No one else was around at the time, but the dog's understandably
surprised owner came by before long. Fire department officials
said this was the first time a dog had dialed the emergency
119 number, and he had not taken any shortcuts either. The number
was not preset in the telephone's one-button, speed-dialing
system.
Maltese
Calling
If your
days lack a certain carbonation, if no one greets your return
from work with a festive dance (or rings up the fire company
for your amusement), if you need a touch of carnival in your
world, a Maltese would be happy to oblige. If companionship
and devotion are items 1 and 1-A on your wish list, a Maltese
might have your number. This effervescent little dog represents
at least 25 centuries' worth of experience providing comfort
and devotion to its owners, and all that practice has made
the Maltese virtually perfect.
Appearances
Can Be Deceiving
The Maltese'
undeniable cuteness, while winning it fame, has also won it
a rather precious reputation. Every time a Maltese is seen
on the celebrity arm of an Elizabeth Taylor, a Wayne Newton
or a Halle Berry, the perception of the Maltese as a pristine
white lounge ornament is advanced. As a result, some men grumble
about the idea of having a Maltese around the house; but after
a few weeks, guess who winds up being the Maltese puppy's
best friend?
Their
celebrity image notwithstanding, do not think for a moment
that Maltese are delicate flowers. These dogs will roll in
the mud, bury themselves in the sandbox and come home from
an outing in the park with just as many leaves and brambles
per square inch as any other dog. And even though Maltese
are small enough for the frailest persons to handle easily,
Maltese owners should always have a leash on hand when they
go walking with their dogs because Maltese truly think they
are tough enough to lick any dog on the block. This is not
to say Maltese are aggressive or hard to control. On the contrary,
they are among the most tractable of dogs. Their problem is,
they are not willing to admit their seven or so pounds do
not carry as much weight as a Great Dane.
The
Greeks Had a Word for It
The origin
of the Maltese as a distinct breed has never been precisely
determined. Images of Maltese have been found on Greek vases
approximately 2,500 years old, and there is archeological
reason to believe that Maltese may have occupied a prominent
place in Egyptian culture as many as 100 years before that.
Charles Darwin, who knew something about origins, concluded
that the Maltese evolved sometime around 6,000 B.C.
A Fair
Trade
Whatever
the Maltese's origin, the first known history of the breed
was written by Aristotle around 350 B.C. Aristotle reported
that Maltese originated on the Mediterranean island of Malta,
from whence the breed took its name. Malta, which was noted
for its culture as well as its commerce, lies midway between
Africa and Europe and is only a short distance from Sicily.
This strategic location accounted for Malta's importance as
a trading center. Goods moved east and west from this 199-square-mile
island, and Malta's tiny white dogs often traveled with their
owners to distant points around the globe. The unique size
and devoted personalities of these charming dogs soon made
them items of barter. They were offered as gifts to reigning
monarchs, undoubtedly to obtain favored trading status along
commercial routes. Queen Elizabeth of England, who reigned
from 1558 to 1603, is one of many heads of state presented
with Maltese. Elizabeth's dog, which had been bred in Turkey,
was a gift from the sultan of that country.
Living
With A Maltese
The Maltese
is blessed with a hardy constitution, and even though this
breed is small, it does not have to be treated like Dresden
china. Naturally the Maltese is not a dog for infants, but
children old enough to understand how a little dog should
be treated will love the sparkling personality of the Maltese,
who, in turn, adores gentle children.
An energetic
dog, the Maltese keeps itself busy all day. This does not
mean it will not enjoy sitting quietly by your side while
you read or listen to music. A Maltese is happiest when it
can be with you, no matter what you are doing.
Though
the Maltese is not given to excessive barking, it is an excellent
watchdog, sounding the alarm whenever it sees or hears anything
unusual. Owning a Maltese means never having to say you did
not hear the doorbell.
Packing
the House
Maltese
love to please, and they are highly trainable if they are
taught in a gentle but firm manner. Unfortunately, Maltese
puppies are small and irresistibly cute, and nothing they
do causes great harm. They are often allowed, therefore, to
get away with behavior that would not be tolerated from larger
dogs. Such indulgence is a recipe for a difficult and unruly
Maltese.
Too many
owners consider their Maltese "little people," but a Maltese
is, underneath all that hair, a dog, and like all dogs it
is a pack animal. Dogs are born looking for a pack leader
to set the rules by which the pack lives. A puppy's mother
fills that role for the first months of its life, but once
you take a Maltese into your home, the dog will depend on
you to provide guidelines. Without them an adolescent dog
can become confused and neurotic.
Fun
and Games
There
are few limits to the activities you and your Maltese can
share. Maltese are popular show dogs, and they have done very
well in obedience trials. A number of Maltese have earned
Canine Good Citizen certificates offered through the American
Kennel Club, and the breed has also proven well suited for
agility trials. In fact, Maltese are usually ringside favorites
because their enthusiastic attitude is out of all proportion
to their size.
Choosing
the Right Maltese
Nothing
can replace the bond that is forged between a dog and its
owner as they negotiate all the trials and tribulations of
puppyhood together. If you are considering a Maltese, you
can give yourself a head start on forming that bond if you
buy a puppy from someone who has a long-standing reputation
for breeding dogs that are physically and mentally sound.
A well-bred puppy from a respected line has the potential
of living with you a long time. Many Maltese live to be 13
or 14 years old, some even older.
If you
are not up to the challenges of a puppy, you need not cross
the Maltese off your list. This dog adjusts to new circumstances
quite easily. Your ideal Maltese could be available for adoption
through rescue agencies or breeders who have retired show
or breeding dogs they are looking to place with responsible
owners. Adult Maltese are usually housebroken and are past
the teething and chewing stage.
No matter
where you get your Maltese, you should realize that it will
want to spend every possible moment with you and your family.
This breed is not satisfied with an occasional pat on the
head. The Maltese wants to be your best buddy, your constant
companion. A Maltese may resign itself to the fact that you
will be away from home during the day, but rest assured there
is only one thing on its mind all the while you are gone--your
return! Indeed, your Maltese will be so eager for you to return,
it may dial 911 (or 119 in Japan) to find out what's been
keeping you.
A Comely
Appearance
Few of
God's creatures have the potential for looking less beautiful
in the morning than they did the night before than the Maltese.
That profuse white coat is seldom more than a few days' neglect
from turning into something of a white elephant. Regular grooming
sessions are de rigueur for keeping mats and tangles
at bay and for keeping the Maltese healthy, happy and clean.
Persons who do not have the time or the manual dexterity for
these duties will have to entrust them to a competent groomer.
The
Lion Kings
A Maltese
dog, listed in the catalog as a Maltese Lion Dog, was among
the entries at the first Westminster Kennel Club show, held
in 1877. The American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted the Maltese
for registration the following year.
Annual
registrations of new Maltese stood at more than 4,000 in 1970.
During the next two and a half decades registrations quadrupled,
and in 1996 the Maltese, with 16,902 new registrations for
the year, ranked 23rd among the 143 breeds then registered
by the AKC.
More
than You Bargained For
Like every
other breed known to - and developed with the assistance Of
- humankind, the Maltese is not entirely free of genetic compromise.
Persons interested in buying a Maltese, after answering a
breeder's questions, should pose several questions of their
own about the prevalence of the following conditions in that
breeder's line of dogs: luxating patella, distichiasis, progressive
retinal atrophy, deafness, hypothyroidism and seizures.
Luxating
patella is a dislocation of the small, flat, moveable
bone at the front of the knee. An inherited tendency, luxating
patella can be aggravated by excess weight. The condition
can be corrected by surgery.
Distichiasis,
a long, difficult-to-pronounce word, describes a condition
in which abnormally growing eyelashes rub against and irritate
the eye. If the irritation is prolonged and unrelieved, it
can develop into pigmentary keratitis, the corneal deposition
of pigment or melanin on the surface of the eye. The progress
of pigmentary keratitis can be slowed but not arrested, yet
it does not always cause blindness in the affected eye.
Progressive
retinal atrophy (PRA) is the wasting away of the vessels
in the retina. Initially manifested as night blindness in
young dogs, as PRA progresses, its victims become totally
blind.
Hypothyroidism
is an endocrine disease that results in the abnormally low
production of thyroid hormones. The symptoms of hypothyroidism
include lethargy, mental depression, weight gain and a tendency
to seek out warm places. Hypothyroidism can also affect the
coat and skin, causing hair loss and excessive dandruff.
In addition
to determining - as much as one can determine - the occurrence
of inherited problems in a particular line of dogs, anyone
who is considering a Maltese or any other pedigreed dog, should
ask the seller who will be responsible for the vet bills if
a radiant-looking puppy should be victimized by an obviously
inherited condition later in its life.
Rick
Beauchamp is a freelance dog writer and a licensed judge
with both the American Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club.
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