One of the biggest pleasures in life is having a pet and the favorite one has to be a puppy! With the numerous breeds of dogs, it's a tedious task to buy a puppy if one doesn't have a favorite kind already. One breed I would highly recommend is one of my favorites- The Maltese Puppies. These absolutely adorable, affectionate, small dogs belong to the toy group of dogs. With a white coat, small very dark eyes and drop ears, the expressive look of these puppies would make your heart melt! They are ideal for a small household. They have no undercoat so if taken care of well, have almost no shedding. Maintenance of this breed is minimal and along with their watchdog ability skills, they are quite a good package. They pure white coat of an ideal dog is a sight to be seen and their nature is equally desirable. They are playful and lively and will shower you with love. These cute dogs have to be well taken care of as they have long body length hair. Most owners keep the hair trimmed and short but not all. Being a priced possession in urban dwellers, they are also used as show dogs. The hair's tied to prevent breaking off and when presented, the hair is untied to look absolutely awe-worthy! I know of a Maltese dog named 'Vanilla' too and every time I see her I'm speechless. She's a small white beauty! The hair is soft and silky and needs careful grooming. Two care issues to be noted are 'tear-staining' and 'reverse sneezing'. Dark staining under the eyes is tear-staining and every two-three days should be taken care of with lukewarm water. Reverse sneezing refers to various sounds made by the dog resulting in over-excitement. Getting this checked is recommended considering no one wants a hyper tiny barking dog loose around the house, possibly hurting oneself or other. Nevertheless they are an elegant breed of dogs: have always been preferred by the rich royals and nobles. They are very good with children and other breeds of dogs too. So if you have another dog in the house, you won't have to worry about them getting along. They are watch dogs are very alert and obedient. They have been known to snap at ill-behaved children and be extremely protective of their owners. Use love and care to train your dog, socializing it at an early age.