Can anyone give advice on what to ask Maltese breeders before I buy a puppy?

The breeder who says "none" or "I don't know" is to be avoided. That's a person who's not screening for what she doesn't know about, and you don't want to pay the price for her ignorance. A good breeder tells you every remotely possible problem in the breed, from droopy eyelids to deafness to epilepsy.

-- What steps have you taken to decrease defects in your dogs? You want to hear words like "screened" and "tested" and "certified." In breeds with the potential for hip dysplasia - that's almost every large breed -- look for PennHIP or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals certification.

These are expert, unbiased evaluators who know exactly what to look for. Insist on documentation on both parents. And their parents, too.

-- Do you have the parents on site? May I see them? This is a bit of a trick question.

You should always be able to see the mother -- unless she died giving birth -- but reputable breeders often don't have the father on ... more.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.