Maltese

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Read Next

Bernese mountain dog laying on grass.

Are Dogs Really Color-Blind?

Dog bingo. Guess the dog breed.

Britannica’s Dog Bingo

Portrait of a mountain gorilla at a short distance. gorilla close up portrait.The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)

Falling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species

cat. orange and white persian cat with long hair, snarl, growl, teeth

7 Questions About Mammals Answered

Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.

9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals

Discover

Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

Computer mapping, woman at early 1990s computer

Timeline of the 1990s

An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.

11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Black widow spider

9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders

New Zealand. Political/Physical map. Includes locator.

Where Is “Old Zealand”?

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Polar bear leaping among ice floes at Spitsbergen, Svalbard archipelago, Norway, the Arctic. Sea ice climate change mammal jump global warming

All 81 References in Fall Out Boy’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Maltese: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Ancient Dogge of Malta • Maltese Lion Dog • Roman Ladies’ Dog

Photos

See All Images and Interactives →

Topics

teacup dog toy dog Shih Tzu Miniature Pinscher Chihuahua dog Pekingese Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Yorkshire Terrier dog Papillon Pug Pomeranian English toy spaniel

Quiz

Lion (panthera leo)

Deadliest Animals Quiz

vulture. An adult bearded vulture at a raptor recovery center. The Gypaetus barbatus also known as the Lammergeier or Lammergeyer, is a bird of prey and considered an Old World vulture.

Animal Factoids

Various retriever dog breeds sitting in a row. L-R: curly coated retriever, golden retriever, Labrador retriever, duck tolling retriever, flat coated retriever. hunting sporting dogs

The Dog Breed Quiz

Dog playing and chasing ball. (pet; canine; domestic animal)

Dogs Quiz

Bulldog; dog

Best In Show

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Shiba inu. A young Shiba inu dog called an Ebi a spitz breed dog from Japan. Similar in appearance to the Akita dog. Canine, Purebred

Dog Fun Facts Quiz

Demystified

Bernese mountain dog laying on grass.

Are Dogs Really Color-Blind?