the cute and cuddly maltese

[crazydog]

ok so it seems like this month's dog of interest is the maltese. well i was just wanted to educate myself a little more about them. they are just the cute and cuddly dog

ive always wanted.
ok so if any of you have any information on them, i would gladly like to know. im looking for more of unusual information. any information that a lot of people wouldnt know about them.

well ive been reading up on them a little and i read on dogbreedinfo.com that maltese have to get their hairs in their ears plucked out occassionally.

Originally Posted by dogbreedinfo.com

Clean the ears, and pull out hair growing inside the ear canal.

renee, i think thats what the groomers did to roxy. but im nt sure if they were supposed to yank out 500 strands all in one yank, with PLIERS!

ok but ill take any info at all.

[2pups622]

most dogs you have to pluck the hair my vet told me it can cause serious infections
ill see what i can find on them

[2pups622]

heres a little test

http://www.malteseonly.com/pettest.html

[2pups622]

heres some ear stuff

http://www.malteseonly.com/ears.html

[2pups622]

Size: Shoulder height: 20 - 25 cm (7.75 - 9.75 inches).


Coat: Long white hair and no undercoat.

Character: This dog is eager to learn, friendly, and sociable.

Temperament: This dog gets along well with children, other dogs, and any household pets.

Care: This dog requires quite a bit of grooming, from daily brushing and combing to applying special lotion to remove ugly tear stains. Dead hair should be brushed out, as the Maltese does not shed. Irritating hairs around the eyes need to be removed.

Training: Encouragement rather than harsh words should always be used when training this breed. They are very sensitive.

Activity: The exercise needs of this dog are uncomplicated. It will adapt itself to the activity level of your family.

[Rose's Gal]

He he....if you want a really good profile, let me know!!!! lol I have a book that has AWSOME profiles for more than 150 breeds and it has AWSOME info. (I love the book by the way. lol ) Let me know if you want it before I post it though. It has everything from temperament to grooming, health to history, origin to cautions when buying. Just let me know if you want it! lol

[Ash47]

I am groomer. A lot of dogs, mostly long-hair small dogs, have to get that earhair plucked out. It can get matted and twist down to the ear canal. It can also get wax stuck in it, which is extremely un-hygienic, and cause severe ear infections. There are two methods which we groomers use for this: finger pull or twist and pull(with hemostats). I don't like the idea of probing into the dog's ear canal with long sharp metal instruments, and not knowing how much hair I am actually getting. I use the finger pull, I just get a little bit out each time I see the dog. Just to let ya'll know, we have to put a special ear powder in the ear to numb the ear up and to give us a better grip on the hair. Anyway, just wanted to let you know about the "ear cleaning."

[crazydog]

hey 2pups622, thanks alot for all that info

rose, yes id appreciate the info if you dont mind

pro47, thats great that youre a groomer. i can actually ask you directly. well my groomer used a hemostat and grabbed a whole bunch of hair in roxy's ear and just yanked it all out. roxy let out a loud yelp and was crying the whole time. it hink that is the twist and pull thing you are talking about. did she do it right? is it supposed to hurt her THAT much? they didnt use that numbing ear powder either. is there any other information you can give me on this ear plucking thing? is the finger pull hard to do? as in is it hard to pull out the hair and painful to the dog? i am really curious about all of this

[Ash47]

Hey CrazyDog,
Roxy should not have felt any pain. She most definetely could have gotten too much hair out, which should never happen. I can not believe a groomer wouldn't use the numbing powder. How inconsiderate Doing this is not hard. All you have to do is go to a petstore, and look for the ear powder. You may ask the people in there to direct you. Sprinkle some in your dog's ear. NOT TOO MUCH. Get a little bit of hair and just pull. Whatever amount you get out is fine. You may repeat this every week just to keep the ear clean. NOTE: If you smell a funny smell coming from Roxy's ears, it is more than likely an ear infection. Pulling the hair out will open up the pores for this infection to set in more. If you think it is an ear infection, go ahead and pull the hair, and then take her to the vet for meds.
Hope this helps you and Roxy out!

[Rose's Gal]

Ok, here is the profile! (This is from Your Pure Bred Puppy:A Buyers Guide seconed addition, by Michele Welton.)

Maltese

Fine for Noice owners
Good with older, considerate children
Little in size
Long coat

Exercise required - LOW
Trimming/Clipping required - HIGH
Amount of shedding - LOW
Activity Indoors - HIGH
Ease of Training - MEDIUM
Sociability with STrangers - MEDIUM

Temperament
One of the brightest and gentlest of the toys, he is exccedingly playful and enjoys clever games of dexterity such as "pull the hidden toy from under the cabinet with your paws." This curious, quick moving sprite enjoys dashing aroundt he yard and accompanying you for walks. Larger dogs may view him as a delicacy, so he must always be leashed for protection. He will bark to announce cisitors, but he is generally peaceful with the world. Some lines are ore confident and outgoing than others, and training and socialization also play key roles in how he turns out. If you treat him like a helpless baby or spoi/indulge him, he is likely to end up overdependent, inscure, or bratty and yappy. Treating him like the intelligent little dog he is, will encourage him to strut out into the world with self-confidence. Attentive, sensitive, and responsive to non forceful training, many individuals excel in competitive obedience and agility. Toy breeds do have special needs: Fences should be triple-checked for slight gaps through which he might wriggle. Hold him firmly in your arms and remember that falling objects can crush delicate bones. Maltese are notoriously difficult to housebreak, and excessive barking may need to be controlled.

I have to go now, so I'll give you the Physical Features, Health Issues, and Cautions When Buying later. BYe BYe!!