sure - some maltese have very short muzzles, others have longer ones.
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They're just like people, everyone looks a bit different.
I had a puppy party at my house last week some of the non-malt people were having a hard time telling the malts apart from each other, but by the end of the day someone said how they all look different from each other.
They're all good. If you're looking for a certain look, it's your personal preference really.
I had a puppy party at my house last week some of the non-malt people were having a hard time telling the malts apart from each other, but by the end of the day someone said how they all look different from each other.
They're all good. If you're looking for a certain look, it's your personal preference really.
They sure do--have seen ones as short as a pekingese (ew, for a Malt, I mean), and as long as a dachshund's (weird.....again, for a Malt it's weird looking). Breed standard calls for medium length (and of course symmetry and balance with the skull size/shape is optimal).But since few of us are showing our marvelous pets, we love 'em regardless of individual characteristics that may or may not follow the standard in its precise specifications.Your baby is absolutely gorgeous!
She looks like she has a perfectly normal sized muzzle to me... Always amazed at the stupid things that come out of some people's mouths - they always seem to know it all, don't they? I've learned to just shrug it off and not try to engage/educate them because they never seem to really want to hear. I've heard so many different comments about what Gracie is even after telling them I would never know her breed for certain except she is 1/2 malt that it could fill a book - and they told me with certainty, as if they could possibly know
:blink: People are just nutz and like to hear themselves talk sometimes, I'm convinced of it! I think people get these little slang terms that get thrown around (babydoll face, teacup, etc) that aren't even breed standard terms and cling to them as if it imports them with special knowledge. I think that comment was pretty rude... Lucy is a beauty and I'm so happy you gave her a furever home!!!Hi Allie,
Yes, just like size of eye or length of back or leg or neck, there is length of muzzle. Our breed standard calls for a muzzle of medium length. So what the heck does that mean??? LOL! What our breed standard says throughout is that there should be harmony and balance. When I look at a dog (and I'm talking more about a show dog or show potential) I like to see a pleasant picture and not have my eyes drawn to any one feature. When I meet up with someone out in public with a Maltese I never look beyond the happy face and waggy tail. I would say that whoever made that comment to you doesn't really know Maltese very well because backyard breeders don't "own" the longer muzzle just like they don't own a cottony coat or broken pigment or anything else about the dog. God and genetics work in strange and mysterious ways. What I love most is seeing and hearing about the happy dog with the wonderful personality ... and so much of that is because of what's at the other end of the leash!
Excellent post. :thumbsup:Hi Allie,
Yes, just like size of eye or length of back or leg or neck, there is length of muzzle. Our breed standard calls for a muzzle of medium length. So what the heck does that mean??? LOL! What our breed standard says throughout is that there should be harmony and balance. When I look at a dog (and I'm talking more about a show dog or show potential) I like to see a pleasant picture and not have my eyes drawn to any one feature. When I meet up with someone out in public with a Maltese I never look beyond the happy face and waggy tail. I would say that whoever made that comment to you doesn't really know Maltese very well because backyard breeders don't "own" the longer muzzle just like they don't own a cottony coat or broken pigment or anything else about the dog. God and genetics work in strange and mysterious ways. What I love most is seeing and hearing about the happy dog with the wonderful personality ... and so much of that is because of what's at the other end of the leash!
Muzzle length seems to be such an odd obsession with so many people. I believe that most ethical show breeders do not obsess over it the same way that others do. A show breeder of much experience knows that it is just one feature that is part of the package on the whole dog. Some of the top winning Maltese in the show ring in recent years have had muzzles of rather significant length. Other top winning dogs have had muzzles much shorter than "moderate." In the end, what ethical breeders and quality judges are looking for is a whole package.
So as was pointed out here, anyone who thinks they can say a "long muzzle" = BYB, doesn't know much about show breeders.
:goodpost:Hi Allie,
Yes, just like size of eye or length of back or leg or neck, there is length of muzzle. Our breed standard calls for a muzzle of medium length. So what the heck does that mean??? LOL! What our breed standard says throughout is that there should be harmony and balance. When I look at a dog (and I'm talking more about a show dog or show potential) I like to see a pleasant picture and not have my eyes drawn to any one feature. When I meet up with someone out in public with a Maltese I never look beyond the happy face and waggy tail. I would say that whoever made that comment to you doesn't really know Maltese very well because backyard breeders don't "own" the longer muzzle just like they don't own a cottony coat or broken pigment or anything else about the dog. God and genetics work in strange and mysterious ways. What I love most is seeing and hearing about the happy dog with the wonderful personality ... and so much of that is because of what's at the other end of the leash!
:goodpost:
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