:confused: how do you send a private message to people??

Humm.... do u have any pictures of your bishon so i can see how bad it is.. because i've heard that malteses are SWEETHEARTS!... i was there when my BFF got her 3 maltese and they were 6 weeks and ADORABLE! i'm getting one from the same breeder as she did((if i decide maltese))

I have a Maltese and I love him to bits and pieces. He's very high maintenance though and very clingy. Having a white dog requires some special grooming. I'm lucky because Tuffy doesn't really have any tear staining around his eyes, but many many Maltese do get red stains around their eyes and beards. They also are a chore to groom. I keep Tuffy in a short cut but he still mats quite a bit. Tuffy is a little on the high strung side.. he always is running and doing something. Maltese also can also have health issues that are specific to the breed like White Shaker's Syndrome as well as the issues that plague a lot of small dogs like luxating patella, liver shunt & collapsing trachea. Maltese are also very delicate. It's easy to take for granted how delicate their little bones are because they can be rough and tumble, but something like jumping down off a bed and landing wrong can cause a lot of serious damage. If you want more info about Maltese visit Spoiled Maltese, they have a great forum. http://www.spoiledmaltese.com/forum/ As with any dog, who you get your dog from is very important. My Malt came from a backyard breeder and he's almost 8 pounds and very long and skinny. With a backyard breeder you never really know what you are going to get. I can't tell you what it's like to have a Yorkie because I don't have mine yet but you've come to the right place to learn about them. :) I decided on a Yorkie for my second dog because their personalties are so wonderful. I wanted a dog that would mesh well with my Tuffy and the Yorkie fit the bill better than a 2nd Maltese. Good luck on your search. :) Here's a picture of my Tuffy.

TUFFY'S So0o0o CUTE!!... i can't even tell that he has orange or w/e on him!!
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YORKIE
BOTH- Affectionate with its master, but sometimes suspicious of strangers.

:thumbup:PRO-The Yorkie is sensitive to the cold and prefers warm climates...thats good.. i live in texas and its always hott.. exept christmas '04 it snowed!... another pro..... The Yorkshire Terrier is a lively little warrior that does not need a lot of exercise./This little dog is highly energetic, brave, loyal and clever ((((I go to school))))-3

:thumbdownCon-It is ever eager for adventure and trouble. /They can get snappish if surprised, frightened or over-teased :thumbdown /They can be difficult to housebreak / It can be aggressive to strange dogs and small animals. :thumbdown (thats bad)... i have a 46lb Tabetian terrier Mix....Yes.. he gets along w/ small dogs.../The breed is demanding and dependant and needs a lot of human attention((SCHOOL))-8 ..uh oh!
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MALTESE
:thumbup:PRO- The Maltese is spirited, lively and playful. Gentle, loving, trusting and devoted to its master. Highly intelligent. Good at learning tricks if he feels sufficiently rewarded. Bold and quick to sound the alarm in case of suspicious noises. It is a classical companion dog; graceful and lovable. They do well with other animals.They are very active indoors and will do okay without a yard. (don't live in a apartment but i want a inside dog) / Little effort is needed to keep these dogs well exercised, because little is needed and they are very active indoors. -9

:thumbdownCON- Maltese love to play outdoors but have a penchant for jumping in puddles( i want a inside dog)/ They may get the chills, and they experience discomfort in hot weather. Maltese should be kept out of damp areas(as i said it's hot in tx.)- 4
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Shih-Tzu
:thumbup: PRO- The Shih-Tzu is an alert and spunky little dog. Happy and hardy, endowed with loads of character. They are royally dignified, courageous/The gentle loyal Shih-Tzu makes friends easily They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard
BOTH- A very alert watch dog, the Shih-Tzu likes to bark, but is usually quiet inside the house/ Playful and lively, this affectionate little dog needs to be with people and are generally good with other pets(we already have a dog)/The Shih Tzu is a naturally active dog but if it is allowed it will lay around in its favorite spots. They should be encouraged to get out and about to say fit- 8

:thumbdown CON- Some can be difficult to housebreak./ This breed is sensitive to the heat.They are stubborn -5
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Maltese LOOK to be better but i donno..... do y'all agree??

Sorry it's so long!!!

Hi, I hope these attachments work. Never done it before.
I included some pics of her as a puppy and current ones. It really varies how bad it gets depending on how much you stay on top of it and how often. I try to give mine a bath weekly and remove whatever I can but within a few days shes usually a mess. The last pic should be the latest one of her, it cleared up a bit from the previous one in Dec.

A new thread just started with adorable photos of some "morkies" maltese and yorkie mixed. may be that's your answer!! Check it out!

Thanks! :) He doesn't have any orange on him, I've been lucky, his hair doesn't really stain. And as for playing outdoors.. Tuffy hates the outdoors. He's very prissy and wouldn't be caught dead touching a puddle or grass for that matter. Getting him to take a walk is an ordeal because he hates going outside. So we make sure to play a lot inside. I'm also in Texas and since he doesn't go out often, the heat isn't a big deal for him.

Heres another one that I like though since shes not that messy in this one.
She was about 6months...

She's ADORABLE!!!!! ;) .. the orange isn't THAT bad... i'll j/ have to bath her a lot........

I'm a yorkie lover through and through. My sister has Westies, my mom has Lhasos, my in-laws have a pug, and my brother has Poms. I think mine's the best, but I'm biased.

They are certainly not for everyone, but I'm glad to see you're doing your research. Be careful on choosing a puppy because you think it's cute. What you think is a cute puppy may grow up to be an adult you don't think is quite so cute.

I have both maltese and yorkie as well...
 

I love maltese and hope to show and have a house full one day. I also have a 13 week old yorkie. She is wonderful! But they have complete opposite personalities! I think I could only have one yorkie. She's a lot of work and needs a lot of attention. Loves to learn new things and has been learning new tricks almost daily. She loves everybody! She keeps us laughing and saying "she's something else".
My maltese on the other hand is very laid back, happy to lay at my feet or lap all day. So I am able to take her to work with me and everywhere in the car with me. I am her favorite person and I love that. I love the grooming aspect of both breeds, so I can't complain too much. You just have to be very educated about the coat of a maltese when looking for a puppy. No curls, it has to be silky. My maltese has wavy hair and can mat pretty bad, I brush her everyday. But my mom has a maltese with very silky hair and brushes her once a week with her bath and that's it! Keeps her in her full length coat too! You also need to know about why the maltese hair can stain. You can not feed food with dyes or hard city water you have to give bottle water and good brand of dog food to prevent the mouth staining, if they are teething, in heat, allergy problems that will cause it around the eyes. Allergies can also cause them to lick their feet and behind causing the staining there as well. If your dog ends up having that problem you can try different brands of dog foods etc to help with that. If my maltese gets staining around the eyes I just brush a toothbrush dipped in peroxide on the hair everyday and it keeps it very light.

You just need to decide which personality is right for you...Although I know yorkies that are extremely laid back and calm and maltese that are hyper and stubborn. Just be educated when looking for your new pup and what qualities to look for.

Here's a few pictures of Chloe, in some of the pictures you can see some very light staining around the eyes... The last picture was taken this morning! After having a bath last night too! However I don't get that upset with her. She loves to snoop in the back yard. It dries and brushes out or a bath would have her sprarkling white again.

I've mentioned before on other posts that my boyfriend (well, his mom) has two maltese female littermates. They're lazy jerks that hate Stewie and growl and snap at him even if he's minding his own business across the room. They're two or three years old and steal his toys and food. Whenever he tries to go on his pee pad @ their house they bother him so he won't go. Sorry that this turned into a rant.

Although I think these girls may be bad examplles, I prefer Yorkies because of their terrier personality; they're more active and inquisitive and definitely more affectionate. Stewie loves all other dogs. It may get him into trouble one day, but I'd rather supervise his play than worry about him biting and snapping at any dog his comes across.

Again, this is just the opinion I have formed based on my experience with both breeds.

Well just like most dogs, particularly small breeds, maltese must be socialized. My maltese loves to play with any dog she comes across but we have a loving golden retriever in our home and it did her a lot of good with getting her used to other dogs. And maltese and yorkies alike can have jealousy problems too. And of course they are easily spoiled. Many things can effect the personality of your dog. I would definately agree that yorkies are more inquisitive and active.

awww chloes very cute!! what about when they're in heat??? does it get red stains around their butt?? and do u by dipars or what?.... i've never had a girl dog just boys

Thanks! No I've never had a problem with that at all. Females keep themselves quite clean during their heat, they lick all the time. The only time I ever had a stained maltese was when my other maltese (she has since passed away) got into the garbage after a birthday party and stained her mouth with green icing. After two washings that came out. It really isn't the color of them that is hard to care for, it's mostly the matting of their hair that can be frustrating. But like I said, if you get a maltese with the appropriate hair texture it won't mat bad at all. Sometimes their hair can get a little grey or yellowish looking but they have shampoos and a sloo of other products that can be used to keep them very bright. I haven't really had a problem with that though. Have you checked out the spoiledmaltese.com sight that mystify79 recommended? There are some faq's and forums that you might enjoy reading.