I belong to the Maltese family of toy dogs. Maltese are extremely lovable, intelligent, devoted and sensitive dogs. Maltese are excellent house pets for both adults as well as children. They desire attention from humans and as a result they form close companionship with family members and will miss you if you are away from home for too long. Fluffy always wants to be part of any activity, whether you are talking to family members, watching TV or going out in the car. She will beg to follow along if she senses that you are going out. However, she is clever enough to know that at certain times (such as when you are going to work), she will not be able to tag along and she will quietly go back to her room.

Although small in size, Maltese are fearless by nature. They are very gentle but yet are lively and playful. Fluffy used to dash out of the house occasionally and will immediately rush to the neighbours' homes where there are big dogs and bark at them playfully. That is until she was attacked by two unleashed big dogs (one a German Shepherd) while she was walking on a leash with one of the boys, James. She had 7 puncture holes in her and required lots of stitches and tons of tender loving care before she miraculously survived and recovered. However, she is smarter now and will not venture too far beyond the gates of her home.

ORIGIN OF THE MALTESE BREED

The Maltese name has been around for several thousands of years but there is still some mystery as to the origin of the breed. They are originally thought to be of a spaniel-type structure but were later considered to be more of a terrier-type. Ancient Egyption art dating thousands of years back show similar dogs and the ancestors of the Maltese could have been bred by the Egyptions. Some believe that the breed took its name from the island of Malta and that the Phoenicians are the one who introduced the breed to the island.

Whatever the origin, they are recognised in their own right today and are recognised and registered by Kennel Clubs all over the world.

Here are some links to sites that talk about the origin of the Maltese:

 NetPets Maltese Reference

  Information About the Breed

  Bhe-Jei Maltese Site