Maltipom - Marina

by Kristine Groves
(San Jose, CA)

Marina as a Puppy at the Park

I had been dying to get a dog after I moved out. Being that I lived in a smaller apartment, I thought that a small dog would work well for me.

I was visiting Monterey, Ca on the warf with my girlfriends where a family was showcasing their Maltipom puppies for sale! (This is how I decided on her name) The father was a small carmel colored Pomeranian, and the mother was a beautiful Maltese. These puppies were the cuties little fluff balls! and everyone on the warf was drawn to the family of puppies. The second I picked up Marina I fell in love with her carmel colored eye lashes, and big brown eyes...there was no way that I could deny her.

She is a beautiful cream color with hints of carmel color on her ears and tail. She was playful and very curious, and I knew that we would be instant companions. At first, Marina was very difficult to handle. She was extremely hyper, and and hated to sleep (which I hear that most puppies love to do!...not her!) She whined at night and required a lot of attention, she also was difficult to potty pad train. I had taken the advice of Cesar from dog whisperer and introduced grass and commands to use the potty. Now I take her outside say "go potty" and she goes!

After a lot of work and patience, Marina has developed into a very smart/ obedient dog! She is the love of the dog park. She would rather jump on the laps of all the owners because they all rant and rave at how cute and soft she is, and she would rather the petting and praise then play with the other dogs! Maltipoms can become difficult to keep clean and groomed, but they do not shed, and she is softer than a bunny rabbit. I take her to the groomer regularly every 6-8 weeks, with baths/blow drys between)

She is 4.5lbs full grown so I have had to be really careful with choosing a groomer because we have had some very bad experiences with her soft skin. So do your research!

By the way, Marina has developed a nick name from my husband from a very bad haircut that i had attempted. I trimmed her face hair too much and she looked like she had a shrunken head...so her name became "beetlejuice" and cut down to "beetle." She entertains herself by picking up her toys with her mouth and tossing it with the flip of her head, it is the cutest thing in the world! She has calmed down a lot after her spay, but she can still tend to have her hyper moments!

I've always treated her like a "big dog" and have taken her everywhere with me. She is confident and lovable with everyone she comes in contact with, especially small children. She is so carefree! She is now almost 2 years old and I could go on and on how cute and amazing she is! I cant express enough how much I love my dog, and how lucky I was to find such a gem!