I've always been a huge dog lover ever since I was a little girl. I used to beg my mum & dad for a dog, wish for one every year when I'd blow out my birthday candles and had a big poster of all the different dog breeds over my bed. Unfortunately we were never allowed to get a dog due to all the travelling my family did and it didn't help matters that my mum was allergic to pet hair! But that didn't stop me from continuing the puppy obsession. I used to own hundreds of cuddly toys, collect puppies in my pocket in my breakfast cereals, research dog breeds and avidly watch dog shows. My granny told me I used to cause her mini heart attacks whenever she'd take me for a walk and I would run up to random dogs in the street & throw my arms around them. (Sorry Oma!!)
So it's no surprise to anyone that when I eventually moved into my own flat with my then boyfriend I bought myself my very first puppy...Albi! Who subsequently bonded with Jonathan. (Insert sad face here!) I learned so much from our first dog and of course we made all the usual mistakes...he slept in our bed, we took him everywhere with us as he suffered from separation anxiety, fed him too many treats and basically spoiled him rotten!
When we bought Sina a year later it was mostly in an effort to get Albi a friend as he was so co-dependent and we couldn't leave the house! What I didn't realise was that I would actually be the one to gain an amazing companion & friend. Sina bonded with me instantly and we even ended up getting pregnant together! Fast forward to now...and we have six dogs. It's definitely no easy task to look after that many pups and even though I've fulfilled my childhood dream of owning lots of dogs, it does come with its fair share of obstacles which we've learned to overcome.
Here are some tips I've found helpful for owning a maltese:
1. Don't let them sleep in your bed. This was the #1 mistake we made with Albi...and I KNOW some of you are reading this thinking "nooooooo!" but trust me when I say that it will only lead to problems later on. And I am the first one to admit that there's nothing quite like doggy cuddles in bed (especially when you're feeling sad!). However I wish I would have known this before getting a dog. Unfortunately most maltese have a Napoleon complex anyway and allowing them to sleep in the "master's bed" will only make this worse. It makes them believe they rule the roost when actually it's you that does and they need to learn that. (No matter how cute they are!) Ever since putting all of our dogs to bed in a crate I noticed a huge difference in their behaviour. They love their crate & will always seek comfort in it when they're feeling stressed or anxious. It's like their very own bedroom or "safe haven".
2. Use a good quality dog food and filtered water. Okay this may sound like I'm raising total divas here...but I was once told by a dog groomer that the best way to prevent tear staining in maltese (those pesky red marks/stains around their eyes and paws) is to give them filtered or bottled water. So we keep a Brita filter in the fridge just for them...ha ha! And I swear it works! I've always fed our dogs Royal Canin Mini food since it came in Albi's puppy pack but about a year or two ago I found the Royal Canin Maltese which caters specifically to their breed. I always feel confident that by feeding them this, I'm giving them the best possible quality of food they can get. It specifically helps with their coat & dental health, helps stool odour reduction and satisfies fussy appetites (which we definitely have our fair share of!).
3. Get them groomed regularly...preferably by a professional unless you're rather gifted! We get our dogs groomed once a month - but some say to do it every 6-8 weeks which is also fine if you're keeping on top of brushing them out. I personally don't have time anymore to brush them daily with two kids and a household to run so I choose to rely on a professional! But we also like to keep our maltese short in a "puppy cut" or "teddy bear cut" as I've heard some people call it because I think it looks cute and also it's more practical with their regular walking! We did try going down the route of grooming them ourselves when it was just Albi & Sina...it didn't end very well. They looked like they had been hacked with a kitchen knife or gardening shears...it truly was not a pretty sight!!
4. Be prepared to have multiples...unless you're home all day. This was something I admit I should have researched more however thankfully we now have jobs where we work from home but that wasn't always the case! Maltese are very co-dependent and do not like to be left on their own. So if you go to work all day, or aren't home much then this is not the right dog breed for you. They also do love each other's company and while I probably wouldn't recommend having SIX, they do love to be paired in twos. All of our dogs have special bonds with each other and I've noticed they happily pair up quite a lot. So unless you have lots of time dedicated to special one on one time with your pup, be prepared to get them a friend :)
5. Enjoy your baby! Maltese are an incredibly intelligent & lovely breed. I definitely recommend training them properly (there are tons of YouTube videos on how to do this using treats or clickers) and you should enjoy a very special and rewarding relationship with your pup. They are playful, smart, funny and very affectionate. They LOVE one-on-one time so lots of cuddles on the sofa at night-time is a must and one of my favourite ways to unwind after a long day.
I hope this blog post is helpful! I'm not a dog expert in any official capacity but I do feel like I have quite a lot of experience with maltese, or at least I seem to have fallen into that role!
Disclaimer: This post contains a paid for advertorial. All opinions are my own, as always :)
Disclaimer: This post contains a paid for advertorial. All opinions are my own, as always :)