This is yet another subject to which one will find little reference to on the web sites.
“Puppy Factories” don’t really care who they sell their puppies to, as long as they can put their “Sold” signs up as quickly as possible. Reputable breeders on the other hand, pich homes for their puppies very carefully. A breeder who cares about the wellbeing of the puppy will carefully select its home and parents and also aid with the proper choice of a puppy.

Maltese are outgoing and intelligent little dogs. Their small stature means that they are great playful companions. Bringing a Maltese into a family means being responsible and a Maltese puppy should never be given to a small child as a “Christmas present” for instance. It is not a fluffy toy which will keep a child “occupied’. A Maltese needs to be groomed regularly and properly. It can be time consuming sometimes and this also needs to be taken into consideration.

Maltese love children but they are not a good choice with small children. Children love them because they are small enough to be carried and this makes a dangerous combination. A small child will not be able to understand how fragile the puppy is and serious injuries can happen quite easily e.g., by stepping, jumping or sitting on the puppy. Maltese are not suited to young children, no matter how well-meaning the child is. Children are clumsy by nature (it's normal and it's fine) and accidently roll on, squeeze or drop the dog. Children can’t help being noisy and love jumping and running.

Children should not be left unsupervised around a Maltese. Though the child may mean well, a Maltese can sometimes become agitated, irritable and snappy.
For an older child, a puppy is a LOT of work. Don't count on your child taking the puppy out, feeding, grooming and training it once the novelty of having a puppy wears off.

Risks can be minimized by training the dog well and teaching the child all about respect for dogs, that the Maltese is fragile and should be treated as such.
As with any other pet; the general principle is to teach the children to treat all animals with kindness and respect. It is an important life lessons which can be imparted and home is the best place to learn.

Evaluate your reasons for wanting a puppy carefully. An adult dog can be a better choice in many cases, especially for first-time owners, or owners who have very small children.

" You bought me when I was 6 weeks old. I've played with the kids and I was very happy with you. As I grew, worries about me grew too and so did my appetite. The kids did not want to play with me anymore. When I ran up and waited for a pat I was driven away and got kicked many times. One beautiful morning I was put in the car. I was so happy then. Finally after many months I got to see something different to our garden. We stopped on the edge of the highway and you threw my favorite ball. I ran after it, but when I returned, you were thereno longer. Helplessly I ran with the ball in my mouth between the driving cars. Drivers hooted at me and there were also some who speeded up when they saw me. I wanted to run to the side of the road because I was very scared. Suddenly I felt a strong blow to my side and could not stand up any longer. Gathering my last bit strength, I crawled to the side of the road. I tried to go find you, but I could not. There was a lot of blood all around. It was dark, I was afraid. I was cold and I still had the ball in my mouth. I was sure you would return for me. Nobody stopped as I barked and howled, all in vain. After many hours a car stopped next to me. Notwithstanding the blood and mud someone carried me into a car. When the car eventually stopped, a man in a white coat ran up to us but just shook his head sadly. My new owner, who only knew me for 15 minutes, hugged me and cried a lot. At that moment I released the ball so I could lick his hand and expressed my "THANK YOU". Then I fell asleep and the last I thing I hear was my new owner crying. I'm not afraid anymore. Nothing hurts me and I am no longer cold. "I died." Maybe if I didn’t chew all those slippers I would still be alive!"

Author of this sad, but in many ways true story is PsiLaska www.psilaska.cz