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Maltese
Breed origin: Malta
Original purpose: Pampered household pets.
AKC recognized: 1888
AKC group: Toy
Size:
Weight: 4 to 7 lbs
Size: Height: males 8 to 10 inches;
females 7½ to 9 inches
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Color: Pure white, occasionally with light tan or lemon on the ears.
Life span: 9 to 11 years.
General characteristics/temperament: The Maltese is affectionate, responsive, gentle, playful, liverly, and brave. They make great family dogs and thrive on love and attention. They are intelligent and learn fast with positive training. They generally do well with older and well-behaved children, but do not tolerate rough handling and may occasionally be snappy with younger children. Proper training, socialization and supervision will reduce the potential for problems.
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Good with children? Yes with older or well-behaved children.
Hypoallergenic? Usually considered good for allergy sufferers.
OK in apartments? Yes
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Intelligent? Yes
Energy/Activity Level: High
Grooming requirement: Brush the long, silky coat daily to prevent mats. Some owners opt to keep them in a short "puppy cut" to make grooming easier. They have no undercoat and shed very little when kept properly groomed. They are prone to tear-staining, but daily cleaning around the eyes and keeping those areas dry will help to minimize it.
Additional photos of Maltese
Recommended books for further reading:Show more books
Other websites for additional information:
American Kennel Club breed page
American Maltese Association
Wikipedia breed information page
American Maltese Association Rescue
DogBreedMatch
