Maltese Dog Advice

Toys for dogs come in all shapes and sizes and picking the right ones can be a bit hit and miss. This page aims to take guess work out of picking a toy for your Maltese puppy.

Picking the best toy for your puppy will depend a lot on their age, size, playfulness and whether or not you are going to be able to spend a lot of time with them playing or if the toy is for solo play time.

If you think all dog toys are the same then you are making a big mistake and may waste your money on toys which will not get played with, or will not fulfill the purpose you are buying it for. If you choose the wrong toy for the wrong reason then it will likely get ignored and not get played with at all. However, if you start to think of toys as a solution to particular problems or situations then you will fulfill your Maltese dog’s toy needs. Just remember, different toys can be extremely helpful for different problems.

A few of the problems or issues you might like to address with toys include:

• Boredom
• Teething
• Chewing
• A non food reward system
• Independence
• Separation anxiety
• Bonding
• Exercise
• Training

This review will highlight certain toys to try and address these common issues. One toy will not address all of these needs but may branch across a few of the issues, but regardless you should look to get a range of toys which can help your Maltese puppy as it grows.

Toys For Bored Maltese Puppies

If a Maltese or any dog is left to themselves for the majority of the day because you are at work they will get bored. Boredom leads to puppies being inquisitive to fill in their time and generally inquisitive puppies can turn into destructive puppies. For this reason filling your dogs day with objects and toys which will keep them from getting bored is paramount. Think about it from their perspective. If you were to get bored you would get frustrated and look for something fun to do. So all you need to do is leave them some fun things and they will play with those things instead of being destructive.

Keeping your Maltese dog engaged is also important as chronic boredom can lead to a depressed puppy and a lethargic puppy but more often then not it goes the other way and turns a well behaved puppy into a barking, loud, chewing, destructive machine. So lets get into what are the best toys to relieve boredom for your Maltese puppy.

You will want to have toys which are going to engage your puppy and keep them busy. You can use these toys when you are not at home but its best to start of using these toys when you are home and you can see how they interact with the toy and whether they are using it and enjoying playing with it.

Toys for boredom for your Maltese dog need to have a few specific characteristics which you should look for:

• Non-Toxic: Toys need to be safe to play with as there is always a chance your dog will chew on them. For this reason you want toys made out of non-toxic materials.
• Small Size: As with all toys for the Maltese breed you need to find toys which are small in size and can be carried or played with by your small Maltese. They are called a toy size breed or miniature breed because they are the same size as some of the toys which other dogs and children play with. Look for toys at the right size for your Maltese in order to allow them to play effectively with it.
• Interactive: You want to get a toy which does something when your Maltese interacts with it. This might be dispensing food, making a sound or moving around a predictable or unpredictable way. The unexpected movement will be a challenge for your puppy and any rewards will keep them going and keep them entertained.
• Rewarding: Toys which provide an incentive as part of the play will keep your dog occupied for a long time. Just as treats can be used for training, they can be used to reward your dog for playing with a toy and working out how to beat the toy. Treats create repetition and repetition creates habits for your Maltese.

A lot of these toys generally move around and can be a challenge to play with in one area. For this reason when you are not around it might be best to put the toys and your Maltese into a playpen so that the toy doesn’t roll into an inaccessible place like under a sofa, behind a cabinet, etc.

Toy recommendations in this category are:

1. Pet Qwerks Talking Babble Ball : This ball makes noises and will keep your dog entertained. Make sure you get the SMALL size only for a Maltese puppy. The most important thing with these is they have over 20 sayings at random and are very durable.
2. The Busy Barnacle Chew toy will dispense food when your puppy rolls it around. This can come in a extra small size which is what you will need for your Maltese puppy.

Toys for Teething Maltese Puppies

Maltese will go through the teething stage between around 3 months old through to 7 months old. During the teething stage your Maltese will want to chew on items in order to relieve the discomfort they are feeling in their mouth.

So what is actually happening when they are teething ? Your Maltese will have their baby teeth (also known as milk teeth or deciduous teeth) falling out and they will be getting replaced with their adult teeth. While this is happening there will be a bit of discomfort and itching within the gums and mouth of your Maltese puppy. This annoying itch will cause your Maltese puppy to look for ways to soothing it and chewing will be the go to method.

Maltese puppies will chew on furniture, clothes and anything they can get their teeth into. In order to stop them destroying your yard, house and your belongings you are going to need to get some toys which are specifically made for the teething stage. One of the great things about training them to use teething toys is that it will set them up for life to have good chewing habits which will keep their teeth and gums healthy.

Teething toys need to have a few specific characteristics which you should look for:

• Non-Toxic: This is a must have characteristics of all toys but especially for any toys which are involved in chewing and teething. You want to find toys made from materials which are labelled as non-toxic.
• Small in size: Maltese are a very small breed and getting a toy which is sized for their mouths is of utmost importance. If the toy is too large to be carried around or too large for your puppy’s jaw then it will get ignored for easier things to chew on.
• Durable: Teething toys will get a lot of use and will need to stand up to some constant chewing. You want a toy which is known to last the distance and make it through the teething stage. The last thing you want to see is the toy being destroyed within a week as you will need to go buy another toy.
• Texture: Teething toys are not the same as chewing toys. Teething toys need to be able to soothe sore gums and scratch at any itches within your puppies mouth. Teething toys will have a variety of textures which will allow the puppy to use the different parts of the toy to get the remedy they need for their ache or itch.
• Shapes: As was said above teething toys are not chew toys. The teething toy will have a variety of shapes which will allow the Maltese puppy to get into those hard to reach spots in their mouths and soothe their itch. Different shapes on the toy will allow the puppy to position the toy in ways that will benefit them the most.
• Flavors: Some toys will come with a certain flavor to entice the Maltese puppy to use the toy. Even if the flavor wears off over time, the initial flavor will get your Maltese into a habit of chewing on the toy to soothe their teething discomfort.

The teething stage can be a challenging stage for an owner and a puppy. During this stage keeping the toy size Maltese puppy in a playpen is a great idea and surround it with its toys. This will save your house and belongings from getting used as chewing toys and you can ensure that the rights toys are left in the playpen to help the puppy with their teething.

For teething toys ensure that you wash the toys at least once a week. You should not use soap as this could be toxic to your Maltese. Just give them a good clean with water and a rub with your hand. This will ensure the toys stay clean and are not a hive of bacteria.

Toy recommendations in this category are:

1. The XPangle Five pack is a good set of toys which can be used with your Maltese. There are a variety of items that may take the interest of your Maltese puppy and they are very durable.
2. The Nylabone Durachew has a lot of textures which can help your puppy with their teething.
3. The best non-toxic rubber toy is the Aduck Durable Pet Toy This toy comes in a variety of colors and is great for your puppy to scratch their gums.

Toys for Maltese who like to Chew

Maltese puppies like to chew on things as their teeth are coming in. Surprisingly this chewing urge can sometimes progress into adulthood and can turn into a favorite activity of your Maltese. Some dogs use it to relieve boredom, others use it to clean their teeth and still others use it as a stress relief mechanism. The most important thing for you to know is that if your Maltese likes to chew and they do not have toys to chew on they will put their teeth into your furniture, clothes and favorite items.

You do not want to get angry at chewing as it is very beneficial for your dogs teeth, gums and jaws. Maltese are known for rotting teeth as they get older and keeping them chewing on some toys can stop this from happening as it will keep them clean. Not all toys are beneficial for teeth though and identifying the right toys to remove plague buildup in your Maltese is a worthwhile activity. Just a quick note that providing chewing toys does not substitute for looking after your Maltese’s teeth. You should follow a dental care plan at home which includes dental treats and the occasional brush.

For chew toys you are looking for a few factors to ensure the toy is safe and will be durable:

• Non Toxic: All toys should be non-toxic when you are giving them to your dog regardless if its a chew toy or not. But for chew toys it is even more important to ensure the product has no toxins. This should be obvious as it goes in their mouth and they will be chewing on it.
• Sizing: Maltese are small and need small toys. Large toys will not fit in their mouth and they will ignore the toy. You need a small toy that the Maltese can easily carry in their mouth.
• Durable: Your toy needs to be made from a material which will withstand the constant attack from your puppies teeth. Finding completely indestructible dog toys in the small size is sometimes hard to do but it is possible.
• Texture: The material needs to be enjoyable for your Maltese to bite on and chew. If the texture is not enticing enough or is painful then the dog will not use the toy.
• Flavor: Some toys will have a particular flavor that the dog will like and this will encourage them to use the toy rather than your furniture.
• Range: A final factor is that your dog may get bored with one toy even if they have their favorite. Having a range of toys can be beneficial as you can swap out toys and always have what seems like new toys to entertain your dog.

Toy recommendations in this category are:

1. The XPangle Five pack is a good set of toys which can be used with your Maltese. There are a variety of items that may take the interest of your Maltese puppy and they are very durable.
2. The Nylabone Durachew has a lot of textures which will give your dog something interesting to chew on. This is a bit tougher than the Xpangle five pack and should last a lot of punishment from your dog.

Toys to be used as a Reward for your Maltese

When you want to train your Maltese you need to be able to reward them. Generally people will use treats for rewards but sometimes your dog can become overweight if you give them too many treats. Instead you should look for toys which can be used as rewards when your dog has done something good. They do this with police and drug dogs and when the dog finds what they are looking for they are rewarded with a play with their toy which might be a ball or chew rope.

Reward toys should be given only as a reward and should not be left with the dog for the whole day. What you are looking for in these toys are:

• Non Toxic: I’ll say this for every toy just in case someone is only reading this section. Non-Toxic dogs are a must as your dog puts the toy in their mouth. Look for toys without any toxins.
• Sizing: You will need a small toy for the Maltese breed. They have small jaws and are one of the smallest dogs on the planet. Look for toys which match your dogs size.
• Bonding: Reward toys will only ever be given when you are around therefore you want to look at a toy which will allow you to bond with your Maltese puppy.
• Skill Level: Some toys can be complex and should be aimed at dogs who are trained and a little older. But there are toys which all dogs can play with such as a small fluffy ball so your Maltese can carry it.

Reward toys should only be given as a reward for good behavior or when you are trying to train your dog. Ensure you do not leave it with them otherwise it will be commonplace and they will not see it as a reward.

Toy recommendations in this category are:

1. Entaifeng Dog Chew Toys are loud bright and a lot of fun to play with. They have enough fluff and appendages that your Maltese will be able to grab onto it and have some fun. They are hilarious to play with for both you and your dog.
2. 9 Pack puppy squeak toys are a nice little pack of assorted toys that you can bring out from time to time to play with your puppy as a reward. They are aimed at small dogs and are soft toys to throw and play with.
3. Zippypaws Woodland friends are by far one of the most entertaining rewarding toys out there for your Maltese. Its a burrow where you hide the toys inside another toy and the dog needs to find them and pull them out. Lots of fun for both you and your dog.

Toys for encouraging an Independent Maltese

You want to raise a healthy, well rounded independent Maltese puppy who loves to be around you but who can entertain and look after themselves when you are not around. Independent Maltese are created by instilling habits in your Maltese that allows them to be able to play by themselves.

Toys which encourage independence include these qualities:

• Non Toxic: Look for toys which are non-toxic. You do not want your puppy to be playing with toxic toys. Nor should you want toys in your house which have toxins.
• Sizing: All toys for Maltese need to be small in size and small toys are of the utmost importance. The Maltese puppy is a very small dog and many toys are not appropriate for them.
• Skill Level: Some toys can be very complex and might be a little too hard for your puppy to use. Look for skill appropriate toys which match the skills of your puppy. Don’t go looking for levers and gadgets in the toys when all your Maltese can do is possibly push a ball around to release some food.
• Durable: The toy will need to withstand the actions of your Maltese playing with it. You want something that will last and be able to be left with your puppy while you are not at home.
• Rewarding: Rewards from the toy such as a noise or a treat will help to keep your Maltese dog playing with the toy for an extended period of time. The rewards should be delivered randomly so that the dog needs to play with it to work out how to get the reward.
• Solo: The toy should be able to be played with solo by your Maltese puppy. If it requires you to be there to help them play with it (a throwing toy) then it will not encourage independence.

Toys for Independence will aim to keep them occupied when you are not able to play with them. They may not play with the toy all the time but they will want to go and play with it occasionally whether you are at home or not.

1. Multipet Look whos talking Monkey is a great little toy to help with separation anxiety. It will talk at random times and distract your Maltese from their anxiety.
2. Zippypaws Woodland friends are by far one of the most entertaining rewarding toys out there for your Maltese. Its a burrow where you hide the toys inside another toy and the dog needs to find them and pull them out. Lots of fun for both you and your dog. Your dog will love to play with this even when you are not around.

Toys for Maltese with Separation Anxiety

Maltese separation anxiety is when your Maltese puppy barks, cries and howls when you leave it alone. This Maltese problem can happen for a few reasons but is likely because of two reasons. The first reason is that your Maltese may have been taken away from its mother and siblings too early. The second reason is that you may be mothering your dog too much and fussing over it. Regardless of the reason there are some toys which can help with separation anxiety. These dog toys need to have the following characteristics:

• Non Toxic: Toxic toys should never be bought. The toys will not say they are toxic but they will not say non toxic. Always look for toys which say non-toxic.
• Life Like: Toys which deal with separation anxiety try to mimic real life companionship. This could be with shape, noise and warmth. These toys should be like another dog without actually being another dog.
• Maintainability: These types of toys are generally a bit more expensive and so you want to make sure that the toy can have parts replaced cheaply enough if they break. Examples would be warmth pads or heartbeats within the toy. Manufacturers of these toys generally sell the replaceable parts much cheaper than having to replace the whole toy.

While these sorts of toys are good for separation anxiety and loneliness they can also be used to provide companionship to dogs who have recently lost a companion or owner. Dogs get upset just like humans do when they lose a friend so its a good idea to try and help them cope with the loss.

1. The Deedle Dudes are toys which will sing to your puppy and keep them company. They will not withstand constant attacks though so you might want to try this first when you are around to ensure your dog isn’t ripping it apart.
2. Multipet Look whos talking Monkey is a great little toy to help with separation anxiety. It will talk at random times and distract your Maltese from their anxiety.

Toys for Bonding with your Maltese

Toys for bonding and playing with your Maltese should be centered around things which you will both enjoy. The standard toy is a ball or something that is thrown that your Maltese can bring back to you but there are other toys such as the challenging training toys which require levers and test the skill of your Maltese. You will find these skill games highly entertaining and watching your Maltese and helping them play with the toy will be a lot of fun.

When looking for toys to bond with your Maltese you need these characteristics:

• Non Toxic: Toxic toys are not going to have a big red alert on them telling you they are toxic. Look for toys marked as non-toxic so that you know they are safe for your dog.
• Sizing: All toys for Maltese need to be tiny to fit in their jaw. If you are looking at something like a ball look for one which is small and has something that your dog can actually bite into and carry back to you. Tennis balls with some fluff on the outside can be a great starter toy as your Maltese can grab the fluff and drag the ball back.
• Exciting: You should look for toys which will excite you and your puppy. Maltese are not going to be able to go running after a Frisbee but they can chase a ball, play with challenging toys and they love tug a war.
• Bonding: The toy should be something that both you and your dog play with and not just a toy that you give to them and they play with it by themselves.

Bonding with your Maltese can be a worthwhile and fulfilling past time. Maltese are very loyal and if you show them love they will show it back in their loyalty.

Toy Recommendations in this category include:

1. Zippypaws Woodland friends are by far one of the most entertaining rewarding toys out there for your Maltese. Its a burrow where you hide the toys inside another toy and the dog needs to find them and pull them out. Lots of fun for both you and your dog.
2. Trixie Pet products have a variety of toys to stimulate and train your dog. These toys go through several levels of training so make sure you get level 1 when starting out. You will need to be around to help your dog learn this toy to start with but then they will likely go and play with it whenever they can. its a great little set of toys.

Toys for Exercising your Maltese

Toys are great for having fun with your Maltese puppy and getting them to have some exercise. Exercise is very important to ensure your puppy stays healthy and does not put on extra weight and become a fat Maltese. Fat dogs and unfit dogs have shorter lives so exercising them is important. Some characteristics you want to look for in toys to exercise your dog include:

• Non Toxic: Look for toys which are made from non-toxic materials especially if you think your dog is going to get in and chew on them while you are playing.
• Sizing: Look for toys which are small and can easily be carried by your Maltese puppy. Maltese do not have very large jaws and their breed is one of the smallest in the world. Still some toys which are larger such as a fluffy tennis ball can still be used if they have something (fluff) to grab onto to and pull along.
• Exciting: Exciting toys might be toys with lights, noises or that are unpredictable. These types of added extras add excitement to the play time for your Maltese puppy.
• Bonding: The toy should be something that both you and your dog play with and not just a toy that you give to them and they play with it by themselves.
• Active: The toy needs to be something that will get them moving so something which they can chase or run after when you throw it. If it also moves unpredictably then they will have to change direction and work their mind as well as their body while playing.

The standard toy for exercise is a ball or throw toy so that you can get your dog to run after it. This a good start but sometimes lazy dogs will only do it once or twice and then stop chasing the ball. In this case look for other toys which give added excitement to playtime.

Toy Recommendations in this category include:

1. 9 Pack puppy squeak toys are a nice little pack of assorted toys that you can bring out from time to time to play with your puppy as a reward. They are aimed at small dogs and are soft toys to throw and play with. Throwing different ones will entertain your Maltese and get in a few extra runs when they see they are all different sets of toys.
2. ZippyPaws squeaky toys are great for throwing and playing tug a war with your Maltese. They make some cute sounds and are easy to hold and throw. They are also fluffy allowing your small dog to latch on with no issue.

Toys for Training your Maltese Puppy

Training your puppy is very important. It helps with instilling a good behavior within your Maltese. Its also good to teach them as they will flourish and grow with training. Maltese puppy training will generally use toys and food as rewards in order to reward good behavior. The key characteristics you want in toys for training include:

• Non Toxic: Look for toys which are marked non-toxic. You do not want any toys which could contain toxins in your little Maltese puppies mouth.
• Sizing: Maltese need very small toys in order to be able to effectively play with them. If the toy is too large they will not find it enjoyable as they will not be able to carry it. There are exceptions to this rule but its best to stick to small toys where possible.
• Bonding: Toys for training Maltese should be given when you are around. The toys should be a reward for the training and not a common place object that they can play with by themselves otherwise it will lose its appeal. The toy should therefore strengthen the bond between you and your Maltese.
• Skill Level: Some toys can be complex and should be aimed at dogs who are trained and a little older. The skill level of your dog should be assessed with the toy. There are some very advanced toys which are lots of fun but you need to build up to them through simpler toys and with some fun training activities.

Remember training toys for a Maltese puppy should be given only as a reward during training and you will not want to leave this toy with your Maltese all the time.

Toy recommendations in this category are:

1. Trixie Pet products have a variety of toys to stimulate and train your dog. These toys go through several levels of training so make sure you get level 1 when starting out. You will need to be around to help your dog learn this toy to start with but then they will likely go and play with it whenever they can. its a great little set of toys.
2. Zippypaws Woodland friends are by far one of the most entertaining rewarding toys out there for your Maltese. Its a burrow where you hide the toys inside another toy and the dog needs to find them and pull them out. Lots of fun for both you and your dog.