The Toy Maltese
A toy maltese is a particular breed of dog that are under the toy variety in most if not all kennel clubs. This particular breed is quite popular and there are several different sizes of this breed. Although, the toy maltese is collectively grouped under the toy group, many breeders have classifications like teacup and tiny toys. These classifications may or may not fall under a kennel club’s standard which means that not all of these may be acceptable for shows and others.
Appearance
The appearance of the toy maltese dog is that of a small dog with its height basically equaling its length. These small dogs have a rounded head with hanging ears, filled with hanging silky hair. All toy maltese dogs have a basic white coat and only slight tinges of cream or lemon are allowed but these are not desirable. Any other coloration other than those allowed disqualifies a toy maltese from a show that states otherwise. This breed of dog has dark eyes all the time; light eyes are not permissible as well. The dog’s nose, which is supposedly black, can fade to a light brown or pink color when exposure to sunlight is limited. In almost all cases, once exposure to sunlight has been established, the black color of the nose returns. The dog’s tail is carried on its back, slightly curled, when it is standing but it may be lowered when it is at rest or sitting.
The coat of the toy maltese dogs is supposed to be long, white an silky but there are some dog owners who have the long hair cut for grooming and maintenance purposes. The shorter cut is what is called a pup cut which gives the toy maltese a decidedly cairn terrier look. The pup cut exposes the maltese’s standards better but may deduct from its uniquely singular look. Some owners who enter their toy maltese dog in competitions usually wrap or tie back the dog’s long hair before and after the show and only unwrap the long hair during the show.
Temperament
The temperament of the toy maltese is really that of a companion dog. They are cuddly dogs that enjoy the company of humans and love to associate with them. The toy maltese dogs are lively and fun loving with much energy and joie de vivre. They are playful but may become aggressive towards over smaller children when the play becomes too rough. They need to be used to children in order to avoid aggressive behavior towards younger children. Early socialization with children may help to curb this behavior. As such, supervision is necessary to when the toy maltese dogs are with children. The friendly demeanor and playfulness of these toy breed is usually the same even as it ages. The breed adapts well to limited space and is often chosen for apartment living. They are also quite content to have a small yard to run around in or to be taken for walks or runs in the park when the time arises. This should have made them great apartment dogs, other than the fact that they need to be trained to limit their barking if they are lonely or left alone in the home. Many of the toy maltese dogs are abandoned or dumped by their owners due to their propensity to yap when they are excited or left on their own.
Health And Well Being
The health and well being of the toy maltese is not a thing to be overly concerned with. Their long coat may require regular daily brushing but dogs with the pup cut may need just the average brushing a short haired dog needs. Since these dogs have no undercoat, they usually do not trigger allergic reactions in most people, this feature makes them favorites for those seeking hypoallergenic pets. Since the toy maltese dogs have a standard white coat, this is prone to tear staining around the eyes. Many breed owners prefer their show dogs to have no trace of tear stains which mean regular wiping and cleaning of the eye area. Avoiding drinks and food colored with artificial coloring may help reduce the occurrence. Giving distilled water can also help with this problem. Other than these, the toy maltese breed has few health problems.
