What is a Maltese . . .
Known
and admired for thousands of years, the lovely Maltese with his silky white coat has
always symbolized elegance and beauty wherever they go. These little beauties are
equally prized as a highly regarded showdog or a loyal, outgoing companion. While they
are at home sitting gently by your side they are also playful, cherish a lively walk and
can have an adorable mischievous streak.
All purebred dogs come with four legs, a tail, and head with
ears, eyes and nose.
So how do we differentiate a Maltese from these other dogs? We use something called
standard. This blueprint is a description in simple words that depict that breed
characteristics of a Maltese. However, this standard can sometimes be difficult to fully
understand and can sometimes take many years of study to distinguish the finer points.
Breeders, judges and fanciers use the standard as a yardstick by which they measure the
quality of the Maltese. It should however be remembered that the standard describes the
perfect Maltese. But no such dog is ever perfect and no Maltese will posses every
quality in the standard.
Type refers to the
combination of distinguishing characteristics that make a Maltese unique from another
breed of dog.
Balance refers to the Maltese
overall proportions. A well-balanced Maltese will have no glaring faults or just one
outstanding feature.
Style refers to a combination of
showmanship, personality and elegance. An outstanding Maltese should possess these
traits.
Soundness refers to the absence of
any disability that interferes with the gait or movement the Maltese.
Condition
refers to the overall health and well being of the Maltese. A Maltese should be
neither too fat nor too thin. His eyes should be bright and clear, his coat healthy
and well groomed.
The Maltese is a toy dog covered from head to foot with
a mantle of long, silky, white hair. He is gentle-mannered and affectionate, eager and
sprightly in action, and, despite his size, possessed of the vigor needed for the
satisfactory companion.
The Maltese is distinguished from all other breeds of dogs as the
only dog with a long, silky white coat.
The standard is very specific in specifying "silky". The coat should have the
feel of a finely textured silk fabric, somewhat "cool" to the touch. The
Maltese should be gentle manner, but still lively and vigorous. While they may enjoy
sitting quietly by their owner's side they still love a romp and play time. There should
be no suggestion of terrier-type aggressiveness. The Maltese is a devoted companion to
his master but at the same time should not be shy of strangers.
Of medium length and in proportion to the size of the
dog. The skull is slightly rounded on top, the stop moderate. The drop ears are rather
low set and heavily feathered with long hair that hangs close to the head. Eyes are set
not too far apart; they are very dark and round, their black rims enhancing the gentle
yet alert expression. The muzzle is of medium length, fine and tapered but not snipy.
The nose is black. The teeth meet in an even, edge-to-edge bite, or in a scissors bite.
The head of the Maltese is one of the most important
characteristics of the breed imparting the adorable look that has attracted so many to
the breed.
There are two distinctive types of Maltese seen today. While the Maltese is not a true
spaniel, one type of Maltese has a head that resembles these dogs. The second type is
one that is more terrier-type with a longer nose, a narrower head and high-set ears.
This second type is the most incorrect type of head and one that serious Maltese
breeders have worked hard to eliminate from breeding programs. While lovely to look at
the overall balance of the head must be kept in perspective to the standard.
Many Maltese people use the term "halos" when
describing a Maltese head. While the standard makes no mention of halos they are a
characteristic that may enhance the overall appearance of the head. Halos are defined as
the darkening of the skin around the eyes. Many times the presence of halos may be
connected with good pigmentation, but there have been many outstanding specimens of the
breed that do not have extensive halos.
"Black points" is another term used by Maltese admires
in the description on the Maltese head to describe the presence of black pigment on the
eye rims, nose and toe pads.
Sufficient length of neck is desirable as promoting a
high carriage of the head.
That the architects of the breed have singled out the neck and
its high carriage is important. This neck carriage is one that gives the Maltese the
elegance that distinguishes it from other breeds of dogs. It should also be noted that
to have the proper high neck carriage the Maltese should possess proper layback of the
shoulders and construction of the front legs.
Compact,
the height from the withers to the ground equaling the length from the withers to the
root of the tail. Shoulder blades are sloping, the elbows well knit and held close to
the body. The back is level in topline, the ribs well sprung. The chest is fairly deep,
the loins taut, strong, and just slightly tucked up underneath.
The appearance of the Maltese should be of a compact or "cobby"
dog. He should be square from the point of the withers (which is where the shoulder
meets the back) to the base of the tail, and from the point of the withers to the
ground. The ideal layback of the shoulders should be a 45-degree angle. Incorrect
toplines will cause a Maltese to have a roached appearance or be high in the rear
assembly. Any tendency towards being slab-sided is also incorrect.
A long-haired plume carried gracefully over the back,
its tip lying to the side over the quarter.
The tail should be set high on the croup. A common fault with
many Maltese is a low set tail which causes the dog to look longer than it should and
destroys the compact appearance. A flag or gay tail is also a serious fault.
Legs are fine-boned and nicely feathered. Forelegs are
straight, their pastern joints well knit and devoid of appreciable bend. Hind legs are
strong and moderately angulated at stifles and hicks. The feet are small and round, with
toe pads black. Scraggly hairs on the feet may be trimmed to give a neater appearance.
The Maltese is one of only three toy breeds to mention fine bone
in the standard so it is important that this characteristic be present. The Maltese is a
fine, delicate dog that originally was a "sleeve-dog" of the aristocracy. To
maintain this position in the early times it was important that they retained this
fineness. Any suggestion of large bones and a larger size is a serious fault.
The issue of black toe pads has caused some controversy in recent
years among Maltese breeders. Some have suggested that the pigmentation of these points
is separately inherited and many have no relation to pigment of the other points on the
head. In spite of these opinions the breed standard has not been changed and it still is
a requirement that the toe pads be black.
The coat is single, that is, without undercoat. It hangs
long, flat,
and silky over the sides of the body almost, if not quite, to the ground. The long
head-hair may be tied up in a topknot or it may be left hanging.
Any suggestion of
kinkiness, curliness, or wooly texture is objectionable. Color, pure white. Light tan or
lemon on the ears is permissible, but not desirable.
There is probably no sight more remarkable than the elegance of a
Maltese floating around the ring with his floating white coat flying. This perhaps makes
these lovely little dogs stand out from all others. A true "silky" coat is one
that falls flat to the body. When picked up it feels much like elegant silk fabric and
is "cool" to the touch. Unfortunately many Maltese seen today do not possess
this silky coat, but have coats that have been made to appear silky using numerous coat
preparations and grooming techniques.
Maltese in the United States are typically shown with two
topknots that are known has "horns" to some. The appearance of these topknots
is enchanted by the use of small bows usually in a dark color.
Puppies
are many times shown with a single topknot, as their headfall may not be long enough to
be placed in double topknots. Maltese in Europe and Australia are generally shown as an
adult with a single topknot.
Many Maltese will have blackish or grayish patches on the skin of
their bodies and sometimes will have tan colored coat growing from these areas. Some
breeders equate these patches with good pigment, but it is just as common to see heavily
pigmented dogs that are pure white. It is entirely possible that the dark patches are a
throw back to the times that colored Maltese were bred in the early 1900's.
Weight under 7 pounds, with 4 to 6 pounds preferred.
Over-all quality is to be favored over size.
The standard is very clear on the point of size. Maltese are toy
dogs and the size must be maintained in this range to meet the overall balance and
elegant appearance of the breed.
The
Maltese moves with a jaunty, smooth, flowing gait. Viewed from the side, he gives an
impression of rapid movement, size considered. In the stride, the forelegs reach
straight and free from the shoulders, with elbows close. Hind legs to move in a straight
line. Cowhocks or any suggestion of hind leg toeing in or out are faults.
Sometimes it is difficult to assess the movement of a Maltese in
full coat. However an educated eye can usually spot some of the serious faults such as
dogs with limited reach and drive when they give the appearance of wasted energy in
their locomotion. Other faults to look for include paddling and crabbing of the front,
single tracking of the rear legs and hopping. Hopping can be suggestive of problems with
the loose patella's or knee joints on the rear legs.
For all his diminutive size, the Maltese seems to be
without fear. His trust and affectionate responsiveness are very appealing. He is among
the gentlest mannered of all little dogs, yet he is lively and playful as well as
vigorous.
The Maltese personality is unique among the many breeds of dogs.
The temperament of the Maltese is probably one of his most outstanding characteristics.
A Maltese that is shy or overly aggressive should be considered to have a serious
personality defect.
Shown With Pride
