Living with my Maltese
The Maltese is a very special sort of dog, with the spirit, heart and loyalty of a much larger animal contained in a very small body. Anyone who has become acquainted with a well bred member of this breed has a respect and affection for its attributes and its history. This spirited little breed is very intelligent, sensitive and responsive. Most of all they are extremely loving.
What Can You Expect From A Maltese
Your Maltese will constantly want be your companion. He will be happy sitting by you side while you read a book or watch television. But he will also like to accompany you wherever you go. They enjoy a walk with their owners and a trip in the car is always welcome. Maltese make good watchdogs and will sound alarms when a stranger comes to the door. But once welcomed into the home everyone is his or her friend. Phrases known to many are that "they will kill you with their kisses" or "they would go home with strangers". Maltese despite their diminutive size are a very hardy dog. Compared to many breeds they are quite free of genetic or congenital medical problems (see chapter 7 for more on this). Your Maltese will live well into his teens and you can expect him to be his same playful and mischievous self for most of those years.
How Big Will My Maltese Be?
Maltese breeders usually use the weight at about 10 - 12 weeks to gauge the size of a Maltese when they are adults. Double the weight -- a female will be slightly smaller and a male perhaps slightly larger. For example, if your female puppy weighs 2 1/4 pounds at around 3 months of age (the age you bought your puppy from the breeder) I would expect that your little girl will weight around 4 - 4 1/2 pounds as an adult. A male puppy that weighs 2 3/4 pounds at 3 months will probably mature out to around 6 pounds. Both of these puppies would be well within the standard for the Maltese breed.
How Many Years Will My Maltese Live?
Maltese are a breed that relatively free of many of the serious genetic diseases that can cause premature death. With good veterinary attention and loving care of its owner many Maltese will live well into their middle teenage years. Link to more information on Maltese Health.
Hairy Fellows
Maltese are one of several long coated breeds, but they are the smallest and the only one with pure white coat. The coat is much more like human hair and people who may be allergic to other breeds of dogs or cats may find that they can get along just fine with a Maltese. They do not shed their coats seasonally like dogs with short coats, with the few dead hairs failing out periodically when they are groomed. Because of the long hair they do require more maintenance than a short hair dog and owners should expect to provide these frequent grooming sessions or regular visits to a professional groomer.
Sunshine and Fresh Air
Sunshine is good for the overall health of your Maltese. All dogs need to go outside daily for fresh air. If you don't have a fenced yard or exercise area a walk around the block on his leash will give him his needed daily outside exercise but caution must be taken as the Maltese is such a friendly fearless little dog, he meets no strangers and could be hurt by an approaching larger dog who is not so friendly.
Many people are concerned about the pigment or lack there of on their Maltese. When noses turn grayish, fade or have patches of white at the corner they are sometimes referred to as "winter noses". What you Maltese needs is more sunshine. Breeders and exhibitors have long know that the deeper and darker the pigment the more time a Maltese spends outdoors "soaking up" the sunshine. While you should ensure that your Maltese has plenty of fresh water while he is out and that the temperature is not exceedingly hot, he will enjoy some time lolling in the sun "working on his nose tan".
Those Winter Walks
Maltese love to walk, day or night, winter, summer spring or fall, even in the rain or snow. If you plan to walk when the weather in inclement you should consider investing in a sweater and/or raincoat for your Maltese. Tiny doggy boots are also available to protect little feet in extreme conditions. As if a Maltese was not adorable enough on their own they are probably even more adorable with their sweaters on. And their sweater or raincoat will help them enjoy their frequent excursions.
Not A Playmate For Small Children
Maltese are definitely entertaining little characters and with their love of people and small size many children are naturally drawn to them. While they may look like a stuffed toy they are not. Maltese can break -- if you have children that wish a dog to ruff house with, to roll and play with on the floor you may wish to consider a different breed. Because of their delicate bone structure they can easily break bones falling off chairs, tables and when caught in the middle of pile of overly zealous children. Many reputable Maltese breeders will not sell puppies to families with children under six or seven years of age.
Caring For Your Older Maltese
Modern veterinary medicine has made tremendous strides in protecting and repairing the health of family companions, and pets are living longer than ever before. Like people, pets go through life stages of growth, maturity, and aging. The passage from one stage to another is often blurred, and owners must be on guard to recognize the signs that their Maltese is getting old. A Maltese may easily live to be 15 years old or more. A strong, healthy dog will probably age later than a dog that is stressed by disease or environment early in his life. 
Good nutrition is critical to good health at all ages. Exercise is also of critical importance in keeping the dog in good shape. Even old dogs generally like to play with a favorite toy for a few minutes each day or take a walk to the corner and back. Other steps to delay the onset of aging in their dogs include regular teeth cleaning to prevent gum disease; regular grooming to keep his skin and coat healthy and to discover any problems such as dry skin, thin or brittle coat, thin coat, body odor, or sore spots; and checking his ears for odor or gunk produced by infecting organisms.
Aging begins at birth, but its manifestations are not noticeable for several years. The first sign of aging is a general decrease in activity level, including a tendency to sleep longer and more soundly, a waning of enthusiasm for long walks and games of catch, and a loss of interest in the goings on in the home.
Extremes in temperature and changes in surroundings affect aging and old dogs to some degree. Hearing loss is a frequent consequence of aging, as is some deterioration of sight. Dogs can compensate for these conditions; partial or even total blindness may not be noticed if the dog is in familiar surroundings and has learned to adjust as his eyesight failed.
Skin and coat change, too, as the skin loses pliability and the capacity of the oil-producing sebaceous glands diminishes. Wounds heal more slowly, allergies often worsen, non-malignant tumors may appear in the mouth or on or under the skin, and infestations of intestinal parasite may occur.
As aging advances, heart, liver, and kidneys lose their efficiency, and the immune system is less able to fight off attacks by bacteria and viruses. Bladder control may be affected, and muscles decrease in size and function.
There's a fine line to walk between easing your pet's transition into old age and ushering him into the life of a canine invalid. A dog that enjoyed his puppyhood and his mature years should have the opportunity to enjoy his aging years as well.
Letting Go
One of the most difficult decisions to be made in any pet owners life is the day when one realizes their Maltese has lost its zest for life, its pains and tribulations are too much to bear. Euthanasia is never an easy decision. Sometimes it just makes sense to let go.
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