Your Maltese Puppy

Do research on the animal breed you want and make sure they are going to be good for your family situation and have the temperament you want.	Don’t worry; you don’t have to be a stay at home mom to have time for a pet. You can take time with your pet after work. Quality is better that quantity.
Do take your puppy to your vet to confirm his health.	Don’t wait until the puppy gets sick to take him to your vet for the first time. Many illnesses can be prevented.
Do teach your puppy tricks and play with him.	Don’t get frustrated when he doesn’t learn a new trick right away. Be patient with your puppy.
Do, speak in a higher (happy voice) when your puppy has made a good decision.	Don’t scold your puppy harshly for mistakes.
Do attend your children when handling your puppy. Puppies love to be handled and played with. They love children if the children are watched and trained to handle the puppy properly.	Don’t let small children handle the puppy unattended.
Do feet your pet high quality dog food.( We use Eukanuba for small breeds.) The high quality food costs more initially but you use less. The high quality dog food has vitamins your puppy needs to grow strong and healthy. The low quality dog foods are full of filler and your puppy will potty a lot. (A lot!!!)	Don’t purchase an animal too fragile for your children to handle. When purchasing a small breed. Make sure that the puppy is hardy, healthy and has some spunk. You can purchase a 2lb Maltese that is healthy and spunky and have better luck with him than a 5 lb puppy with health issues or that lays around and will not play.
Do, buy a crate and crate train your puppy. This will give you time to your self and give your puppy a break too. A crate is a safe place for your puppy. A place for him to feel at home and secure.	Don’t use the crate for punishment. The crate should be a place the puppy wants to go. Not a place he has to go. It should be used to put your puppy to bed or when you leave to go to the store. DO NOT leave your pet in a crate for extended periods of time (for days at a time) with out letting him out.
Do encourage a relationship with each of your other pets and your new puppy. Give your original pet attention and include him in your play with your new puppy.	Do take your puppy on walks. Puppies need lots of exercise and this lets them get rid of their pent up energy. When going on your walk use a leash. It may take awhile for your puppy to learn to walk with a leash but this when done properly will help establish that you are the boss and help your puppy learn patience and obedience.
Your Maltese puppy is as new to you as you are to him or her. Give your self and your puppy time to adjust to the new situation. The fallowing are some do’s and don’t s when adding a new puppy to your family.
In short, you should enjoy your pet. Do these few things to make it easier on the both of you. By establishing a routine or rules each of you know what to expect.