The Maltese Dog

A small breed of dog, with beautiful silky white hair that often comes down to the floor. Most pet owners keep the dog groomed with a puppy cut, which really makes them look cute.

Its name implies that it originated on the island of Malta, but where it originated from is still unknown. This is an ancient breed, going back to Greece around 500 B.C. Aristotle mentioned this breed in 370 B.C. when he referred to its Melitaei Catelli. It wasn’t officially called Maltese until the Kennel Club settled on the name in the 19th century.

Maltese are small, generally ranging between 4 to 7 pounds. In spite of their small size, they are gentle, fearless, brave and lively. They love to be with their masters/mistresses and want a lot of hugging and handling. They are very playful (watch out for your slippers. They love slippers, sneakers, shoes etc.), and want a lot of attention. Be prepared to be licked a lot.

They may bark as they are very protective of their home and family. They hear a noise and they are up and ready to defend their home.

Appearance
They have a slightly rounded head, with a black nose. They have a compact body with the length equaling the height. Their eyes are round and black. They have drop ears with long hair. They have an alert and intelligent expression.

Coat and Color
Maltese only come in white. There are some slight variations in the color, with some creme or lemon color appearing, but the basic color is white. They have a single coat of long silky hair, with no undercoat, so they do not shed. They should be brushed daily and groomed often to keep their hair from matting.

Size
They range in size from 3 to 7 pounds (1.4 to 3.2 kg). The American Kennel club prefers the weight to be between 4 to 6 pounds.

Dog Training Tips: Learn How to Turn Your Dog into a Well-Behaved Pet

Trained dogs are always fun to have around the house and in parks. When your dog is trained, you would not have to feel embarrassed if it goes barking loudly at a stranger who is actually a close acquaintance because trained dogs do not do that. Once you learn about effective dog training tips you will find it easier to manage your dog and would not suffer from chasing your dog when it runs around the park along with its leash. There are always professional dog trainers that could do the job for you but training your dog yourself builds more attachment and would make room for a closer relationship. Training your dog would mean more time spent together and more interaction. By the way you give your pet rewards whenever it performs the tricks the right way, you are able to establish a stronger connection that would not be broken easily. Training, indeed, if done the proper way, would turn any dog into a loyal guard to its master.

Most dog training tips are actually simple and you could execute them yourself even without having any background in professional dog training. The first thing you should teach your dog is the sit command. Since this trick is fairly simple, young puppies would be able to learn this quickly. By teaching this trick to your pet, you would be able to identify yourself as a master and make your pet understand that he or she should follow your commands.

The next trick you could teach your dog is socialization with other dogs and human strangers. This would help your dog become well-behaved. Remember that a well-behaved dog is not only adorable, a trained dog is also less likely to cause trouble in public places, therefore, making it possible for you to carry your pet around.

Another important thing in dog training is to teach your dog to walk at your pace when it is wearing a leash. You should not be dragged around by your dog because you are the master and your dog should walk according to your pace and not its own.

More effective dog training tips could be learned by reading books or by getting advice from dog experts.

Dog Training Tips for You

Dogs are not just useful in the household because of their guarding duties. In fact, some dogs could not even guard a house properly so you are only able to bear their presence because of their cuteness and playfulness. Trained dogs, especially, could be one hell of a companion because you could make them do things that dogs do not normally do. You could always hire professional dog trainers to teach your dogs tricks but you could also do it yourself. Here are a few dog training tips that would help you turn your dog into a fun entertainer at home.

The most important of all dog training tips is to keep the whole training positive. Nothing will come out of being negative so be sure to always praise and reward your dog or puppy whenever he or she does the tricks right. This form of positive reinforcement will surely encourage your pet to master the skills and please you in the process. Part of being positive in dog training is to never punish your pet if he or she makes mistakes. It could only make the dog afraid of you and as the punishing progresses, the dog would grow tired of the training. This would make your pet unwilling to learn no matter what kind of rewards you present to him or her.

Patience is also one of the keys in effective dog training. You may not always succeed in teaching your dog new tricks so if that happens, do not feel down because dogs have the ability of picking up the emotions of their masters.

Once you get a puppy it would be hard to refrain yourself from trying to teach it to do tricks but you have to keep in mind that you could not train a puppy that is younger than six weeks. There might be some breeds that could handle earlier training but it is best to start at six weeks and continue the training even when the dog matures. It is never too late to teach dogs new tricks because as they mature, they will have a stronger attachment to you and would have greater desire to please you.

You could get more dog training tips from pet owners who have been training their dogs for a long time.