a month, front and back. This is an additional factor a lot of dogs don't like but there is no way around it. Finding a second person to assist you might make it less difficult. For extra-long nails, clipping them as soon as to just a little above the speedy, then some days later repeating will help you not to cut painfully close to the speedy, because it recedes somewhat.
A lot of maltese are prone to ear infections. These can be prevented by cleaning out the ears regularly and pulling out any hair that grows in them. In case you see your dog scratching about its ears a lot, or cries or bites when you touch his ears take him to a vet. Ear infections are effortlessly treatable.
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