We started raising our puppies with the first litter from Hollie
born in December of 2005.
We did a lot of research on the subject to make sure we entered
this with as much knowledge as possible. As soon as they are born, they are
weighed and continue to be weighed on a daily then weekly basis. Their bed is a
large basket lined with towels and soft flannel baby blankets.
Once they learn how to walk, I start training them to go
pee on a training pad. I do this by putting them on the pad as soon as
they wake up from each sleeping period. This is when they "go" the most often.
After about 2 weeks of this, they get the idea and start going to the pad on
their own.
As soon as the mother starts to wean them, which is usually at
about 3-4 weeks old, I start bottle-feeding them Esbilac, which is a fake
mother's milk that has all the nutrients a pup needs. Why
would I bottle feed a puppy, you ask? Well, at 3 or 4 weeks of age they
still feel the need to suckle. They also do not have any teeth yet and are
still very tiny. Small breeds seem to mature slower than the larger breeds.
Between 6 & 7 weeks old, I start putting the fake mother's milk
in a bowl for them to drink from. They are now fed 4x daily & once during the
night, learning to lap up the milk very quickly. When the pups show me that the
milk is not enough to keep them full for more than a couple of hours, then I
start feeding them dry food, well softened with fake mother's milk & water.
We always feed our dogs Science Diet Puppy Food for Small
Breeds, which is a high quality dog food sold at most pet stores and some
vet clinics.
When they are about 6-7 weeks old, I switch from the fake milk,
which is quite
expensive, to non-dairy creamer mixed with water. As they get older, I slowly
increase the amount of water and decrease the amount of milk. At about 8-9
weeks of age, they have enough teeth to start chewing on some dry food along
with the softened food. Most puppies at 8 weeks old are eating all dry food.
But, the Maltese's teeth are so tiny, they have a hard time chewing through it.
For this reason, new parents should continue to soften the food for 2 of the 3
meals they get daily if it seems like they are not eating enough, until they are
about 6 months old.
Please pay
attention to how much your Maltese is eating.
A Maltese is
prone to hypoglycemic attacks if they are not getting enough to eat.
Symptoms include lethargy, fainting & dizziness. If this happens,
immediately soften some dry food with milk or water, or use canned
food, and hand-feed it to them.
Carefully
monitor their food intake for several days until you see they are
eating the right amount at each meal. If the symptoms continue for
more than 1 day; or you can't get your dog to eat, get the dog to
your vet immediately.
This
condition can be life-threatening!
One thing that did surprise us was the fact that most breeders, including
the one who we bought our dogs from, charge a high price and give you
nothing but a puppy. We decided we wanted to give people a little more than
that. When a woman has a baby, she is usually sent home from the hospital
with a large bagful of items to make the first week or two
easier....formula, diapers, a blanket, coupons & more. So, Will and I
decided to do the same for our puppies & their new parents. We send home
with them most things that a new puppy might need....not only to help out
the adoptive parents, but to make the transition easier for the puppy as
well. We call it our Puppy Package.
Unfortunately, we have decided not to sell our pups to anyone who can't pick
up their puppy in person. This is for the emotional wellbeing of the
puppy. If you don't live in Western New York (near Buffalo or Jamestown),
or within a couple of hours drive from here, please plan ahead to make sure
your airline will allow you to carry your puppy on the plane with you.
*If
you have any questions about how we raise our pups or just a general Maltese
question, feel free to email us
or call us at 716-782-2245 EST. We are happy to take calls Mon.-Sat.
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
expensive, to non-dairy creamer mixed with water. As they get older, I slowly
increase the amount of water and decrease the amount of milk. At about 8-9
weeks of age, they have enough teeth to start chewing on some dry food along
with the softened food. Most puppies at 8 weeks old are eating all dry food.
But, the Maltese's teeth are so tiny, they have a hard time chewing through it.
For this reason, new parents should continue to soften the food for 2 of the 3
meals they get daily if it seems like they are not eating enough, until they are
about 6 months old.
