Maltese – a Wonderful Family Dog

The Maltese is a small dog in the toy group with silky white hair that is lively and intelligent and very cuddly, soideal as a pet for city living. Though if living in a flat, you will need to take them out for regular walks or use professional dog walkers such as London dog walking  The fur can grow long, so those with busy lives often give them a puppy cut, otherwise the hair becomes difficult to manage.
They have large rounded dark eyes. Whilst the Maltese is petite, standing between 8 and ten inches high, it is solid and weighs between three and 7 pounds ( one and a half to three kilograms). The dog care of a Maltese is relatively straightforward. They are somewhat long lived, up to around fifteen years.
 
They is often dedicated to its owners, which means they have a reputation for barking a lot. Their high activity level can also lead to them snapping. Dog socialisation at an early age is important to removing this problem. They are gutsy and will go up to dogs far bigger than themselves, being self-assured they mix well with other animals.
The Maltese has a small number of health problems, that includes skin, eye and teeth problems. In addition the risk of sun burn on the top of the nose and some respiratory problems.
A routine of grooming is required with them, otherwise you will get matted fur. In addition to brushing twice a day, one ideally should also clean them after eating, to minimise hair staining. Tear staining is also common which is due to the size of the tear ducts and how much the Maltese’s eyes water.  Tear stain can be minimised or reduced by use of a fine-toothed metal comb that is moistened with lukewarm water and pulled through the hair below the eyes. This should be done every couple of days.
Whilst they have thick hair, they do not shed very much and like the akin Bichon Frisé and Havanese will not give as much allergic reaction to people as other dog breeds. A lot of will keep the hair out of the eyes by the use of a ponytail to ease cleaning the eyes. It is important also to regularly clean the Maltese’s ears.
You might think the Maltese comes from Malta!, its origins are unclear, though many experts believe they come from around the Mediterranean area. It is sometimes called a Maltese Terrier or the Maltese Lion Dog ( a reflection on its character), though its official kennel name is “Maltese”.

The Maltese origin could have been either from the Asian Tibetan Terrier or the Swiss Spitz dog. Records show that they date back to when it was found on a Greek amphora around 500 B. C. and is often mentioned in Greek / Roman writings.

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