Mrs. N has been complaining that we haven't been doing enough of these, so I guess it's time for another...but we're going to do one that I like...the Maltese!
Before Kayle, there was Jenny. Like Kayle, Jenny was playful and caring and cute...but unlike Kayle, she was quiet.
Positives
* They're playful and caring and cute and quiet!
* Little to no shedding.
* They're not very big, meaning they won't knock over Mrs. N, and Mrs. N could pick them up. And they're not as small as a chihuahua, so berlin niebuhr wouldn't have to feel quite as embarassed if he had to take it for a walk.
* From the "temperament" section of the Wikipedia summary: "These intelligent dogs learn quickly, and pick up new tricks and behaviours easily." From DogBreedInfo: "Gentle, loving, trusting and devoted to its master. Highly intelligent." What's wrong with that?
* They're one of those dogs that get super-hyper and start running laps around the room for no apparent reason. Is there anything in the world better than that?
* My Pet Medicine says they make good watchdogs.
Negatives
* The dog show version of Maltese has that long, prissy hair and looks like Yorkies and other high-maintenance dogs. HOWEVER...we always gave Jenny a puppy cut. Super cute and super low maintenance.
* From DogBreedInfo: "Do not over-pamper or overprotect these little dogs, for some become unstable, and some may become jealous of visitors." Of course, I don't see berlin niebuhr as much of an over-pamperer, so this probably isn't a problem either. (Me, on the other hand? Different story. Hmm...maybe this is what happened to Kayle...unstable? Check. Jealous? CHECK.)
* They sunburn. Seriously.
* From wikipedia: "Because of their size, Maltese dogs are not a good choice for families with small children because they can be easily injured." I find that strange, though. Big dogs can injure the kids, small dogs can be injured. I was little when we got Jenny, and she didn't get hurt. I think this just depends on the parents teaching the kid to be respectful of the dog.
* They get tearstains. Not a big deal, but their eyes do need to be maintained.
* Crate-training didn't really work for Jenny (she just cried until she got to come to bed)...but she always peed where she was supposed to.
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