Description: The Maltese breed has a silky coat and is in the toy group. They have a slightly rounded skull and a finger-width dome, with a two-finger long snout that has a black nose, although this can change color to a light brown or pinkish nose in the winter turning black, with exposure. in the sun in the spring and summer months. Maltese have pendulous ears that are set low and close to the head, these are well feathered. With black eyes that are large and have black rims. Dogs are 8 to 10 inches tall, bitches 8 to 9 inches, and weigh 6 to 9 pounds.
The Maltese coat is single layered and beautifully silky to the touch. On show dogs, the Maltese coat can be up to 8 inches long, but most domestic dogs’ hair is kept short on a puppy, for ease. Their coat color is light ivory or white. This breed does not have an undercoat. So have a soft lemon color on the ears. Sometimes you can get a pale orange Maltese, but this is not good for the show ring.
History: The Maltese dog breed is believed to come from the Spitz family of lake dwellers, bred for its small size. There is also evidence showing that this breed could have come from Asia and could be related to Tibetan Terriers. Over time, the true oregano has been lost. There are records of this breed, on the Greek amphora from the village of Vulci, around 500 BC This breed is also said to have blood of poodle and miniature spaniel in its history and this breed was recognized in Malta.
The Maltese is a highly prized dog for royalty around the world. They have been used for sleeping, for warmth. They were first seen in England, arriving via crusaders as gifts. In the 19th century this breed almost became extinct due to breeders trying to make them smaller and there were as many as nine different breeds within a breed. This stopped and the breed we see today developed.