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I encourage all new puppy owners to schedule an appointment with their vet ASAP when they pick up their new puppy. I offer a "3 day health guarantee" for this reason - to find any health problems right away and address them immediately. I will certainly take the puppy back if a serious problem is found, but most of all, it is a good way for you to go ahead and establish a relationship with your puppies vet. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" as they say - your vet can go ahead and educate you regarding your puppies health and the preventative care you can take to insure it having a healthy long life!

I also give a 1 year genetic health guarantee. If your pup is found to have a life-threatening genetic disorder, during it's first year, I will replace it with another pup. The Purchaser must be able to show documented health records of the pups vaccinations, wormings, and health care during the past year to qualify for this guarantee. Purchaser must provide written acknowledgement from their vet regarding the condition and it must be verified by my vet. HarPaw does not guarantee any leg, hip, or knee disorders as this is common in small breeds due to jumping from high places and injuries attributed from their tiny size - their ease of injury is very high - the buyer should be aware of this prior to their purchase of a toy-breed dog and monitor their puppies activities with caution.

I firmly believe if you are buying this puppy for a pet then there is absolutely no preference between male vs female gender. I believe every puppy (just like children) have their own special personality. By the time your puppy is ready to leave - I know each puppies individual personality and will happily discuss these with you. Most people pick their puppy based on "looks" alone and are concerned "only later" with the pups individual personality. Maltese are generally good-natured little dogs and if you do end up with a more "head-strong" pup it is easy to train that tendancy into a manageable pup.

I have house-broken many a puppy and in my experience the two keys to success are "confinement" and "repetition". You cannot give your new pup run of your home. They need their own crate just large enough to lie down comfortably. Normally a puppy will leave their bed to potty - so the crate is basically a confined "bed". You need to take your pup out about every 2-3 hours at first or anytime you remove them from their bed. After you have taken the pup out to potty then you can play with him, preferably on a non-carpeted floor or in your lap. As soon as you are finished giving your pup attention place him back in his crate until the next potty-time. The pup should not have full run of your home until he is completely trained.

If you are paper, puppy pad, or litter box training follow the same advice as above but take the pup to the place you wish them to potty and then back into their crate when alone. It seems cruel to keep them confined - but they seem to understand the process faster when they don't have so many options. Remember this is a baby and accidents are gong to happen - spanking, rubbing their nose in it, etc. are out of the question and cruel!! Consider it your fault because you probaby did not take the pup out frequently enough or you did not leave the pup out long enough to finish its business.

If you are not home during the day or have to be away for long periods, go ahead and plan for this by leaving your pup a "potty place" in his confined area. A baby wading pool ($8.00 at Walmart) works well to have bed, food, water on one side and puppy pad, newspaper, etc. on the other. They are still leaving their bed to eliminate which is what you want to instill. In the end, you want your pup to leave their area which will eventually be your home to do their business.

Repetition - bed to potty place . . . bed to potty place . . . bed to potty place . . . bed to potty place . . . . will eventually become the norm and they will be looking for the door as soon as you open their crate. Put plenty of toys in your pups bed so they won't become bored. No food items like milk bones, etc. as these will stimulated them to potty.

Good Luck and remember Patience and Persistence!!!

Your Maltese will need to be bathed about once every 2 - 3 weeks, depending on how dirty he gets. It takes very little time to bathe your dog in the sink. I use the sink spayer to wet the coat and then to rinse - You do not have to put the puppy in a tub filled with water. Blow dry your pup on a grooming table combing out and blowing dry at the same time.

Be sure to thoroughly comb out all mats before bathing. Mats tend to grow tighter when they become wet. De-tanglers can be used if your pup has difficult mats - Do not scissor them - this will leave gaps in the coat. If you absolutely cannot work out the mat use a sewing "seam-ripper" to cut into the mat then work out the loose hair.

I use a solution of 1/2 conditioner and 1/2 water in a spray bottle to spray my dogs before combing. This keeps the coat in good condition and gives it a nice sheen.

If you own a white dog you will be faced at some point with staining. Anything that is left on a white coated dog can stain. If your dog is like mine and chooses to run through the red mud a good shampooing will wash it right out if you bathe them promptly. If you choose to paper-train your dog newsprint can also stain the feet.

Eyestains are caused by excessive tearing. Excessive tearing can stain under the eyes if it is not cleaned regularly. Teething is one cause of excessive tearing. While your pup is teething be sure and clean the area under the eyes daily to try to prevent stains. Ear infections and allergies are also another cause for excessive tearing. Be sure and clean and check your pups ears weekly to watch for infection, ear mites, etc.

I recommend a solution using equal parts of Milk of Magnesia and Peroxide and then use Cornstarch to make a good paste. Put on and work in well into stained area and let dry overnite. Wash out - Condition well.

I am a responsible breeder of Maltese dogs. Each of my litters are carefully planned and well thought out before any breeding takes place. I feel a great responsibility to each dog I own and every puppy my dogs produce and I work diligently daily to care for each one. This includes sitting during every breeding to insure the dogs are not injured, making sure my "moms" get proper nutrition and care when pregnant, and sitting with them (usually at 3 or 4 a.m.) while they deliver each puppy (and God forbid - I am even present to assist during every C section, beside my vet, when this is necessary). I start the care of each pup when I remove it from the birth sac until the day this pup leaves and goes into its new home. I am readily available to answer any questions or concerns new owners may have. I also keep most of my "retired" dogs who no longer breed because they are comfortable here, they are family, and this is their "HOME".

So when asked, "Why are your dogs more expensive than others in the paper?", I respond that you are getting a guaranteed, well adjusted, healthy, and much loved puppy whose proper health and care have been my #1 concern since this puppies conception, birth, and up to their leaving the HarPaw Nest at around 10-12 wks old . Consequences associated from buying a puppy from an unhealthy environment or from a breeder with no regards for genetic diseases, undesirable traits, illnesses, etc. can be a much more costly endeavor in the long-run. I stand behind each of my pups and will do whatever necessary to make sure they receive the utmost care and that 'you' receive the healthiest of pups.

I am proud of each puppy that leaves here and do my best to insure that each puppy gets a wonderful forever home!