How old does a Maltese puppy have to be before they can have their first bath?
Maltese puppies should not receive a full bath until at least six weeks of age. Even then, you must be very careful not to get water in the nose (and hence the lungs) or in the ears. Also, the water must be nice and warm and they must be completely dried afterwards using a warm air blow dryer. Be careful not to let them get chilled in the process. Of course, some spot bathing of the face and the rear end may be necessary prior to that age; particularly, if the rear end passage gets blocked with feces stuck to the hair, it must be washed away to prevent serious health problems. The face can be washed without running water over it by wiping it with a saturated cloth. Briefly running warm water over the rear end to wash away feces is safe. In both cases, you must ensure that the puppy does not get chilled, and they must be completely dried immediately afterward with a warm air blow dryer.
