MALTESE TERRIER (mini maltese?)

Sorry for the typos *eek* my spelling while typing is getting bad

hi Ateryu,yes there's mini maltese those are taiwan breeds.

Here's what I suggest:

Get your girlfriend a cute stuffed dog for Christmas along with a cute written promise that you're going to buy her a puppy.

Then research the breeds to see what dog would be best for the two of you. It may not be the breed you think it would've been!

Then find a reputable breeder of that breed. Do NOT go to a pet shop whatever you do, they do not have quality puppies. Also, be sure you know how to recognize a good breeder from a bad breeder (sometimes called a backyard breeder.) Backyard breeders are either only in it for the money OR are nice but unknowledgable; in either case, the puppies from backyard breeders will often have health problems. If you need help learning about how to recognize a good breeder, we would be glad to help!

Then pick out a puppy together with your girlfriend. It's best that she be part of the process, since she will have to live with the puppy.

Getting a puppy around an "exciting" day like Christmas or a birthday is not a good idea because it can be very stressful for the puppy, plus there are usually lots of things around that he can eat that are bad for him (like ribbons and tinsel.) I recommend getting a puppy a few weeks after the big event, so that it can be introduced to its new home in quiet.

^^^^^ Now that sounds like a wonderful idea for you and your g/f
Then you both get to go and choose a lovely puppy and from a great breeder too

There is no such thing as a mini maltese. DO NOT BUY ONE!!!! You will either end up with a puppy that will be too small and unhealthy and will most likely not live anywhere close to the age that it should. Or you will be sold a puppy that is way too young to be away from its mother. Bad breeders (ones that sell you tea cup and mini breeds) sometimes will pass off a 4-5 week old puppy as one that is 8-9 weeks old just so you think that it will be small and then you end up with a 9 lb maltese when it is full grown). Chances are probably nil that you will find a puppy from a reputable breeder before Christmas. Why don't you buy a leash, collar, crate and dishes for your girlfriend for Christmas along with a note telling her that you and her can now start looking for her puppy. This way she will be able to pick out the perfect little maltest puppy for her. Toy breeds are small enough, that there is no need for breeders to try and make them even smaller. Don't worry about paying more from a reputable breeder either cause chances are a bad breeders prices are going to be the same if not more than a reputable breeder, PLUS you will get a health guarantee and the satisfaction of knowing that you will be able to count on your breeder if anything happens down the road, a much better quality dog and more years with that dog than you would get from a puppymill or a back yard breeder selling of designer puppies.

Here is a link for you to read about mini and tea cup breeds

http://www.foxstonemaltese.com/teacupmaltese.htm

Also, a good site to get a "first look" at a breed is www.yourpurebredpuppy.com .

Here's the page for the maltese:

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/maltese.html

As you can see, the maltese has many good qualities; it is intelligent and playful. BUT pay attention to the negatives, too; maltese often have problems with separation anxiety, can be suspicious and fearful if not socialized extensively, may bark frequently, need frequent brushing and combing, and are notoriously difficult to housebreak. This animal behaviorist considers the maltese to be one of the top five most difficult to housebreak breeds.

This is why it's important to research ahead of time and consult with your girlfriend . . . She may want a breed that's easier to housetrain.

I don't know how casual/serious you and your girlfriend are, but if you want to have kids at some point (or have kids already), a toy breed may not be the best choice. Toy breeds are very, very fragile. Children can unintentionally hurt them by playing too rough or falling on them. (Young kids do not have the best coordination.)

Again, do a lot of research, pick a great breeder, and remember that a dog can live up to fifteen years or even more, so pick CAREFULLY.

If you want ideas on what breeds are suited to your lifestyle, why not go to the Dog Breeds forum and post to let us know about your life and habits? I'm sure you would get lots of great suggestions.

Well said ^

Just a note...this thread is over a year old...

Ahahahaha, oops lol.

Yup !!! An old one , so I'll re -post an old one !! I had 3 litters that could have gone " home " for Christmas . All except one pup were not surprises so they waited until after Christmas. The one was for a husband who had fallen in love with Bubba and wanted a Golden sooooooo badly !!! I'm in Indiana and they were from IL .... I had pick of the litter and video taped their " Dakota " pushing his little nose out of a wrapped Christmas box then tumbling out of the box. She presented the tape on Christmas day and he burst into tears !! They came and got him the next week .......... needless to say , we all were in tears !! They had 2 lovely little girls and for years I heard from them . How they loved that pup !!

OMGosh that is EXACTLY what my husband did lol

To the OP there are a lot of wonderful breeders in NSW go to dogzonline.com.au and look at the breeders list.

Just remember a dog is for life not just for christmas!!!! You and your girlfriend are the sort of ppl byb's and petshops prey on. The MacDonald's mentality......The I want it today and I want it NOW!!! society of today.

Sorry to sound harsh but I love this breed and NSW is where all these little fluffs can be found in rescue.......More so than any other state. QLD never have any and they are rarely found in Victoria. All because people have not done their homework or they have gotten a cute little fluff and never bothered to train it or maintain it properly and so it grows up with "issues" and are dumped grrrrr Please, please research the breed properly so that you can offer it a good home.

OMGOSH This may have fallen on deaf ears lol I just noticed this thread was started in 2005 Oh well maybe we have helped someone else.....