Maltese Dogs and Puppies

Appearance

The Maltese is a small dog within the toy group of dogs. This small dog is covered from foot to head with a coat of silky, long white hair. Adult Maltese dogs weigh between 3 to 10lb. The long and silky coat of the Maltese lacks an undercoat. The color of the coat is pure white and although lemon or cream ears are possible, this feature is not desirable. The body of the Maltese is compact and the height equals the length. The nose of the Maltese can fade with time and become light brown or pink in color.

Temperament

Maltese can be an extremely energetic dog, despite this rambunctious nature the Maltese does very well in an apartment setting. The dogs are overall easy to train and enjoy playing retrieval games. Maltese are quick learners and very intelligent dogs that pick up behaviors and tricks very easily.

The Maltese has a deserved reputation for being very good natured, however may be intolerant of very small children or other dogs at times. Maltese will protect their owner vigorosly and will bite or bark if animals infringe on the Maltese territory and the Maltese sees a threat.

For their very small size, the Maltese fears very little. Maltese will remain indifferent to other objects or animals much larger than the dog, however will generally always obey their owner. Of the small dog breeds they are the gentlest mannered dog, however they remain very playful and lively and exhibit a very vigorous behavior. Due to their small size a Maltese is not good around young children because the children may injure the dog. With their strong legs, Maltese dogs love to jump. Once the dog is a bit older and more mature, the Maltese works very well around small children.

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