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My 7 year old Daughter wants a lap dog, particularly a Maltese. We have tried the Humane Society and ASPCA here in CLT, but have not had any luck. We have seen them in Pet Stores for between $700 and $900. I hate to support puppy mills, so we are trying to avoid that route. Any suggestions on how to find a dog that was not bred specifically to be sold? We dont mind travelling to neighboring areas, but every adoption website we visited says that a in home visit is part of the deal.
Have you tried Petfinder? You can search by breed and there are many, many dogs that need--and deserve--a good home, and would make wonderful pets.
Most breed rescue groups and reputable breeders feel a home visit is necessary to ensure the dog will be placed in a safe environment that is appropriate for the dog's needs, as well as to help make sure that a particular dog is the best fit for the home environment and the family.
I'm curious--why are you are opposed to a home visit?
Adoption/rescue places are usually very discriminating because of all the animals have been though. By me, the in-home visit wasn't as much of a problem as the 'fenced in yard' requirement, but there are definitely more requirements when you adopt from a rescue situation (as opposed to buying from a pet store).
Aside from dealing with rescue leagues/adoption places or pet shops, you can always check out breeders. Breeders differ on what they 'require' for their pups prospective adoptive homes, so check around and compare. Remember, you want to find out as much as possible what kind of home the puppy comes from (there are some bad breeder situations you will want to avoid).
Breeders may also have pups that are not so young (usually people want the youngest). In this case they can offer you a great deal on a dog that is 7 or 8 months old rather than the usual 12 weeks. Just something to consider. We got a great deal on a $1300 pup for only $300 because he didn't have the full white marking on his face (Japanese Chin). The pup was already 6 months old and the breeder even offered to deliver him to us for the price of a plane ticket. (She is in Texas and I'm in Mass). By the way, he turned out to be a truly wonderful pup and since then, I've become close friends with the breeder.
Good luck, hope this helps. Please let us know how the search is going.
Have you tried Petfinder? You can search by breed and there are many, many dogs that need--and deserve--a good home, and would make wonderful pets.
Most breed rescue groups and reputable breeders feel a home visit is necessary to ensure the dog will be placed in a safe environment that is appropriate for the dog's needs, as well as to help make sure that a particular dog is the best fit for the home environment and the family.
I'm curious--why are you are opposed to a home visit?
Not opposed to a visit, just dont want to pay for someone to fly to NC to visit. I assume that I would be paying for that, not the seller. We have a fenced yard, so that is not a problem. We have been searching Petfinder, but cant find a Maltese puppy. My Daughter is 7, I dont want to get her a 5-10 year old dog as her first pet.
My 7 year old Daughter wants a lap dog, particularly a Maltese. We have tried the Humane Society and ASPCA here in CLT, but have not had any luck. We have seen them in Pet Stores for between $700 and $900. I hate to support puppy mills, so we are trying to avoid that route. Any suggestions on how to find a dog that was not bred specifically to be sold? We dont mind travelling to neighboring areas, but every adoption website we visited says that a in home visit is part of the deal.
I'm glad that you are thinking about adopting, vs. buying.
I've done quiet few home visits, they're not scary!
Just one thing i want to mention. I know your 7 year old wants a dog, but please, make sure that dog is wanted by everyone in your family, not just your daughter. Too many time dogs are bought as "gifts" for children, and later on, given away, because they grew up.
I sure hope you will adopt and i sure hope your whole family will enjoy a little bundle of joy!
I'm glad that you are thinking about adopting, vs. buying.
I've done quiet few home visits, they're not scary!
Just one thing i want to mention. I know your 7 year old wants a dog, but please, make sure that dog is wanted by everyone in your family, not just your daughter. Too many time dogs are bought as "gifts" for children, and later on, given away, because they grew up.
I sure hope you will adopt and i sure hope your whole family will enjoy a little bundle of joy!
Best of luck!
My wife is great with dogs, I will be the one that will have to do the dirty work. I already take care of the bird and the fish, so what is 1 more mouth to feed? We are lucky to live in a dog friendly neighborhood, so Alex will not have a problem finding areas to walk the puppy. The 1 thing she doesnt want is a jumper or a large dog that wont want to sit with her. We are open to other breeds, just seems like the Maltese is the perfect fit...
Not opposed to a visit, just dont want to pay for someone to fly to NC to visit. I assume that I would be paying for that, not the seller.
If a group outside of your region will place a dog with you, then they will most likely have a volunteer in your area that will conduct the home visit for them. I work in rescue in New England, and our group has done home visits for other rescue groups outside of our area.
If you have seen a dog you like, contact the shelter/group and find out how they would conduct a home visit in your area. They may waive a visit entirely and just do reference checks. You may also want to expand your requirements to include some Maltese mixes. Malti-poos and Maltese/Shih Tzu mixes are particularly nice; terrier/Maltese mixes can be problematic.
You may want to check with the rescue committee of the American Maltese Association: American Maltese Association - Rescue (http://www.americanmaltese.org/ama_rescue.htm - broken link). They occasionally have dogs to place, and they are also a great resource for breeders who have dogs.
Dogs come into rescue and shelters daily. Finding the right one may take a little time, but it is well worth the wait.
For a child as young as 7, I would go for a Pug. They are sturdy, mild tempered and absolute fun to be with.
However, that wasn't your question Have you tried the Maltese rescues? I see nothing wrong in getting a dog that's about a year old, you're beyond the "puppy stage" of chewing, soiling in the house (although sometimes a new home is like starting over) and the vaccinations will be current so you'll have no issues taking the dog out into puiblic right away.
Adopt, adopt, adopt! Keep looking! We searched the shelters in our surrounding counties for weeks after we had the yard fenced. We originally wanted one large breed, but ended up with the two sweetest little dogs ever.
Your daughter will love any dog you bring home. No matter what.
I guess I'm wondering why a 7-year-old is firm on a particular breed of dog? I'd take her to the animal shelter so she could look at the puppies there. Steer her toward those that are obviously small breeds. I've seen a lot of shih tsu mixes in shelters and rescue and, frankly, I think a shih tsu (mix) would be a great dog for a little girl.
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Maltese pups are cute!
Have you tried the Maltese rescues? I see nothing wrong in getting a dog that's about a year old, you're beyond the "puppy stage" of chewing, soiling in the house (although sometimes a new home is like starting over) and the vaccinations will be current so you'll have no issues taking the dog out into puiblic right away.
