Maltese

The Maltese is a small, pure white companion dog with a long, silky, requiring regular hair care. Sensitive and quite gentle mentally, he is also a cheerful and friendly pooch. This is probably one of the oldest breeds in the world!

Nature

Despite the appearance of a cute mascot, the Maltese is a pooch with a lot of personalities. By nature, he is calm and loves petting, but under the white fur hides extraordinary intelligence, sensitivity and a great need for activity. Bored Maltese people can be extremely creative, which can end in a real catastrophe.

The dog of this breed is very attached to its guardian and wants to accompany him practically everywhere. Left alone for long hours, he will suffer a lot. The Maltese also hardly tolerates staying in a hotel for dogs or even with a friend’s aunt. A longer separation from a loved one is always a great pain for this dog. Its small size and calm character, however, allow you to take it with you on almost any trip.

Maltese dogs are very lively dogs, they like movement and long walks. They also love petting and all activities with which they can accompany their guardian. At first, they are suspicious of strangers, but they do not show aggression. They prefer to stay at a distance and decide for themselves whether they want to make closer acquaintance with the guest visiting the house.

Dogs of this breed are relatively quiet. They are not in the habit of howling or barking excessively. The exception is when they are alone at home. If you don’t learn to be alone, you can squeak and bark at the door for hours, waiting for your guardian to return.

Maltese usually get along well with other animals, including cats. They do not show aggression to foreign dogs on walks, but can be intrusive. They are delicate, so they can successfully become a playmate for older, sensitive children. However, they are not recommended for younger children due to their fragile structure.

Skills

Maltese are keen to learn new commands and tricks. They are fast and agile, so they are suitable for such sports as agility or dancing with a dog.

Training and education

The Maltese is a smart and attentive dog, and also inherently non-aggressive. Raising him should not be difficult even for a novice cousin. Ideally suited as the first dog. When raising and training a Maltese, you must remember that it is a sensitive animal. Applying punishment and shouting to him can make the Maltese fear his guardian and become withdrawn. Physical punishment is absolutely forbidden – they not only cause the dog psychological harm, but also can cause injuries and fractures!

Dogs of this breed can also be exceptionally clever and, as befitting watchful observers, they perfectly sense their human weaknesses. Inconsistently run Maltese will quickly wrap their guard around the claw and can become real bully.

Representatives of this breed tend to be shy of strangers and unknown dogs. From a very young age, puppies should be introduced to different situations. The best way to socialize a pooch is to go to a dog kindergarten with him.

Who is this race for?

Maltese is suitable for most people. Dogs of this breed usually get along great with children, however, they are not recommended for companions of toddlers because of the extremely delicate body of these dogs. The Maltese will be perfect both in the home of an elderly person and in a lonely bachelor living in a one-room apartment. However, he will not feel well left for the whole day in an empty house. Instead, it is perfect for a companion of a person who can take a pooch to work with him.

Advantages and disadvantages

Maltese – what is it like? Learn its pros and cons!

Disadvantages

• gentle, be careful when dealing with larger dogs and children
• requires time-consuming care
• may suffer from separation anxiety

Advantages

• gentle to people and animals
• easy to raise
• economical in nutrition
• healthy and long-lived
• relatively quiet

Health

The Maltese is healthy and long-lived. Even typical for many miniature breeds, problems with the knee patella fall out are rare. Despite this, care should be taken to prevent overweight and not allow the pooch to jump down from high heights, such as a bed or stairs.

Some dogs have brown patches around the eyes. This is usually due to obstruction of the tear ducts, conjunctivitis or infection. Eye irritation can also be caused by too long hair in their area.

Feeding

Maltese can be fed both high-quality commercial food (dry or wet) with a high meat content, as well as meals prepared at home. The small size of this pooch does not prevent feeding him according to the rules of the BARF diet. Small Maltese teeth can easily handle a chicken neck or wing. If the pooch is fed with cooked food, be sure to supplement calcium. It is also worth supporting the quality of the fur with such additions as salmon oil or dried yeast.

It is important to adjust the amount of food served to the small size of the pooch. For such pet quadrupeds, each extra kilo is a huge problem and an excessive load for delicate joints.

As a rule, the Maltese is not fussy, but among the dogs of this breed you can come across individuals who will whine at the bowl.

Care

Maltese with a long, straight coat requires time-consuming care, which can deter potential puppies from this breed. The Maltese hair should be combed daily so that no tangles are formed. This should be done with a natural bristle brush, using a conditioner for combing long coat in dogs.

The frequency of bathing depends on the caregiver’s preference. If the pooch is to participate in dog shows, he should be bathed about every week to maintain a glamorous hairstyle in shimmering white. You should use shampoos and conditioners for white fur. The situation is different with home sandwiches, which can only be bathed in situations of greater dirt – after visiting a puddle or rolling in an aromatic find on a walk. After bathing, always dry the Maltese with a dryer set to minimum heating.

Dogs that we do not intend to display can also be led to a professional groomer and haircut. A short Maltese haircut doesn’t require such intensive care, but you should brush well at least once a day.

Attention also requires ears, from which the hair should be plucked out. Maltese people also have a tendency to build up tartar, so they require regular brushing. It is also worth checking every week if the dog’s claws are not too long – especially for those Maltese who do not go for long walks. Dogs of this breed also tend to form dirty patches around the eyes and discoloration on the mouth. They require frequent washing with special liquids. It is very important that you get used to your pet as soon as possible for all care treatments.

Accessories

Accessories needed for the Maltese include tailored comfortable suspenders. Dogs of this breed are extremely delicate – so they should not be taken for walks in the collar or plucked violently. The leash should be light and equipped with small carabiners.

In the event that we allow the dog to sit on the couch or sleep on the bed, it is worth investing in stairs that will allow the four-legged dog to easily get on and off. This will reduce the risk of injury associated with jumping off from a great height.

The Maltese is a cheerful, small dog – without great obstacles you can take it with you almost everywhere. For four-legged travelers, a transporter, soft bag for carrying dogs or a special backpack will be useful.

For the care of Maltese fur a wide brush with natural bristles and a white hair shampoo will be useful.

History

Maltese is one of the oldest breeds of companion dogs and the oldest ever known breeds. Its documented history dates back to almost three thousand years. He probably comes from small quadrupeds originally bred for rodent hunting, but long ago he changed his profession, becoming only a companion dog.

The breed may have Asian roots, although its name suggests connections with the island of Malta, which was an important commercial hub. Merchants coming from Asia could also leave small white dogs here as part of the trade. Undoubtedly, the Mediterranean countries had a huge share in shaping the breed.

In 1520, this breed came to the English court and immediately gained crowds of admirers among the upper classes. English Maltese were exported to the USA, Canada, Germany and France. In Europe, the breeding of these dogs developed on a large scale in the nineteenth century. In the 20th century, two breeding directions (German and English) developed, which differed slightly in patterns.

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Maltese – group IX, group FCI, section 1, reference number 65

• Origin : Mediterranean, patronage – Italy
• Character : full of energy, lively, cheerful, friendly towards people and animals, intelligent, sensitive; requires close contact with people
• Size : at the withers dogs 21-25 cm, bitches 20-23 cm
• Weight : 2-4 kg
• Coat : long (about 22 cm in an adult dog), shiny, abundant and straight, only curly hair is allowed
• Color : pure white, ivory shade is allowed
• Lifespan : 15-20 years
• Weather resistance: low

Interesting facts

The Maltese was a favorite amongst Scotland’s Queen Mary Stuart and Queen Elizabeth I. It used to be believed that the Maltese had healing powers. The white pooch at the foot of the bed was to cure rheumatism during sleep.

Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz wrote in honor of the Maltese “Ode to Kasperka”. This breed also often appears in the paintings of famous painters.