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General Appearance
Smart, white-coated dog, with proud head carriage.

Characteristics
Lively, intelligent, alert.

Temperament
Sweet-tempered.

Head and Skull
From stop to centre of skull (centre between forepart of ears) and stop to tip of nose, equally balanced. Stop well defined. Nose black. Muzzle broad, well filled under eye. Not snipey.

Eyes
Oval, not bulging, dark brown, black eye rims, with dark haloes.

Ears
Long, well feathered, hanging close to head; hair to mingle with coat at shoulders.

Mouth
Jaws strong, with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Teeth even.

Neck
Medium length.

Forequarters
Legs short and straight. Shoulders well sloped.

Body
Well balanced, essentially short and cobby. Good spring of rib, back level from withers to tail.

Hindquarters
Legs short, well angulated.

Feet
Round, pads black.

Tail
Feathered, carried well arched over back.

Gait/Movement
Straight and free-flowing, without weaving. Viewed from behind, legs should neither be too close nor too wide apart.

Coat
Good length, not impeding action, straight, of silky texture, never woolly. Never crimped and without woolly undercoat.

Colour
Pure white, but slight lemon markings permissible.

Size
Height not exceeding 25 cms (10 ins) from ground to withers.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - September 2000

Glossary of Canine Terms

Health Information

The Kennel Club operates health screening schemes with other organisations.  Some are clinical veterinary screening schemes and some are DNA screening schemes, which may be relevant to this breed.

The current health screening requirements and recommendations for Kennel Club Accredited Breeders of this breed show what is required and recommended for the sire and dam of any litter of this breed bred by an Accredited Breeder.

Breed specific summary results from the Purebred Dog Health Survey in 2004 are available.  Individual summaries are only available where the breed response rate was greater than 15%.

Recommended Reading

All the below publications are available to order from the Online Shop.

Kennel Club Breed Standards Kennel Club Breed Standards are available for most breeds indicating the qualities which competition judges normally take into account and the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve. The Breed Standards can be purchased by group.

The Kennel Club Illustrated Breed Standards Containing full descriptive standards for 192 breeds, as well as representation for the six Kennel Club recognised breeds that are currently without standards, this beautifully illustrated volume is a must for all dog enthusiasts. This third edition has been completely revised and updated by a panel of experts and incorporates the very latest standards for breeds in each group.

Breed Clubs and Societies

• MALTESE CLUB. Sec. Mrs C Hemsley. Tel No: 01276 857786
• MALTESE CLUB OF SCOTLAND. Sec. Mrs Grant. Tel No: 0131 666 1308

Date:

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Discover Dogs, Toy Group 

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