Whether you knew this or not, its true. All dogs, large and small, cute, gentle or ferocious can trace their ancestry all the way back through the ages to the Canis lupus-the Wolf. Gradually, through the years, the Wolf became domesticated. Humans could see that they could manipulate breedings of these animals and in time customized them to suit their growing needs.
The Maltese Toy Dog’s are covered from head to foot with long white silky hair. That’s the standard look, but they are not always like that. Sometimes, they can have short curly hair also.
They are affectionate, sensitive and gentle mannered, eager and vigorous, exciting and fun to have around. They’re also smart, easily trained and devoted to their owners. Its not unusual to find the Maltese latching on to the owner and following the owner around where ever they go.
Got to see a Maltese puppy dog. They are cute little bundle of joys. If you are a dog lover and see one, you’ll want to take one home.
If you want a dog that lies around, sleeping for most of the day-forget this breed. This one is full of energy and loves attention and a good play around the garden or in the park. Sometimes, they can be pretty restless and you wonder where they get their energy from.
They are “lots of personality” in a small package!!
So, what’s the history?
It is said that Darwin placed the origin of the breed as far back as 6000BC.
The Maltese dog can trace their early beginnings to the Mediterranean island of Malta back in the days of Ancient Greece. The Greeks and the Romans named them the Melitaie Dog and the island of Melitaie was the ancient name of the Island of Malta. There are numerous historical accounts of this tiny lap dog being prized and nurtured by the people of Malta.
In ancient times, Malta was a bustling center of trade and it seems that the highly prized Maltese Toy Dog made its way out of Malta to surrounding areas via the trading routes and gradually moved around to various parts of the world.
The ancient Greeks have known to have held this breed in high esteem. They fed them with the best foods and commanded high prizes in the markets. The upper class ladies of Ancient Greece carried these little beauties everywhere they went. They were a source of decoration and amusement and made loyal pets.
Talking of loyalty, there are numerous stories of undying devotion of the Maltese to his master in ancient Greek texts. There are recordings of specific instances where the loyalty was so great, they followed their masters to the grave.
Years later, during the Roman period, the existence of the Maltese toy dog was well documented. Even, Roman Emperor Claudius is recorded as being an owner. In those days, these Maltese dogs were very expensive and it was fashionable for the well off Romans to have them as pets.
Gradually, through the years since then, the Maltese populated almost every corner of the globe. Its not hard to imagine why this breed is so popular. If you are looking for a loyal, happy, friendly, small pet dog, then you can’t go wrong with deciding on a Maltese Toy Breed.
Quite simply, Gorgeous!
Owen Shackleton is a Maltese Dog Owner and in his blog, discover the tips,tricks,stories and facts about the Maltese from a pup to a fully grown small dog.Check out the blog
http://www.maltese-mania.blogspot.com
