General
description
Maltese is a small dog whose body is longer than his wither height. All his
body is covered with very long, thick, shiny and bright white coat. The hair
has a silky structure, straight along all its length and heavily falling
down as a perfectly fitting cover. In his manners he is very affectionate,
nice, cheerful and very intelligent. Maltese is small but he is strong built.
His body is made of strong bones and strong musculature. The standard wither
height for a male is 21 - 25 cm, for female 20 - 23 cm, weight ranges from 3
to 4 kg. According to FCI rating he belongs to group 9, subgroup 1. The
region of his origin is central Mediterranean. The patronage under this
breed is conducted by Italy.
Hypothesis about the origin of the
name Maltese
There was found a two and half thousand years old amphora from Vulci
belonging to Athens artistic school on which there is depicted a dog similar
to Maltese and an inscription MEAITAIE, which probably means : "The dog from
an island Malitaa" in the Adriatic Sea, later cold Melita, today Mljet. The
name Maltese also started beeing connected with an island Melita (Mljet)
thanks to Kalimachos (310-240 BC), who mentioned this dog. Dr. John Caye (16
th century) - the British author of a book about dogs states that the dog
comes from an island Malta (earlier also cold Melita). The Jewish word "MALAT"
means a refuge or a harbour. This Jewish word base is found in names of many
seaside places (Adriatic island Mljet, Sicilian town Melita or an island
Malta).
Has Maltese influenced other breeds?
Maltese, or better to say his old ancestor, probably influenced in faraway
past the evolution of other small breeds. The presence of Maltese is
probable in the cultivating of Yorkshire Terrier in an English county
Yorkshire in the end of 18 th century. Maltese was probably imported to
England about 1520 under the rule of Henry VIII. There also exist hypothesis
that even in earlier past Maltese had influenced the evolution of small
breeds in China, Japan and Tibet (Lhasa apso, Shi - tzu). What concerning
Japanese chin, Japanese consider the Maltese influence very probable.
Business contacts between Far East and Near East started very early,
especially in the form of barter. Among the gifts exchanged between
governing dynasties there were not only objects of a priceless value but
also dogs. |
 
Which breed is the original one?
The Bichon group, into which Maltese belongs, was very closely related in
past. It is not important which breed is the original one. But one fact is
evident - the ancestors of all these today independent, well cultivated and
established breeds come from Mediterranean, from the wealthy and flourishing
regions where rich aristocracy could afford to keep these small silky dogs
just for pleasure and for increasing their public prestige. Those days
aristocracy kept at their seats various little poor blooded dogs.
Differences among individual breeds are already clearly obvious in the
paintings of 14 th masters. We can securely differ Maltese (with long coat)
from curly Bichon frise or short haired Petit Chien Lion.
Historical sources...
Ancient Greek poets and philosophers in 5 th BC celebrated small little dogs
who enjoyed the supreme care of noble ladies. In Ancient Greece when a dog
of this breed died, bas burried wit all honnours. Up today we can find
monuments with inscriptions "He was from the Maltese breed". Other sources
state that they were sacrifice to gods. They lived in emperors palaces.
Archeological museum in Namur has in its property three statues of Maltese
made of white baked clay, which were found in graves of Roman children from
2 nd century AD in Roguéé near Walcourt. Other historical sources describe
small long - haired dogs as "war dogs". They were released among enemies
horses and as living arms they attacked their legs and disabled their next
functioning. Their long coat made it easy for them to move in deep sand.
They were bigger and heavier, about 8-12 kg. The ancestors of this dog lived
in the seaside parts of central Mediterranean where they killed mice and
rats in harbours, docks, warehouses and ships.
During middle ages these small silky dogs spread into houses of rich town
aristocracy. They are also said to take part in crusades. Historical sources
state that they were used as "thermophores" in cold bedrooms of medieval
ladies. They were also atributed treating abilities. They were depicted by
famous painters by the sides of famous women of those times.
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