The Maltese is a small toy group dog breed with silky white hair that is lively and cuddly and intelligent, so makes a great pet for city living. Though if living in an apartment, you will need to take them out for regular walks or use professional dog walkers such as London dog walking  The fur can grow long, so a good idea is to give them a puppy cut, otherwise the hair becomes difficult to manage.
They have dark round shaped large eyes. Whilst the Maltese is small, standing between 8 and ten inches high, it is solid and weighs between 3 and 7 pounds (1.5 to three kilograms). The dog care of a Maltese is relatively straightforward. They are somewhat long lived, living to about 15 years.
 
The Maltese is often dedicated to its owners, which means they are known for barking at strange noises and people. The Maltese’s high activity level can also lead to them snapping. Dog socialisation at an early age is crucial to removing this problem. They are brave and will go up to dogs far bigger than themselves, being self-assured they get on well with other dogs.
They suffers from a small number of health problems, that includes problems with the skin, eye and teeth. In addition the risk of sun burn on the top of the nose and some respiratory problems.
Regular brushing is needed with the Maltese, otherwise you will get matted fur. As well as brushing twice a day, one ideally should also clean the Maltese after eating, to reduce hair staining. Tear staining is also a common problem which is due to the size of the tear ducts and how much the Maltese’s eyes water.  Tear stain can be minimised or reduced by using regularly a metal fine-toothed comb that is moistened with lukewarm water and drawn through the hair below the eyes. This ideally should be done every couple of days.
Whilst they have thick hair, they do not shed very much and like the akin Havanese and Bichon Frisé   can be considered practically hypoallergenic, with many people not showing allergic reaction. Many owners will tie the hair on top of the head in a ponytail to ease cleaning the eyes. The ears also need regular cleaning.
Whilst the name suggests the dog comes from Malta, its origins are unclear, though generally felt to come from around the Mediterranean area. It is also known as a Maltese Terrier or the Maltese Lion Dog ( a reflection on its character), though its official kennel name is “Maltese”.

Its origin could have been either from the Swiss Spitz dog or the Asian Tibetan Terrier. Its earliest record of the Maltese dates back to when it was found on a Greek amphora around 500 B. C. and was frequently mentioned in writings of Greek / Roman times.

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