Quote:
Originally Posted by Breezeaway  They were highly prized as ratters until they started showing them and they became the fashionable pet of the ladies of aristocracy and of wealthy families. |
That is true of the Maltese's ancestors, but by the time the Yorkie breed was being developed the Maltese had already been a lap dog for several hundred years. From:
About the Maltese Breed -- Maltese History and Origin
"Descended from a Spitz-like dog which was bred for hunting rodents in the marsh and wooded areas,"
but that was the Maltese's ancestors, and not the Maltese itself. In later times (and still a very long time ago):
"As civilization rose in Europe, references are seen to the tiny, white dog. An indirect reference by Aristotle about the Maltese clearly indicates its co-existence along with other varieties of dogs indigenous to Southern Europe. Aristotle refers to the small dogs as "Canis Melitae . . . of the tiny sort, being perfectly proportioned, not withstanding its very small rise." During these times, the Maltese was a favorite lap dog of fashionable men and women about town, being carried wherever their masters went. Roman women carried them in the sleeves of their garments, and took them to bed with them. "
They've been a lap dog for a long time. Not what I would want to introduce into breeding if I prized ratting instinct.
Can a Maltese hunt? Absolutely. Mine have all been wonderful at pointing, flushing, and retrieving, but they had / have absolutely NO kill in them. Maybe you can find a ratter among them here and there, but I would classify that dog as having an improper temperament for a Maltese.