Which Is The Oldest Of The European Toy Dog Breeds?

Without a doubt, the Maltese is the oldest European Toy dog breed. References to the Maltese have been made by Aristotle and Strabo, who indicated that the breed originated from the island of Melita or Malta. Later, John Cauis (1510 – 1573) called the breed Melite.

At that time, it would appear that the Maltese was not significantly different from what it is today. One of the earliest representation of the breed was in 1763 when Sir Joshua Reynolds painted the then leading beauty Nellie O'Brien with a typical Maltese resting on her lap.

It is believed the breed first come to Britain during the reign of Henry VIII, but reached its peak of popularity in the 1880s. Today, the breed is uncommon in this country. This is slightly surprising since the Maltese is an extraordinarily hardy little dog with a very strong resistance to cold thanks to its thick coat.

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