Male maltese as family pet

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stayathomemom

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My husband and I are seriously considering getting a maltese as a family pet for our children. I really wanted a female, so I could put cute little bows in her hair, and not have to worry about her marking her territory in my house. BUT, they are so hard to come by in our area…and when you do find one, they cost $1000 & up:eek: . I refuse to pay that much for a dog!

Does anyone own a male maltese? I am concerned about the dog “marking his territory” in my house.:o I am a clean freak, and when I tell people we are considering getting a dog, they go into a complete hysterical laugh and say “You, getting a dog…for your house?”

I know everyone has a different opinion about male vs female, but would like to hear some personal experiences with male dogs, particularly maltese, if anyone owns one. I’ve been googling since yesterday, and my head is spinning from the varying advice!

Thanks in advance!🙂
 
stayathomemom said:
My husband and I are seriously considering getting a maltese as a family pet for our children. I really wanted a female, so I could put cute little bows in her hair, and not have to worry about her marking her territory in my house. BUT, they are so hard to come by in our area…and when you do find one, they cost $1000 & up:eek: . I refuse to pay that much for a dog!

Does anyone own a male maltese? I am concerned about the dog “marking his territory” in my house.:o I am a clean freak, and when I tell people we are considering getting a dog, they go into a complete hysterical laugh and say “You, getting a dog…for your house?”

I know everyone has a different opinion about male vs female, but would like to hear some personal experiences with male dogs, particularly maltese, if anyone owns one. I’ve been googling since yesterday, and my head is spinning from the varying advice!

Thanks in advance!🙂
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Have you tried the Maltese Club of America? Don’t know if that is their official name but you can link them thru the AKC website.
 
stayathomemom said:
My husband and I are seriously considering getting a maltese as a family pet for our children. I really wanted a female, so I could put cute little bows in her hair, and not have to worry about her marking her territory in my house. BUT, they are so hard to come by in our area…and when you do find one, they cost $1000 & up:eek: . I refuse to pay that much for a dog!

Does anyone own a male maltese? I am concerned about the dog “marking his territory” in my house.:o I am a clean freak, and when I tell people we are considering getting a dog, they go into a complete hysterical laugh and say “You, getting a dog…for your house?”

I know everyone has a different opinion about male vs female, but would like to hear some personal experiences with male dogs, particularly maltese, if anyone owns one. I’ve been googling since yesterday, and my head is spinning from the varying advice!

Thanks in advance!🙂
Click to expand...
Well, to be honest…I wouldn’t want one if I had small children…I think they are also hard to ‘potty train’…but also they are cute…ck in your area for breeders…so you can see them and ask questions…
 
I don’t know about Maltese’s but I have had many dogs (medium to large size). The males are far better about “going” in the house. A lot of females have weak bladders and “leak”, kind of like some older adult females (sorry, no offense but it is more common in human females too). The males I have had have never once gone in the house. Also, the females may burn your grass more because they go in the middle of the yard, not on the edges.
However, you must know that if you are going to get a dog, there is NO guarantee that you can avoid a mess. You kinda need to accept that because you never know what an individual dog is going to be like. Some go because they are nervous, many reasons. I now have a 12 year old dog with lots of medical issues one of which is incontinence. It is a real pain, but you committ to a family pet when you get one. There are lots of risks you have to accept when you get such a pet. One of our dogs chewed up probably a total of $1000.00 worth of dog beds over several years. Then there are vet bills which can be incredible.

Consider a rescue dog that needs a home- an adult you can tell more about their personalities already without waiting for them to grow up.
Good luck with your decision!
 
I suggest finding a “maltese club” and asking them your questions. People who really care about dogs will give you honest info as they don’t want the dogs going to a home that may not match their needs or temperment.
Also, most dog breeds also have “rescue” clubs where unwanted dogs of that breed are rescued from mismatched homes and lots of care is taken to match them up with a new family. Greyhounds are a good example…
**I personally don’t know anything about Maltese, but many small dogs don’t have a temperment suited to a home with children. Most dog bites involve little dogs. **
As for male vs female, I have a male dog and he has NEVER marked his territory in my home or yard. He has an area in the yard that is his and that is the only place he goes. I think it is more an issue of training than gender…
**One more point, if you don’t have your heart absolutely set on a Ma****ltese (or if you do, check out rescue societies) please consider adopting a mixed breed from a shelter. **I got one when I was 15 (am now 30) and he has been the best dog (great temperment, no health issues etc). When I moved out and got married, we got a purebred dog and he has had health issues from day one.
Malia
 
Instead of a Maltese, might I suggest a shitsu for a small breed? They are very good with children, from what I’ve seen. West highland terriers are also good. The maltese I’ve known have been great with adults, but not so good around kids, esp. little ones.
 
Whatever breed you decide to purchase, make sure you see both parents of the litter. That will tell you quite a bit about the temperment of the puppy (but even that can’t be assured - especially if you are unprepared to properly train it). Also, be a faithful watcher of “The Dog Whisperer” - GREAT information on dog training.
 
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My mum was just lucky to get her for US $20, 9 years ago. 😃

If you are a clean freak, I don’t know whether dog is suitable for you. Like inthelamb said you must be prepare.

So far, mine has been quite good, except that it never has a good relationship with my little sister. :rolleyes:
 
My sister has a male Maltese who has been neutered. He is a very good dog. He does have accidents, particularly if he is left alone or is otherwise stressed. When we were kids we had a male miniature Schnauzer, which was not neutered. That dog used to pee on the carpet in my room over and over. He also used to find our sanitary napkins (etc.) in our bathroom trash, tear them up, and strew them around the house. Totally awful. As a result of that dog, I am not a dog person at all. (Sorry kids.)
 
We have a maltese/yorkie mix. She’s a girl. I’ve had several rescue Maltese as well, as well as a pekinese/yorkie mix. All girls. Sometimes they have accidents. Sometimes they puke on your carpet. Sometimes they track in mud. They don’t shed, so they are relatively clean that way. What you need to do is buy one of those little spot lifter carpet cleaners.
I don’t know how old your kids are but it’s not a real good choice for small kids. They are really small and can be hurt easily (by accident like stepping on them or a child just not realizing how fragile they are). Any dog that is teased can get snippy, but small dogs I think are even more prone to this behavior. A mixed breed would probably be better, like our maltese/yorkie is good with kids. My friend has a Bichon who is good with kids.
BTW you can put bows in boy dogs’ hair if you want to! It is within doggie ettiquite I believe. 🙂
Oh and a warning…there is a website called MalteseOnly and while they may have good information on it, the people running it are not honest. Never attempt to get a dog through any link on this website.
I know personally that this is a reputable maltese rescue:
geocities.com/ohiomalteserescue/adopt.html
Maltese rescue they often will not consider you if you have children. It depends though. I think this one would.
 
I have had a variety of pets in my life, mostly cats, but several dogs also. The one thing about a male is that he is much less likely to mark his territory if he is neutered ( & neutered young enough!).
Toy breeds are not a good choice for families with small childrern. They (the dogs!) tend to be higher strung that other dogs, also as has been said, they are easily injured by normal childhood play…Think handing a baby over to a toddler…
There are sites where you can check out the appropriateness of various breeds…I can’t name them, but you could google…

The cleanest, sweetest tempered dog I ever had was a male pug…The worst dog for accidents, & the one with the worst disposition, was a female pug… Every one is different. But there are general rules & they are worth looking at before you commit to any pet…for their good as well as that of you & your family!!
 
Just one more thing I forgot to say: I agree about finding a mixed breed dog…in a slightly larger size. Try the local humane society.
But I have to say, I wouldn’t suggest a rescue dog, unless you find out exactly why the dog has been turned in to them…
Someone might not have been able to housetrain the dog, or it might be a “nipper” around their children.
Now, there is the real possibility that you might find the perfect pet for your family. Just please, know as much as possible about the animal you are adopting, before bringing him/her home. Somewhere, there is an animal for your family. It may not be as “cute” as the dog you have dreamt of, but cuteness is much less important than fitting into your household!
I wish you good luck in finding that pet. With an open heart & mind, you should find the right dog (or other pet) for you.
God bless.
 
The title of this thread really made me smile. I have a Maltese male, but he is not a family pet, he is my husband!🙂 🙂
 
Thanks so much you guys!

I have been thinking about getting a house dog for a looooong time. After doing tons of research on good dogs for kids, we decided that a maltese would be the best breed for our family. We want a small dog, and the fact that they don’t shed is a huge plus for me!!😃
 
Zooey said:
Just one more thing I forgot to say: I agree about finding a mixed breed dog…in a slightly larger size. Try the local humane society.
But I have to say, I wouldn’t suggest a rescue dog, unless you find out exactly why the dog has been turned in to them…
Someone might not have been able to housetrain the dog, or it might be a “nipper” around their children.
Now, there is the real possibility that you might find the perfect pet for your family. Just please, know as much as possible about the animal you are adopting, before bringing him/her home. Somewhere, there is an animal for your family. It may not be as “cute” as the dog you have dreamt of, but cuteness is much less important than fitting into your household!
I wish you good luck in finding that pet. With an open heart & mind, you should find the right dog (or other pet) for you.
God bless.
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It depends on where you get the rescue dog. Many breed clubs (national clubs in each breed) have rescue groups. Mine does. Dogs are turned in for various reasons i.e. death in the family, moving, etc. Each rescue goes to live with a club member who assesses the temperament and needs of the dog in order to place it in the right home environment. They are also spayed or neutered before going to their new home. Cost to adopter is minimal.
 
FCEGM said:
Whatever breed you decide to purchase, make sure you see both parents of the litter. That will tell you quite a bit about the temperment of the puppy (but even that can’t be assured - especially if you are unprepared to properly train it). Also, be a faithful watcher of “The Dog Whisperer” - GREAT information on dog training.
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Seeing both parents is not always an option. For instance, as one who shows dogs and breeds occasionally, I breed to the dog that I think is the best match for my female. I look for a dog whose health history I am familiar with and that has qualities that need to be improved in my female. That dog is frequently not in the city where I live. A good book for dog training is “Good Owners, Great Dogs” by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson.
 
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