help! Malshi or Maltichon?????

[J79]

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Good morning,
Am after some advice and help! As a family who has never owned a dog, we have, after 2 years of research decided the time is right to get a dog! Am a nervous as hell about the whole thing but want to know opinions on 2 breeds I’m stuck between. originally wanted a Malshi but views a Maltichon yesterday and now I don’t know which would be best for the family? My children as 8 and 11.!anyone got either dog or could share some light on this choice would really appreciate!any thanks for your time x

 

[Mad Murphy]

I havent got a clue what either of these mixes are but Im guessing they include maltese..
Whatever you decide please be very careful of where you purchase your pup there are far too many dodgy breeders out there churning out shitzamalticavapoodles to meet the demand and they dont care about health or welfare..

Where I am all small maltese/shih tzu mixes used to be called boomers and were sold as a cheap cross breed to people who wanted a cute family dog or to older people who wanted a small dog. Now the new names have come in the price has risen astronomically sadly the care and welfare of the breeding dogs has not ..

 

[JoanneF]

Ditto what @Mad Murphy said about health and the risk of puppy farming.

The problem with crossbreeds is that as well as being targets for puppy farming, you don't really know what you are getting. I'd like to say I am not a breed snob, I own a crossbreed and my last dog was too, but where it used to be believed that hybrid vigour existed (the stronger and healthier traits carried over) we now know more about genetics and you are at risk of getting the congenital health conditionions from both parents. So for a Bichon, you should be making sure the parents have both been tested for hip dysplasia (which involves an examination under general anaesthetic, not just a vet saying they can walk in a straight line) and tested within the last year of breeding for hereditary cataracts. For a Maltese, the parents should be free of Syringomyelia, again involving an anaesthetic for a MRI - this is an excruciating condition that will cause the dog a lot of pain, and cost you a lot of expense and heartache over the years. The cross of a Maltese and Bichon coat is not something for the faint hearted either, the silkiness of the Maltese coat and the profusion of the Bichon coat has the potential to mat quickly and badly. In fact, I cannot see a responsible breeder crossing these, for that reason alone.

Like I said, I am not against crossbreeds but you are far more likely to find a pedigree breeder who has carried out the tests, which will result in a healthier pup for your family.

What is it that has drawn you towards these crosses, as opposed to a pedigree Maltese, Bichon or Shih Tzu? Have you done any research on their temperament, which is also an important factor to consider? I ask because if you can say what is important to you, perhaps we could point out some pros and cons for you.

 

[JoanneF]

To add - please read the links in this post regarding how to recognise a puppy farmed dog.

Deposit on a puppy?

 

[Dibbythedog]

Welcome to the forum.
Im guessing that Malshi is Maltese and Shitzu and Maltichon is Maltese and Bichon.

Why not chose just one breed, I have known a few Bichons and they seem to make nice family pets . Their coat requires brushing and trimming or clipping but they don't moult.