Breed Priorities – The Maltese

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242 – September, 2021

By Nikki Riggsbee

The Maltese is a very old breed, documented as ex- isting in ancient Greek and Roman literature. It originated in and derives its breed name from Malta, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered to be a part of the Bichon family of dogs which also includes the Bichon Frise, Bolognese, Bolonka, Coton de Tulear, Havanese, and Löwchen.

The Maltese was recognized by AKC in 1888. It is known for its silky white coat, although other colors were allowed at other times in other countries, and his expression punctuated with very dark eyes and a black nose.

­ We found forty-six breeder-judges, mentors, and other breed experts to invite to take a survey on their breed’s priorities when evaluating as breeding stock. Twenty-six agreed to participate in this project. Twenty-one surveys were received, mostly completed and many with additional commentary. The experts have been in the breed almost forty years on average. Those who judge have been doing so for an average of nearly twenty-two years.

Maltese Virtues

The survey included a list of sixteen characteristics taken from the AKC Maltese breed standard. The experts prioritized them from most to least important. Below is the list, in order, by the average of the experts’ ranks, with one being the most important.

1. Back level

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242 – September, 2021

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