Finding a Pure Bred Maltese

My household is deciding on whether or not to make an addition to our family by adding a Maltese puppy. Currently we have three small dogs, a Senegal parrot, and a guinea pig. It will take a while to make any decision but in the mean time I’ve noticed how many people are selling mixed breed dogs for sale on kijiji trying to pass them off as pure bred.

So, with all the different mixes, how can we tell one is pure bred? Well there are a few things to consider.

Muzzle:

Bichon Frise and Maltese are two very similar breeds. As puppies, they are almost identical. A rule of thumb with these breeds is that a Bichon Frise will be three parts muzzle to five parts skull. A muzzle of this size on a Maltese would not only look wrong, but would not fit the breed standard.

Coat:

Another thing to look at is the coat. The texture can also give you a clue as to whether the dog is purebred Maltese, or a mix, or maybe a Bichon Frise in disguise. A Maltese should have silky fur without kink or curl. The coat as I said should be silky, and not wiry. Bichon’s are know to have a wiry feel to their coat. Any sign of kinkiness, curl, or wooliness is a sign that the dog is not a pure bred Maltese.

All in all, even a very well mixed dog can seem to be pure bred. The only guarantee is to get a puppy or dog that is registered to your local kennel club as a Maltese. This is a sure way to know that your dog or puppy is most likely a pure bred Maltese.

Happy hunting!