Maltese puppy questions, help!?

I'm searching for a Maltese puppy to buy at the beginning of the summer of 08 and I was wondering, is it possible to keep a Maltese short-haired (like fluffy), how many times would I have to have his hair cut a year to do so? and I also would like to know is there a breed you can mix a Maltese with that the dog is VERY small, short haired, still has white hair, and it is still fluffy?

Yes, there are two cuts: the puppy cut (still fluffy) and the "poodle disguise" (that is even shorter). Both cuts require going to the groomer every 6 weeks, although the puppy cut may last for up to 8 weeks, so 6 to 9 visits a year.
I'm against purposeful mixing, and even if you mix a maltese to a short hair chihuahua, there are possibilities of color coat changes.

I take my 6 month old maltese in every 4 weeks. I also like her to have a short puppy cut but her hair seems to grow very quickly! She's such a fun puppy but if you are really concerned about the grooming in particular I would maybe get a mix of a short haired dog. Report It

http://images.google.com/images?q=bichon...

^^ bichon frise is a good dog for you

or a maltese poodle mix

To keep it short-haired, you will have to have it cut at a groomer about 4 times a year. If you want a Maltese mix, please 'search' Maltese Rescue - many breed rescues will have mixes that are predominately of their breed, also.

Please do not buy a mix from these disreputable 'breeders' who mix breeds only to make profits for themselves - there are soooo many mixes at your local shelter that need homes already. No matter what they claim, they can not guarantee the looks, length of hair, etc, in a litter of mixes.

Another small, fluffy white haired breed that does not need haircuts to keep it that length is the American Eskimo http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_eskim... (the 'toy' size would fit your requirements) but this breed has a very different personality from the Maltese. Read & learn as much as you can, talk to owners of the breed, etc. to find which breed suits your personality & will fit your lifestyle.

If you decide to get a purebred pup, please go to www.akc.org & find the closest breed club to you. Buy from a reputable breeder that has screened their parent dogs for heritable problems (like luxated patellas, heart problems, etc) to ensure getting a healthy companion for life - good luck!

why not just go to the shelter and see about rehoming a cast off mutt that fits your description? Why get a coated dogs like a Maltese if you don't want to deal with taking care of its coat?? And mixing breeds is just inane on face -- purposefully making mutts -- like there are millions of them being killed in shelters every year and many more that just die without care and you want to make more so you can have a particular dog that you don't have to take care of the coat on?? Why not just get something like a smooth Fox Terrier or an already cast off homeless mutt?