The Maltese is one of the oldest known pet dogs. Known as "Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta," the Maltese breed has a history that traces back at least 28 centuries! -- making this lively and playful companion an aristocrat of the canine world. Descended from a Spitz-like dog which was bred for hunting rodents in the marsh and wooded areas, art objects adorned with his image, pre-dating Christ, have survived to this day. Although the exact origins of the breed are still debated today, the fact remains that Darwin himself, the father of the theory of evolution, placed it at about 6,000 B.C. -- over 8,000 years ago!

Although there is some evidence that the breed originated in Asia, Maltese are generally associated with the Isle of Malta, a tiny island off the coast of Italy. The dogs probably made their way to Europe through the Middle East with the migration of the nomadic tribes. The Isle of Malta (or Melitae as it was known then) was a geographic center of early trade, and explorers undoubtedly found ancestors of the tiny, white dogs left there as barter for necessities and supplies. The ancient Europeans long held the belief that the small dogs came from one of the small islands off the coast of Sicily, and called them "Canis Melitae." The Maltese is one of the few known breeds to have retained its name from its origins.

As the Maltese was developed using miniature spaniel and poodle blood, and was primarily bred as a hunting dog, they were much larger in size than their present-day counterpart. When the smaller-sized Maltese began to gain ground in popularity, early breeders would often confine their breeding stock in pens too small for them to even turn around, so as to promote a smaller progeny.

Maltese were first imported into Britain during the reign of Henry VIII. They were certainly favorites in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, and were eagerly accepted by the British aristocracy. British Queens would serve the most choicest of foods from golden vessels to their Maltese pets. The cleanliness and dignified bearing of the modern-day Maltese stems from the fact that for centuries, they were the "lap dogs" of the people of culture and wealth.

By the middle of the 19th century, the breed was well established as a pet dog in Britain, and when dog shows began, the Maltese were featured among the early exhibits. Many of the Maltese in the U.S. today trace their heritage back to English imports. Maltese were first seen in the United States in the late 1800's, and were participants in the earliest versions of the Westminster Kennel Club shows in the 1870's. .

From relatively obscure beginnings, the long history of the Maltese has followed a storied path -- through prominence in the early cultures of Greece, Rome, and Egypt, through its station in the Royal houses of mainland Europe and Great Britain through the Renaissance, and into the present world, where it is known as "the aristocrat of the canine world."