Maltese

Breed History

The Maltese Dog, a type of small toy spaniel,
weighs from 1.4 to 3.2 Kg (3 to 7 lbs.).
It has a long silky coat of hair with no
undercoat, which is pure white, or cream
in color, and hangs evenly down each side
from a parting that extends along the center
of the back from the nose to the root of the
tail. Other characteristics of the animal
are a slightly round skull; a black nose;
drooping ears generously covered with long
hair; very dark, alert-looking eyes; short,
straight legs; and a graceful, well-feathered
tail. The dog is intelligent and an extremely
affectionate pet. The Maltese descends from
one of the most ancient dog breeds to be
found in recorded history. It has been
estimated that the breed originated around
6,000 B.C., or 8,000 years ago. Although
the ancient Greeks and Romans believed the
dog originated on the Island of Malta--they
called the breed the Melitaie Dog, Melitaie
being the ancient name for Malta--there is
really no evidence that proves the dog
was indigenous to the Island, but rather that
the Maltese is descended from a Spitz-type dog
bred by the peoples of the area which is now south
central Europe. The breed was eventually
distributed as an exotic article of trade from the
ancient island trading center of Malta,
hence the name, and from there migrated by
caravans to the farthest reaches of the
civilized world, including: the Middle East,
Tibet, China, the Philippines, and Japan.

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