MALTESES

The Maltese is a small breed of dog in the Toy Group. It descends from dogs originating in the Central
Mediterranean Area. The breed name and origins are generally understood to derive from the Mediterranean
island nation of Malta; however, the name is sometimes described with reference to the distinct Adriatic island
of Mlet, or a defunct !iciliantown called Melita.
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Contents
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( )istory
* +escription
o *.( Appearance
*.(.( Coat and color
*.(.* !i,e
o *.* Temperament
# Care
% !ee also
& -eferences
' ./ternal lin0s
History"edit$
A Maltese as a !how +og
Maltese
Maltese puppy
This ancient breed has been 0nown by a variety of names throughout the centuries. 1riginally called the
2Canis Melitaeus2 in 3atin, it has also been 0nown in .nglish as the 2ancient dog of Malta,2 the 2-oman 3adies4
+og,2 the 2Maltese 3ion +og.2 The origin of the common name 2Co0ie2 is un0nown, but is believed to have
originated in the mid5(6'7s on the 8.!. .ast Coast and spread in popular use. This breed has been referred
falsely as the 29ichon2, as that name refers to the family :2small long5haired dog2; and not the breed. The
<ennel Club officially settled on the name 2Maltese2 for the breed in the (6th century.
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The Maltese is thought to have been descended from a !pit,5type dog found among the !wiss 3a0e +wellers
and was selectively bred to attain its small si,e. There is also some evidence that the breed originated
in Asia and is related to the Tibetan Terrier; however, the e/act origin is un0nown.
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The dogs probably made
their way to .urope through the Middle .ast with the migration of nomadic tribes. !ome writers believe these
proto5Maltese were used for rodent control
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before the appearance of the breed gained paramount
importance.
The oldest record of this breed was found on a Gree0 amphora
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found in the .truscan town of ?ulci, in which
a Maltese5li0e dog is portrayed along with the word @ABCDECA :Melitaie;. Archaeologists date this ancient
Athenian product to the decades around &77 9C.
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-eferences to the dog can also be found in Ancient Gree0
and -oman literature.
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Aristotle was the first to mention its name Melitaei Catelli, when he compares the dog to amustelid, around
#=7 9C.
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The first written document :supported by !tephanus of 9y,antium
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; describing the
small Canis Melitaeus was given by the Gree0 writerCallimachus, around #&7 9C.
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Fliny suggests the dog as
having ta0en its name from the Adriatic island MGlGda;
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however, !trabo, in the early first century A+,
identifies the breed as originating from the Mediterranean island of Malta,
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and writes that they were favored
by noble women.
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+uring the first century, the -oman poet Martial wrote descriptive verses to a small white dog named Issa
owned by his friend Fublius.
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It is commonly thought that Issa was a Maltese dog, and various sources lin0
Martial4s friend Fublius with the -oman Governor Fublius of Malta,
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though others do not identify him.
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Hohn Caius, physician to Iueen .li,abeth I, also claimed that Callimachus was referring to the island of Melita
2in the !icilian strait2 :Malta;.
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This claim is often repeated, especially by .nglish writers.
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The dog4s lin0s
to Malta are mentioned in the writings of AbbG Hean Iuintin d4Autun, !ecretary to the Grand Master of
the <nights of Malta Fhilippe ?illiers de 34Isle5Adam, in his wor0 Insulae Melitae Descriptio.
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Around the (=th and (>th centuries, some breeders decided to 2improve2 the breed, by ma0ing it smaller
still. 3innaeus wrote in (=6* that these dogs were about the si,e of a sJuirrel.
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The breed nearly
disappeared and was crossbred with other small dogs such as Foodles and miniature !paniels. In the early
(6th century, there were as many as nine different breeds of Maltese dog.
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Farti5colour and solid colour dogs were accepted in the show ring from (67* until (6(# in .ngland,
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and as
late as (6&7 in ?ictoria, Australia.
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)owever, white Maltese were reJuired to be pure white. Coloured Maltese
could be obtained from the south of Krance.
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Description"edit$
Maltese puppy outdoors
The Maltese had been recogni,ed as a KCI breed under the patronage of Italy in (6&%, at the annual meeting
in Interla0en, !wit,erland. The current KCI standard is dated Lovember *=, (6>6, and the latest translation
from Italian to .nglish is dated April ', (66>. The American <ennel Club recogni,ed the breed in (>>>, its
latest standard being from March (7, (6'%.
Appearance"edit$
Characteristics include slightly rounded s0ulls, with a finger5wide dome, a blac0 button nose and brown eyes.
The body is compact with the length eJualing the height. The drop ears with :sometimes; long hair, and
surrounded by dar0er s0in pigmentation :called a 2halo2;, gives Maltese their e/pressive loo0. 3ac0ing
e/posure to sunlight, their noses can fade and become pin0 or light brown in color. This is often referred to as
a 2winter nose2 and many times will become blac0 again with increased e/posure to the sun.
Coat and color"edit$
Maltese dog in full show coat.
The coat is long and sil0y and lac0s an undercoat. Also, a pale ivory tinge is permitted. In some standards,
traces of pale orange shades are tolerated. Also, the Maltese has hair, not fur. It sheds less, and is a better
choice for people with dog allergies.
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The Maltese has lemon or brown mar0ings along with the white hair.
!ome people prefer to have the coat short. The most common cut for the Maltese is called the 2puppy cut,2
which involves trimming or shaving the entire body to one short length :typically less than an inch long;
Size"edit$
Adult Maltese range from roughly # to (7 lb :(.% to %.& 0g;, though breed standards, as a whole, call for
weights between &5> lbs. There are variations depending on which standard is being used. Many, li0e the
American <ennel Club, call for a weight that is ideally less than = lbs. They stand normally =5(* inches.
Temperament"edit$
Maltese are bred to be cuddly companion dogs, and thrive on love and attention. They are e/tremely lively and
playful, and even as a Maltese ages, his energy level and playful demeanor remain fairly constant. !ome
Maltese may occasionally be snappish with smaller children and should be supervised when playing, although
sociali,ing them at a young age will reduce this habit. They also adore humans, and prefer to stay near them.
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The Maltese is very active within a house, and, preferring enclosed spaces, does very well with small yards.
Kor this reason, the breed also fares well in apartments and townhouses, and is a pri,ed pet of urban dwellers.
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!ome Maltese may suffer from separation an/iety.
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An Australia5wide :not including Tasmania; research proect carried out in conunction with -!FCA found
owners li0ely to dump their Maltese,
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citing the tendency of Maltese to bar0 constantly.
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This breed is
Australia4s most dumped dog.
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In addition, figures released in *7(7 by the <orean Lational ?eterinary
-esearch and Iuarantine !ervice show that some (,*7> Maltese were abandoned between Hanuary and
August *7(7, ma0ing it the most abandoned breed in !eoul, !outh <orea.
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Care"edit$
Maltese have if cared for properly little to no shedding
Maltese dogs drin0ing from the same bowl
A Maltese dog that e/hibits signs of tear staining
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underneath the eyes.
Maltese have no undercoat, and have little to no shedding if cared for properly. 3i0e their relatives,
the Foodles and 9ichon KrisG, they are considered to be largely hypoallergenic and many people who are
allergic to dogs may not be allergic to the Maltese.
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+aily cleaning is reJuired to prevent the ris0 of tear5
staining. Many owners find that a wee0ly bath is sufficient for 0eeping the coat clean, although it is
recommended to not wash a dog so often, so washing your Maltese every # wee0s is sufficient, although if the
dog 0eeps clean even longer than that. They need to get professionally groomed about once every month and
a half.
-egular grooming is also reJuired to prevent the coats of non5shedding dogs from matting. Many owners will
0eep their Maltese clipped in a 2puppy cut,2 a ( 5 *2 all over trim that ma0es the dog resemble a puppy. !ome
owners, especially those who show Maltese in the sport of conformation, prefer to wrap the long fur to 0eep it
from matting and brea0ing off, and then to show the dog with the hair unwrapped combed out to its full length.
!ome Maltese need to be blow5dried in order to prevent mats because drying is ineffective to some dogs.
+ar0 staining in the hair around the eyes, 2tear staining,2
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can be a problem in this breed, and is mostly a
function of how much the individual dog4s eyes water and the si,e of the tear ducts. To get rid of tear staining,
you can get a solution or powder specially made for tear stains, which can often be found in local pet stores. A
fine5toothed metal pet comb, moistened with hot water and applied perhaps twice wee0ly, also wor0s
e/tremely well. The antibiotic, Cephale/in has been shown to completely clear up 2tear staining2 in some
cases.
Maltese are susceptible to 2reverse snee,ing,2 which sounds li0e a hon0ing, snorting, or gagging sound and
results often from over5e/citement, play, allergies, or upon wa0ing up. It is not life threatening or dangerous, it
will go away after about a minute.
They are ran0ed &6th out of '6 in !tanley Coren4s The Intelligence of Dogs.
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which inde/es obedience and
the ability of a dog breed to follow commands, with very light focus on s0ills seen outside of wor0ing breeds,
such as emotional intelligence.
Maltese tend to have many or several tooth problems usually resulting in cavities, without proper care the
infected teeth may fall out as the dog gets older. Maltese might need additional care, and have their teeth
brushed with soft5bristled toothbrush and special dog toothpaste every wee0 to avoid tooth problems.
See also"edit$
3ap dog
Companion +og Group
References"edit$
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