OT Maltese good with children?

[lovinpoohbear]

Wondering if a Maltese is good with children?
If so, does anyone know of a reputable Maltese breeder?

 

[Flashbaak]

We have one and she's good with the kids (age 3 and 6). Check www dot spoiledmaltese dot com for breeder info and other stuff. A lot of reputable breeders won't sell a puppy to a family with kids. The maltese I got (from a reputable breeder) was 3 years old.

aak

 

[lastminutemom]

You need to really research this -- mostly I have heard (and experienced) that they aren't particularly good dogs for families with young children. My neighbors had them -- and they had to be put up before any small kids could visit. Same with my sister in law.

 

[lovinpoohbear]

Thank you for the responses. I have been researching the web and so far, I have seen that they arent recommended for kids because of their small size; this isn't a concern for me because we have a toy poodle who weighs 6 lbs and my kids know better than to try to pick him up on their own etc.
We actually had to put down our other toy poodle last spring, he was 15 years old and had cushings disease and his kidneys were shutting down. We were heartbroken. My dog misses a companion and we all miss having another little doggie to snuggle with.
I have been reading the forums at spoiled maltese. Thank you for the info!

 

[El&Asmom]

I think like any breed, there are good and not so friendly ones. Overall, I think they are one of the better toy breeds for children. They are usually friendly and less likely to snap at kids compared to some other breeds. Typically, they aren't recommended for small kids, because they are so small, and more "breakable" if a small child doesn't know how to respect a little dog. If your kids are gentle with dogs, then they should be just fine.
I typically recommend staying away from breeds like the chihuaha, toy poodles, and many of the terrier breeds as they are less likely to be tolerant of young kids. But again, there are exceptions with any breed, but some general characterizations.
A Calvalier King Charles Spaniel is another small breed dog that is great with little ones.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've had a maltese and so have a few of my friends. I wouldn't think twice about getting one with kids around. Maltese are a true companion pet. Historically that is what they were bread for. They are were the term 'lap dog' came from.

Mine was very loving and gentle. All she wanted from us was love and some place warm to cuddle.

My little one was a miracle dog. She had a ton of medical issues and never should have survived birth. Lucky for us she lived to be 12 years old. She ended up with kidney faliure and we had to have her put to sleep.

As far as the concern about small kids. I think you need to teach children the importance of being kind and gentle to any dog. Also, as with any dog kids should be supervised. No matter how well you think you know your dog you must never forget that they are animals and they have some natural instincts.

Best of luck with the dog search. I wish I was doing the same but I'm not ready yet to love another dog.

 

[Narnia]

We have a little bichon frise and when she was a puppy she learned to jump on the kids bed ( lower then normal) and she fell off and knocked herself out cost me $400 and they only had her for 2 day with an IV little dogs get hurt easy. We have a black amarican cockerspainal that is so well behaved with kids. The kids could pull her tail really hard and she wouldn't even give a warning growl nor seem to care. Dogs all dogs need to be trained some are more dominant and it appers the smaller the dog the more likely to be nippy. Pick a dog for it's health, size and attatude.

 

[Vijoge]

I have two shih-poo's who are half sisters. The older one is three, she's half poodle and half ****zu and weighs about 9 lbs. Our younger girl is two. She's 1/4 poodle and 3/4 ****zu. She's bigger-weighs 12 lbs and she's built more sturdy than her sister. Both are wonderful with kids, including our 8 month old granddaughter. Actually, they're wonderful with everyone. They have the best dispositions I've ever seen in a small dog.

 

[Daisy&Donald]

I agree with Dancin. We have a maltese and she is a companion dog. Everyone says she is worse than a child she wants my constant attention and to be held or picked up(she will climb my leg) if I am having a conversation. However, we love her she is so playful, loving, friendly. She does not shed, was easy to train, does not run, she is a wonderful addition to the family. My daughter is 16 and was 11 when we brought her home. Good luck!

 

[Terry36]

we are also looking into getting a MALTESe for our family. My DD will be 9.5 so I am not concerned about her being too rough.

 

[tripplanner]

We love our Maltese. He doesn't shed. He's very loving and ridicoulosly playful for his ripe old age of 7 years. He gets along great with kids. We do put him up sometimes when young kids come around. Mostly to protect him from the young ones.

 

[michellev]

If you are looking to add a Maltese to your family I would recommend checking out Petfinder.com. If you find one from a rescue they will be able to tell you how good the dog is with kids (especially if he/she is living with kids in a foster home). Sometimes you can find puppies, but it's a bit more difficult than getting an adult dog.

 

[kacaju]

http://www.americanmaltese.org/

you can find all kinds of info here. it is their nation breed club website.I got this site from the AKC

 

[rbork]

We have a maltese. We got her from a breeder when my boys were 5 and 3 yrs old. As a puppy -she could fit in your hand and was extremely delicate.
I was very strict from the very begining about the dog and expected behavior from BOTH the kid's and the dog. My children are easy on her, love to cuddle with her at night etc. She is kennel trained and spends time in her kennel (happily) when other kids are over because they invariably chase her. Yes, even I step on her once in a while - she's little and gets under my feet. So I think Maltese is good with children provided both the maltese and children are properly trained!
p.s. Maltese doesn't shed. AND the house doesn't smell like dog because she is bathed and groomed regularly. Ours is however allergic to grass...go figure.

 

[peemagg]

If you really want a Maltese, why not check out a Maltese rescue? I know a lot of people think you are getting someone elses problems. Not necessarily. I adopted a Miniature Poodle from a local Poodle rescue. She is the best little thing. She is a little black clown. Her problem was that she was abused. There may be a Maltese like that for you. The rescue even had me bring my other poodle with me so that they could see how the 2 got along before I could even think about adopting a dog. They could also see how well you cared for your first baby too. If my baby didn't meet up with the criteria they were looking for they would not allow me to have any of their babies. The two poodles are inseperable now. Admit it all of us with little dogs they become our "babies", not just a pet.

Since you already have a poodle what about another one? Maybe even the Miniature version. They are good with kids. Ours when my nieces and nephew get to be too much for them they just go and get away from them. They are very tolerant of small kids. My nieces and nephew are ages 1.5, 1.5, and 3.5. The kids have been rough on the dogs and they never tried to hurt them.

 

[Floridagal23]

Have you thought about a bichon? They are non-shedding and are approx the same size as malteses. As someone else pointed out, they are teeny when you get them so you have to be careful - but you have to be careful with any dog.

Bichons are known for their very sweet temperament - they are very good with others, esp. kids.