Shipping & Other Options

It can be very difficult to locate a good Maltese breeder locally. Most reputable Maltese breeders do not even advertise in the local papers anymore. With the Internet as a convenient searching tool many people are finding that locating a reputable Maltese breeder nationally is a much easier task. You might even be able to find a good breeder within your state or surrounding states that may be within reasonable driving distance of your home...

But what if you've found just the right puppy and the breeder is located several states away? Although you'd love to drive and pick up the puppy in person, it's just not feasible.

There are two other options:

Having your puppy shipped home

When handled by an experienced, responsible breeder, shipping is a very acceptable, safe method of bringing your new puppy home. We begin preparing our puppies for the possibility of being shipped home from the time that they are young puppies...We begin to acclimate them to the type of carrier that will be used long before the time of shipping. We begin by putting them in it, along with their littermates for very short 10-15 minute periods and gradually increasing the time up to about 1 to 2hrs. By the going home age of 12 weeks, our puppies are accustomed to taking naps in their crate during the day and view it as a familiar, safe place of their own. This really helps the puppies to be at ease in their crates, not only for the possibility of shipping, but also for new owners who will be using the crate as a housebreaking method. During the trip home they have a big soft towel or blanket, along with a familiar stuffed animal to snuggle with. They also have plenty of food and water inside the carrier with them. When introduced early like this, they actually like their crates and will find them a familiar "safe" retreat when they first get to their new homes where the surroundings are so strange and different to them. A puppy that is not introduced to the crate at a young age will be very likely to resist later. Such puppies can be much more difficult to house break, and to travel with.

We ship on a case-by-case basis...When a prospective new owner requests shipping, we will call the airlines to find out what flights are available into their local airport...Each city is different...and some airports are more difficult to ship into than others. We are very cautious about shipping and strive to get the very best, shortest flight schedule possible...If there's not a flight schedule available that we feel comfortable with for a particular puppy, we will not offer shipping in that case. Although some breeders offer shipping to very far distances, we do not. We are located in Alabama, in the southern central part of the U.S...we will ship to many destinations within the United States, but not abroad.

Flying in to pick up the puppy in person

Another option is to fly and bring the puppy back on board with you. Some airlines will allow you to bring the puppy onboard as a carry-on item. Be prepared to pay an additional fee aside from the cost of your ticket to bring your pet on board with you. You will need to check with individual airlines when considering this option to find out their individual policies regarding pet travel. Each airline is different and some do not allow pets at all. You would need to get a soft carrier, such as a Sherpa bag to bring the puppy back on board with you. Many breeders will bring the puppy to the airport so that you can make a return flight back on the same day if you wish.

If you would like to check on available flights or driving distance, we are located in Arab, Alabama... Our nearest airport is the Huntsville Airport, about an hour's drive away...the Birmingham Airport is about one and a half hours driving distance from us.

Be sure to visit the rest of our "Always Maltese" website.

There's many more adorable pictures and Maltese information on the following pages:

Home

~Available Puppies~

Available Show Puppies

Customer Quotes

Male Vs. Female

Maltese Size Information

Email "Always Maltese"

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All of the pictures displayed on the "Always Maltese" website are of Maltese Dogs and Puppies that belong to or were bred by Alan and Veronica Fawcett of "Always Maltese". Contents of this website, including all pictures are protected by Copyright and may not be used or reproduced in any fashion without written permission from Alan and Veronica Fawcett.