Teacup Maltese

The biggest question and concern when it comes to teacup dogs is 'are they healthy?' or 'do they have any health problems?'. The myths that swirl around teacup dogs are endless, always changing and morphing; some of them are true, while some are far from the truth. The health one - the which is the most important of all - is relatively true. By this I mean its true in the sense that all dogs can be born with health problems, and that it just depends on what kind of lineage the dog comes from, what kind of genetics it has, and what kind of upbringing it will have in those first few weeks. Other than those factors there isn't much of a difference between the health of a teacup dog and that of a normal dog.

But those factors do have an impact.

The majority of teacup dogs are bred by what is called inbreeding. This means that dogs that are very closely related will be bred together. To get a teacup dogs inbreeding occurs multiple times. The breeder will pick the runts of two litters and then breed them together; this is done in hopes that the new litter will feature even smaller dogs. This process is repeated continually until a litter is achieved that features teacup dogs.

Now let's return to the health factors. The main of it was that a dogs mother and father have the greatest effect on the health. So imagine if you take the runts of two litters - the runts are usually the weakest and have the greatest chance of developing health issues - and mate them together. Then you do it again. And again. Don't you think the resulting teacup litter will have a much greater chance to have health issues? The answer is yes.

This doesn't mean a lot of teacup dogs aren't healthy; it just means that you should be wary and do your research before buying a new puppy.

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Since the idea of having a dog the size of a teacup first unearthed itself, it has spread like wildfire. Suddenly everyone wants a mini beagle or a teacup Maltese; for some reason we feel the need to make everything extremely portable. And with this sudden fad there comes the risk that there will be a lot of fakes and deception. Take the teacup Pomeranian, for example. The dog already is of teacup size and therefore there is no such thing, yet people have been trying to sell teacup Pomeranian's all over the world. It doesn't mean some don't exist, like the teacup Beagle, or teacup Boston Terrier, but the majority of dogs haven't reached that level of tininess.

So, you're wondering, what about the teacup Maltese? Does it exist?

The Maltese breed is a very old European breed that first came about thousands of years ago. The origin is thought to the island of Matla or Sicily, and is very much of Roman nature. When the Roman empire was in full force, the Maltese breed was quickly spread across its borders of power, and thus was dispersed through all of Europe. They were so popular, and so accepted by the public, because they were - at the time - called a toy breed of dog. They were unusually small and were a great fit for many big families in the era.

See where I'm going with this?

Its seems in todays day and age, and with the interesting evolution of modern culture, that we like to name things differently then we once did. Shakespearean language is a thing of the past; now we focus on shortening the language and speaking in hidden code. So the term teacup? it just's a different word for mini, or toy, a new word to spice up what already is. The teacup Maltese is the prime example of that. It is, in actuality, just a toy Maltese that has been given a new name.

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By being in the category of toy dog, they are born very fragile and weak as puppies. They need to be nurtured longer than most dogs in order for them to become strong enough. This may mean in the first year to keep a closer eye on them, and feed them special dog food. Consult the breeder before purchasing on all special arrangements.

Now even though a teacup Maltese is just a toy Maltese, which is just a normal Maltese (I know, what a mouthful), doesn't mean a toy Maltese isn't a teacup Maltese.

Sorry, I'll try again.

What I'm trying to say is that if you were looking to buy a teacup Maltese and are hurt that they don't exist, don't worry. They do exist. Every Maltese in the world is, so to speak, a teacup Maltese. It fits the size requirements and even as the cute personality traits. If you want a small dog that is personable and a good companion then, yes, the Teacup - toy - Maltese is for you.

Here are some of its personality traits:

• Highly playful.
• Intelligent animals that are very teachable.
• Have a tendency to want to please their master.
• Trusting; won't run off on you.
• Can develop bad habits. If surrounded by humans at all times may develop the idea that it is a pack leader; then when they go and socialize with other dogs they may be unsocial.
• At times may bark in excessiveness.
• Need socialization and love; if left alone for a long time may become aggressive.
• Spirited animal that always will be willing to do something.

As long you train your Maltese effectively, with the right amount of balance, you should have no problems.

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