Videos Maltese Breed Information
Alternative names -
Bichoy Maltaise, Couton
Country of origin -
Malta
Classification and breed standards
FCI:|Group
9 Section 1 #65|Stds
AKC:|Toy
group|Stds
ANKC:|Group 1
(Toys)|Stds
CKC:|Group
5 - Toys|Stds
KC
(UK):|Toy|Stds
NZKC:|Working|Stds
UKC:|Companion
Breeds|Stds
A Maltese is a small breed of white dog
belonging to the toy group. The Maltese
does not shed and is covered from head to foot with a mantle of
long, silky, white hair. An ancient breed long associated with the
island of Malta, it has retained its
distinct appearance for millennia.
1. Appearance
Adult Maltese range from roughly 3 to 10 lb (1.4 to 4.5 kg),
though breed standards, as a
whole, call for weights between 4 and 8 lb (1.8 to 3.7 kg). There
are variations depending on which standard is being used; many,
like the American Kennel
Club, call for a weight that is ideally between 4 and 6 lb (1.8
to 2.7 kg), and no more than 7 lb (3.2 kg).
The coat is long and silky and
lacks an undercoat. The color is pure
white and although cream or light lemon ears are permissible, they
are not desirable. Some individuals may have curly or woolly hair,
but this is outside the standard.
Characteristics include slightly rounded skulls, with a one (1)
finger width dome and a black nose that is two (2) finger widths
long. The body is compact with the length equaling the height. The
drop ears with long hair and very dark eyes, surrounded by darker
skin pigmentation that is called a "halo", gives Maltese
their expressive look. Their noses can fade and become pink or
light brown in color. This is often referred to as a "winter
nose" and many times will become black again with
increased exposure to the sun.Malteses have extremely long
tounges.
2. Temperament
The Maltese can be a handful for owners unprepared to deal with
their energy. Maltese are also notoriously difficult to housebreak
and often need to be box or paper trained (via "Wee-Wee
Pads"), rather than trained to "go out".
For all their diminutive size, Maltese also seem, for the most
part, to be without fear. In fact, many Maltese seem relatively
indifferent to creatures/objects larger than themselves, which
makes them very easy to socialize with other dogs, and even cats.
They are extremely lively and playful, and even as a Maltese ages,
his/her energy level and playful demeanor remain fairly constant
and does not diminish much.
Although Maltese are very good with children, a Maltese puppy
would not necessarily be a good choice for families with infants.
The breed tends to believe that the infants are other puppies with
whom to play, which can be disruptive. Once a Maltese is a bit
older and more mature, it is fine around extremely small children
and infants.
Maltese do not require much physical exercise, although they
enjoy running and are more inclined to play games of chase, rather
than play with toys. They can be very demanding and, true to their
nature as "lap dogs", love to cuddle and often seek this
sort of attention. The Maltese is very active in the house, and,
preferring enclosed spaces, does very well with small yards. For
this reason the breed also does well with apartments and
townhouses, and is a prized pet of urban dwellers, especially as
they are not yappy. They are incredibly friendly dogs to people
they know. With strangers they will make a high pitched bark but
will quiet down if the person means no harm. They are not the kind
of dog that needs constant affection; if you don't want to play
they will gladly go on their own.
While good-natured dogs can be obtained from reputable breeders,
in some countries the Maltese experiences a high dumpage rate
compared to other small dogs
such as the West Highland
White Terrier.
3. Care
Maltese have no undercoat, and have little to no shedding if
cared for properly. Like their relatives Poodles and Bichon
Frise, they are considered to be largely hypoallergenic and many people who are
allergic to dogs may not be allergic to the
Maltese (See list of Hypoallergenic dog breeds).
Regular grooming is required to prevent the coats of
non-shedding dogs from matting. Many owners will keep their Maltese
clipped in a "puppy cut," a 1 - 2" all over trim
that makes the dog resemble a puppy. Some owners, especially those
who show Maltese in the sport of conformation, prefer to wrap the long
hair to keep it from matting and breaking off, and then to show the
dog with the hair unwrapped combed out to its full length.
Dark staining in the hair around the eyes ("tear staining") can be a problem in
this breed, and is mostly a function of how much the individual
dog's eyes water and the size of the tear ducts. Tear stain can
be readily removed if a fine-toothed metal comb, moistened with
lukewarm water, is carefully drawn through the snout hair just
below the eyes. This maintenance activity must be performed every
two or three days, as a layer of sticky goo is quick to redevelop.
If the face is kept dry and cleaned daily, the staining can be
minimized. Many veterinarians recommend avoiding foods treated with
food coloring and serving distilled water to reduce tear
staining.
4. Barking
Many toy breeds and small dogs are known to yap or scream or
bite ankles. While Maltese dogs are not given to excessive barking,
they will sound the alarm at noises in the night. In fact, legend
has it that the ancient Romans would use the Maltese as alarm dogs,
and raised them with Rottweilers, or a
proto-Rottweiler breed. Intruders would first be confronted with
the diminutive Maltese, only to be later confronted with their more
formidable companions.
5. Health
The Maltese is generally a healthy breed with few inherent
problems. The most significant issue for Maltese is their dental
health. Maltese have notoriously bad teeth and it is not uncommon
for animals to begin losing teeth at the age of 8 or 9.
There is also an inclination toward heart ailments, which
usually surface around the 10th year. These might include a
prolapse valve
syndrome, or an enlarged ventricle. These condition can be life
threatening, but are manageable through medication.
Other problems may be a luxating
patella, or "floating kneecap", portosystemic
liver shunt, and progressive retinal atrophy
(PRA).
Maltese are also prone to sunburn along where their hair parts,
and, in general, have rather delicate skin.
Some dogs of this kind get the chills very easily, and are prone
to shaking or shivering for no apparent medical reason. Maltese are
also often uncomfortable in hot, as well as damp, weather.
The average life span is 12-15 years, although Maltese can live
to be 18 or older.
6. History
As an aristocrat of the canine world, this ancient breed has
been known by a variety of names throughout the centuries.
Originally called the "Melitaie Dog" he has also been
known as "Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta", the "Roman
Ladies' Dog," the "Comforter Dog," the
"Spaniel Gentle," the "Bichon," the "Shock
Dog," the "Maltese Lion Dog" and the "Maltese
Terrier." Sometime within the past century, he has come to
simply be known as the "Maltese." The breed's history
can be traced back many centuries. Some have placed its origin at
two or three thousand years ago and Darwin himself placed the origin of the
breed at 6000 BC.
The Maltese is thought to have been descended from a Spitz type dog found among the Swiss Lake dwellers
and bred down to obtain its small size. Although there is also some
evidence that the breed originated in Asia
and is related to the Tibetan
Terrier, the exact origin is unknown . Maltese are
generally associated with the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. The dogs probably
made their way to Europe through the
Middle East with the migration of
nomadic tribes. Some writers believe these proto-Maltese were used
for rodent control before the cuteness factor gained
paramount importance. The Isle of Malta (or Melitae as it was then
known) was a geographic center of early trade, and explorers
undoubtedly found ancestors of the tiny, white dogs left there as
barter for necessities and supplies. The dogs were favored by the
wealthy and royalty alike and were bred over time to specifically
be a companion animal. Some royals that purportedly owned Maltese
were Mary Queen of Scots,
Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, Josephine Bonaparte and Marie Antoinette.
In fact, the Maltese were so favored by the Roman emperors, they
choose to breed them to be pure white - something they considered a
'sacred color'. Before then, there were other light colors
that Maltese come in - still seen again at the puppy stage,
normally.
During the Renaissance, the
poet Ludovico
Ariosto in a few lines of his literary masterpiece,
"Orlando Furioso,"
describes a dog, that could possibly be a Maltese, however we
cannot safely state that it is referring to one.
"The tiniest dog Nature has ever produced --"
"Her coat of long hair, whiter than ermine,"
"Her movements exquisitely graceful and"
"Matchless elegance of appearance."
(Vol.II Canto 43)
7. Conformation champions
During the 1940s Dr. Vincenzo Calvaresi was one of the prominent
members of the Maltese fancy in the U.S. and his Villa Malta
breeding program produced more than 100 champions.
Toni and Aennchen Antonelli of Aennchen's Maltese were the
main force in establishing the Maltese breed in the United States
in the 1950s. One of the best known Maltese from their breeding
program was the female Ch. Aennchen's Poona Dancer, winner of
37 "Best In Show"s and owned by Larry Ward and the late
Frank Oberstar.
The top winning Best In Show record of 43 for Maltese was held
for many years by Ch. Joanchenn's Maya Dancer, owned by Mamie
Gregory, until recently broken in the 1990s. Marge Rozik continued
the breed for years until her death in 1999 and Debbie Martin
continues the Villa Malta line from her home near Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
8. Cross-bred Maltese dogs
In the popular 1974 film Benji,
the part of the dog Benji's heroic love interest, Tiffany, was
played by a mixed breed female of primarily Maltese ancestry. She
also appeared, with her mixed-breed puppies, in the film's 1977
sequel, For the Love of Benji.
Maltese are often deliberately crossed with Shih Tzus and Poodles
to produce small, fluffy lap dogs. Maltese-Poodle crosses are
called Malti-poos. Maltese crossed with Pugs
are also seeing an increase in popularity.
In the 1950s the Maltese and Lhasa
Apso were accidentally bred, creating a type of dog that later
became known as the Kyi-Leo rare dog
breed in the 1970s.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
Taken or modified, in whole or part, from Wikipedia.org
