# how/where to buy a Maltipoo



## jlsf (Dec 27, 2014)

Ok, I'm finally taking the plunge and getting a new puppy for the kids. My daughter and wife have decided on wanting a Maltipoo.

I've been looking for a little bit, and it is almost impossible to find this breed at the Humane Society or as a rescue dog. Yes it is a mix but very popular and hard to find.

I've almost pulled the trigger a couple of times on ones from Craigslist, but in the end, things have not felt right so I've passed.

I'm ok with spending money, but I do not necessarily want to buy from a questionable breeder.

Anyone have recommendations on where I could buy one (preferably Northern CA)?

Thanks.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

There are plenty of them on Petfinder.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

There aren't really any reputable breeders of maltipoos, why not look for a purebred Maltese or Poodle or get a dog from a shelter?


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

Stay far away from Craigslist, puppyfind, petstores, and sites like "next day pets" when buying a puppy. It is very, very hard to find a responsible breeder of Maltipoos (at least what I would consider responsible). A purebred Maltese or Poodle puppy is going to be just as great as any "maltipoo" puppy you are looking for and are easier to find decent breeders of.

Also - Consider rescue! So many people think they want or need something something because it is cute, but in reality would be just as happy with a rescue dog. As long as you keep your eye out, you could find a poodle mix puppy in a rescue.


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## missy_the_maltese (Nov 28, 2014)

i got my Maltese puppy because she was being kept in bad conditions (as we learned once we got her). But you do need to be careful because there was one ad on there and it was a phony, they asked you to send money to africa! But i luckily saw that. People on craigslist arent reputable breeders but i found a maltese with an amazing personality


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## chimunga (Aug 29, 2014)

Trust your gut. If it doesn't feel right, definitely bail. 

Maltipoos are considered a "designer mix," and are generally frowned upon around here. That's because most breeders are not breeding them for the health and betterment of the breed, but because they are popular and you can make tons of money off of them. 

Do you know the particular reason they want a maltipoo? If you give us their parameters, we could suggest some other, more reputable breeds that would suffice. 

There are usually tons of min or toy poodle mixes in the shelters, especially around nor Cal. May not be a maltipoo, but something similar.


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## jlsf (Dec 27, 2014)

ChaosIsAWeim said:


> There are plenty of them on Petfinder.


Not sure how I missed this place - they look great.

Will say that I'm a little shocked how much some of the rescue places charge ($500 for an adoption). But, would much rather pay them and have a much greater peace of mind.


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## jlsf (Dec 27, 2014)

chimunga said:


> Trust your gut. If it doesn't feel right, definitely bail.
> 
> Maltipoos are considered a "designer mix," and are generally frowned upon around here. That's because most breeders are not breeding them for the health and betterment of the breed, but because they are popular and you can make tons of money off of them.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I asked one person for references - they gave me a reference to contact. I did but was able to quickly realize the reference was also a breeder/seller and was lying about who/what they were.

Going for a Maltipoo because this is what my wife and daughter really want. They've seen this breed with other people we know, and they love them. Plus, we want something smaller, little shedding, hypoallergenic, smart, friendly, etc. I could probably get by with a poodle, but my wife does not like them. My daughter also likes the Bichon Frise; have thought about that, but it is definitely a second choice.


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## jlsf (Dec 27, 2014)

I guess I'm also wondering why people look down upon designer mix dogs.

You can breed a designer puppy for a family to have a great pet to love and care for. This doesn't mean you're breeding the dog for showing, or hunting, or some technical skill - only for companionship. You neuter the dog, and that's pretty much the end of it.
Yes people can make good money off the breeding, but that happens with purebreds all the time as well.

Now purebreds are easy to document and show a history. Ok, why can't people do the same with mixes? You may not have papers on the new puppy, but you definitely have papers on the parents. I understand that you're going to get some amount of people that are going to breed these dogs for the money and not give a crap about the dog's welfare, but it seems like there should be plenty of other breeders who are doing this is a nice responsible manner - but I see multiple comments in this post and elsewhere where people basically say there are no good breeders of Maltipoos.

Just do not get it...


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

People who breed dogs responsibly don't turn a dollar. Most people who breed designer dogs don't even bother to test for genetic diseases.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I got my maltipoo from a shelter. That's the only place I would personally get one from.

There is nothing special about maltipoos either - I've met plenty of purebred poodles and maltese, and they are lovely dogs with similar traits to the maltipoo.

Responsible breeding is nothing at all like breeding mixed breed dogs. There's a lot more to it, like testing for common diseases, not just for the dogs you are breeding but also going way way back and making sure only the healthiest dogs are bred. Making sure they conform to the breed standard (without breed standards you couldn't have designer mixes either), making sure they have good temperaments, etc.

My maltipoo has bad teeth, bad knees, and is prone to ear infections (3-4 times per year). She is a lovely dog, but the issues she has would be much less likely to happen in a purebred dog, because a good breeder wouldn't breed dogs who had health issues. 

If you get a maltipoo, you can almost guarantee that it will have knee issues, as this is extremely common in both breeds.


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## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

I'm not a fan of "designer" crosses simply because most people breeding them don't health test for genetic diseases and other possible issues. Or even necessarily pick good dogs to breed together, just whatever intact dogs of the breed they need that they can get their hands on. Also, they tend to stretch the truth a lot from what I've seen - breeding any old dog with a poodle does NOT mean the puppies are going to be hypoallergenic, for example. I think Maltese are generally considered hypoallergenic as well, though, so that might not be a problem with this cross.

Bottom line for me, most of the "designer" cross breeders I've come across are not breeding to actually create a new breed or even looking to produce healthy, sound dogs. They're looking to make a buck.


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## chimunga (Aug 29, 2014)

jlsf said:


> I guess I'm also wondering why people look down upon designer mix dogs.
> 
> You can breed a designer puppy for a family to have a great pet to love and care for. This doesn't mean you're breeding the dog for showing, or hunting, or some technical skill - only for companionship. You neuter the dog, and that's pretty much the end of it.
> Yes people can make good money off the breeding, but that happens with purebreds all the time as well.
> ...


I understand your confusion. It can come off as a little abrasive when you first start to encounter disdain for designer mixes. 

Good breeders have a plan. They are breeding for a goal in their dogs, usually both physically and temperament wise. They do a ton of health tests and do not breed a dog that is not up to their standards. And in general, with extremely popular and trendy mix breed dogs, that is not the case. They're usually doing it to make money. They don't health test. It's often just "Hey I have a Maltese and a poodle, let's breed them together. People love that sh**." There isn't much of a point, temperament wise, to breed a maltipoo. From my understanding, toy poodles and Maltese have similar temperaments (correct me if I'm wrong), so the only real reason one would be bred it because it's cute. Very often with that type of breed, it's a back yard breeder breeding the same two dogs over and over again. I'm not saying that always true. But it is going to be _much much_ more difficult to find a maltipoo breeder who is good. 

And you know, it may just be because of the stigma attached to it. Most people in the dog community look down on designer mixes. That leads to good breeders who do research also looking down on designer mixes and not breeding them. It's an interesting circle. 

If you have your heart set on a maltipoo, you're going to want to ask the breeder A LOT of questions. 
1. Why did you decide to breed this particular mix? 
2. What are the benefits to the mix, as opposed to just having a pure bred of either? 
3. How many generations of these dogs have you bred? 
4. How many times do you breed your dams? 
5. What is your goal with your breeding program.

I would also look over our sticky thread "finding a good breeder."

And ask to meet the dam and see their facility. I would be wary if they also owned the sire, as most good breeders don't breed their dams to their own sires. It could mean, like I said, that they just breed the same two dogs over and over. Or as is sometimes the case, they breed the same sire with a rotation of two or three dams.

You can find good breeders of designer mixes. I know there are some great golden doodle breeders out there (although that can be a point of contention on the internet). But it is very very difficult, and takes a discerning eye. If you have the patience, go for it. But you may have to either A. Wait quite a while or B. Find one way outside your region.


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## jlsf (Dec 27, 2014)

Maybe it is just the circle - good breeders don't want the stigma, and since there are no good breeders doing certain mixes, the stigma maintains.


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## kcomstoc (Mar 9, 2013)

I just want to point out that there is NO SUCH THING AS HYPOALLERGENIC DOGS, there are low shedding dogs but they are NEVER hypoallergenic. I just want to make sure people know this. I also agree with everything said about mixes and bad breeders. Just to make it clear we don't have anything against mixed dogs it's the fact that irresponsible people are purposely breeding them just to make money without thinking how the temperament or health of the puppies. I also agree that you should NOT buy puppies from puppyfind and places like these because a LOT of them are just puppy mills popping out puppies for profit and they are USUALLY not temperamentally sound and come with a lot of health problems.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

kcomstoc said:


> I just want to point out that there is NO SUCH THING AS HYPOALLERGENIC DOGS, there are low shedding dogs but they are NEVER hypoallergenic. I just want to make sure people know this. I also agree with everything said about mixes and bad breeders. Just to make it clear we don't have anything against mixed dogs it's the fact that irresponsible people are purposely breeding them just to make money without thinking how the temperament or health of the puppies. I also agree that you should NOT buy puppies from puppyfind and places like these because a LOT of them are just puppy mills popping out puppies for profit and they are USUALLY not temperamentally sound and come with a lot of health problems.


This is totally false. There are most definitely hypoallergenic dogs, allergy sufferers can attest to that. 

*Hypoallergenic means "Low allergen producing" *
My cousin has allergic reactions to my dogs, but her dog a German Wirehaired Pointer she is fine with. That means her dog is a low allergen producer also known as hypoallergenic.

You appear to be confusing the term "hypoallergenic" with the term "nonallergenic", they are NOT the same thing.


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## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

Hmm. Just to point out, the list of problems people are posting with "designer" mix breeders are ALSO the things that most would say make a bad purebred breeder, too. It's not JUST that they're producing mixes. There are terrible purebred breeders all over the place, too, and they should be avoided as well! 

Also, just wanted to quote this because I think these are super important questions to ask any breeder. Along with questions about relevant health testing for all the dogs and whether or not the breeder takes pups back if something doesn't work out.



chimunga said:


> If you have your heart set on a maltipoo, you're going to want to ask the breeder A LOT of questions.
> 1. Why did you decide to breed this particular mix?
> 2. What are the benefits to the mix, as opposed to just having a pure bred of either?
> 3. How many generations of these dogs have you bred?
> ...


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## kcomstoc (Mar 9, 2013)

Keechak said:


> This is totally false. There are most definitely hypoallergenic dogs, allergy sufferers can attest to that.
> 
> *Hypoallergenic means "Low allergen producing" *
> My cousin has allergic reactions to my dogs, but her dog a German Wirehaired Pointer she is fine with. That means her dog is a low allergen producer also known as hypoallergenic.
> ...


I stand corrected I thought it mean't nonallergenic disregard my post then and Effisia I completely agree, it's best to avoid bad purebred breeders too. I didn't mean purebred breeders were infallible but that mixed breeders def don't health test most of the time though it's true for a lot of purebred breeders as well.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

jlsf said:


> Not sure how I missed this place - they look great.
> 
> Will say that I'm a little shocked how much some of the rescue places charge ($500 for an adoption). But, would much rather pay them and have a much greater peace of mind.


You're paying not just for the rescue of the dog you get, you're paying for the rescue of other dogs, too.

For example, they charge you $500, say it cost them $300 to alter, worm and vaccinate your puppy. That seems like $200 in profit, but the next dog they place is mine. He needed to have a tumor removed and typed, as well as altering, vaccination and worming. So he cost them $700. You rescued your dog and helped to rescue mine. Win win!


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## jlsf (Dec 27, 2014)

Absolutely true on paying for other rescue dogs. I know they charge a lot for some breeds (Maltipoo, same for a Shih Tzu), but they have other puppies they were only charging $200 for.
And they cover chipping, neutering, 4-5 vaccinations, etc. Most likely a money loser on the $200 puppy.

And if you stop and think about it, $500 is not really that bad. Neutering is going to be $150 - $200 (one vet has quoted me $500-$700!). Chipping is $50. Battery of shots is $100+. Plus, it is a non-profit, so part of this is tax deductible...


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

The bottom line is, if you want something specific and comparatively uncommon that is from a reputable/responsible source you're going to wait a while for it. So your choice is either to compromise on what kind of dog you want, or to wait. (IMO the "reputable source" part is not negotiable.) 

Part of why you're unlikely to find a good breeder of maltese/miniature poodle crosses is that most people who are really serious about breeding aren't just breeding companion pets. They're breeding dogs for a purpose (usually show dogs or working dogs), with pet sales being a side effect. Since the crossbreeding rules out conformation showing, and there aren't really jobs or sporting events where one would think THIS CALLS FOR A MALTESE/POODLE CROSS, you can see why people with an actual vibrant interest in dogs are probably not breeding that particular cross. 

My criteria for my most recent dog acquisition were 1)hair coat 2)gets along well with other dogs and 3)not a toy or small dog. This is not even that specific and I ended up waiting about 4 months before a suitable dog came along. In retrospect it was definitely worth the wait, but at the time I was very tempted to compromise, particularly on point 1. 

Personally I wouldn't be too hung up on getting a "maltipoo" in particular since there are about eight thousand other small dog breeds and mixes that can have similar physical and behavioral characteristics, but if you really want one, you really want one, I guess. My advice would be to contact all the shelters and rescues in the radius you're willing to travel, get pre-approved with applications, and be on a waiting list for dibs on the next maltese/poodle cross to come in.


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## jlsf (Dec 27, 2014)

Well, I somehow lucked out and found a great rescue dog (Maltipoo, 8 weeks, looks good, great personality). They had an awesome Shih Zhu there as well - daughter got what she wanted, and my son was a bit sad about not getting his pick.

Now onto crate/house/potty training the little guy.

Thanks to everyone for all the input.


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## chimunga (Aug 29, 2014)

jlsf said:


> Well, I somehow lucked out and found a great rescue dog (Maltipoo, 8 weeks, looks good, great personality). They had an awesome Shih Zhu there as well - daughter got what she wanted, and my son was a bit sad about not getting his pick.
> 
> Now onto crate/house/potty training the little guy.
> 
> Thanks to everyone for all the input.


Holy moly. You totally lucked out. That's awesome. Keep us updated. ^_^


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I'm not a fan of designer dogs but IF the breeder does it right and responsibly, thats fine. That means the parent dogs have been health tested. This is not taking them to the vets for a once-over, it's doing the testing needed for their breed. The breeders have a contract, spelling all their terms out, including the fact that if you can't keep the dog, it goes back to the breeder. IF the breeders do this, its ok with me.


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