Maltese Shih Tzu

Please tell me about their temperant, grooming, and especially health. Thanks!!

We have a rescued Havanese – he has been with us for about two years – we got him when he was one. He has a lovely personality – very playful, but also very sensitive – loud voices or visitors can easily upset him. A havanese is a fun dog to have, but requires alot of grooming and training. Our one could not be house trained by his previous owners – you will need alot of spare time and alot of dedication to have a havanese, they need training time, grooming time and playtime on a daily basis. But they are definately worth it – you shouldnt have one if you work full time, they are good companion dogs and require lots of love and attention – in return you get a good friend who will give you lots of attention too. Health wise we have never had a problem with ours – he likes lots of exercise, but is very greedy – so you have to watch what he eats!

PS i am in AUSTARLIA/ N.S.W

I see them all the time for about $100 to $400.
I hope you find one.

I am going to buy a puppy.I want one that is easy to train ,is a good companion and doesn't get all hyper.A calm, easy-going lap dog.I want one that can stay alone during the day although someone will be with it most of the day.I prefer one that doesn't shed.what do you suggest??shih – tzu , maltese or havanese?? any better ideas??

I can only give my own experience really.
A Shih Tzu probably isn't for you. They are said to be good apartment dogs (meaning they're good in smaller spaces) but they do get hyper – no matter what quality of food you're feeding them. Everyone i know that owns a Shih Tzu says that theirs, like ours, loves to run around the house – ours does laps around the table (even after a long walk!)
Shih Tzu don't shed outward, the dead hair stays in the coat to be brushed out. We've found our Shih Tzu easy to train (housebreak, commands and tricks).
If you don't mind the occasional bursts of energy Shih Tzu have then, of course, I'd suggest one – they're really lovely dogs.

Try these links on the 3 different breeds:

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/shihtzu.html

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/maltese.html

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/havanese.html

im getting a puppie of my own very soon and i need to know which one to get a shih tzu or a maltese. the dog would would have to be good alone for up to 7 hours a day. i would like a sweet pup thats easy to house train to and has a good temper. Any suggestions?
what about a lhasa apso? i hear there stubborn though. Any body know anything about this breed?

Don't get either breed if you want one to house train easy!!!Or a lasa for that matter. Mabey a schnouser, Japanese chin, Pekingese……….Shih tzu's especially are very hard to train.

1.my dad is allergic to fur of dogs and i was wondering it they were hair dogs or what.
2.how big do they usually get?

1. Both the Maltese and Shih-Tzu shed little, so your dog will probably shed little too. All dogs shed, but some more than others.

2. It's hard to predict how a mixed breed will turn out. Both breeds aren't too big, so your dog probably won't be too big.

im trying to figure out how much the puppy's gonna cost weekly/ monthly

both breeds are relatively small, and puppies do not eat as much as adult dogs, so probably about a 2.5-4 weeks. but if you haven't yet gotten the pup, just remember to factor in not only food, but a crate, shots, toys, bedding, etc. but once all of the initial costs are gone, (assuming vet visits are not too often) probabaly about $50/month for all the food and some new toys and treats =). and remember it is much more cost effective to buy the bigger bags of food. the food i feed my dogs is $15 for a 8 lb bag, almost $2 per lb. or $41 for a 45 lb bag, under $1 per lb. good luck

I live in a 2 bedroom unit with a pretty tiny balcony! I'm not too familiar with this breed so i'm not sure whether they are suited to living in small spaces (obviously the pup would be walked daily) but would it be cruel to them! Any help or suggestions would be great. Thanks
I forgot to say that i do work full time so i probably wont be home for about 8hrs a day! would either breed be ok with this, again is this cruel? im will to buy lots of toys and stuff to keep it entertained!

Many small breeds are great with small housing. Both breeds require regular grooming and brushing. You will need to buy a crate and some chew toys,(not edible) also you will need to walk the puppy first thing in the morning and then about 15minutes after you feed it, then it can go into the crate for the day. When you come home you repeat the process. Some people put pee pee pads on the patio, but its very hard to change this behavior-very hard. The kind words and love you give when your home will be just fine.

He is 6 months old. When I tell him no biting, he just barks at me. I want to stop his biting now before he gets any older

You gotta smack him tell him "No! Bad Dog!"

a shih tzu is calm, cute,and trained but i don't know about the maltese

My mom had both when I was growing up, and I have to say it was the Maltese, the Shih Tzu was always going insane over something lol. However, both are sweet, but it's always preference and training, but still I prefer Maltese over Shih Tzu.

Um, try looking in the news papers and talking to pet store owners. Someone might know of a breeder.