|
 Supplies
for a Maltese Puppy
Buying a Maltese puppy is embarking on
average a 13 year commitment. It is
imperative to start the life out with your
puppy correctly. The first few days with
your puppy will be exciting, but also can be
overwhelming if you are not prepared.
Please enjoy this article I have written to
help you prepare for your new arrival.
You
will need equipment for your little Maltese.
Maltese grooming tools, Maltese potty
training aides, and Maltese toys just to
name a few things.
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Crates
- Long ago when dogs were wild animals
they were den animals, they would dig a
hole in the ground that they would stay in
to be away from predators. Crates are
equivalent to the den in today’s world.
We can use crates for a safe quiet place
for the puppy to be, a safe place for the
puppy to travel in the car, and if small
enough in the cabin of the airplane.
There are two types of crates.
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The first is a heavy cage wire crate.
They can be folded down for transport or
packed away when you do not need it any
longer for your puppy. They come in
different brands and sizes. One kind is
Midwest crates these also come in
different sizes. They have a divider
that you can adjust to fit the space
your puppy needs as it grows. The puppy
needs enough room to sit, stand up, turn
around and lay down. Wire crates are
nice as they are more ventilated than
plastic crates.
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The second type of crate is a plastic
crate brands that are often used are
PetMate classic kennel or
Doskocil crates you would need a
size small. These crates are made
of heavy cage plastic and are often
airline approved to carry your Maltese
on the airplane in the cabin with you.
These crates can be bought at any pet
retails store or at a local Wal-Mart or
department store.
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Bedding –
When your puppy is at home with you, it
will have lots of time getting love from
you and following you around but Maltese
puppies also need time away from the
mainstream area of your home to rest,
puppies grow so fast and need downtime.
You will need some bedding for your
puppy. If you got a crate for your puppy
a crate pad will work very well in the
crate for them to have a little cozy spot
to rest. Be sure to buy a
crate pad that is made from silky
fabric.
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Leash and Collar - Leather
and metal collars are not good for Maltese
because of their long white hair. I think
nylon collar works best or a harness that
goes around the chest works well too. The
harness works well for buckling them in
the car if they have a
car seat they ride in. The leash
should be a lightweight material.
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Bowl-
Your little Maltese puppy will need a
bowl. The best type of bowl is a ceramic
one, or stainless steel. Some believe
that plastic bowls may contribute to the
red face staining often seen on the
Maltese and other white breeds. Some
people prefer a
water bottle instead of a water bowl
with using bottles water or distilled
water will help to keep the face dry to
help with the staining that can occur from
minerals in the water.
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Puppy Food-
I have tried many types of dog foods
breeding and raising Maltese. I have
found that after watching the quality of
the coat, face staining, energy level and
palatability that I prefer a holistic
natural dog food with no additives or
preservatives. I feed Life’s Abundance
which is safe for all life stages. The
kibble is made fresh and shipped to your
home and not stocked in stores to prevent
the long time periods sitting on the
shelf. Sitting on the shelf can cause
contamination of insects, rodents, and the
food spoiling. Visit
www.healthypetnet.com/majesty to order
a puppy pak. The 8 pound bag works well
for a Maltese the average Maltese will eat
about ½ to ¾ cup of dry food a day. If
the kibble is too large then try putting
warm water over the kibble to soften until
the Maltese grows and gets adult teeth.
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Brush-The
best type of brush to use on a Maltese is
a “pin brush” it has small wire bristles
that go through the coat nicely and help
to massage the skin. Be careful not too
brush to hard, and cause what is known as
“brush burn” the reddening of the skin
from over brushing. Maltese have very
sensitive thin skin. My favorite pin brush
is made by Chris Christianson and the
20 MM oval type order at
http://www.chrissystems.com/brushes.htm
.
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Comb-
The best type of comb to use on the face
and putting up the top knot is a metal
type of comb called a
Greyhound comb. They come is different
sizes, the best one for a maltese face is
a 4 ½ inch and for the body you can use a
full sized one.
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Potty Pads- Sometimes people have
to train their puppy to go indoors on a
potty pad because they live in apartment
or a high-rise in the city. Other
times people need to work and leave their
puppy for long periods of time, a
puppy simply cannot hold it that long and
having potty pads down in a restricted
area will help to train them where they
are allowed to go you can gradually train
them to hold it when they are more mature
if you choose to do so. I like to
use potty pads that are for multiple use.
One company online I have purchased from
is
www.discountpads.com . Another
type of reusable puppy pad that washable
and useable are the popular
Pish Pads designed by a couple of
professional Maltese show breeders. They
come in a roll and can be cut to any
length or width that suits your needs.
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Toys- Maltese love to play and will
need some toys of course. I like the
small soft toys that are small enough to
fit in their tiny mouths.
www.UpscalePup.com has a nice
selection of
puppy toys. Another good site is
www.DogToys.com
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Grooming : The shampoo I like to use
as a whitening shampoo on the face and the
feet to keep them nice and white one I
like that is safe for puppies is made by
Bio-Groom called
Super White The regular shampoo I
would recommend is made by HealthyPetNet
Spa Scents Revitalizing Shampoo they
also offer a great
Spa
Scents Bath Fresh Mist for
conditioning.
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Ear Care
- Keeping a dogs ears clean and
fresh is very important. Maltese do
grow hair in their ears that must be
removed. It can have
ear powder applied and then use your
fingers to luck the hair out. After
plucking the hair out you need to clean
the ears with a cleansing solution the one
I would recommend is a all natural
Ear Care Formula by HealthyPetNet.
Be sure to dry the ears on the outside
completely with a cotton ball or gauze and
do not use q-tips in puppies ears.
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Written By: Carrie – Majesty
Maltese |
