Shih tzu or Maltese OR Yorkie?

[Shelties]

Ok even though i have a sheltie i have always have a soft spot for malteses especially and shih tzus. For the longest time i have been leaning towards getting a maltese but the only thing that worries me is that a maltese will break my bank account due to frequent visits to the vet because they get sick all the time, more so than any other dogs even if you manage to get your self a well bred maltese. People tell me that im better off with a shih tzu or even a yorkie bias? maybe. If i am wrong about a maltese being sick all the time then feel free to tell me so

What do you guys think? if all fails i'll just get another sheltie or even rescue a small mix breed instead!.

[calgal]

Most breeds have one problem or another. It does seem that the dogs with several mixes in them tend to be less likely to have so many problems. Even the Yorkies are not without serious problems, like liver shunt, luxating patella and very sensitive digestive tracks.

[Ritz459]

I've never heard about Maltese being sick all of the time, but then I don't really know the breed that well. *shrugs* I think the only thing I'd be worried about with a small dog like that is 1.) I'd probably step on it and kill it and 2.) with dogs that small, they need their teeth cleaned regularaly to prevent any problems.

Here are some cons (from www.yourpurebredpuppy.com) I found of each of the breeds...some may not be very serious and may not alwasy hold true, but they are cons just the same:

Maltese:
The fragility of toy breeds
"Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much
Suspiciousness or fearfulness when not socialized enough
Notorious housebreaking difficulties
Barking
Frequent brushing and combing

Shih Tzu:
"Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much
Stubbornness (mind of his own)
High coat maintenance (frequent brushing and combing, or clipping)
Housebreaking difficulties
Snorting, snuffling, snoring
Serious health problems (includes mainly heatstroke, back problems because of its long back, buggy eyes that are vulnerable to injury, and other issues).

Yorkie:
The fragility of toy breeds
"Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much
Suspiciousness, shrillness, and highstrung temperaments in some lines, or when babied and spoiled, or when not socialized enough
Excitable chasing instincts
Frequent brushing and combing
Notorious housebreaking difficulties
Barking


But then again, if you get a well bred dog and know how to raise one properly, I don't think the aboves should be a problem.

[Cassiepeia]

Everything I've read says that the Maltese is a very healthy breed. Who told you they get sick all the time? Could it be that that person (or people) have only had experience with byb/puppymill or rescue dogs?
Talk to a few Maltese breeders and ask about health issues, but I really don't think they're any better or worse than most toy breeds.

Cass.

[k9hullio_sam]

My dog has been pretty healthy so far. I say go for a maltese!!!

Maltese:
The fragility of toy breeds
~Mandi has been stepped on before, but now she knows not to walk under our feet.

"Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much
~ Mandi just sleeps hehe

Suspiciousness or fearfulness when not socialized enough
~ To strangers, she is a little 'stand offish' but she approaches them(my fault)

Notorious housebreaking difficulties
~It took a little longer for the 'poop' part, but she was very quick about the pee.

Barking
~She hardly ever made a noise untill we taught her to speak.

Frequent brushing and combing
~Yup!!! Pretty tedious.

I think all of these things can be avoided if the dog is trained right. You can even get out of the brushing part if you keep their hair short enough!!

Good luck!!

[Novel]

excellent site ritz...Thanks for posting it!

[roman]

yeah niko hasn't been sick yet and the housebreaking he took to fairly well except with the poop it took a little longer

and he barks but when you tell him "shhs" he calms down

his coat is farly easy to take care of and he loves to play

(talking about my maltese)

and he is doing training well and he loves to sleep so i say shoot for a maltese

[Charlie_boy]

Hi, just wanted to point something out about the Shih Tzu I have read in many places and spoken to many Shih Tzu owners (im part of a shih tzu bored ect.... and i have found that the seperation anxiety thing is not that well known at all! Charlie is often left on his own for a couple of hours here and there and he just finds himself a comfy spot and snoozes (ive spied on him)
Snoring and snorting, yes he does this but you get used to it lol and i find it comforting....at least you know hes still breathing right?? and hey how many of us snore and snort? be honest now!! lol
Toilet training was no different to any other dog i have owned either and in fact he was pretty promt with getting to grips with the whole potty thing (i have heard people having problems with it though to be honest)
Shelties good luck with your search but if you did get a Shih Tzu i'd be very suprised if you where dissapointed, they are very loving and willing to please (on none stuborn days) lol

Sharon and Charlie

[Ritz459]

Oh, I have no problem with Shih Tzus. I love them actually. We pet sat for one and he was a very good little pup. He wasn't housebroken, but we only had two accidents; both were my fault! But he did snore like the dickens....my mom thought it was my dad at first!

I say go for the Maltese if that is the dog that you have your heart set on. I'm sure that if you go to a responsible breeder, then you won't have tons of healthproblems.

[KennelMom]

One vote here for a rescue

[chocolatecoffee]

I have a Shih tzu X, a Maltese, and a Maltese/Yorkie X. My Maltese and Maltese/Yorkie X are both rescues (my Shih tzu X was from a BYB, I was a complete idiot, but I still love her).

My Shih tzu X, Mocha, probably has the strongest personality, she's hilarious. She has a very dominant personality though and I think that if we gave her the chance, she'd try to take over the world. She's extremely intelligent, probably the most intelligent out of the three, has her little "rituals" that she loves, and is just oh so loving. Of course, if she feels like being independent...she's going to go off by herself. For example, I just gave the dogs supper and my Maltese, my Maltese/Yorkie X, and my Pomeranian foster were there right away...but she felt like sleeping upstairs. I had to bring her food up to her and she took out a little bit, buried it in a blanket, buried the entire bowl in a blanket...but then I guess she worked up an appetite because then she ate it all. She's also very stubborn and determined and when she sets her mind to something, it's very hard to change her ways. Really though, she's a fantastic dog.

My Maltese, Panna, is apparently purebred (not that it matters to me) and I adopted her when she was 2-years-old. She probably has the best temperament out of the three and I like to call her The Cling; she's convinced that I cannot even go to the bathroom by myself. She likes to play, but at the end of the day is happiest curled up on my bed. She's also the most accepting of new people. Although I've heard that Malteses are apparently pretty smart, she's a little slower than the other two...but makes up for it ten fold in her personality. She's always twirling when I bring out the treat bag and really, really likes her meals.

Then there's the Maltese/Yorkie X, Cannelle, the happiest little girl there ever was. I adopted her when she was 8-months-old and she had had a very difficult past. However, she overcame everything like a trooper...she has such a resilient nature, maybe it's the Terrier in her. She's also the most active, but she's also the youngest of the three. She loves to run and to play, but also isn't opposed to tucking her head under your chin and dozing off. She has pretty funny rituals too...if she has too much energy, she insists on trying to turn her bed over and really doesn't give up until she does! I'd also have to say that she's probably the most adaptable to new situations as long as we're there with her and just really has a zest for life.

In terms of health problems, all three do have luxating patella, but it's just a Grade 1 and really isn't a cause for concern. They were on glucosamine for a while, but they aren't now and they're fine. Mocha had bladder stones and a bladder infection as a puppy, but that might have been because of where I acquired her as she contracted it through the umbilical cord. She also has a fragile back and sometimes it'll be sore for a few days, but she's back to normal in no time at all. Really, none of them have had more health problems than normal; in fact, I think they're pretty healthy for the most part.

All in all, I really like all three breeds that are in my dogs and my vote would have to be go with all three of them - what's better than a rescue? .

[sammy]

How about a havanese? I think that would be my choice if I was ever looking for a very small dog.

[roman]

i vote for a rescue (since i work at one) but i got niko from a breeder that i know and he "picked me" while all his brothers and sisters were sleeping he woke up and started to jump all over me and then when we took him out his sisters and brothers were cryig

so maltese really give you that bonding experience

[Charlie_boy]

Ritz, i know you dont have a porblem with Shih Tzus, i remember you saying a while ago that you had doggy sat a tzu. I was just messing about and being biast he he.

Sharon and Charlie

[Novel]

How about an Affenpinscher.