An adorable ball of fur, the Maltese has a lot going for him. Amaze your friends with

these interesting facts about the popular royal dog breed. Welcome to Animal Facts,

I'm Leroy and today we are discussing the much loved pup, the marvelous Maltese.

10. The  Maltese dog is the oldest of the toy breeds and has been around for more than 28 centuries.

They originated on the Island of Malta and when the little dogs were brought back to

England by the early crusaders, they became the little darlings of Britain's royal women.

 The Maltese made its first American appearance at a Westminster Kennel Club show in 1877,

called a Maltese Lion Dog. It currently enjoys being one of the more popular toy breeds.

9. A Maltese may be small, but he's not all fluff. These little dogs only weigh between

4 and 7 pounds (1.8 to 3.2 kilograms), but their sprightly prance, keen attention to

their surroundings, affectionate personalities and devotion to their humans will make them

a huge part of their owners' lives.

8. According to the American Kennel Club, Egyptian artifacts of Maltese (or Maltese-like)

dogs have been found, which means ancient Egyptians may have worshiped the breed. Greek

pottery dating from 5 A.D. shows  images of  small, long-haired dogs like the Maltese,

and according to the 18th century religious scholar Carolus Maria DuVeil, ancient Greek

writings by historians like Strabo mention small, pretty dogs known as "Catelli”

7. There's no doubt that part of the Maltese's allure is its beautiful white hair - not to

be confused with fur. Like human hair, the Maltese's white locks grow and occasionally

fall out -- they don't shed like most dogs. According to the AKC, no breed is guaranteed

to be hypoallergenic, but the Maltese won't bother some allergy sufferers. The dogs were

specially bred by Roman emperors to have that white coat we know today. The color white was

sacred to the Romans, who wanted their pets to exhibit an air of divinity. 

6. Over the course of its existence, the breed has had a number of different monikers. Some

include comforter dog, Maltese lion dog, Maltese terrier, Melitaie dog, Roman ladies'

dog, shock dog, and the Spaniel gentle.

5. Maltese have profuse coats, meaning they need a lot of attention. To keep their fur

silky and white, they need to be brushed daily. Most non-show owners prefer to keep their

dogs in a puppy cut to avoid having to constantly groom them. 

4. Though they be but little, they can jump. They also seem to have no fear of gravity

and have no problem leaping out of your arms or off high ledges. So, let's try to

keep our fur babies off balconies.

3. Maltese make great therapy dogs because they’re loving and small, which means they

can cuddle right up to whomever they're trying to help. While any size dog can be a therapy

pet, small dogs in particular are well-suited for the job because they can be lifted into

beds if a person is immobile. They also can be held more easily than larger dogs. When

it comes to therapy dogs, temperament is most important. They should be friendly, gentle

and have a calm demeanor. They also should like to be petted and handled.

2. Some of the A-list celebs who have co-habited with a Maltese include Elvis, Marilyn Monroe,

Jane Fonda, Ellen de Generes, Jessica Simpson, Elizabeth Taylor. A Maltese dog by the name

of Lucky was authenticated by Guinness Book of Records as having been photographed with

the most celebrities – a whopping 363. To date, this mini pooch has sat on the laps

of Kim Kardashian, Kristin Stewart, Richard Branson, Bill Clinton, Hugh Grant…. and

counting.

1. Take Trouble, the Maltese worth $2 million. When real estate developer Leona Helmsley

died in 2007, she left $12 million to her pooch in her will. The government eventually

trimmed the inheritance down to a measly two million, Thanks Obama, but that didn’t stop

the dog from living it up until her death in 2011.

Well, there ya have it. A meager meshup of maltese memorabilia. What did we miss? Let

us all know in the comments below. As always, we welcome any suggestion on Animal related

topics, because we heart animals. If you do toom take a moment to like and subscribe.

And as always, catch ya next time.