Description

The Maltese is a tough and cute little dog. They have a compact build, with a deep chest, and a slightly long body compared to their height. The Maltese’s head is rounded on top, with a slightly tapered muzzle that ends with a little black nose. Interestingly, the Maltese’s nose is a “winter nose”, and loses its black colour if not exposed to the sun; instead, the nose becomes brown or pink. Luckily if your Maltese is exposed to more sunlight, his or her nose will regain its classic black colour. The eyes are large, round, and dark. The Maltese’s ears drop down by the sides of the head.

Origin: Malta/Mediterranean Region

Look

The Maltese has an elegant look mostly due to its gorgeous white coat. The fur is white and silky – poker-straight and floor length in show dogs. Some people may prefer to clip their Maltese to avoid the difficulty of maintaining a show coat. Although curly hair is sometimes seen, it is considered a fault in the show ring. The Maltese lacks an undercoat and doesn’t shed much, so is a great dog if you have allergies.

Health

While the Maltese is generally a healthy dog, they are prone to a few health conditions:

• Collapsed Trachea
• Portosystemic Liver Shunt
• Patellar Luxation
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
• White Dog Shaker Syndrome
• Hypoglycemia
• Reverse Sneezing

At Newdoggy.com we promote puppies from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. Newdoggy.com’s Health Guarantee certifies that all promoted puppies are in good health.

Learning

The Maltese is a sweet and intelligent dog, which is fitting as they were bred to be companion dogs. Maltese dogs will eagerly learn all sorts of tricks from you. Maltese dogs can be picky eaters, and are often difficult to house train. Be calm but firm during training and socialise your puppy at a young age, and your Maltese will go far. Do not allow your Maltese to develop “Small Dog Syndrome”, where a small dog believes they are in charge of you.

Temperament

This is a sweet-tempered and clever breed that loves to be with people. They are very loyal, and are very effective watchdogs, as they are very responsive and aware of their environment. As the Maltese was bred to be a companion dog, these dogs become very attached to their humans, and may suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for too long. This in turn can lead to destructive or obsessive behaviours, such as constant barking.

Living with

Although the Maltese is good natured and affectionate, this breed is not recommended for small children as they are so small and delicate that they can easily be injured during play or with rough handling. Older children will be able to treat the Maltese more gently.

As the Maltese can suffer from separation anxiety, it is better to not leave this dog alone for long periods of time. A lonely Maltese may destroy your house, or obsessively bark and drive your neighbours up the wall.

For a little dog, the Maltese is very energetic, so needs daily exercise. Their intelligence means they can be trained to do a variety of tricks, which you could incorporate in their daily exercise routine.