The Maltese Dog Breed

The maltese is a beautiful toy dog breed with long silky white hair that sheds very little. If a maltese dog's hair is left long it will need frequent grooming, however, many maltese owners keep short "puppy" cuts on their maltese that are quite cute as well. The maltese dog breed is a sensitive, outgoing, loving and intelligent dog breed that makes a great companion.

Maltese origins can be traced back several thousand years. As a matter of fact, some believe there is strong evidence dating the maltese origins as far back as 6000 BC. The maltese has a rich world history which includes playing a prominent part in ancient egyptian, classical greek, early roman. and european renaissance cultures. Egyptian archeological discoveries from 500 B.C. show the maltese to be a prominent part of their culture at that time. Further findings suggest that the ancient egyptians may have even worshiped them. Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote about the maltese in 350 B.C., where he gave claim to the Island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea as their official place of birth. Other historians attribute the Italian town of Melitae as the place of origin for the maltese. And still others, credit Asia as their birth place. Possible breeds offering their gene pool to the creation of the maltese dog include the spitz, poodle, lhasa apso, tibetan terrier, tibetan spaniel and pekinese dog breeds. The early maltese were much larger and may have even been used as rodent hunting dogs in the woods and marsh lands. Earlier maltese were not necessarily all white either, some even had a tan, mottled or spotted appearance. It is believed the maltese dog breed was originally distributed from the trading market of Malta throughout the world as an an exotic article of trade. The maltese has always been considered a dog of aristocracy as it has frequently adorned the laps of roman emperors, greek philosophers and european royalty. The Roman Emperor Claudius, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots and Aristotle all had maltese companions.