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Quick History of the
Maltese Maltese have always simplified elegance and beauty
and can be traced back many centuries.
Many believe that the Maltese originated on the isle of Malta in the
Mediterranean Sea. It is argued that the
Maltese actually originated in Asia. Dogs resembling the Maltese have been found
in writings and ancient drawings from as early as 5000-2000 B.C. The isle of Malta was a center of early trade
and explorers found ancestors of the Maltese left there as barter for
necessities and supplies.
References to the Maltese are made in early
European writings and were favorites of the Greeks and Romans. Ancient Europeans long believed that the
Maltese came from one of the islands off the coast of Sicily. Known then as Melita, geographers eventually
agreed to the name Malta. The Maltese is
one of few breeds to have retained its name from its known origin.
Maltese were favorites in the time of Queen
Elizabeth I but were imported into Britain during the reign of Henry VIII. Many Maltese in the U.S. can be traced back
to English imports and were first seen in the United States around the late
1800s. Maltese lines in the U.S. today
resulted from the importation of the breed from Great Britain, France, Canada,
Germany and Italy. Members of the breed
participated in early versions of the Westminister Kennel Club shows in the
1870s. Maltese first appeared in
registrations in 1888, when "Snips" and "Topsy" appeared in the studbooks.
In 1906, the first club for Maltese, the Maltese
Terrier Club of America was organized.
By 1917 the club was known as the National Maltese Club, which later
became the Maltese Dog Club of America.
In 1961, the Maltese Dog Club of America merged with the Maltese Fanciers
of America. These two organizations
formed the American Maltese Association.
One of the first tasks of the AMA was to ratify and submit to the
American Kennel Club a new standard for the Maltese. This standard was approved by the AKC in
1964 and is the standard still in use today.
As of recent the breed ranks in the top 15 of all
breeds with more than 12,000 Maltese registered annually. | 
