Maltese E-Book

Juliette Cunliffe

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Comprehensive Owner's Guide
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 205

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

The experts at Kennel Club Books presents the world's largest series of breed-specific canine care books. Each critically acclaimed Comprehensive Owner's Guide covers everything from breed standards to behavior, from training to health and nutrition. With nearly 200 titles in print, this series is sure to please the fancier of even the rarest breed.

Leseprobe

Physical Characteristics of the Maltese

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Head: Of medium length and in proportion to the size of the dog. The skull is slightly rounded on top, the stop moderate.

Eyes: Set not too far apart; they are very dark and round, their black rims enhancing the gentle yet alert expression.

Nose: Black.

Muzzle: Of medium length, fine and tapered but not snipy.

Ears: Drop and rather low set and heavily feathered with long hair that hangs close to the head.

Neck: Sufficient length of neck is desirable as promoting a high carriage of the head.

Legs and Feet: 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 hocks. The feet are small and round, with toe pads black.

Body: 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.

Tail: A long-haired plume carried gracefully over the back, its tip lying to the side over the quarter.

Coat and Color: 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. Color, pure white.

Size: Weight under 7 pounds, with from 4 to 6 pounds preferred.

Contents

History of the Maltese

Europe’s answer to the lap dog, the Maltese is an ancient breed with a mysterious history. Explore the various theories on the breed’s origin, learn how the Maltese was introduced to the world outside Europe and follow his rise in popularity to become one of today’s favorite companion dogs.

Characteristics of the Maltese

Sweet, intelligent and robust, the Maltese is much more than a “toy.” Learn about the Maltese’s traits, from his glorious white coat to his loving and spunky demeanor, and decide if you are well suited to Maltese ownership. Also learn about breed-specific health concerns of which every prospective owner should be aware.

Breed Standard for the Maltese

Learn the requirements of a well-bred Maltese by studying the description of the breed set forth in the American Kennel Club standard. Both show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the breed standard.

Your Puppy Maltese

Be advised about choosing a reputable breeder and selecting a healthy, typical puppy. Understand the responsibilities of ownership, including home preparation, acclimatization, the vet and prevention of common puppy problems.

Everyday Care of Your Maltese

Enter into a sensible discussion of dietary and feeding considerations, exercise, grooming, traveling and identification of your dog. This chapter discusses Maltese care for all stages of development.

Training Your Maltese

by Charlotte SchwartzBe informed about the importance of training your Maltese from the basics of housebreaking and understanding the development of a young dog to executing obedience commands (sit, stay, down, etc.).

Health Care of Your Maltese

Discover how to select a qualified veterinarian and care for your dog at all stages of life. Topics include vaccination scheduling, skin problems, dealing with external and internal parasites and common medical and behavioral conditions.

Showing Your Maltese

Experience the dog show world, including different types of shows and the making of a champion. Go beyond the conformation ring to other pursuits for your Maltese.

KENNEL CLUB BOOKS® MALTESEISBN-13: 978-1-59378-251-1

Copyright © 2003 • Kennel Club Books® • A Division of BowTie, Inc.40 Broad Street, Freehold, NJ 07728 USACover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 • Printed in South Korea

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form,by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, orincorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic ormechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photos by Isabelle Français, with additional photos provided by:Norvia Behling, T.J. Calhoun, Doskocil,Bill Jonas, Carol Ann Johnson,Mikki Pet Products, and Antonio Philippe.Illustrations by Patricia Peters.

The publisher wishes to thank Kathleen Bakeman, Emanuel Cominiti, Claudia Grunstra, Linda Johnson, Johane Kriegel, Robin Lindemann, Beverly A. Nucci, Beverly Quilliam, Nancy Roberts, Christopher Vicari and the rest of the owners of dogs featured in this book.

The Maltese has been favored for thousands of years. It was the European answer to Oriental lapdogs. Sailors and explorers brought back tales of tiny dogs that fit into the large sleeves or sat in the laps of the aristocrat Chinese, presumably to keep their owners warm!

The Maltese is almost undoubtedly one of the most ancient lap dogs of the Western World, but there has long been dispute over the actual origin of this charming breed. Charles Darwin placed the breed as having existed around 6000 BC, although a model of such a dog, some 2,000 years older, has since been found. This is presumed to have been a child’s toy. The Emperor Claudius (10 BC–AD 54) had such a dog, and it seems likely that they were taken to Asia by the Romans. Eventually they reached China, where it is believed that dogs of Maltese type contributed to the ancestral breeding of the Pekingese dog known today.

The breed has had numerous names during the course of history, including “Melitae Dog,” “Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta,” “Comforter,” “Spaniel Gentle,” “Shock Dog” and “Maltese Lion Dog.” The latter name most probably alludes to the fact that several of the early toy breeds had their coats styled into a “lion trim.” This caused some confusion among the breeds, especially with the breed now known for this cut, called the Löwchen (Little Lion Dog).

Many pre-Christian objects of art are adorned with the image of the Maltese, and in the courts of Imperial Rome, the Maltese was a favorite among the ladies, once being known as the “Roman Ladies’ Dog.” It was written of these dogs, “When his favorite dies he deposits the remains in a tomb and erects a monument over the grave with the inscription, ‘Offspring of the stock of Malta’.” Certainly Maltese were closely involved in Egyptian culture between 600 and 300 BC, at which time they were effectively worshipped as members of royal families.

The rare Löwchen, or Little Lion Dog, an early European lap dog, is known for his traditional “lion clip.”

In Greece, the first known written history of the breed was recorded around 350 BC by the philosopher-poet Aristotle, who attributed the origin of the breed to Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea. However, images of the Maltese have been found on Greek vases dating back to 500 BC.

Many of the early Italian painters included dogs in their paintings, and these dogs appear to have been Maltese. To throw further confusion upon the geographic origin of the breed, in AD 25 there was a town in Sicily called Melitia. Here beautiful little dogs called Canis Melitei were found. Confusion understandably could have arisen because the island of Malta was earlier known as the Island of Melita. Writing in 1851, Youatt tells us that they were found not only in Malta but in other islands of the Mediterranean, where they “maintained the same character of being devotedly affectionate to their owners…[but] ill-tempered to strangers.” Although he said they were no bigger than common ferrets or weasels, he considered them “not small in understanding nor unstable in their love.”

Some consider that the Maltese was one of the original French toy breeds, and it is certainly a close relation of bichon breeds such as the Bichon Frise, Bolognese and Havanese, and the Coton de Tuléar. However, the Maltese should not be confused with today’s Bichon Frise, despite the fact that at certain points in its history it has actually been called “Bichon.” Some breeders have even thought that the breed actually hails from the Gobi Desert, something that was attributed to their love of heat and sun.

THE MALTESE USED FOR TRADE

The Maltese’s place of origin becomes further confused by the fact that this dog traveled extensively to different parts of the world, being used in trade as barter for Chinese silk, among other things. Silk at that time was indeed precious, and in weight it was considered as valuable as gold. According to the writer Idstone, Maltese were often taken to the shore for sale, or else the owners of shore boats held them up to the passengers. Sadly he added that they were “simply long-haired little wretches, washed, starched and combed out…”

MALTESE LORE

The Maltese has long captured the affection of man, and many a book included vivid anecdotal images about the breed. The list is endless, including a story about one Maltese that threw himself into his master’s grave, another that climbed upon a funeral pyre and one that even reputedly climbed onto the gallows.

The Maltese Terrier known as Eng. Ch. Pixie was owned by Joshua Jacobs circa 1900.

THE MALTESE TERRIER?

In more recent years, the Maltese has been known as the “Maltese Terrier,” but it is generally believed that the early makeup of the breed lay in dogs of spitz or spaniel type, rather than those of terrier type. Having said that, though, the character of the breed certainly made the dogs eminently capable of catching a mouse or a rat. During the breed’s early years, there is evidence that it was used as a small hunting dog, although it was then much larger than the breed we know today.

Mrs. Stallibrass with her Maltese Terrier, Queen Stallie. Mrs. Stallibrass was one of the breed’s most staunch supporters at the turn of the 20th century in England.

GERMAN THOUGHTS ON THE BREED

In 1650, a German physician stated that a toothache could be cured by scraping one’s gums with a dog’s tooth, and then went on to describe the Maltese dog at some length. He believed that the breed had originated in Malta and talked of two varieties, one with short hair, the other with long, flowing hair. He described them as being the size of a wood weasel and said that at that time red and white dogs were most valued, although he also mentioned that there had been black and white ones. To ensure that Maltese dogs would maintain their small size, they were shut up in baskets in which they were fed, but their food was of the choicest kind and their beds were lined with fleeces.

Although it is not known when the Maltese actually arrived in Germany, they were certainly in the country by 1860 and were exhibited at shows there from 1879. A German Stud Book was established in 1900, and from this point onward dog breeding was taken very seriously, leading to the formation of the Lapdog Club of Berlin in 1902. Just two years later, a breed standard was issued in Germany for the Maltese, followed by a Toy Breeds Register in 1910.

THE MALTESE COMES TO BRITAIN

In 1859, a lady by the name of Miss Gibbs obtained a little bitch, Psyche, from a gentleman who had obtained her from his brother, a ship’s captain. Psyche was pure white and was reputed to have looked like “a ball of animated floss.” The hair on her shoulders was 15 ins. long, but she weighed only 3.25 lbs. This was small, as many at that time weighed 6.5 lbs.

The Maltese during the 19th century was in great demand; it was considered a useful dog for hawkers to sell in the streets. The stains on neglected face hair were considered an advantage, for they suggested that the dog had been weeping and this obviously attracted some kind-hearted purchasers. The dog-seller would stand on the curbside, holding out a tiny Maltese in his hands, and would almost always attract a purchaser. One such seller even bandaged one of the dog’s feet, which was said to have helped him considerably with his sales!

ON BRITISH SHORES

It is indeed possible that the Maltese arrived in Britain with the invading Romans, but some claim that it first made its appearance on British shores during the reign of King Henry VIII.

There was constant effort to produce smaller and smaller Maltese, but this was only to their detriment, for they generally grew to have low vitality and were difficult to breed. New blood was eventually introduced from the Continent, and this brought about certain changes. At first the dogs were rather large, but the breed resumed its desired weight of 4–9 lbs. and a generally hardier constitution was achieved.

Between the years of 1860 and 1870, the kennels of Mr. Mandeville in London were highly prominent, with his dogs winning well at all the major shows. As the century progressed, many of the Maltese went back to Mr. Mandeville’s Maltese, Fido and Lilly.

J. H. Walsh, under the pen name “Stonehenge,” wrote a wonderful book called The Dog in 1867. The few lines he wrote about the Maltese are worthy of quotation: “This beautiful little dog is a Skye Terrier in miniature, with, however, a far more silky coat, a considerably shorter back, and a tail stiffly curved over the hip.”

GENUS CANIS

Dogs and wolves are members of the genus Canis. Wolves are known scientifically as Canis lupus while dogs are known as Canis domesticus. Dogs and wolves are known to interbreed. The term “canine” derives from the Latin-derived word Canis. The term “dog” has no scientific basis but has been used for thousands of years. The origin of the word “dog” has never been authoritatively ascertained.

The breed became so scarce as to induce Sir Edwin Landseer to paint one as the last of the race. After completion of the painting, several Maltese were imported from Malta, and, though still scarce, they were able to be obtained. The little bitch from which the portrait was sketched was the property of Miss Gibbs, or Morden, and was descended from parents imported by Mr. Lukey, direct from Manila.

Psyche, the Maltese bitch owned by Miss Gibbs, from an engraving circa 1867.

Drawing of an early Skye Terrier, bearing some resemblance to the Maltese, as it appeared in a drawing published in 1867.

The allusion to the Skye Terrier in the Stonehenge quotation may seem strange to observers of the breed today, but the Skye Terrier of that time did not look much like today’s Skye. Several of the smaller long-coated breeds were likened to the Skye Terrier in the latter part of the 19th century, including the Lhasa Apso.

Hopping to the 20th century, like most breeds of dog in Britain, the Maltese was badly affected by World War I (1914–1918). Breeding was curtailed and the Maltese Club of London was sadly disbanded. It was believed at this time that there were no Maltese on the island of Malta, but when the war was over Miss Van Oppen (later Mrs. Roberts) eventually managed to buy four bitches on the Continent. She brought them to Britain, where they produced offspring in quarantine. Four additional imports came into Britain following this and, with the few dogs that had remained, the breed was again revived.

In the 1920s and early 1930s, there was an increasing, but still limited, number of registrations with The Kennel Club but sufficient interest was shown in the breed for the Maltese Club to be founded in 1934.

As the years progressed, the breed slowly moved its way up in popularity within the Toy Group, although the breed does not in any way rank as numerically strong as the highly popular Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Yorkshire Terrier. New registrations in Britain each year are generally now upwards of 500 but, given the numbers registered, there can be few dog lovers who have not seen, or at least heard of, this delightful and elegant breed. In the show ring, the Maltese has certainly made its mark, with the breed winning through to attain high honors at many championship events.

BRAIN AND BRAWN

Since dogs have been inbred for centuries, their physical and mental characteristics are constantly being changed to suit man’s desires for hunting, retrieving, scenting, guarding and warming their masters’ laps. During the past 150 years, dogs have been judged according to physical characteristics as well as functional abilities. Few breeds can boast a genuine balance between physique, working ability and temperament.

UK RECORD BREAKERS

Mrs. Roberts’ (nee Van Oppen) Eng. Ch. Harlingen Snowman won 14 Challenge Certificates, the record for a male Maltese. This was broken by Mrs. Lewins’ Eng. Ch. Ellwin Sue Ella, who became the breed record holder in 1973. This record was broken by Vicki Herrieff’s delightful Eng. Ch. Snow-goose First Love in 1994.

THE MALTESE IN THE US

Unfortunately, there are not really any well-kept records of early Maltese history in the US, so the only information that can reliably be accessed is from old show catalogs when initially the breed was included in the Miscellaneous Class. At the first Westminster Show, held in 1877, a white Maltese was entered, listed as a Maltese Lion Dog, and it is therefore logical that the breed existed in the US earlier than that date.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted registration for the breed in 1888. One of those registered that year was Snips, a bitch whose pedigree was unknown but who we know was whelped in February 1886. The other, Topsey, was also a bitch and again her pedigree was unknown, but she appears to have been imported. The next Maltese to be registered in the US was whelped on March 4, 1900 and called Bebe. In this case, it is known that the sire was Toto and the dam was Contessa.

Clearly the breed had captured the interest of the American people in those early years, for before the turn of the century, the American Natural History Museum received three mounted specimens of the breed, two of these having been presented in 1896. These were important donations to the museum and through them the memory of early American dogs can be kept alive for posterity’s sake.

Whelped in 1901, Mrs. C. S. Young’s Ch. Thackeray Rob Roy was the first Maltese champion recorded by the AKC, and the first Best in Show winner is believed to have been Mrs. Carl Baumann’s Ch. Sweetsir of Dyker, who won the award in 1912. That year there were about 27 Maltese registered with the AKC, so the breed was progressing well numerically, with people being attracted to the breed in increasing numbers.

During World War I, the Maltese suffered greatly in Britain but thankfully almost 200 were registered in America between 1914 and 1918. Several prefixes became prominent in the following years, one of which was Arr, owned by Agnes Rossman. This was a kennel that was to become well known for breeding small Maltese that were of high quality, something that made them highly sought after. The influential stud dog, Sir Toby of Arr, was bred by Agnes Rossman and owned by Eleanor Bancroft of the prominent Hale Farm kennel.

The breed built up steadily over the next few years, thanks to the solid foundation of the Arr and Hale Farm stock, but by the 1930s the breed was in decline. Only four dogs were bred in 1937 and four, all from the same litter, in 1939. All of these registrations were by Eleanor Bancroft.

Thankfully for the breed in America, a few dedicated owners saw to it that the Maltese survived, and particular mention should be made of Dr. and Mrs. Vincenzo Calvaresi, whose Villa Malta kennel was based on Hale Farm stock in the 1940s. They were indeed successful breeders, producing over 100 champions from their kennel. Ch. Toby of Villa Malta was owned by Mrs. Virginia Leitch, whose Jon Vir breeding also played an important part in contributing to the survival of the breed. The Calvaresis exhibited some splendid teams of Maltese during the 1950s, and these attracted much publicity to the breed.

“HENRY”—THE TOP TOY

The top-winning Maltese at one time in the US was Ch. Sand Island Small Kraft Lite, known to all as “Henry.” He was owned by Carol F. Andersen and professionally handled by Vicki Abbot Henry was also the Top Toy Dog of all time in the US.

In the 1950s, Toni and Aennchen Antonelli and their Aennchen Maltese were highly prominent in the US, and one of the best known dogs bred by them was the bitch Ch. Aennchen Poona Dancer, who won 37 Best in Show awards and was owned by Larry Ward and Frank Oberstar.

As the years progressed, Virginia Leitch began to produce some quality small Maltese by using a retired stud dog from the Arr kennel. In this way, she also revived Arr bloodlines that might otherwise have been lost.

Later it was possible to introduce fresh blood from European countries, strengthening still further the quality of the kennels that had been built up in America. Ch. Joanchenn’s Maya Dancer, owned by Mamie Gregory, won a record of 43 Best in Show awards, something that was not broken until the late 1990s by Ch. Sand Island Small Kraft Lite, who took 82 such awards. Owned by Carol Frances Anderson and handled by Vicki Abbot, this male was among America’s Top Ten of all breeds and holds the high accolade of having won the Toy Group at Westminster in 1992.

The bitch, Ch. Ta-Jon’s Tickle Me Silly toted up 103 Best in Show wins to become the top-winning Maltese of all time. Tammy Simon is her breeder/handler, and her owners are Marion and Samuel Lawrence.

The Maltese (right) with a spitz dog. This illustration is dated 1881 and was printed in Vero Shaw’s Book of the Dog.

In America, the Maltese is popular not only as a show dog but also as a pet, and ranks within the top 15 of all breeds, with more than 12,000 registered each year. Now they frequently win the Toy Group as well as Best in Show awards, and this is a breed that is always popular with the ringside audience. Indeed, today the Maltese in America is in good hands and breeders produce some fine specimens, well capable of achieving the very highest awards.

The Maltese is a sweet-natured dog, alert and lively with a high level of intelligence. Although a small breed, categorized in the Toy Group, this is a soundly built little dog, capable of enjoying plenty of exercise and fun. It would be a mistake to consider the Maltese a “soft” little animal, for although not a terrier, the Maltese was considered as such for many years and his character is quite alert enough to display the occasional terrier trait. He was certainly capable of catching rats and is said to have caught the occasional badger. In Sir Richard Glynn’s book Champion Dogs of the World, the Maltese is described as “an attractive little imp,” which probably describes the breed in a nutshell! But if you want to know more, then read on.

Like the majority of smaller dogs, the Maltese is a reasonably long-lived breed, so this is another factor that must be seriously contemplated before deciding that this is really the breed for you. Clearly, when taking a new animal into your home, the ultimate aim will be that the dog remains with you for his entire life.

Despite various ups and downs through the course of history, the Maltese is now well established in many countries of the world. In the US alone, over 12,000 new puppies are registered with the American Kennel Club each year.

PERSONALITY

The Maltese has a certain “something” about him, demanding that people look at him, and to these looks he returns a kind of self-satisfied expression. He is certainly a vigorous little companion, full of humor and a sense of fun. Left to his own devices, he would willingly turn out mice and other small rodents from the barn, which is not always possible when a dog is kept in long coat. Certainly a Maltese will thoroughly enjoy the sights and smells of a country walk, although this can, it must be understood, badly damage a show coat.