"I don't want a show dog, I only want a pet." I
hear this particular statement time and time again.
Honestly, when buying from a reputable breeder there can
be very little difference between the two.
Reputable breeders should always have one goal...the
betterment of the breed. This does not mean that
every puppy in a litter is show quality but that is what
a reputable breeder strives for. The puppies that
do not go into the show ring are what reputable
breeders place as pets. This does not mean the
puppy is sub-standard or of poor quality....it just
means that there is something about the puppy the the
breeder does not want to keep in the breeding / show dog
program. It could be something as simple as a too
laid back personality or it may just be the wrong sex.
Maybe the pigment is not as dark as the breeder had
hoped or possibly the bite of the puppy is not what the
breeder wants to keep in their breeding program.
There are many reasons why a puppy born into a show dog
breeder's home may be let go to a pet home.
"Why do I want to buy a puppy from a show
breeder.......I only want a pet." If you are
wanting a pet Maltese, you already have an idea as to
what a Maltese is supposed to look like. The AKC
Maltese Standard is the reputable breeder's guide to a
perfect dog. The reason that breeders show their
dogs is easy. The original reason that AKC started
having shows was so that breeders could compare their
breeding stock to other breeder's breeding stock.
There is no better way to learn if their dogs fit within
the standard than to show them and have them compared to
other representatives of the breed shown by other
breeders. They also
get a better understanding of the required structure and
make-up of that particular breed, in this case the
Maltese. When breeders do not show their dogs,
how do they know that their dogs even fit within the
standard? If a breeder does not show how can that
breeder
know that they have show quality puppies?
I
may be totally off the wall here, but in my opinion,
there should be very little difference between a show
dog and a pet when buying from a reputable breeder.
It should still be a nice representative of the breed
that it is supposed to represent. The show picture
on the left is of Vanity, the day she became a
champion.
The
picture on the right is of Vanity as a "pet"
after her show career was over. She
loved being a show dog and she loves being a pet,
especially since she is Queen Bee here at the house.
"It doesn't have to be perfect, I just want a pet."
This statement is usually followed by, I want good dark
pigment, a silky straight ice white coat, good bite,
short muzzle, level top line,
and 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 pounds with an outgoing personality. The person, in fact, is
describing the perfect dog that we as show breeders are
all striving to produce.
When buying from reputable breeders there can be
very little difference between show quality and pet
quality! The key word here being reputable.
Please remember that not every Maltese Breeder out there
is breeding Maltese within the standard which is 7
pounds and under with 4 to 6 pounds preferred. Nor
do some of these breeders care that they are not
breeding within the standard because they just want to
sell "pets". This would be fine if a big majority
of these dogs at least looked like the breed they are
supposed to be representing. Sadly, some of these
so called pets can weigh up to 15 pounds and more, plus
they have been known to have longer muzzles with curlier
or cottony hair and just barely resemble a Maltese.
So if you truly have your heart set on a Maltese that
looks like a Maltese, your best chance of getting the
dog of your dreams is from a reputable Maltese breeder.
These reputable Maltese breeders are usually very active
in showing their dogs in some fashion.....please note
here that you still need to do your homework because, as
in every aspect of life, there can be a bad apple in the
bunch.
Good luck in your search for your next
Maltese puppy........
May the puppy be happy, healthy, and exactly
what you were hoping and looking for!!!!