# any anecdotes as to how smart Maltese are?



## fifi (Jan 26, 2006)

One of my friends came over to visit, and started proclaiming how "lap dogs" are inintelligent, yappy, and have no real use. She is the proud owner of 2 border collies (which I do not really like, as they bite...), and always goes on about the wonderful work they do on the farm. What I am looking for is anecdotes about your malteses, examples of how useful they are , things they do that demonstrate their "logical reasoning" if I may say. By example, Fifi always runs to the tv when a dog barks in a show: then she runs behind the tv to check if he is hiding there...I want to prove my point the next time she visits with some of your stories, if I may...


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## zsazsasmom (Nov 1, 2004)

Well the next time your friend comes over I would just tell her that she is missing out on the most lovable, loyal precious breed out there!







But that is just my own opinion


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

I was just telling my 87 year old Grandmother all the things that Abbey knows how to do already & she's only a year old. She was so impressed with how smart Abbey is!! Abbey rings a bell when she wants to go out to potty, she knows when we have to leave in the morning & will go get in her crate as we are putting on our shoes, with no comment whatsoever from us, when I say night-night she also heads for her crate, she can dance, sit, lay, fetch, leave, & one of the cutest thing she does right now is when she can't find me she'll search in every room until she does!







At 9:00 pm, on the dot, she as to find me & begs until I put her on my lap, as she is getting sleepy!









I think maltese are some of the smartest dogs I've ever been around!!


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## Sylphide and Shrek's Mom (Dec 4, 2004)

Sylphide...

1. was one of the best in her agility class...even though she was the smallest and the youngest. The only ones better than her were the ones who were taking the series of classes over again after taking it at least once before. Maltese are good at agility, which requires both agility and brains. It's the thinking dog's sport!

2. instinctively knew that Ozzy was seriously depressed and grieving when April (our oldest dog, and Ozzy's lifelong companion - who passed away a year and a half ago) died, and was amazing in how she lovingly helped him through his grieving, by helping us understand what he needed (Ozzy wasn't good at communicating that), and encouraging him to come out of his shell.

3. understands A LOT of words, and basically understands everything we say, even in complex sentences.

4. Can count to ten. If I say sit and stay for ten, her body tenses when I am reaching ten, and she takes of as soon as I say: ten.

5. Learns a new trick pretty much instantly.

6. Talks to us. She has an extensive vocabulary and never hesitates to let us know what she's thinking









7. is almost human and just about one of the most intelligent dogs I have ever met.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

In additional to the tricks and routines that the others have mentioned, Sassy probably has a word recognition upwards of 300 words. I would venture to say that Maltese are at "least" as smart as Border Collies, in not smarter. I heard a report once that said little dogs are probably congnitively equivalent
to a 3 yr. old toddler.


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## Koa (Oct 11, 2005)

Koa is smart enough to bypass *every* barrier we've set up from the kitchen to the living room.

He also sings (barks) with my husband and I when we play the guitar and dances (stands on hind legs) with me when I dance around to some good tunes. 

He goes hiking with us in the rainforest and can manage steep parts of the trail better than my husband and I can! haha.

He has trained us so that if he brings a toy over to us, we will throw it for him.

Koa is a smart and agile little pup! Definitely not a lapdog. Anyway, I had always heard that Malteses are especially smart and trainable little dogs.



> In additional to the tricks and routines that the others have mentioned, Sassy probably has a word recognition upwards of 300 words. I would venture to say that Maltese are at "least" as smart as Border Collies, in not smarter. I heard a report once that said little dogs are probably congnitively equivalent
> to a 3 yr. old toddler.[/B]


300 words?! Wow. How long did it take to teach him that? And how? Koa isn't very good with training. Then again, maybe I am not very good at training...


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## Boobookit (Dec 3, 2005)

Hi There,

Well, lets see...first I want to agree that there are different breeds for different people and no one should ever insult a breed just because they feel it is not the right breed for them!! How rude is that??

Now lets see what Pacino has accomplished at 8 months of age......Besides the normal sit, stay, no (LOL) he dances when you ask him to, and if you ask him to walk he walks backwards and forwards with his arms outstretched upwards like a child asking to be picked up. He fetches, but if you ask him to catch something he runs as he is going out for the football pass (lol) and when he gets a ways from you he sits down and waits for you to throw it so he can catch it and bring it back to you.

If you ask him if he wants to go out he will run and sit by his leash and when you take him outside he runs to the grass but if you ask him if he wants to go for a ride he runs and sits by his leash and when we get outside he runs straingt for my SUV and barks for me to open the door so he can get in his car seat. So he knows the difference between walk and ride!!

He knows the difference between his toys..he knows the ball, the kong, the shark, the bone, etc.....If you ask him "who's that?" he runs to the door and cocks his head to listen to see if someone is there.....

The other night I picked up the can of doggie peanut butter that goes inside his kong and he got up and ran and brought me his Kong because he wanted me to fill it!! He KNEW that the peanut butter was for the kong!!

My point is, all of our furbabies are unique in their own way...maybe some know tricks, maybe some don't...doesn't mean that they are not smart animals.....any animal that can bring this much love and enjoyment into our homes are worth their weight in gold if you ask me even if they know no tricks!!!!!!

If your friend thinks that her border collies are smart because they do their job, remind her that, that is what they were bred to do, it should be in their blood.....they know how to do that by instinct. But tell her to teach it something out of the norm and then I might be impressed...tell her to teach them to stand on their heads and then just maybe I might be impressed!!

Marie & Pacino


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## cindysilver (May 15, 2005)

Jack is pretty smart sometimes when he wants to be, but he's also a little "slow" on occasion (e.g. falls off things when licking his bum near the edge, hehe







)

He knows all the places we go in the car and he can tell where we're going based on how I'm turning and how long we're in the car... he knows a LOT of words... he gets sad when I put on my shoes and get my backpack because he knows he can't come with me... etc! He's really smart about that sort of thing... 

(but i must say... not to make this thread wrong, at all, seriously ... Jack is a dummy head sometimes too!!







)


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I've had labs, maltese, border collies, and aussies. Maltese are incredibly smart dogs if they are not babied. I treat mine like dogs and they learn very quickly, pick up behaviors easily, etc. I've had wonderful obedience and agility Maltese as well as therapy dogs. 

However, they are not as inventive nor do they think things through quite like the border collies do. BCs are problem solvers as they were bred to be fairly independent workers. Maltese were not and to be honest, I find a very independent Maltese unappealing. Part of the charm is how intent they are to look to me for some guidance. 

BTW, any dog I start with clicker trainer instead of crossing over is more inventive and just seems smarter...I think this is because I'm asking them to think and giving them a positive outlet to use their intelligence.


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## TheButtercup (Mar 3, 2005)

the buttercup has one stroke of brilliance, and that's about it LOL. 

when a doorbell rings on tv, she runs to the door. YET...we've never lived anywhere that has had a doorbell, i've always had apartments with no doorbells. but somehow, she knows that "doorbell = door". 

she's not terribly bright, but she's pretty!

ann marie and the "hey! i heard that!" buttercup


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## malteseruby (Jan 27, 2006)

hi, My malt ruby has started getting her leash from the pantry after dinner and dragging it to the front door then turning around and looking at us. Is she saying its time for a walk. I think so. My sister has a 12yr malt called missy. she loves going for a drive in the car. They have recenty moved to a 5 acre property. Now missy gets out somehow and sits in the middle of the road. Twice she has been picked up and driven home. A free ride. Unfortunately some day the driver might not stop in time. These little dogs appear to be very very smart and thats why we love them so much. Bye for now


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I have been around all breeds of dogs, and I agree, Maltese are one of the smartest. They aren't _working _ dogs- they don't herd, they don't hunt- but they are smart. I don't get why your friend has to put you and your dog down to make her feel better about herself and her dogs? Doesn't sound like a very good friend to me! 

Wilson loves his Busy Buddy, the idea behind the Busy Buddy is that the dog has to chew on it to get it to release treats. Wilson quickly learned the lazy way to do it- he lays on the floor and flips it over with nose, and flips in back with a paw. The constant rolling action makes it twist so treats will fall out. He will do this until all the treats have fallen out! 

I play thinking games with Wilson. I hide a toy inside something that isn't easy to get into- and he figures out how to get the toy out. For example- he had stolen one of my new gardening gloves out of the shopping bag, so I stuck his favorite ball inside of it. He tried once to stick his nose inside, but that didn't work, he then figure out that if he stood on the fingers of the glove, and pulled the bump towards the opening it would come out! I know very few dogs who could do that! 

When he wants to take toys from upstairs to the basement, he stands at the top of the stairs and knocks the toy down the stairs by bumping it with his nose. 

It takes about 5 minutes to teach him a new trick. He knows; fetch, drop it, bring it here, go lay down (he goes to his bed), stay (we are working on extending the time period- we are up to about 3 minutes), shake (we can tell him to swtich andhe will switch paws), sit, lay down, dig, no dig, and many others!


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Maltese are very smart.If you teach them,they will learn.But who wants to teach their Malt to herd cattle or sheep?Boo knows lots of words & he knows all our family & friends by name.He can do tricks & follow commands.He's so smart that when I give him a Kong or treatball,he puts it right back in my hand & barks & growls until I get the treat out for him.After he eats the treat,he takes the kong in his mouth & puts it back in my hand & then tries to get me to put another treat inside so we can begin the process all over.So I would say,he's pretty smart at getting that treat out.







But Maltese don't really have to be smart,they are so cute & soft & cuddly & have the best kisses ever.Border Collies do have the reputation of being the smartest dog.


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

I have always been obsessive about keeping Ty's pee pad clean, apparently a bit too obsessive. As soon as he poops I scoop it up with a tissue and deposit it in the toilet and flush it. All of a sudden he started to poop in the bathroom, BY THE TOILET. I thought that he was "back sliding on his potty training" but then I realized he never peed there only pooped. He figured out that since the poop went in the toilet he'd "help" me by pooping by the toilet









I'd say that is pretty smart!!


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## izzysmom (Nov 6, 2005)

> I have always been obsessive about keeping Ty's pee pad clean, apparently a bit too obsessive. As soon as he poops I scoop it up with a tissue and deposit it in the toilet and flush it. All of a sudden he started to poop in the bathroom, BY THE TOILET. I thought that he was "back sliding on his potty training" but then I realized he never peed there only pooped. He figured out that since the poop went in the toilet he'd "help" me by pooping by the toilet
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HAHAHHA love it.


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## Kisses-4-Princess (Dec 4, 2005)

I've had my little girl for 4 days now and let me tell you what she does....

We keep her in a play pen which she hates, but we let her out to the family room to play after she pees or poops on her pee pad. She's catching on quick! She KNOWS that the way to get out is to go on her pee pad.

Today after playing for 30 mins, we put her back in her play pen so she can pee. She immediately goes to her pee pad, makes sure we are looking and squats for a few seconds.. of course we praise and let her back out for another 30 mins. ....I put her back in her play pen and she does the same thing.. right away!!! goes to her pee pad, squats and get all happy as if she just released. My bf and I just thought... gosh, she's SOOOO GOOOD! then we check where she squats and there is Nothing there! she knows that when she pees she gets let out so she just acts like she has. We caught her doing this 3 times already!!!
..... we've got a mischievious one on our hands. =), can't wait to see what she catches on to next!


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## HollyHobbie (Apr 12, 2005)

well Noel is still young and doesn't have that many "tricks" under her belt yet but I always take her "Barbberry" toy with us when we go in the car and I can get my burberry and shake my keys and she will run and find her Barkberry and the other day I switched purses and showed her the purse and shook my keys and she ran to her toy basket and was looking and looking and looking and I am like why is she looking for her handbag she already knocked it out and I honestly think she was looking for a pink one like i had. LOL...maybe not but i like to think so.

and her other "trick" our front doorbell has a ding dong sound and the back has a dong sound with no ding just one tone. I have a hard time figureing out which one i heard but Noel willhear it and run to the correct door. So now I just follow her. I think she learned it during christmas and all the packages I had ordered and hearing the front door bell so much lol.

But heck even if malts weren't smart the are the most adorable and I always say "it doesn't matter how good you are at the game its How CUTE you look playing it"


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## Carol Ann (Dec 5, 2004)

We had a boat, and every Sunday last year, we'd go out on the Puget Sound (hubby, Beastie and me). We always put a special doggie PFD - personal flotation device, or life vest - on Beastie, without fail (you can see Beastie wearing it in the siggy photos). Well, one Sunday we decided to stay home and not go out on the boat. At precisely the time we always left the house for the boat, Beastie kept "talking" to us and whining. We continued sitting at the breakfast table talking and relaxing. A few minutes later, Beastie left, went to the utility room, dug out his PFD and came back to the table with it hanging from his mouth. He dropped it at our feet, and just stared up at us.


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## kab (Apr 11, 2005)

Sugar is another smart one if I do say so myself. She loves to go with me and waits by the door to see what I will say. If I say, "You get to go", she gets all excited. If I say, "You have to stay here," she turns around and gets on her bed..........with a very sad face I might add. She won the recall contest over 20 other puppies when she was in puppy class at 7 months old. It might have had something to do with the cheerios I was holding at the other end of the gym.







She knows all the other basic commands and can shake, but is stubborn sometimes with the COME. I can just tell she understands by the way she looks at me with her beautiful brown eyes. I love her.


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## lynda (Oct 11, 2005)

This past week I baby sat for my girlfriends Malt, Maya, along with my own two. Because Maya is just a baby, 4 months old and not familiar with my house I decided to pen off my kitchen and keep them all in there. Well, I have a gate between the living room and the kitchen and all three were in the kitchen. My husband had gone out to get a pizza and because I put my back out I was in the living room on the heating pad. I suddenly saw out of the corner of my eye one of the fluff butts go by me, Maya. I couldn't figure out how she got in the living room from the gated kitchen. I put her back in the kitchen and watched her. I have an open stair case between the two rooms. She climbed the stairs and jumped through the posts on the staircase. She is definately a problem solver, that one. Not sure if that is good or bad.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

> This past week I baby sat for my girlfriends Malt, Maya, along with my own two. Because Maya is just a baby, 4 months old and not familiar with my house I decided to pen off my kitchen and keep them all in there. Well, I have a gate between the living room and the kitchen and all three were in the kitchen. My husband had gone out to get a pizza and because I put my back out I was in the living room on the heating pad. I suddenly saw out of the corner of my eye one of the fluff butts go by me, Maya. I couldn't figure out how she got in the living room from the gated kitchen. I put her back in the kitchen and watched her. I have an open stair case between the two rooms. She climbed the stairs and jumped through the posts on the staircase. She is definately a problem solver, that one. Not sure if that is good or bad.
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LOL!







Sounds like a lot of fun over your house! hehe.. man do you have your hands full


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)

I just thought of another thing that Toby does...When I come home, he gets so excited to see me that he starts nipping at my pant legs. Usually, I am walking and dragging him while he holds onto my pant leg! I can't tell you how much I love that! LOL 

That isn't the super cute thing he does though...So while he is grabbing at my pant leg, he has also learned to untie my gym shoes! It is the cutest thing ever! I walk in the door, he grabs my pant leg and then lunges for my shoes and unties them! 

Hmmmm...sounds like I need to capture this on video!


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## LMJ (Feb 16, 2006)

If I ask Jeffery where someone is by name, he will look for each person in a different place. Example, my daughter is always on the computer so he will go look for her in there, then he will go to her bedroom door if she is not in sight when I ask. 

If I ask him where my fiance is, he will look on the recliner in the living room.

Jeffery also knows the difference between all his toys by name. If I say go get your ball, he will go get the ball. When I just say go get a toy, he comes back with whatever he chooses.

Jeffery rings a bell when he wants to go outside either just to enjoy being out or to potty.

If we are out in the back yard and I say, "lets go check the mail", he runs to the mail box.

I could go on and on. They may not be bred to do specific jobs, such as herd cattle or pull a snow sled, but they are very intelligent dogs and your friend doesn't have a clue what she's talking about and/or missing out on.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Yes, these little guys are so smart… Kallie and Catcher are so very different. Kallie is extremely shrewd and is always a step ahead of me! This morning she did the cutest thing…. 

Normally I make up the bed as soon as I get up and before I leave the bedroom. Today I didn’t do that; I went to the kitchen right away as I needed to check my emails for something I was expecting. Both K & C were in the kitchen with me and then I headed back to the bedroom for my regular routine. Catcher followed me but I didn’t see Kallie and couldn’t imagine where she was. She must have left the kitchen without my noticing. I called for her and she didn’t come. 

So, then I entered the bedroom and there she was laying right in “my spot” in the bed waiting for me. And she had “that” look as if she were saying, “I knew you’d be back in here.” If the bed had been made, she never would have done that… but she knew that things weren’t going as usual and she knew I’d be back in that room to make up the bed. 

Granted, why didn’t she just stay with me in the kitchen…. But that is her shrewdness….she didn’t want to take any chances that I might leave her in the kitchen (never have) or whatever… she wanted to be where she knew I was going next, not necessarily where I was right then.


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## ddsumm (Jan 26, 2006)

Gee I wouldnt know where to start with Chloe. She is so clever in the things she does. Have a look at my post, under picture post :chloe opening her cupboard door to get treats..

She understands the all the commands i.e. sit, stay etc. I taught her high paw (not high five) and when I say that she plants her butt on the floor, sits straight up, her back ram rod straight and then puts the paw high into the air, like high 5 but we call it high paw. if I say high five, she just looks at me. High Paw, then its ok.

If I say, show me what you want, she runs into the kitchen, to her cupboard then opens the door, pulls the treat packet out, shakes it, until a treat pops out.

If I say, make like a kangeroo (because we live in australia) she sits on her butt, then jumps up in the air and then jumps forward on her hind legsmaking like the hopping motion of a kangeroo.

If I say, give me the paws, she sits and then slaps both my hands with her front paws.

She sits on the sofa and watches tv. If I block her face, she moves so that she can see.

If a dog or cat come onto the telly, she jumps down and lunges at the tv and barks as if to say "i got it covered mommy'

If I tell her to give me the paw, she sits, and then gives me the paw, But when I say, no the other one please, she swaps paws

I tell her rolly poly over. She drops down and rolls over and over.

If I tell her to 'splat' she sits up and then drops forward with her paws in the air and then flat on her tummy.

If the doorbell rings on tv, she looks at me, jumps down of the sofa and then runs at the tv barking, as if to say, doorbell mommy.


When malt daddy comes home from work, Chloe sits by the back door, I tell her to wait until daddy stops the car, then she runs down the steps and to daddy and takes the mail from him and carries it indoors.

My neighbor keeps the local paper for me and when shes finished with it, leaves it on the wall between our two properties, Chloe sees it, comes to tell me and then I open the gate and she runs down the driveway, grabs the paper (its about 20 pages thick) and then trots indoors with it and gets a treat for that also.

Gee I could go on and on, but I will let others tell you there stories.

Oh by the way, all the above Chloe learnt in her first 8 months! So if that aint clever, then what is.

Mind you, she does have her 'deaf moments' lol. like when 'I got a really good smell here of puddy cats and I aint coming indoors yet, be there when Im ready'!! LOL

They are very quick learners.

Over to you guys for more fun and enterainment please


Dede and the very clever Miss Chloe from down under


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Omg Chloe sounds just so clever, what a little smartie girl she is
















Scooby is just too smart for our own good and we can't put anything over his quick little mind. We have had to resort to spelling when talking about things in front of him, like going somewhere especially because he knows and gets all excited and thinks he is going too. The minute we start to change our clothes or put some shoes on etc. he is running from one to the other with that please take me too look on his little face.
I am sure he has a built in alarm clock because he knows exactly the times he has his dinner, goes out potty before bed time and at 10pm on the dot he is up on our bed waiting for us. 
When his groomer calls the day before his appointment he gets so excited when we tell him it was her and of course he loves her to bits too. If we happen to be out driving and we go past her salon he knows exactly where it is and he gets all silly and yells out a hello to her from the back window of the car, so cute.
If we tell him to say g'day to someone he will woof to them, he says please for his treats, and he knows if he eats all his dinner up and cleans his plate he gets a little liver treat so he just goes to the cupboard and sits there and woofs for me to get it for him.
I could go on and on about how smart Scooby is but let's face it they are all very smart each and every one of them, and I know it's because we love them so much and spend so much time with them.


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