[Max & Rocky]

Hi,

I just was out watering some plants and rinsing off some patio furniture.

Rocky and Max have always been like two little mad men after they have a bath. They wrestle around and take turns chasing each other at full speed until they are both utterly exhausted (and dry!!). “Blow-drying” without the use of a blow-dryer I guess!!

But I really hadn’t realized they do the same thing whenever they are around water of any sort. This evening, all I was doing was insuring some plants had water and hosing off some lawn furniture. They had to be outside watching every move. I was not playing with them and I was trying to make sure no one actually got in the way of a stream of water (since both got baths this weekend). They seemed to enjoy coming up to the hose and taking a drink. After the patio was fairly wet, they ran back and forth with a lot of “spin-outs”, tumbles, etc. They seemed to enjoy it immensely.

We do have a pool with a “puppy-proof” fence. They are never permitted inside the pool fence unless Peg or I are with them. They are curious of the pool, but are scared of the water in this case. But in other cases, they are just crazy about water!!

What is it with Maltese and water?? How do your Maltese react? Are Rocky and Max just behaving this way because they are boys??

 

[LoveMaltese6820]

Our boy Maltese doesn't really like water. When it rains and I take him out to the bathroom he runs away from the grass and looks at me like "you want me to walk through that?". Lol!

 

[Toby's Mom]

:lol:

 

[doctorcathy]

none of my dogs like water. you're lucky!!! i think mine would freak out if they saw me swimming---they'd probably think i was drowning!!! :lol:

 

[pico's parent]

Pico seems to have a love/hate relationship with water. When I am in the tub he is standing at the side peering over at me and licking water off the edge. When he was a puppy he used to leap into the tub, landing on the corner with the built in seat. One time he missed the seat and landed in the tub. He never jumped in again.

He is reluctant but doesn't try to escape when I am preparing his bath. He just kind of backs off when I reach for him but once he is in the tub he is patient enough for a while then he wants to get out. It makes the conditioning part interesting.

His siblings and mom live in Florida and have a pool. They are placed on a boogie board and floated around the pool but they don't jump in and swim at all. I don't think Maltese are water dogs, from what I hear.

 

[Mystify79]