Marj has given some of the best advise. Please go with a reputable breeder regardless of which breed you decide on.

You said the breeders in your area aren't breeding now so you may have to go a little outside your area. I flew to Dallas to get my boy and he was still cheaper than when I bought my girl here in town.

Please remember that either of these breeds can live to approximately 15 years so this is a long term investment (so to speak).

Here's one that I've heard excellant reviews on and she even has rescues listed.

http://rhapsodymaltese.com/puppies.html

Good Luck with your search and please post puppy pictures when you get one. :)

"Picking between a Maltese and a Yorkie is like choosing white or dark chocolate! A delicious, but difficult decision."
I love that!! :)
Well I have an honorary yorkie..her name is Roxy and she is looks like a yorkie and acts like a yorkie but is a Maltese mix.
I admit to getting her and doing all the wrong things when we did. I had just lost one of dogs and saw her picture on Kijiji. My heart took a leap and we had her the next night. Cannot say I regret it one bit. I love her to bits. If you click on my name I have pics in an album of her and you can see why she is an "honoray yorkie" lol.
Listen to all the knowledgeable people here..(they are so kind and caring) and you will make an informed decision about getting the perfect little companion pup. I look forward to seeing pictures of your new furbaby when you get him/her.

If you ask the maltese forum they will all tell you that maltese are better. Each breed is biased.

Have you considered other breeds? There are many wonderful breeds or dogs. There are lots of cute small breeds that would be a better fit for what you say you're looking for in a pet.

Any yorkie or maltese you get may be yappy.

Puppy cut or not, you will face grooming responsibilities weekly or several times a week with either choice.

Some yorkies eyes stain like maltese.


I don't think either breed is the right breed for your lifestyle as it sounds. They're both adorable and lots of people are attracted to them. But living with either is LOTS OF WORK. You will find a FuFu Dog in the pack now and then. But they are hard to find. That's more media push. They are often demanding and bossy. They're like out of control children if you aren't up for training them properly.
Many toy breeds are never potty trained to go outside. Ask yourself if you can live with a toy dog that pottys indoors. Are you willing to have a dog that barks like the house is on fire at little noises. It's not to say that every toy does this. The yappiest dog I ever had was a maltese. We don't pick & choose good traits.

Yes thank you :) I understand when I am asking each forum it could be bias but I'll get better info between between the two than say a golden retriever board hmm?

I think either breed at this point would fit well with us. I'm glad I'm taking the time to do the research as others may not. I also own 2 cats and even though they don't talk they have say in this. I don't mind a yorkie who is more energetic, however my house is not "crazy" so to speak with loud noises etc, they might be a bit more chill. Our house might be best for a more relaxed maltese. But every animal is different. I am hoping whoever comes to be part of our family will be happy living here. I am hoping they will conform to us. I'm not sure why neither breed would be good for us to own?? I've researched both and now am deciding between these two.

I also don't mind a bit of maintenance just am understanding that "wearing" white can be a bit harder in the end. We plan to start a family.

It's also very important to find a reputable breeder because of genetic health issues in both Yorkies and Maltese. Maltese have remained #20 in popularity and Yorkies have been #1 or #2. Popularity takes its toll on a breed and sadly, Yorkies are no exception. They have been exploited by breeders who sell them for profit only and don't "waste" $$ with expensive health testing.

The sad result is that today Yorkies are 36 times more likely to be born with a congenital liver shunt than all other breeds combined.

According the the YTCA survey, they are even more likely to be born with Legg-Perthes.

Portosystemic Shunts FAQ

Health Survey 2007

Luxating patellas (slipped kneecaps) are a problem in both breeds. The Orthopedic Foundation of America ranks Yorkies #3 and Maltese #29 in number of cases.

OFA: Patellar Luxation Statistics

All these conditions require thousands of dollars for surgery by board certified specialists at either a vet school or in private practice.

Be wary of breeders who have puppies "ready to go". Reputable breeders do extensive health and genetic screening prior to breeding to make sure they only produce healthy puppies. They often have wait lists for their puppies. Their puppies are worth waiting for.

It's very tempting to look at puppies before researching a breeder and letting your heart take over your decision. Who can resist a cute puppy? The best way to do it is to find your breeder first, then look at puppies. An emotional decision can end up being very expensive and heartbreaking.

[QUOTE=blondyinnh;3025713]Also, the breeder we are visiting has a friend who has asked her to sell some maltese-yorkie mixes. Would this be a better solution for us? Is a mixed breed a bad decision? Are there pro's and con's there as well? Thank you![/QUOT

My husband wanted a Maltese and I wanted a Yorkie. So when we found our "Morkie" we were super excited. She is the perfect image of what we both had in our heads. She has a darling nature and has potty trained well and is just the best dog we have ever had.

You sound like I said something personal. Please know it's not. I'm very matter of fact. I don't type like as I think ;) Some things are so matter of fact to some people, then to others it's like what do you mean?
This is like you already work caring for children, you would be in a sense getting a child that may or may not be with you for over 15 yrs. But knowing that you are starting your family gives that yorkie or maltese an even slimmer chance of staying with you. They rarely fit in with the lifestyles of small children. Sure there are exceptions. But they are only an exceptions. MOST of them do not do well with small children. I know you are attracted to them & why. You may not really want a long coated breed, you say you are going to keep them cut down. Then me, having raised my children and knowing the grooming involved I think it's too much work to put on your plate. Thinking of being a new mom with a yorkie coat to care for? No way.

I feel that toy breeds like this are better in homes with older children. Nobody wants to worry about a baby crawling in dog pee. If you have a toy dog of either breed you will have more than an 70% chance of having this. It's too much trouble. Children get bit.

My comment about being bias was about one being better. It wasn't sarcastic. If you shave them down, cut a tail & train ears it's the same dog. Well, one is gentle one isn't. :D:D:D

I understand the OP needs to know the risks, pros/cons, etc of owning a Yorkie, but it's almost like some of you are trying to 'scare' her away. I know when I first read this forum, after knowing which dog I was already getting, suddenly I became scared to death and almost chickened out on getting him. Boy, what a mistake that would have been. He's the best dog I could have asked for honestly. I think the information put out in this thread is great and totally needed to know for a new owner... but I think it's also important to put the HAPPY stories out there. Not all Yorkies are sick, yappers, nippers, etc. IMO, it's the human behind the animal and any dog CAN be trained and socialized however you want them to be. Yorkies are often babied, therefore leading to behavioral issues that become known as "breed traits." Yes, little dogs in general tend to bark more.... but that's not necessarily the breed to blame. I think as long as you know you could be having this dog for 15 or more years, that's all you need to understand. I am a college student and I'm no where near planning a family... but I know when/if the time comes and Jackson is still here - he will still be family to me still, like he always has been. Nothing could ever change that. Sure, I'm not rich and if he needed a $5000 operation tomorrow, I'd really be stressing out. But it's like when you have kids, you do what you have to do, and you figure it out. Sorry for the long ramble!

I was a single Mom when I had my son and my maltese, Casper, was about 5-6 years old. I think it was harder on him because he was older and didn't grow up around children - that's key.

However, despite that, he never was mean to Matthew or any other child in any way.

When I got home from work; I bundled up my son in his stroller - and together we walked Casper. I paid a neighbor to come over every day at lunch and let Casper out.

So I don't think starting a family is a barrier to having a dog. Me personally, I would like to have my dog a little out of the puppy stage AND housetrained, before my newborn came along . . just to make things easier.

But to make a blanket statement that the OP should not consider a dog . .

Yes, it will be more difficult but it's like anything else . . how much do you want it and how much time are you willing to give?

If you can answer these questions positively . . . then go for it! Maltese are generally considered more 'gentle mannered' than most terriers so that's another consideration with children.

I have a Westie that LOVES children . . but he grew up on a soccer field with little kids falling all over themselves to pet him, walk him . . . so he associates children with good things.

The OP will have to make sure their dog is socialized to children as a puppy.

This is true with most yorkies. I've only heard of a few that liked water. That's not 50/50. More like 98 to 2.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Thank you all :) I greatly respect all of the input thus far. Our plan is to have the dog now and get through the puppy stage before having kids. I am a Professional Nanny and I understand that children will be a huge change in our lives when they are "ours" I'm trying to do this one step at a time. We may have found a mix breed (yorkie/maltese) which we really honestly fell in love with last night. This little girl needs a home and we really clicked with her. She is being sold by a reputable breeder who shows yorkes in our area. Her friend who is just beginning in the trade basically had an "accident" occur and this beautiful little girl came. She may not be a pure breed but that doesn't matter to us. Will keep you updated. Again thank you kindly for all of your suggestions and feedback. I am glad I found this forum as I will be having many questions along the way.

Yorkie/Maltese
 

I brought my 4 mos. old male Yorkie home yesterday afternoon. We named him Bailey. I had a Maltese for 15 years. He is absolutely precious. He is already sleeping on the bed. I am trying to use an x-pen when I am not home. My son said he's crying. The breeder let him have the run of the place. He is already walking with a harness and leash the entire block and figured out nbr. one, the other will take some timing. He seems very smart and very loving. I am already thrilled and its less than 24 hours.

You can't compare him to my other dog. That is why I changed breeds and sex. Any way you go will be wonderful. Just be sure to get the dog from a caring breeder. We went home with a bed, toys dishes etc.

Sounds like you may have found the "one". I think you'd be very happy with a yorkie/maltese mix. Like I've said before my 3 Morkies are awesome, and just as wonderful as my pure AKC Yorkie.

Falling in love with a pup is the easy part. Following up with proper care, and training is the most important part in making your pup a forever beloved member of your family. Good luck with all of it.