Pros and cons of the breed Maltese lap dog

Maltese dogs belong to companion dogs, they are briefly called maltese. These are decorative doggies that are convenient to keep in apartments and take with you wherever you go. This breed is often chosen by people from high society, as it has been since ancient times.

When choosing any breed, it is worth exploring the features of grooming and the nature of future pets in order to exist in comfort and mutual understanding.

The first mention of these decorative doggies according to some versions of scientists dates back to the times of the ancient Egyptians. The evidence is wall paintings depicting creatures similar to maltese. Disputes about the origin of this dog are still ongoing. Someone believes that the breed originated in Malta, others consider the birthplace of the breed Chinafrom where they brought her to Europe.

Now the main part of the breeders is in Italy, it was this country that, after the first exhibition in 1864, officially announced the standards of this breed and called itself its homeland.

Dogs were brought to Russia in 1812 during the Patriotic War. They were kept by royal persons.

The color in dogs is most often white, there are other color variations, but they are considered a drawback. The description of the standard is as follows: the hair of the lap must fall in long strands and reach the floor. The head is oval, the ears are set high and have a triangular shape, often hidden behind a long coat of wool.

Noses in dogs are black, round, not elongated. The jaw should be evenly adjacent to each other. The eyes of the dogs are slightly convex and should be dark in color.

Dog height reaches 20-22 cm, in some males it can be 24-25 cm. The physique is quite elegant, the back is straight. It is worth paying attention to weight: according to standards, it should be from 2 to 3 kg.

A distinctive characteristic is considered playful and friendly disposition of dogs. Since they are light in weight, they can be safely carried on hand.

The tiny representatives of secular society quite a few pluses.

• Sizes. Thanks to its decorative size, it will be comfortable in apartments and in small rooms. With them you can go to shops and shopping centers.
• Molting. Maltese lapdogs, in principle, do not fade, this is their great advantage.
• Ability to train. Being smart and smart, they are easy to train, especially if you train them in a playful manner.
• Health. Many decorative dogs have genetic diseases and pathologies, but maltese does not apply to these. With proper care, these dogs will not get sick and will live very long.
• These animals are suitable for people allergic to dog and cat hair.
• Friendliness. Pets are very good for adults and children. For them, the master becomes the center of the universe, and strangers are more of an object of interest than aggression.

Any breed has its own negative traits. Future owners are required to pay attention to the following characteristics of pets.

• They do not like loneliness. Maltese lapdogs must be distracted from loneliness, they are not a type of calm dogs that can lie for hours and enjoy life. You need to play with them at home, regularly take them to the street and often communicate with them. Without proper attention, they can become lethargic.
• Hair care. Despite the lack of molting, the silt coat should be looked after daily by Maltese. In addition to combing, dogs need to be washed regularly, as their color is snow-white. Wool periodically needs to be checked for fleas and other parasites.
• Activity. Very hardy dogs have an endless supply of energy that needs to be directed in the right direction. Walking with Maltese should take a lot of time: regular exits are desirable 3 times a day for half an hour, an hour should be devoted to games.
• Fearlessness. This feature is negative because of the small size of animals: lapworms can pounce on individuals 2-3 times larger than themselves and cause counter aggression.
• Loud barking. The voice of these dogs is more suitable for guard purposes: it is very sonorous and loud. People who do not like noise should consider a different breed.
• Gourmet food. There is no need to spend fabulous money for feeding a lap-dog, but dogs are picky in food, can refuse expensive food in favor of cheap and vice versa.
• Diseases As in the case with any other breeds, before buying a lapdog, it is worth carefully studying heredity and pedigree so as not to take a puppy with an armful of diseases.

Being a breed of the secular circle of people, these dogs need constant care and attention.

Despite the large number of advantages, you should really evaluate your strength when choosing this breed: all the nuances of care and feeding must be observed in order for your pet to live a long and happy life.

• You need to wash the animal every week. For show dogs use curlers to avoid frequent stains. After washing, it is necessary to clean the ears of pets with a special lotion using cotton pads.
• Dogs need to be combed daily. with special rubber combs designed for the coat of Maltese lapdogs, it is advisable to treat the coat with antistatic agents.
• To facilitate hair care, you can cut it short, but this option is prohibited for exhibition breeds. For exhibitions, a neat cut of the lower curly ends is allowed. You need to teach puppies to all procedures from an early age; for convenience, you can braid pigtails and tie tails in the crown area.
• Puppy feeding - A very important issue, breeders should help with the choice of feed, and a visit to the veterinarian for advice is also advisable.
• It’s worth adding meat products and cereals to the diet, chicken feeding is undesirable due to the frequent development of allergic reactions.
• Feed puppies from 2 to 4 months should be 4 times a day with dietary meat (turkey, rabbit) and add rice or buckwheat to the diet.
• You can’t give sweets to the Maltese spicy foods, meat with bones, cheeses, salted or smoked food.
• Puppies from childhood need to be accustomed to dental examinations for the purpose of cleaning from tartar. To reduce visits to the doctor, it is worth brushing the teeth of pets every 2 weeks with a special dog toothpaste and brush.

More information on Maltese lapdogs can be found in the video below.