The Maltese is a member of the Bichon family and is one of the oldest European breeds. They have a beautiful mantel of long, silky, white hair, this is their crowning glory. They are non-shedding and have no undercoat, but do require regular grooming. They are gentle-mannered and affectionate, yet playful and full of animation. Despite their size, they posses the vigor needed for an excellent companion. The Maltese is intelligent and easy to train, but is very strong-willed. They enjoy being groomed, petted, and any form of affection.

We strive to breed our Maltese according to AKC standards. The Maltese is the one and only breed that we breed so we can focus primarily on improving our quality. Our ultimate goal is to hopefully someday produce "show quality" dogs and start showing to achieve our very own "Champion"! We are always trying to bring our quality to the next level. For more information about the Maltese standard please visit our links page and click the link for the American Kennel Club.

A lot of people will choose based on their previous experiences, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, I can not say that there are a lot of significant behavior differences between a male or female as long as the puppy gets spayed or neutered at a young age (between 4-6 months). Every dog, regardless of male or female, develops their own individual personality. Furthermore, if a dog is allowed to reach sexual maturity either male or female, they will both learn to "mark their territory" with urination. This is another reason to have your dog spayed or neutered, besides prolonging their life, preventing cancer, and improving their overall health. For more information please visit www.peteducation.com.

We are frequently asked if we produce "teacup" sized puppies? I thought I might put this information on my website to help educate others about the correct size of a Maltese.

First of all, there is no such thing as a "teacup" Maltese, and we will never advertise or promote our puppies as a "teacup". This is a term that was made up from puppy mills and puppy mill brokers to sell tiny sized puppies for more money. The Maltese standard is a "toy" breed that is to be under 7 pounds with 4-6 pounds preferred, but overall quality is to be favored over size. If a breeder is purposely producing puppies for smaller size, they are disregarding the breed standard and more importantly their overall health. Many of the very tiny dogs are more at risk of having health issues. Just to name a few are liver shunts, heart defects, and brain abnormalities. Even their fragile size can cause very expensive medical care or even an early death. I've heard of a 2 pound dog that simply fell off the bed, broke several bones, and died from internal bleeding after paying thousands of dollars at the vet.

For your own safety, I would suggest staying away from any breeder that advertises "teacup" puppies. A reputable breeder will not use this term, and will breed according to the breed standard to improve the breed and not their financial status. A good breeder should provide their vet information and a health guarantee. Furthermore, a good breeder will only breed one breed, or two to three at the most. Be sure you take the time to find a reputable breeder to help minimize the supply of puppy mills! NEVER purchase a puppy from a pet store! Deal face to face in person, view the environment where the puppies are being raised and don't forget to also view the mother and father's living conditions! I also do not recommend shipping puppies as cargo, this eliminates the personal touch of dealing in person, and not to mention too many risks for a small puppy. NEVER deal outside of the U.S. and never send money overseas as these cases are 99.9% a scam!

Tear staining is common in most dog breeds, but is a lot more noticeable with the white coat of the Maltese. Tear stains are a red or brown discoloration that can be seen under the eyes, around the mouth, feet, or wherever the dog might consistently lick. The cause can be related to medical issues, environment, stress, genetics, and sometimes a combination of these issues. First, you want to discuss this issue with your vet and make sure there are no serious medical issues like an ear infection, food allergy, etc. Nevertheless, when dogs are teething between 4-8 months their tear stains can increase during this time.

However, once the hair is stained it can be difficult to remove the stain so it is best to eliminate the cause and eventually it will fade away. Some basic solutions to help can be:

1. Keep the hair clean and trimmed around the face and eyes.

2. Keep the environment clean and fresh, every dog needs fresh air and sunshine!

3. Wash the food and water dishes with dish soap on a regular basis. (Dishes should be ceramic or stainless steel as plastic can absorb bacteria)

4. Use distilled or filtered water for drinking.

There are also some products that you can use to help eliminate the unsightly effects of tear stains. We personally use Angel Eyes, and can testify that we have noticed significant results! Please visit www.angeleyesonline.com for more information. This product is safe to use during pregnancy, and for puppies over 6-weeks of age. Another more expensive product is called Eye Envy.

Of course the Maltese is known for their long beautiful silky white coat. However, keeping the coat long and beautiful takes a lot of time and dedication to keep it that way. Unless you are showing your Maltese, it is not necessary to keep the coat long. A more popular and practical style is called a "puppy cut" that keeps most of the hair trimmed a shorter length and still allows the ears and tail to remain long.

Regardless of their style, they will still require regular groomings every 4-6 weeks. It is also important to find a good professional groomer in your area, and be sure they are removing the hair inside the ear to prevent ear infections. Even if you decide to take your Maltese to a professional groomer, you will still need to brush them and touch-up in-between to prevent any matting. It is best to brush the coat completely before bathing or any mats will become a lot worse.

For bathing we like to use a whitening shampoo followed by a conditioner, rinsing very well, and then blow drying to finish. The most common brushes we use are a slicker brush and a pin brush. A good steel comb is also necessary to get closer to the skin and provides less breakage. We do all of our own grooming and we would be happy to provide you with more information.

While we enjoy grooming, it's also a time to show affection (perhaps a massage) and share some bonding time together. A little tip is it's always best to exercise your dog before grooming, so they are more relaxed and will hold still. For more grooming supplies please visit www.petedgepetsupplies.com , they have very reasonable prices.

A lot of new puppy owners want to know what they need to have before they bring their puppy home, so I've compiled a basic supply list.

1. Dog Crate

We are big believers in crate training and all of our dogs are used to this method. You can use a wire crate or a plastic pet carrier type, but it should be big enough for the dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. Dogs are naturally a den animal and this is a modern day "den" where they can rest, feel comfortable, and be kept safe when you are away. This is also a helpful tool while the puppy is learning the rules of housebreaking.

2. Food and Water Dishes

We highly recommend only using stainless steel or ceramic dishes. These are easily washable, and do not absorb any bacteria like the plastic dishes. You should also wash the dishes on a regular basis.

3. Collar and Leash

There are many options these days, and it may be best to wait until the puppy comes home so you can purchase a collar that fits your puppy correctly. You can take your puppy to the pet store to find the right fit, and we recommend a simple nylon material for both the collar and leash. You should be able to fit two fingers under the collar when fit properly around the dogs neck, and it is very important to check it often while your puppy grows. A lot of owners prefer a harness instead of a collar, but a harness is not preferred when training, and is a lot less effective when learning to heal correctly. When a leash and collar are used properly, there should be no risk of harming your puppy.

It's also important to always have a form of identity on your dog's collar at all times. Another form of identity is to have your dog micro-chipped. This is a tiny microchip the size of a grain of rice that is implanted under the skin as a permanent form of identity. This chip has a number that will bring up the owners information and quickly return the dog to the proper owner if your pet ever became lost.