Need advises for a maltese

[imported_Amy]

Hello, i just got an adorable maltese female. She is 4 month old and weight about 3 pounds. I had dogs before but i still need advise and have some question concerning her behavior.

1) She is verry calm, maybe a little too much for a 4 month pup. She spend most of the day sleeping or just laying on my lap.

2) She dont urinate much. maybe 3 times a day if so. (but then i dont have eyes behind my head and maybe i missed some..) I try to give her more water but she isnt verry interrested.

I also have troubles when it's time to bring her for potty, outside. I can be there for 2 hours after she is done eating and she still wont go. She will just sit or lay right next to me. I put her back on the grass and she comeback to me, i go with her on the grass and she lay or sit right next to me. I only had the chance to praise her 2 or 3 times since i had her. i dont think she knows and understand why i bring her outside =/ i dont know what to do..

3) Food: Iam (not much choice over here unless you can read japnese and understand what you are byuing exactly) She woudlnt eat it softenen with warm water so she eat it dry but seem hard for her and she seem to get tired before she could eat enough. i am leaving her food up all day so she can catch up..

4) She is always scratching, i gave her a bath with flea/tick shampoo but it didnt help. I am not too surprised as i couldnt see anything in her hair anyway. I would really like to know why she is itching and what to do to stop it.

5) Ive been told to give her a finger of corn syrup every 2 hours for a little while but like i said she is a maltese and corn syrup and maltese hair just dont go together. Any idea?

6) Crate: She doesnt mind going in it and when i leave i dont hear her whine or anything, but when i get back (after 2 hours only) she did her little buisness (#1 AND #2) on her velvet blanket ?!?!?! thought these dog didnt like to lay in ther excrement?! Any suggestion?

i woudl also like to know what cottage cheese do for a pup, is it good for them?

If you have any other advise please let me know. Ive been reading alot of webpage on maltese and puppy and also bought "Housebreaking for Dummies" and i still feel like i dont know enough!

[DogPaddle]

For training advise check the House Training Sticky in the Training section, there is good stuff there:
http://www.dogomania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10960&sid=ee90327d2dcb72dd5ad03e0d7b88ddc3

As for a good food you can try Innova or Evo:
Y.K. Enterprises 011 81 791429933 1120-117, ISO AKO-City, Hyogo-Pre 678-02

OR you could try Wysong:
IG Hawaii, Inc.
P.O. Box 1450 Pearl City, HI 96782-1450
Tel: 800-667-1624 or 808-256-4633 Fax: 808-677-1592
or
SSA: Shuwa Daikanyama Residence
#605 9-5 Sarugaku Cho Shibuya-KU, Tokyo, 150 Japan

OR Eagle Pack's Holistic line of food:
Japan
INDI Co.
Tel: 81-47-383-0123
Fax: 81-47-387-1088

The itchy skin could be caused by food allergy so switching food might help. For temporary relief try putting oatmeal in sock or cloth and putting it in a warm bath and soaking the dog in the bath and with the sock or cloth - it soothes skin.

As for the sleeping a lot - have you taken her to a vet. Do so and mention the sleeping and urinating behaviours. She might have a urinary tract infection or something.

Corn syrup would certainly give her a suger rush but I don't think it would solve the actual problem. Stick with changing her food.

Cottage cheese will provide some calcium and some protien for a dog. It's ok for them in moderation. You can investigate home prepared or BARF or RAW diets for dogs for more info. One of our members, TDG, knows a lot, perhaps she can give you some more info.

Good luck and welcome to Dogo.

[imported_Amy]

Thank you,

I finally got her to go outside. I had to be verry patient and take her out every 30 min for a periode of 15 min at time. She finally went at 4h00pm. After that it wasnt much of a probleme for her to go. Think she got the purpose of going outside now :)

Also, i tried to put her in her little dog bag instead of her crate. The bag is just her size and didnt allow her to do anything in it.

She is also eating much better. Is 1 cup a day enough for a little 3 pounds puppy that doesnt move much? Behind the bag it say she should eat 2 cup to 2 and half cup a day but i kinda dont feel that it's right.. i mean 2 cup is almost bigger than her.

The corn syrup was for puppy hyppoglicemia. Toy breed tend to have that under age of 4 month and or when they arent eating enough. Her gums were a little greyish at some point and a person i know that already had this kind of trouble with her yorky told me to give her the corn syrup. Guess it worked, her gums are back to pink now :)

Also, does anybody tried the bell on a cord next to the door to help the pup asking for the door? does it work ?

[DogPaddle]

If she is lethargic and has greyish gums she needs to see a vet.

[imported_Amy]

Her gums are back to pink and she moving a little bit more as she get use to the house and the family. Her vet appointement is scheduled for june 16th. Hopefully everything will be alright.

I had beagles in the past, wich are verry different dogs and prolly much more active and vigourous, but if any of you guys have had a maltese pup, please contact me.

[imported_Amy]

Guys, i understand that for you it's an easy and normal thing to take a dog to the vet but i am in japan on a military base. I made an appointement , unless there is no improvement at all, i cant get her in for emergency.

I switched her foor to Science Diet (soft) and she is eating normally. She run around in the yard and eliminate at normal hours (morning #1 and #2, noon, late afternoon and before bed time)

Gave her the oatmeal bath and she seem to be itching alot less, thank for the trick.

[DogPaddle]

NP - I learned the oatmeal trick here from someone else and it has helped quite a few times for me and the dogs.

[imported_Amy]

DivineOblivion19,

no need to be so rude, i thought i mentioned that i was in japan.. my bad.. It is hard to find what you need here.. speaking english vet are rare too.. I been seeking help on this site because i coudlnt get her to the vet, not that i didnt wanted to =/

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Well, Ming is going alot better, maybe the whole transition was hard on her.. She is going outside normally and eat normally now. she was jsut picky on the food (glad she liked one of the 2 brands of food they sell over here :) ) She is still verry calm tho.. maybe (hopefully) she is just a calm dog and there is nothing wrong.