The M altese Bichon is a calm, attentive, affectionate and intelligent dog, extremely popular around the world as a companion animal due to its affable temperament and small size. The International Cinological Federation (FCI) recognizes the M altese Bichon as a single breed, without variants, and includes it in group 9, corresponding to companion dogs. This means that the European, American and Korean M altese are exactly the same breedThe one called European is the original, since we know that the M altese Bichon comes from the countries of the central Mediterranean basin, while the American and the Korean correspond to breeding lines that emerged later with the aim of highlighting some specific quality of the m altese bichon.
If you are thinking of expanding the family with a dog of this breed, in this article on our site we will show you the main physical and behavioral differencesthat exist between the three existing lines of M altese Bichons: European, American and Korean.
Characteristics of the European M altese dog
The European M altese is the oldest and developed in the fishing ports of the countries that make up the central Mediterranean basin, where It was very useful to combat pests of rats and mice. Over time, this little dog gained popularity and began to be crossed with other breeds to obtain smaller and smaller specimens. From these crosses many different M altese variants emerged, of various sizes, coats and colors, but finally the FCI recognized the M altese Bichon as a single breed in 1954 and in its latest standard, published in 1989, it specifies that only the color pure white it is desirable and accepted, so the other variants were disappearing.
Physical Characteristics
The European M altese Bichon is a small dog, its average weight is between three and six kilos, although it can vary depending of the individual, and its height is about 30 centimeters at the withers. Its body is slightly longer than it is tall and its tail is characterized by being wide at the base and thin at the end, forming a curve covered with soft and long hair. A black nose and large, dark, round eyes stand out on its friendly white face, giving it a sweet and attentive expression. His ears are triangular in shape and fall gently on either side of his skull.
Without a doubt, the most distinctive feature of the European M altese is its very long pure white or pale ivory coat. Its silky and completely straight hair falls on both sides of its trunk, covering its extremities and reaching to touch the ground. On his face, long whiskers are formed that join with the hair that comes out of his skull and falls over his ears. This coat requires a lot of care, including daily brushing to remove dirt and prevent the formation of knots. Many guardians choose to trim the M altese's hair so they don't have to spend so much time caring for it. This is a good option as long as enough hair is left and in no case the animal is shaved, as this could cause physical and behavioral he alth problems.
Behavioral Characteristics
This small breed is very popular as a pet and with good reason, it is a calm dog at home, very versatile and cheerful, attached to his guardians and hardly shows aggressive behavior towards other dogs or people. As with all breeds, it is essential to pay special attention to their education and socialization during the puppy stage. Getting the M altese puppy used to the presence of other animals, children, vehicles, sounds, etc., and ensuring that they have positive experiences with all of them will help us prevent possible behavior problems in the future.
The European M altese Bichon is a playful and very intelligent dog that always enjoys learning new commands and skills through play and positive reinforcement, so it is advisable to carry out small training sessions with him regularly. frequent and provide quality environmental stimulation to prevent boredom or stress, especially when home alone.
Characteristics of the American M altese
The American M altese is a specific breeding line born with the desire to create a "toy" or "mini" version from traditional or European M altese. Thus, the main difference between the European and American M altese is size.
The American Kennel Club (AKC), the institution in charge of drawing up breed standards and registering pedigrees in the United States, collects the main characteristics of the American M altese Bichon since this line was recognized late 19th century.
Physical Characteristics
Although as a puppy it is quite difficult to distinguish the American M altese from the European, when they complete their physical development, differences in size and weight are clearly observed. The American M altese is a miniature version of the already small European M altese, because, while the specimens of the traditional line can reach five or six kilos in weight, the American M altese rarely reach three kilos in adulthood. Its legs are shorter and its body more compact, being practically as tall as it is long, unlike Europeans. One of its main distinctive features can be found in its face, since the American M altese has a considerably shorter snout and larger eyes, which gives it a childish.
On the other hand, the coat of the American M altese is also pure white, long and smooth, but considerably denser, since it can even double the amount of hair that the European M altese has.
Behavioral Characteristics
With regard to temperament, the American M altese is practically the same as the European, since the main objective when it comes to creating this line was to obtain different specimens aesthetically, but not behaviorally.
Despite its small size, the American M altese is a very brave and protective dog with its family, which is used to barking to warn of the presence of any stimulus that it considers an intruder. Unfortunately, many guardians tend to overprotect these dogs, considering them fragile and vulnerable due to their small size. As a consequence of this lack of autonomy and socialization, the M altese can develop behavioral problems related to fear and insecurity. For this reason, it is important to educate them from puppies, allowing them to interact, explore the environment freely and meet their physical and emotional needs so that they can develop and show their natural temperament affable, trusting and playful
Korean M altese Characteristics
The Korean M altese was the last line to appear It emerged in Korea with an aesthetic purpose similar to that sought by the Americans and little time later it began to be exported to the United States, where some breeders crossed them with the American M altese bichon.
Physical Characteristics
The Korean M altese is practically identical to the American , so it has the same differences as the latter with respect to the traditional or European M altese Bichon. This Asian line has tried to further accentuate the features of the American M altese to create an even smaller dog with a cuddly appearance. This is why many know the Korean bichon as a "micro dog", even smaller than the "toy" or "mini".
The adult Korean M altese is around two and a half kilos in weight, its head is somewhat rounder than that of the specimens of other lines and his eyes are very large in proportion to the rest of his body. In addition, these show off an intense black color, like their nose, which makes them stand out a lot on their small face. Its limbs, ears and tail are short and its fur, just as white and soft as that of its European and American variants, is, if possible, even more luxuriant and dense.
Another difference between the European, American and Korean M altese lies in the size of the litters. American and, above all, Korean M altese females are very small, weighing only about two kilograms. This means that they cannot gestate many offspring and only give birth to two or three puppies at each birth. However, female European M altese can have up to eight pups.
Behavioral Characteristics
The Korean M altese runs the same risk as its congeners from other lines of being overprotected by their guardians, but if the puppies remain with their mother for a minimum of eight weeks and are socialized and educated correctly, Korean M altese are tremendously sociable, lively, playful and affectionate They tend to feel very attached to their guardians, so it is advisable to teach them from an early age to tolerate loneliness and encourage their autonomy through interactive and intelligence toys.
Young M altese are very active and tend to get bored easily, so they require daily mental stimulation and quality time with their tutors, either through positive coaching sessions or sharing together moments of relaxation and caresses. Being such small and homely dogs, they do not need much physical exercise, but they do need to go for a walk at least three times a day to explore the environment, socialize and relieve themselves.
