Maltese love children, but do not always make the best pet for a child too young to understand that these dogs could be seriously hurt by rough handling. Very young children will need supervision whilst they learn how to gently handle a tiny Maltese puppy. Where to buy. A pet shop is not the most perfect place to purchase your Maltese. Most of their puppies come from either commercial breeding establishments or from backyard breeders whose only concern is for the almighty dollar.
Little concern is given to quality, care or socialisation of the animals.
If answering newspaper ads try to see as many as possible before making your purchase. The goals of these breeders are to improve the breed and they spare no expense in trying to breed the best Maltese they can. By contacting this type of breeder you have the opportunity to see where the puppy was raised and, possibly see several generations of ancestors. The personality and appearance of these older dogs will give you an indication of how your puppy will mature. One question you will be asked by the breeder is whether you want your Maltese to show or as a pet.