Hi all. I just got my maltese yesterday, and i just wanna clear some doubts with the pros in this forum. He's 3 months old..and very sticky...always need people's attention... I named him Snowy. hi thr & welcome. 1st i dont own a maltese. all doggies are a little sticky when 1st brought to their new homes

1) I wanted to do paper training but the pet shop owner where i got him from advised me to buy a cage...kinda small..just slightly larger than a normal crate. Snowy lives in my room but i bring the cage to the kitchen and feed him in there. He didnt poo the first day..hahaha..he only pooed today after being fed lunch. The cage has an undertray, which the pet shop owner advised me to just let him poo in the cage then wash it. The pet shop owner also said after doing this frequently he would get used to it then i can leave the door open and he will eliminate there when he wants to. I was wondering if i can housebreak him dat way. If it is wrong, care to advise another method? a healthy normal pup will not sleep & eliminate at the same place. so if u want him to sleep in the cage, DO NOT train him to eliminate in the cage (it's not normal)

2) The first day home he didnt cry or bark at nite..No sound at all. I was so surprised...literally SHOCKED. Even when i left the room he didnt even make a sound. Im sure he noticed me leaving but he didnt even made a noise. Is it normal? could be either way & either way it is normal

3) Everytime i leave him, he will bark like crazy. Today i tried leaving him for just one hour...and he barked like crazy when i left him. When i came back he was all silent, then saw me then bark like crazy again. I locked him in the cage during that hour. Izzit okay to train him like dat? the ignorance is correct but the time is a little off. try leavin him for few mins & slowly increase the time. dont lah straight away leave the poor fella for hrs jz went he's stil new in ur home

4) How fast do they learn their names? Till now, i dont think he knows he's called Snowy. He just want my company dats all. repeat his name each time u command him, talk to him & so forth. probably will learn it abt few days to a week's time

5) How sticky are your maltese? Mine cant be left for even one second...he doesnt bark when im around (not even once) but the moment im gone all hell breaks lose. Anyway to reduce this "separation anxiety"? Even the pet shop owner says my puppy is especially sticky, since arrive in the shop doesnt even want to be caged, just want to be held. I want to at least train him to be more independent, maybe be alone for 3 to 4 hours max. Should i ignore his barks and pleas, or should i be soft-hearted? ive once left zeus alone at home for a max of straight 19hrs before i know, its a little bad of me but ive got no other choice at that time. but when i was back home, i can see that zeus had become a far more independent doggie than i can ever expected. so like i said, slowly u increase the time u leave him alone & he'l be fine

6) I want to train him, sit, stay, come, etc. But when i wanted to buy treats, the pet shop owner says wait till he noes how to differentiate between his staple food and treats. Can i train him using his kibbles? Currently, i soften his kibbles b4 feeding him. Anyway to train him now? or i reli have to get treats? yes u can use the soft kibbles as treats durin trainin. key to a successful trainin, train with heart, persistent & understandin (he's jz a pup, give him breaks for play)

7) I lock him in the cage when sleeping at nite coz i don wan him to eliminate all over my room..izzit ok he was ok the first nite. the cage will only work 1 way (toilet or bed) u choose for him & let it be for the rest of his life. DO NOT mix these two different agenda. u dont sh*t on ur bed & sleep in the toilet, do u???

Thanks ahead for all the helpful replies. :) good luck & keep us updated

Hi all. I just got my maltese yesterday, and i just wanna clear some doubts with the pros in this forum. He's 3 months old..and very sticky...always need people's attention... I named him Snowy.

1) I wanted to do paper training but the pet shop owner where i got him from advised me to buy a cage...kinda small..just slightly larger than a normal crate. Snowy lives in my room but i bring the cage to the kitchen and feed him in there. He didnt poo the first day..hahaha..he only pooed today after being fed lunch. The cage has an undertray, which the pet shop owner advised me to just let him poo in the cage then wash it. The pet shop owner also said after doing this frequently he would get used to it then i can leave the door open and he will eliminate there when he wants to. I was wondering if i can housebreak him dat way. If it is wrong, care to advise another method?

2) The first day home he didnt cry or bark at nite..No sound at all. I was so surprised...literally SHOCKED. Even when i left the room he didnt even make a sound. Im sure he noticed me leaving but he didnt even made a noise. Is it normal?

3) Everytime i leave him, he will bark like crazy. Today i tried leaving him for just one hour...and he barked like crazy when i left him. When i came back he was all silent, then saw me then bark like crazy again. I locked him in the cage during that hour. Izzit okay to train him like dat?

4) How fast do they learn their names? Till now, i dont think he knows he's called Snowy. He just want my company dats all.

5) How sticky are your maltese? Mine cant be left for even one second...he doesnt bark when im around (not even once) but the moment im gone all hell breaks lose. Anyway to reduce this "separation anxiety"? Even the pet shop owner says my puppy is especially sticky, since arrive in the shop doesnt even want to be caged, just want to be held. I want to at least train him to be more independent, maybe be alone for 3 to 4 hours max. Should i ignore his barks and pleas, or should i be soft-hearted?

6) I want to train him, sit, stay, come, etc. But when i wanted to buy treats, the pet shop owner says wait till he noes how to differentiate between his staple food and treats. Can i train him using his kibbles? Currently, i soften his kibbles b4 feeding him. Anyway to train him now? or i reli have to get treats?

7) I lock him in the cage when sleeping at nite coz i don wan him to eliminate all over my room..izzit ok he was ok the first nite.

Thanks ahead for all the helpful replies. :)