The maltese an ancient breed, The Maltese has been around for centuries - it was common to Romans during the time of Jesus. In fact, the oldest known reference to the dog was in the first century AD and was referenced as a noble women's dog. This toy breed is characterized by long,...

1. An Ancient Breed - The Maltese
Maltese dogs are playful, intelligent, and very active
members of the household. They like to cuddle and be a
lap dog, but they enjoy activity as well. The Maltese is a
great indoor, apartment, condo, or small urban dwelling
dog. They are more comfortable is smaller spaces, so a
small inner city yard is ideal for them. The attitude
displayed is one of an aristocrat. Maltese makes a good
watch dog and will watch everything going on around it.
It is comfortable with strangers. Owners of Maltese
should monitor the interaction with children at first -
they can become snappy around children. They are
easily trained with treats and enjoy doing tricks and

2. have good agility. the owner should be careful, however,
the Maltese is smart enough to manipulate the human.
This can result in a poorly behaved, spoiled little dog.
Due to the small size of Maltese puppies, it is
recommended that they do not live in families with
small children, where the Maltese could be dropped or
stepped on. Mostly, they are show dogs or family pets
and lap dogs.
This is a toy breed, which is the attraction as a lap dog
and companion. The adult dogs are roughly between 3
to 10 pounds. Show dogs should be between 4 to 7
pounds. Maltese height is between 7 to 12 inches. With
the long silky white fur, characteristic of the breed, small
is a good. Grooming may not be as difficult as one would
believe, if care is taken. The Maltese should be groomed
daily by brushing the fur. Despite the long coat, Maltese
shed very little. In fact, many people allergic to dogs are
not allergic to the Maltese. Tear staining can be a
problem with these dogs. This may require intensive
effort to keep the staining out of the coat. It is
recommended by many sources that the Maltese visit a

3. professional groomer about every 6 weeks. Many pet
owners will have the coat cut into a generic puppy cut to
decrease the grooming effort needed. The Maltese can
exhibit a snorting or gagging sound, especially when
excited or playing. While this concerns many owners, it
is usually not a problem, will clear in a few minutes, and
is particular to the breed. For any real concerns in the is
area, visit your vet to be sure there is not physical
problem with the dog.
Maltese will live for 10 to 13 years, typically. They are
generally very healthy and the biggest problems are the
tear staining mentioned previously and teeth problems.
Because of the teeth problem it is recommended that
the dog's teeth be brushed regularly. Also mentioned
previously, is the problem of reverse sneezing (snorting).
Without proper socialization the Maltese can become a
yappy, snappy little dog. They already have a tendency
to be fearless, so if not socialized this can get out of
hand, if the owner is not careful.
The Maltese is a great companion and a beautiful little

4. dog that likes small spaces, being with the family and
playing. This makes the breed a good family dog.
Grooming can be an issue because of the time needed
to care for the long silky white coat. One source of dog
grooming products to help is
http://surialink.com/doggyd4n/pdf . With some
attention, socialization, and training the Maltese could
be a low allergen, small family pet.
More info about The Maltese