El Maltese Bichon It is one of the most popular dogs today, thanks to its affectionate character, its charming appearance and its dynamism. They enjoy exercise and the company of their owners a lot, and are generally in good health. In addition, there are many curiosities that surround this breed.
There are several theories about its origin, although it is known that the Maltese Bichon It is one of the oldest small breeds in the West. It is said that, around 6.000 BC, Emperor Tiberius Claudius had a dog of this species. In theory, it was the Romans who brought this animal to Asia; hence statues similar to this dog have been found in the tombs of some pharaohs. Later, in ancient Greece (XNUMXth century BC), Aristotle would make mention of the Bichon Maltese.
This can it was used to hunt rodents that sneaked into the ships and warehouses of the maritime cities. Although in the Middle Ages it began to be highly appreciated by the upper class, thanks to its appearance and its "medicinal powers", as it was believed that it relieved pain through its body heat.
It is thought that its name comes from the ancient Semitic term "Malat", which means "refuge" or "port", probably alluding to the function it fulfilled on ships. The name "Bichón" is later, and refers to the word "barbichón" with which the puppies of poodles or barbets were formerly called.
We usually hear about two different types of Maltese: the Toy and the Standard. It must be clarified that the Toy does not exist as a race, but some are smaller than others due to genetics, being many times this size intentionally created by breeders, through certain crosses. In these cases, their health is weaker, as they are at greater risk of low glucose.
As a last curiosity, it should be noted that this breed gained great popularity thanks to Maf, Marilyn Monroe's famous Bichon Maltese (short for Mafia Honey), given to her by Frank Sinatra in 1960.