Maltese (dog)
dog breed in the toy group
The Maltese is a small dog that originated in Malta and brought around the Mediterranean. Phoenician traders may have brought precursors of this dog to Ancient Egypt. The tomb of Ramesses II contains statues of dogs, which resemble the Maltese. The name of the dog came from the island Malta. Maltese dogs are small, up to about 25 centimetres (9.8 in) in length, and 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) in weight.
