Four times a year our club magazines of the Maltese club appears and in every magazine a breeder has an interview and tells something in the column the breeder tells. In spring of 2000 it was my turn and here is the short report of it...............
MALTESE MAGAZINE Question 1: When did you get your first Maltese and what attracted you the most in the breed?
Answer: My first Maltese, the male dog Loris Azzaro, I bought in 1994. After a good information search about the breed, the character and the strong ness liked me the most of the breed. These things were very important to me.
Question 2: How many Maltese do you have in your kennel and since when do you breed with them?
Answer: I have 8 Maltese in my kennel. My first litter was in 1997.
Question 3: What means the word breeding to you and what is your goal?
Answer: The word breeding means for me maybe something different than other breeders. At first it means propagation. I prefer to keep the Maltese breed as strong and healthy as possible and to emphasize the breeding standard as good as possible.
I always love the bigger type, strong body and long neck, but I can also enjoy the smaller ones as long as they are firm.
I always listen to nature, only the strongest will survive, and only the strongest may propagate and the stronger ones give there genes true and never the weak ones. We people sometimes think we know it all, but if you let nature do their job the breed will be strong enough by itself. Further means the word breeding to me a lot of work and intensive care with the dogs, sleepless nights if you have to wake when the pups will be born and taking care of the bitch and pups after being born. You have to take time for educating the pups but this I do with joy and pleasure. There's nothing more beautiful than educating pups. After that it's your responsibility to find a good home which can offer them everything. Feeling the pain when the pups leaves the litter, but also the good feeling when the new bosses write, send pictures and call you to thank you for the wonderful Maltese dog I have trusted to them. Question 4: What goal do you wish to accomplish with the breed?
Answer: The goal for me is very simple breeding strong and healthy dogs which approximate the most to the breeding standard. Question 5: Do you expose your dogs and were they successful on a show and did they get a champions title?
Answer: Yes, I went showing my dogs since a couple of years. My first dog Loris Azzaro which was cut several times, went to a show after letting grow his hair. He had 1 championship and 3 substitutes. My second dog White Crystal has also one championship. With the both of them I have walked a large amount of shows in the leash class and often they were first or second.
Question 6: What was your discussion to go to dog shows and how did you learn about the fur care?
Answer: When I first saw a dog show I thought, my dogs could easily walk between them. The fur care I've learned by lots of asking other people what they used and did. Further more I tried some products to see for myself what the best are. Question 7: From which age you went showing your Maltese dogs and when do you stop?
Answer: Mostly I began as the dog was 15 months old. I quit with a bitch after taking a litter. I also quit when I notice that the dog doesn't enjoy the show and is feeling nervously. Question 8: How many ours a day do you spend on fur care and how long does it take to take care of one dog?
Answer: I spend every single free our on the care of my dogs. Question 9: Do you have any experience and or recommendation for the readers when they want to start showing their own dogs?
Answer: Yes, at first go to a good training centre, and see if the dog enjoys this. I have dogs in my kennel which prefer fly ball or other things then showing for a jury. Question 10: How do you keep your dogs, with family or in a special dog room?
Answer: How do I keep them, we live with them and they live in the living room, and they are pleased that we live with them. Question 11: How many litters do you have in a year?
Answer: 2 or 3 litters a year. Question 12: What does the readers have to know before they start breeding a Maltese and on what terms and knowledge do they have to know?
Answer: You have to know a lot about breeding before you start one. You have to let you inform from the beginning till the end, because a cover alone isn't enough. At first you have to breed with healthy dogs. Your bitch must be tested by a veterinarian if she can get litters before you start thinking about taking one. Then stay alert on extra feeding before birth and during pregnancy.
Recognise the remarks of normal and abnormal flow out during pregnancy. If birth has started you have to know what times there have to be between several pups, don't handle to quickly but nevertheless not to late. You have to know how you can help the bitch, what you can do with emergencies, you have to be immune to stress and know how to take set-backs. The terms which the board of management gives are very good to my opinion True my own experience you learn a lot, but a little basic knowledge you must have before taking a litter.
Question 13: Did you ever think of giving up everything by experiencing a bad thing or something else?
Answer: Bad experiences has every breeder, even I in this short period that a breed. Not only in breeding, but also with other things, like absolute other opinions about dog breeding. You have to love the dogs otherwise you have to find another hobby and find something that doesn't live and has no feelings. You know in advance that you are littering life human beings, so keep that alive and you will feel yourself responsible for it. Question 14: What have you learned about this experience and what have you changed afterwards?
Answer: That you always must keep your goal and know how to beet troubles. I try to breed with love and understanding to keep this beautiful breed. Question 15: Do you think that the breeding standard for the Maltese nowadays still exists in the future or will it change? 
Answer: I think that the breeding standard for the Maltese will stay like this and won't change. Question 16: Is your example of this race the same as for other breeders?
Answer: Yes and No, everyone has her or his own ideal. | 
