Help for a Newly Inherited Puppy

[M101]

Hello I am Newbie M101...

A few days ago due to a family member's illness I inherited for care/possible permanent ownership a puppy.

I need basic tips for the care of an approx. 8 mo. old puppy.

The puppy w/ its owner was exposed to a TV being played very loudly because the owner is almost deaf. Therefore the dog is overly sensitive to most sounds unless he can see what is creating the sound.

I have been trying to de-program the puppy. The puppy is extremely bright, and responsive to me using basic one word commands. I have been trying to relax the puppy by massaging it after grooming it to prepare it for bed. He is very responsive to this. I also am getting the puppy on a schedule for eating; grooming; play time; bedtime. The puppy does not have any problems eating. The puppy is paper trained. The puppy responds to a quite/calm environment. He will allow me to groom him twice daily minus any problems.

How do I keep the staining from around his eyes? Any special brush/comb that is preferred? Ear care? The puppy does like to bite my fingers-could he still be teething? Any way to stop the finger biting? He does have a history of jumping on people, but he does respond to my one word command not to. I am concerned about him receiving adequate sunlight exposure for bone health, but I do not have a fenced yard for him. Can indoor fetching be enough exercise for him? The puppy will not walk w/ a leash--how do I get him to permit the leash? Because of the white fur should I be using anything special on his coat daily?

My evaluation of this puppy is that he is a trainable puppy. I am just trying to do what is right for the puppy. He is adorable; bright; and clearly has worked his way into my heart. I have not trained a puppy for a long time.

A Maltese does have the characteristic of wild bursts of energy? So I am to assume when he does this this is normal? I would assume during the re-training process he should not be exposed to a lot of people other then the family? Is a Maltese considered a companion dog--and are they only responsive to the owner?

Any 101 tips you can offer would be appreciated.

Thank You

[I Found Nemo]

:D Hi,
Wow what an introduction!!! First off Welcome to MT:D


Maltese's are companion dogs thats definite, they love people, they don't like to be alone for long period of times, if they have to (Like if you work) they will adapt to it, but they normally like someone there with them .

As far as the staining (Eyes) your puppy is still a puppy so it may still be teething and that does cause staining. When yout puppy is about a year and done with teething you can try Angels Glow http://www.angelsglow.com/

I wouldn't try any product until your dog is DONE with teething!!
Ear care in the Maltese breed is extremely important . They are very sensitive their ears and it is common that ear aches will occur if you are not careful not to get water near their ears when you bathe them>
You Vet can give you a daily cleaner that you can use to keep their ears clean.
Personally for me Nemo will not let me do it, so every 2 weeks I take him to get them cleaned>

As far as biting your finger it can be due to teething I would distract the puppy when he does this gently tell him NO and give him something else to chew on. These maltese's are extremely smart so after awhile he will catch on and realize this is not acceptable to you. Everyone needs the sun (Once in awhile) even dogs! so your best bet is really working with the puppy to get him (or her) used to a leash. As far as exercise , yes running around inside is in my opinion adequate enough for them, they are small and running even in a small area is good for them.

AS far as the coat, you need to brush it daily, there are alot of shampoos and conditioners out there (Your head will spin in making a choice). I use Pantene (Human) it works great for Nemo and he's hair is so soft and smells great! Here is a little advice for taking care of the white coat

http://www.bhejei.com/groom-basic.htm

I have never heard cause you are retraining a dog they shouldn't be exposed to people other than family? I would think that would help in training them. The more people they are exposed to the more comfortable and friendly they will be..
Remember the Maltese breed is extrememly intelligent, With a little work , positive reinforcement it will all go well and it sounds like your ready to do this, and your are a really nice person.

I wish all the luck I can in taking care of your sweet baby.
Im sure others will come to this thread and give you way better advice then me:D

All The Best,
ANDREA~:)

[maltesemum]

WOW Andrea:tongue6: you rock girl!!!


Welcome to MT101:D

Andrea has given you good advice, just keep up with the training & he will learn!

Does the "puppy" have a name?

[bek74]

Andrea has given you great advise. All I can add is, to get him used to the leash, I would suggest first put a harness on him ( don't use a collar) and let him get used to that just being on, leave it on him most of the day if your going to be home. Once he is used to that and it doesn't bother him, add the leash, and just let him drag that around behind him, again let him wear it all day, if your going to be home ( Don't leave anything on him, if you can't look out for him) and then start to hold the leash and walk around the house with him.
Maltese catch on very quickly and before you know it you will both be enjoying your daily walks.

Welcome to MT, would luv to see pics of the puppy :D

[Morkie4]

Andrea pretty much covered everything you need to know to get started. The maltese makes a wonderful companion dog and they are extremely loving little furbabies. It sounds like you are really consistent and patient with your new puppy and that is so important. Also the daily brushing is essential to keep the coat at its best and from mats. If you can, post some pictures of your new one, I am sure we would all love to see.....and also the name you have given your new little boy.

Oh and :welcome: :welcome: to MT!

[Carrie]

you have gotten some good advice so far.

i would believe the more people the puppy is exposed to, the more social the puppy will become. proper socialization is key.

as for the tear staining, i would have him checked out by a vet to see if maybe retained puppy teeth could be the culprit before using any kind of product. in the mean time, you can use collyrium on the stained area to dampen any debris in the hair to remove it easier. it will also keep the area cleaner and lighten the stains. if the stained hair is always wet, i would take him to your vet to make sure it's not blocked tear ducts or...again...retained teeth.

in my opinion, a dog can be trained- puppy or no puppy.
all that's needed is time, love, patience and persistence.

good luck.

[Jadey]

carrie that collysomething is in a white and blue box? :p

i forgot!

but welcome M101
it is so great you will be taking over and being this new pup's mommy! so far everyone has given you great advice and if you need more ask! also, babyteeth or eye debris is something you have to rule out before you start treating the tearstains :)
i noticed FOOD made such a difference :D

shampoo, i have been using bless the beast!
and very happy with it and Ice on Ice spray as a finish spray helps with spf and gives it that white kind of icey look (im retarded i dont know how to explain it i only had 5 hours of sleep)

now... with the smell, i love biogroom perfume spray :)

there are a lot of options ! ! !
you probably have to test try a bit, before you find the perfect shampoo / conditioner!
i sure did :)

but GOODLUCK and have fun!
shopping is always FUN!