My love of Maltese and Maltese-designer puppies began when I adopted my first Maltese puppy, named Chip. A product of a puppy mill that I purchased at a store selling puppies, I noticed the first day home that he was sick. When I brought him to my vet, I was told that if I hadn’t brought him in, he would have died within days. During the month I spent bringing Chip back to health, we developed a strong bond that would last his entire life. When I left home for an errand, Chip would sit at the door and remain there until I returned.
During his time as a puppy, I would often carry Chip in a pocketbook-style carrier or in a shopping cart when in stores that allow dogs. People would ask if we would consider breeding him. We had already had him neutered, so this wasn’t possible, but he brought me so much joy that I wanted to provide others with the opportunity to have a healthy loving puppy without the risks of purchasing from a puppy mill.
Breeding healthy puppies involves a large investment of time and expense. We only feed our parent dogs Royal Canin, a high-quality dog food. During the period of pregnancy and nursing, our moms are fed Royal Canin’s starter puppy food, to provide the highest nutrition to offset the demands a pregnancy has on the momma dog’s body. I also supplement this food with Nurtical and other supplements. When a momma is ready to deliver her puppies, I bring a pillow and blankets into our nursery area and stay at her side during the delivery period and the following day. The delivery process can be taxing on small mother dogs. I am there to help clean the puppy when the mom needs my help, providing Nutrical and goat’s milk for the mom in between delivering puppies. Puppies are blind for the first two weeks of their lives, when their eyes begin to open. Sometimes they have difficulty finding their mother’s nipples to nurse from, especially if the mom has three or more puppies and the most dominant puppy pushes the others away from a nipple while they are nursing. I am there to help the puppies reach and nurse from their mom, weighing them twice a day and when necessary, supplementing their nursing with bottle-fed goat’s milk to maintain their weight during the critical first weeks after birth. Normally once the puppies’ eyes open, the fun starts, as the puppies begin to learn to play with each other and their mom. People play begins at three to four weeks and while they need to continue to nurse, most begin experimenting with food at that time. It is a labor of love, with the hardest part being the moment it is time to say goodbye when the puppies are adopted. Knowing that you will provide a great home and send us photos from time to time makes it all worthwhile.