ABOUT US/ABOUT THE BREED - Carisma Maltese

About Us

We are a small, in-home breeder in Texas with only a few litters available during the year. We have been owners and breeders of Maltese for 40 years. We are no longer able to show our dogs but have raised several champions over the years. Now we are focused on providing beautiful, healthy, home-raised puppies to be placed in loving pet homes. This is strictly a family business, based on our love for the breed. We never sell to pet stores, only to approved families or individuals. We are focused on quality over quantity and we reserve the right to screen prospective new owners. We are devoted to this breed and our mission is to breed exceptionally healthy, beautiful dogs. We have a lot of experience with this breed and all our dogs are raised in our home where they receive constant care and are treated as family. We take our dogs to AKC classes for obedience and to broaden the scope of their abilities. Some will go on to become certified therapy dogs. We enjoy it as much as the dogs do. Puppies are handled daily, exposed to early sensory exercises and socialization. They are started on potty pad training and grooming procedures before they leave us. Our puppies are exposed to everyday family life and given opportunities to become self-confident enough to make the transition to a new family with relative ease. We want to make the process as easy as possible for the puppy and his or her new family. Our puppies mature to between 4 and 7 lbs, with the average being around 5 lbs. We occasionally have tiny ones which stay around 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. but we do not intentionally try to breed for the smallest size. There is no such thing as a “teacup” Maltese.

We are compliant with AKC and adhere to the American Maltese Association guidelines when raising our Maltese. We are located in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. We do health testing on our adults before breeding along with a complete vet health check. All of our dogs receive regular health screenings, dental care and are on heart worm preventative.

Puppies do not leave us until the age of 12 weeks. This is a firm rule with us because we are focused strictly on this puppy’s health and well-being. It’s worth it to you, the new owner, to wait until your new baby has had a chance to fully develop physically and socially in order to have the best chance at transitioning to a new home. They will have had age appropriate vaccinations and several de-wormings. They will have had a complete veterinary health exam and all medical records will be provided with each puppy. They will also come with a “New Puppy Pack” which consists of several items which will be helpful in the transition to their new home; a small sample of food, toys, a blanket with mom’s scent, chew toy and treats.

We do not ship our puppies, we prefer you to pick them up in person so that we can meet you and you can meet us also. If traveling by car, we can meet you within a 40 mile radius of Fort Worth, TX. If coming in person is out of the question, then we do suggest the use of a Pet Nanny who can accompany your puppy from one airport to another and deliver your baby in person. There are several companies who provide this service and it’s much better for the dogs than going by ground transportation. Ground travel s too risky and the puppy can be exposed to other dogs, unclean surroundings, just not the best option. Here are two Pet nanny service that we know of : In Cabin Puppy Express Pet Nanny – puppytranspo@gmail.com and QT Pet Transport. They are insured and provide same day, curbside service to your destination. If you are interested in this service you should call them about the cost and understand everything that is included. This is the best way to make sure you are comfortable with their service. The puppy would need to be picked up at Dallas/Ft. Worth International. This will entail an extra fee paid to the service for delivery of your puppy directly to you at the airport closest to your home.

About the Breed

The AKC’s description of a Maltese is “they are among the gentlest mannered of all little dogs, yet lively and playful as well as vigorous.” They are very affectionate and want to be with their “people”. They retain their gentle, playful spirit well into their senior years. They are highly intelligent, easy to train because their main purpose in life is to please their owner. They get along well with other pets and older children. They love people and children but the concern is that a very young child will want to pick them up and they could easily be dropped. This could be catastrophic for a little 4 or 5 lb. Dog.

Younger children who are taught to respect the dog and not to pick them up or play rough would be all right with a maltese as long as they were supervised during play times. They have a single coat which does require a considerable amount of grooming to keep it tangle-free, but if groomed from an early age, they enjoy the process and do not offer a lot of resistance to it. We start all our puppies on grooming very early so they learn to enjoy it. They can go for a couple weeks between baths unless there is a situation that requires it sooner. Always dry them completely after a bath and don’t leave them even damp as they might become chilled. This breed is hypoallergenic and they do not shed so they are perfect for people who have allergic conditions. They are very clean, with no doggy odor. They are always anxious to please and want to be with you as much as possible.

They are an indoor breed and under no circumstances should they be left outside unsupervised. They can slip under fences or other animals can dig under from the other side. Things can happen so quickly, please don’t take a chance with your puppy. Stay outside with them and watch them at all times. Never take them with you while running errands and leave them in the car. Car windows have been broken out and dogs stolen if left unattended. One of the most loving breeds there is and so very sweet!

The AKC standard states that the ideal size for an adult is between 4 and 7 lbs. This is exactly the size that our puppies mature to. We strive for health, temperament and adherence to the standard.

Male or Female?

A lot of people have a preference of gender simply because they have had that gender previously. Others are open to a sweet puppy and are not so particular about gender. In this breed, I would say after owning both sexes, that one is just as sweet, personable and affectionate as the other. I have had many families who thought they wanted a female, but because of availability, took a male and were totally pleased with their choice. I have only received positive feedback from those situations. The little males are every bit as wonderful as the girls, sometimes even more so. Many families actually came back for a second little boy because they were so pleased with their first one.

Once the boys are neutered, they have no desire to mark territory and are not more difficult to house train. They love their family and will want to be with you as much as possible. I mention this only because I feel like the little boys get a bad rap, the they are actually sweethearts and make loving, devoted family members.