# Maltese Hair Texture



## moshi melo (Jul 2, 2009)

I'm searching for the perfect pup for me and one of the breeders I've been speaking with told me that she "only has to brush her maybe once a week and she very rarely has any mats..."

I know the Maltese coat standard is supposed to be "silky" but does that mean it tangles/mats less? Is this a good quality that the coat doesn't mat or is it a sign that the hair is courser and not "silky" like the standard states? 

Kris


----------



## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

Most, if not all coats mat if not brushed thoroughly every few days (some everyday), especially if you put clothing,
harnesses or collars on them. It's fairly easy to make it your daily ritual. If you start the grooming at 12 weeks
they get used to it and make your job easier as they get older. A good pin brush and light conditioning spray are
usually used.


----------



## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

QUOTE (Cosy @ Jul 8 2009, 12:25 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=802674


> Most, if not all coats mat if not brushed thoroughly every few days (some everyday), especially if you put clothing,
> harnesses or collars on them. It's fairly easy to make it your daily ritual. If you start the grooming at 12 weeks
> they get used to it and make your job easier as they get older. A good pin brush and light conditioning spray are
> usually used.[/B]


 :goodpost:


----------



## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

For a pet maltese, I wouldn't worry too much about the coat texture. If an experienced breeder says a puppy has a good coat, I would trust that. Even if a puppy has a silk coat, there are a ton of different variations of a silk coat, some mat more than others. I think the comment you posted was just letting you know that it was an easier care coat and not a coat that will be a challenge to maintain. Not that it was an inccorrect coat. I have some silk coats that are industructable (well almost) and others that are more fine and require a lot more work but they are all within the standard. 

If I was looking for a show dog, a coat would be a lot more important consideration but in a maltese that is being placed as a pet, as long as it's not a curly, cottony coat, I wouldn't read too much into it. 

Coarse coats mat also, btw. Every coat is different and a lot depends on how the coat is taken care of. Hope that helps!


----------



## mi_ku_5 (Jun 2, 2008)

Cottony coats do mat more, but long hair always equalls more brushing. So many people don't understand that non-shedding usually means lots of grooming. Even hairless breeds require special skin care. The key piece of info here is what length the breeder's dog's are kept in. If they're all in short pet clips, then of course they don't need to be brushed often.


----------



## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

You have gotten excellent answers. There are just about as many different coats as there are Maltese, is my feeling at this point. My first Malt born in 1992 from a backyard or hobby breeder, had a perfect coat in my experience. Fine, straight and flat and with average brushing never had a mat. (but my dogs *are* naked  , clothes make mats) My extremely well bred Shoni has a heavy thick, almost double, coat. It is straight, but so thick it is hard to handle if it is more than 2-3 inches long, which as a pet is O.K. The vets love it--they think it shows how healthy he is---but I don't like having to brush it out if it is long. He hasn't had a mat, but I am keeping it fairly short and he gets brushed every day. I think he was the only one in his litter with a thick heavy coat.

When Shoni was a 7 wk. old puppy, the first pic I saw of him, he was prettier than the others because he had such a luxurious looking coat. So if I was looking for a pup now I wouldn't look for the thickest luxurious-looking coated puppy, I would look for a finer, thinner looking coat and hope it would turn out to be easier. Of course I'm not a breeder and haven't had the opportunity of closely watching a lot of puppies mature. That is just my observation. I'm hoping some of the breeders can comment on it. I hear people talking about "coat change" during puppyhood, and I know there are no guarantees. :blush:


----------

