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Maltese: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Maltese personality and behavior. main page breed review faq health training adopting/buying links My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Maltese, including these excerpts: "One of the brightest and gentlest of the toys, the Maltese is exceedingly playful and enjoys clever games of dexterity such as "pull the hidden toy from under the cabinet with your paw." This curious, quick-moving sprite enjoys dashing around the yard and accompanying you for walks. Larger dogs may view him as a delicacy, so he must always be leashed for his own protection. He will bark to announce visitors, but he is generally peaceful with the world. Some lines are more confident and outgoing than others, and training and socialization also play key roles in how he turns out. If you treat him like a helpless baby or spoil/indulge him, he is likely to end up overdependent, insecure, or bratty and yappy. Treating him like an intelligent little dog will encourage him to strut out into the world with self-confidence. Attentive, sensitive, and responsive to nonforceful training, many Maltese excel in competitive obedience and agility. Toy breeds do have special needs: Fences should be triple-checked for slight gaps through which he might wriggle. Hold him firmly in your arms and remember that falling objects can crush delicate bones. Maltese are notoriously difficult to housebreak, and excessive barking may need to be controlled." History On the Mediterranean island of Malta, he was the household pet of wealthy, cultured families. Size 7-8 inches and 4-7 lbs, though larger individuals are common and make sturdier pets

Maltese What's good about 'em What's bad about 'em If you want a dog who... Is one of the smallest of all breeds Is one of the brightest and most playful of the toy breeds Is polite with people and other animals Has a long coat that doesn't shed (often a good choice for allergy sufferers) A Maltese may be right for you. If you don't want to deal with... The fragility of toy breeds (see below) "Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much Suspiciousness or fearfulness when not socialized enough Notorious housebreaking difficulties Barking Frequent brushing and combing A Maltese may not be right for you. If I were considering a Maltese... My major concerns would be: Fragility. Too many people acquire a toy breed puppy without understanding how incredibly fragile a toy breed is. You can seriously injure or kill a Maltese by stepping on him or by sitting on him when he's curled under a blanket or pillow, where he frequently likes to sleep. And Maltese can seriously injure or kill THEMSELVES by leaping from your arms or off the back of your sofa. A larger dog can grab a Maltese and break his neck with one quick shake. Owning a toy breed means constant supervision and surveillance of what's going on around your tiny dog. Maltese must always be kept on-leash -- they are just too easy to injure when not under your complete control. Maltese are NOT suited to children, no matter how well-meaning the child. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to a Maltese who has been accidentally stepped on, sat on, rolled on, squeezed, or dropped onto the patio. Most Maltese feel overwhelmed by the loud voices and quick movements that children can't help making -- and stress and fearfulness (even defensive biting) may be the result. Housebreaking problems. As a behavioral consultant, I would put the Maltese on my Top Five List of "Hard to Housebreak." Consistent crate training is mandatory. Sometimes a doggy door is necessary. And some owners never do get their Maltese fully housebroken. Separation anxiety. More than most other breeds, Maltese need a great deal of companionship and do not like being left alone for more than a few hours. They tend to express their unhappiness through destructive chewing and barking. If you work all day, this is not the breed for you. Providing enough socialization. Standoffish by nature, Maltese need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution could become shyness or fearfulness, which are difficult to live with. Grooming. Without frequent brushing and combing, Maltese become a matted mess. If you can't commit to the brushing, you have to commit to frequent trimming to keep the coat short, neat, and healthy. Barking. Maltese are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them. To teach your Maltese to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Maltese Training Page discusses the program you need. Avoiding the hype. Have you heard these phrases? Teacup Maltese? Tiny Toy Maltese? Extreme Tinies? Some breeders use these cutesy phrases as "marketing terms" for the different weights that Maltese come in. All of these phrases are made-up. Yes, certainly, Maltese come in different weights, but they do NOT come in different weight "varieties". Whether they weigh 4 pounds or 6 pounds or 8 pounds, they are called, simply, Maltese. Some are simply smaller or larger than others. The larger individuals are sturdier, so don't dismiss them as good pets. In fact, I do NOT recommend a Maltese under 4 pounds. These individuals are great risks in the health department. Their bones are extremely fragile. There is not enough room in their mouth for healthy teeth. Their internal organs are often weak and can fail suddenly. They tend to have great difficulty regulating their blood sugar and can suddenly fall into hypoglycemic comas. Responsible Maltese breeders never try to produce these tiny high-risk creatures. If a tiny one pops up in one of their litters, they do their best to find the best home that can keep it alive, yes, but they try hard NOT to produce them in the first place because it's not fair to the poor little creature. On the other hand, some breeders deliberately breed tiny high-risk Maltese because they can sell them for high prices to unsuspecting owners, or to owners who selfishly demand that they "want" one because it's "adorable" or to satisfy their "mothering" instincts. Don't be one of these people. If you reward these irresponsible breeders by giving them your money, you are encouraging them to keep producing tiny, sickly, short-lived creatures. No, be a responsible buyer and stick with Maltese who will mature at 4 pounds and up, who have the best chance of living a normal healthy life. In this way, breeders will be motivated to produce these sizes. (These individuals, by the way, will weigh at least 2-3 pounds at 10-12 weeks old.) Not all Maltese are alike! There are energetic Maltese, and placid Maltese. Hard-headed Maltese, and sweet-natured Maltese. Serious Maltese, and good-natured goofballs. Introverted Maltese, and Maltese who love everyone. If you acquire a Maltese puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." If you're considering an adult Maltese... There are plenty of adult Maltese who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you. When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS. If you would like to link to this review, here is the HTML code: <a href="http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/maltese.html">Maltese: What's Good About 'Em, What's Bad About 'Em</a> Copyright © 2000-2008 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author.