The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-29
LITTLE MALTESE DOG
GAINING POPULARITY
eldest Of Small Breeds Seen
With Greater Frequency
at Bench Shows.
DOUBT AS TO IT'S ORIGIN

animal. ana " can I've well slld tner'
are severai good ones Of the variety to
BE- found about New York and Phi,adel-
ptiS- The Maltese dogs are more gen.
~rai at the American shows than they are
~ those IN Great Britain. ana Of recent
years they have been highly typical
specimens In the pens and rings at the
leading ev .of this country.
The antiquity of the Maltese dog =
undoubtedly of great interest. and he
was much noticed by writer's OF old. II
Is generally thought that he originally
came from the island Of Meiti in the
Adriatic near Dalmata. There are
soma who contend that he originated in
Mcl'ta IN the Mediterranean. near Sicily,
now known as Malta. Rawdon Lee In
Modert Dogs considers tina; there is no
question whatever as to the Maltese be-
ing ~ far the oldest OF all toy dogs.
Two thousand years ago and more the
dainty creature was owned by the ladies
az Greece and Rome Many early writ
ers have mentioned these little dogs OF
Malta. Aristotle did. and he died S22
II. g. and the elder Callmachus, who was
almost his contemporary. likewise al
iudes to them.
Callmachus. who evidently paid con-
siderable attention to dogs and favored
them. says that the little dog here under
notice originally came from the Melita In
the Adrlatic. The most complete record
OF the early history OF the Maltese is TO
re found In the Natural History OF Ulysses
Aldrovandus. who died in 1901 Lee, in
referring TO his work. written in Latin. re-
marks that Aldrovandus says there wero
gwo varieties OF the Maltese dog, one OF
which was comparatively short in its coat,
the other long. and as he was unable 20
cay which was correct he gave iIlustr1-
tons Of each. Both are Identical, except
20 far as the coat Is concerned. that with
the longer Jacket being pretty much the
same dog as is found to-day. The second
IS the smaller of the two. and although by
10 means short coated It is not so long
IN hair as the other.
In the seventeenth century the best
co'ors were considered to be white and
red. At tho present time only white
colored ones are likely to be successful
in the ring. and even tinge Of lemon
often 10 be found about the ears will
place dog of this variety at great
disadvantage in competition. This lemon
tnge evidently comes from the reds in the
breed Of perhaps hundreds of years ago.
The value of these dogs was always
as the pets OF the rich. Adrovanus
says he saw one sold for $1,000. Lee
thinks this deal was made probably at
Bologna during the period OF Elizabeth
Of England. 1t is worthy of note that
at about this time DIR. John Caius, who
died in 1873 and who was one OF the
great authorities on dogs OF the day,
wrot, in reference to Maltese dogs: There
g., besides those which We have already
delivered. another Sc; Of gentle dcgges IN
this orr EuGlishe style, but exempted
from the order of residue. The dogges
Of this klude doth Callimachus call Nell.
tors, OF the Isetnd OF Melita. in the sea
or Sicily (Which at this DAY is named
Malta an island In decide famous and
renowned ." According TO the
NotmdISt's Library, the Maltese dog is
tho most ancient OF the small spaniel
races, being figured on Roman monuments
and mentioned by Strabo
1t was the evident desire OF the women
OF Old to keep their pet dogs small SO
puny did these little creatures become
that they became of little use for breed
ing purposes. They were fed on heated
foods and kept in confined spaces such as
canisters. Their prepared foods were OF
various kinds, but it is said that dried
liver spriukled with the pared fresh bark
OF the Wild fg tree was particularly
esteemed morsel by these pampered bits
of dog flesh. In feeding Maltese terriers
to-day a chopping machine has gener-
ally to he used TO prepare the meal for a
large kennel Of these dogs. 1t is further
said that queens OF old fed their Maltese
terriers with the choicest viands and these
were served to them out of golden vases
'onsidera bile care has to be used I'm
Keeping Maltese terriers. They have the
longest and most sllklike coats OF all dogs
But notwithstanding the delcacy OF this
hair II Is well preserved. as may be seen
from the dogs pNhhifpd fln hip
"vct's IN this city. Ono OF the best OF the
MalsNe dogs owned in New York or its
Pa ne.ghborhood is Champion Sweet Sir
az DyNer, the property Of Mrs. James
Gardner Rossman Of Brooklyn Sweet Sir
was bred by Mrs. Carl Baumann who re-
Gently sold him at very large price to
his present owner. Champion Sweet Sir
has -four champions on his slres side and
nine champions on his dams side. He be-
came e champion at thirteen months old
and was the youngest of his breed on
record 20 gain the title OF champion either
In America or In Europe
Sweet Sir is certainly a srlerdid apecI-
man OF his breed. and he is an ideal house
pct as well nm exhibition animal
Among the other owners OF Maltese dogs
who exhibit them are Mrs. Carl Bau-
mann. Mrs NJ koerin. Mrs, +. W. Mercer
Mrs. i. II. Cox. Mrs. Fred Seine. Mrs NJ
Finkciston, l.. Markendorf, Miss Doro-
thea Bolton, Mrs. Nicolai. Mrs l.. l.. Turn
er. Mrs Charles Eeclmann.> Mrs. William
Ward Macleod. nr. VI. Carey Corkhlll
Mrs Bcnjsmn ~. Throop Mrs. NJ @.
Quuckeubush, Francis S. Ely. Mrs H. \.
TarhsN Mrs. f. Desbarnes Miss Is y.
Newbold, Mrs, Edward H. Perrine, I'd
ward y. Tacohy. Miss Bertha u. Sinker
Miss Anna NJ clyde, Leonard s. Miller
Miss Is. Shining Mrs. G. s. Bates
Maltese terriers in America are ever 40
much better in quality at the present time
than they were twenty to thirty wears
ago. They are now more generally owned
and there can he little doubt that the
CLUB match shows now so greatly In
vogue have brought about more fro
auent entry OF Maltese terriers at the
smaller or every day or evening class OF
exhibitions
In general appearance the Maltese dog
r. r bright, sprightly and active one The
head should he much like that OF a drop
cared skye terrier miniature, but rather
shorter and thicker In muZzle. not mean
or sniNv. The ears moderately long, set
on rather low and covered with long
sllky hair mnrline with that on tho neck
and shoulder The eyes da * and piercing
bright and alert In expression. The nose
pure black and shiny
The shoulders slopiug and not too wide
The back short and COLBY, rather than
lanky In shape. The legs rather short
than long, with fine bone well feathercd
throughout logEiness Ia to he avoided .
i