Everything You Need to Know About Maltese Dogs

Maltese dogs are small dogs that love to have fun. If you have thought about getting one, there are certain things you need to know in order to care for it properly. This article will share with you everything you need to know about Maltese dogs.

Appearance

Maltese dogs can be recognized by their long, silky white hair covering their whole body. Although uncommon, some dogs have hair that is curly or woolly. Maltese dogs also have drop ears and a nose that can appear to change colors. Depending on exposure to sunlight, their nose can fade from the normal black color to become light brown or pink.

Training

Maltese dogs are highly intelligent animals. They are easily trained and can learn simple commands quite easily. Some dogs can prove to be difficult to house train, but this is usually rectified by using crate training. If your dog chews on your furniture often, you can try giving it chew toys or placing it in a crate whenever you are unable to supervise him.

Temperament

Maltese dogs are very gentle and obedient animals. They like to be held a lot, but do not like to be left by themselves for long periods of time. They are also very energetic and love to run around at top speed. Maltese dogs are known to be very protective of their owners and their family. You should be very careful about having your dog around small children as they can be injured easily due to their small size.

Care

Caring for Maltese dogs can be very time consuming. Their long hair needs to be brushed and combed at least every other day. These dogs do not generally shed any hair if they are cared for properly. You should also wash their faces every day and make sure it stays dry so that they don't develop tear stains on the hair near the eyes. Their ears need to be cleaned with cotton balls regularly and kept free of any hairs that grow inside. Maltese dogs should have their teeth brushed on a regular basis with canine toothpaste to prevent plaque buildup and tooth loss.