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Appearance: |
The Maltese is a compact dog with a squarely built body. The Maltese has an alert expression. They are classified as a vigorous dog, with a smooth, flowing gait. When trotting the Maltese should look as if they are floating over the ground.
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Life Expectancy: |
The Maltese may live to be 12 - 14 years of age.
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Size: |
The Maltese should be between 9-10 inches tall and weigh between 4-7 pounds when fully grown.
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Temperament: |
The Maltese has been bred to be a lapdog and it fills this role perfectly. Despite it lapdog tendency the Maltese is also very energetic and loves to run and play. Despi The Maltese also posesses a bold and fiesty personality. This breed also tends to be shy around strangers.
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Coat: |
The Maltese is known for its long, silky, dazzling white fur covering their entire body. Their fur is long and will almost touch the ground.
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Grooming: |
The Maltese requires combing or brushing every day or two. Their white coat may be difficult to keep clean in some places. If you have a Maltese as a pet you may choose to clip their coat for ease of maintainence, but remember you are loosing an essential trait of the breed.
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Barking: |
The Maltese may bark a lot.
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Exercise: |
The Maltese makes a great pet for people with limited space. Their needed exercise can easly be met with some running and playing indoors. The Maltese will also be happy with a short walk or time in the yard.
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Health: |
The Maltese has no major health concerns. They are prone to patellar luxation, open fontanel, hypoglycemia, hydrocephalus, distichiasis and entropion. More rare conditions seen in the Maltese are deafness and white shaker-dog syndrome.
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History: |
The Maltese is one of the oldest of all dog breeds. The Maltese originated from the island of Malta where the core of their population remained for centuries. By the 14th century, the Maltese had made its way to England. Two dogs originally believed to be presents for Queen Victoria became the first of the breed to be exhibited in England. Around this time the Maltese was also commonly know as The Maltese Terrier. In 1830 a painting was created and titled 'The Lion Dog From Malta - Last of His Race'. Thi suggests that the Maltese may have been in danger of extinction around that time. It was around 1877 that the first Maltese was shown in the United States. Here they were commonly referred to as the 'Maltese lion dog'. The Maltese was first recognized by the AKC in 1888. The Maltese has been gaining in popularity and is now one of the most popular toy breeds.
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Breed Information
