Maltese Dogs

Maltese are a fun loving, yet not at all a high strung or over stimulated breed. They know how to relax, and they are tuned in to their owners well enough to know when to relax. They do take a special pleasure, tho, in making their favorite people happy! Because of this joi de verve, coupled with their high intelligence, they absolutely love to learn and perform tricks. They learn quickly, and are likely to "pull something out of the hat" at any time they sense their person is upset or depressed. In various venues, they similarly enjoy the show ring, make wonderful therapy dogs, and for work performable by a small sized dog, they also make incredible
service / assistance dogs.

When unimpeded by size or environmental considerations, the Maltese Dog can, and is happy to do just about any job, any sport, or any task that is presented to him!

It's easy to fall in love with the Maltese breed. At just three to seven pounds with a mantle of long white silk and the original "baby doll face", their beauty is matched only by their incredibly personable and truly cuddley nature. They don't even mind being dressed in the warm sweaters and booties that outside excursions in cold weather demand because of their small size and hairlike (rather than wooly) coats.

While they are typically drawn to people of all types and sizes, however, it is not advisable to expose them to the rigorous environment of a home with small children, as the unthinking actions of such youngsters can much too easily spell disaster or even death for such a fragile little dog. As their history has well established, they are a dog for the home, not the yard, and a typical suburban back yard can also be a dangerous place for such little ones. Maltese owners must be diligent in protecting their pets from larger dogs in the neighborhood (even a leashed dog can quickly grab a Maltese and kill one instantly), from hawks and owls, coyotes (in many western cities coyotes have been known to grab a tiny dog being walked on a leash) and from any number of backyard hazards.

The Maltese owner must also pay special attention to see that his pet has food and water available at all times, and that any sign of illness or even slight dehydration is met with quick action. A tiny Maltese can die of hypoglycemia or dehydration much more quickly than it would take a larger dog to even become noticeably ill. Parasites, overheating, cold, and sun exposure will also take it's toll on these little ones much more quickly and severely than they would a larger cousin.

To diligent owners prepared to protect their pets from environmental hazards, and include them in every aspect of their daily lives (homes where dogs are not allowed on furniture or beds, or banished from the kitchen at meal times simply will not do) the Maltese will reward them with a long lifetime of unequalled loyalty and companionship proudly reminiscent of his royal history.

As with any purebred dog, it is important that you obtain your Maltese from a reputable breeder. Reputable breeders have invested their time, money, and energy in researching, understanding, diligently protecting and responsibly promoting their chosen breed(s). They breed to preserve the qualities of the breed as it was handed down to them by other reputable breeders; to protect the breed from heridetary problems, from extinction due to mixed breeding, disreputable breeding, or ill conceived animal rights based legislation; and to share the wonderful breed they have come to love with others, including future generations. Reputable breeders invest much in bringing a judiciously planned litter of puppies into the world, and they work hard to insure that their puppies are loved and cherished for a long and healthy lifetime. They absolutely always take back any dog of their breeding which, thru any unforseen circumstance must be re-homed. They want to know where their puppies are, and that they are well cared for throughout their lives, and absolutely NEVER place puppies in pet stores. Reputable breeders are also the founders and greatest supporters of breed Rescue, despite the efforts of the animal rights pet exterminationists to make it appear otherwise.

This lens represents two such Maltese breeders. If you would like to contact them for more information on Maltese dogs, they will be more than happy to assist you:

East Coast: Email Linda

West Coast: Email Terry

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