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Maltese Dog - Purebred
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from head to foot with a floor length mantle of long, silky, solid white hair.
They are well known for their compact and petite body with the long silky, solid white coat highlighted with dark eyes and a dark nose.
A well built Maltese seems to float above the ground under his cloud of beautiful, flowing white hair.
This dogs beautiful coat requires daily brushing to keep its elegant appearance.
This little dog breed is often described as the oldest of the European toy breeds, however there is a controversy as to whether the Maltese actually originated in Malta or not. Either way, they may be one of the oldest dog breeds - period.
They were once kept as companions by the ancient Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians and eventually found their way on to China and the Philippines as well. Supposedly, Roman emperors bred out all colors but white in the Maltese because white was held sacred by the Romans.
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Despite his size, usually 4 to 6 pounds, they are without fear and are a good choice for people who live in small apartments because of their size, but for the same reason it is not a good candidate for those with small children, unless the owner can provide constant supervision for the kids as well as the dog.
| The Maltese is known as "ye ancient dogge of Malta," which for more than 28 centuries has been an aristocrat of the canine world. There is evidence that they were once worshipped as well by ancient Egyptians. They can get along well with cats and other pets if well socialized early on. The Maltese forms a great attachment with their owner and can do well in many different environments however, again, they are not recommended for families with small children. It is a fact that Maltese have hair, not fur, and do very little shedding overall when cared for properly. They lack an undercoat as well. They do get along exceptionally well with older children and generally remains very playful throughout their long life. They can also be difficult to housebreak and sensitive to extremes in temperature - in fact, many owners paper-train this breed to avoid going out in various weather extremes. Socialization is very important from puppy hood as well and you do not want to spoil them too much as puppies or you may turn them into tiny terrors as adults. They are relatives of Poodles and the Bichon Frisé, and they are considered overall to be a largely hypoallergenic breed of dog. The Maltese dog sheds little to no hair and is a very good choice for allergy sufferers. Generally speaking, the Maltese Dog is a very hardy little dog. They have very few health problems overall as a breed however dental problems do occur a lot in the Maltese. For that reason alone. tooth brushing is a must with this little dog. |
The Maltese dog stands between 7 to 8 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 4 to 6 pounds. An apartment is fine for this small and quiet dog breed, although he does require regular walks to get a sufficient amount of exercise.
Country of origin: Malta (possibly Asia)
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Colors: Pure white
Known health problems: Luxating patellas, white shaker dog syndrome (muscle tremors), collapsing trachea, liver shunt, retained puppy teeth
Famous Maltese: Dame Elizabeth Taylor owned a Maltese called Sugar; Torrie Wilson, a WWE Diva, has a Maltese named Chloe
Return from Maltese Dog to Toy Dog Group
