Buddy - Male Maltese (Rockville, MD)

Buddy - Male Maltese

Meet Buddy This adorable 7 year old comes to MMR via no fault of his own. Here s his story...Buddy is a sweet seven-year old Maltese. After being found as a stray at a just a year old he spent most of his life with an elderly lady with a small house and a fenced back yard. His loving owner passed away this July and we are now looking for a loving forever home where Buddy can play and cuddle.Buddy is a happy and active dog with a spring in his step. He loves squeaky toys especially his textured ball. He enjoys playing fetch or tug-of-war with his foster mom and foster dog siblings. Buddy likes to run in a back yard and will stand on his hind legs for a treat or to let you know he wants to go out. He has recently learned to sit and wait patiently at treat time. He loves to take walks outside on a leash with a harness but his exuberance leads to pulling. While Buddy has formed good relationships with his foster dog siblings and has made friends on doggy-play dates he tends to bark at neighborhood dogs and sometimes cars while he s out on walks. This requires careful attention and well-timed distractions. Buddy received a clean bill of health at his last vet visit. The veterinarian was impressed with his healthy teeth and perfect weight and the vet found it hard to believe that this sprite and cheerful pup is seven years old. Maltese dogs have a lifespan of 12-15 years and Buddy has plenty of living yet to do.Buddy hasn t been around children much but we have no reason to think that this would be a problem. Because of his small size children need to be gentle with him. We don t recommend him being placed in a home with small children.Buddy is house-trained. He does his business in the back yard or on walks. He has no experience with crate training and has no problem being left alone in the house. He focuses his chewing and play on toys not shoes or other things. Buddy was hardly ever alone with his first owner until she got sick. At that point he was left alone in the house for long periods when his owner was in the hospital. He s happiest when someone s home but can tolerate being alone or with other dogs when his people are at work. When you re home he ll follow you around the house and sit by you for petting and cuddles when given the opportunity.Buddy has a soft and silky white Maltese coat which needs care to avoid matting. This includes regular trims and daily brushing to mats forming in his silky fur. Like other white dogs he tends to show rust colored tear stains on the side of his nose. His eyes should be wiped twice a day to remove eye gunk buildup and reduce tear staining. Like other Maltese dogs Buddy s ears need to be clean and dry. Buddy enjoys the attention of being groomed and is very tolerant of baths and regular care.Buddy has a loud and enthusiastic bark. With his former owner he would bark when he wants to come in or go out when he wants a treat or when he felt he needed attention. His current foster mom is working with him to reduce the barking and Buddy is learning that he doesn t need to bark to have his needs met. Buddy is a quick learner and adjusts well to standard training.Buddy wants to be near you but is not overly clingy. He s happy sleeping near his owner on the floor or on the bed if permitted. His big brown eyes and sweet disposition will melt your heart.The perfect home for buddy would be one with a single adult or couple with or without other dogs but no cats. Even with training it s likely that Buddy will always have a strong urge to chase cats. Buddy would be happiest in a home with a fenced back yard where he can play outside several times a day but he must be an indoor dog. He would be ideal for an experienced dog owner or someone willing to take him to obedience classes where Buddy could learn basic leash manners and some cute new tricks. He s a fast learner and he s very eager to please. Buddy would be a terrific dog for an older adult and he could have great potential if trained as a therapy dog to visit nursing homes or hospitals.Help us help Buddy find a new family. Thank you My adoption fee is 350 which covers the cost of routine vetting rabies and distemper parvo vaccinations deworming spay neuter surgery heartworm testing my microchip monthly heartworm prevention monthly flea tick prevention and any transport costs if applicable. If you can t adopt me consider sponsoring my care and being a rescue angel. Click on the DONATE button below and chip in what you can. Your donation is tax deductible and helps us save more lives To fill out an adoption application go to -X -----XX.- adoption_app.html You can save animals like this one by becoming a foster home for a dog in need Fosters are like way stations between high kill shelters and forever homes. We need fosters so that we can save dogs before they are euthanized at the shelters. If you are interested in becoming a foster please check out our information about fostering on our website -X -.-----XX.- foster_faq.html MMR covers the vet care food and tools to get started. You supply the love. Fostering saves lives. Sometimes a foster home is the only thing standing between life and death.... More Info