Ratings

Breed Introduction

The Maltese is a toy dog covered from head to toe in long, silky white hair. It has an elegant and affectionate attitude, being eager and lively in action. Despite its small size, it possesses the energy required to be a satisfactory companion dog.

The Maltese is a gentle little dog, a family pet that can be safely allowed to play with children. Generally healthy, it remains active even into its later years.

The Maltese is one of the oldest European toy dogs. However, the assertion that the Maltese originates from the island of Malta has been met with a series of disputes, although this breed has undoubtedly existed on the island for many centuries.

The development of the Maltese/Malta name does not imply its origin from Malta, for the adjective “maltese” comes from the Semitic word “màlat,” which means refuge or harbor; this Semitic root has since been used in a series of names for maritime regions like the Adriatic island of Méléda, the Sicilian town of Melita, and for Malta itself.

Ancestors of this small breed lived in the ports and maritime cities around the Mediterranean, where they hunted rats common in port warehouses and cabins.

In Aristotle’s account of dogs during his time (384-332 BC), he mentioned small dogs and gave them the Latin name “canes melitenses.” This breed was known during the Roman era; Latin poet Strabo in the first century praised them as “companions beloved by housewives.”

Many paintings of Maltese dogs created by artists during the Renaissance show this small dog beside the beautiful women of that time, appearing in their parlors