Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

i have this adorable dog which is 1 1/2 yrs old, the people where we got her said she was a maltese but she doesnt really look like one. she has long white hair but when you brush it, it doesnt look long enough to be a malteses coat. she also has tan spots on her back and she weighs around 12-16 lbs and we read that malteses should weigh aroun 6-9 lbs and she seems quiet skinny to us, so we dont know quiet sure what breed is she. PLEEZ answer if you think you know what breed she might be!!

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

A picture would be helpful but judging from the description it is most likely a mutt. As long as you are happy with the dog breed should not matter.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

its hard to tell. you need to see the bone structure and how the dogs attitude is too. it is probably part maltese and part of something else. maybe shitzu

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

Perhaps you could send a picture of her? From what you described she sounds like a poodle to me.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

www.dogbreedinfo.com/abc.htm

that site should tell you and show you all you could ever want to know about dog breeds.. enjoy

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

Is there any change you can post a picture. It's easier to identify it that way. =D

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

Have you looked into her maybe being a Havanese, which is a mix of a Maltese and bigion.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

She could be a maltese mixed with either a cocker spaniel or an apricot poodle. I can't say for certain without actually seeing the dog, but by the size of your pup and her color spots, I'd say one of those two breeds.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

It may be a Lhasa Apso. Ask you vet.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

Posting a picture would be a lot of help. It could be a maltese part something else. It could also be half Bischon Frise. Theres also a dog called Coton de Tulear. Its a white dog sometimes with beige spots with fairly long hair.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

Do you have a picture of her? It would be easier to tell, if you post one.

Some dogs can be very poorly bred and not look exactly like the purebred show dogs in pics.

Also, she may not be 100 percent maltese. She may be a 3/4 maltese or even half maltese.

Maltese from good lines are usually snow white with no tan patches with really long silky coats. The 6-9 pound weight is ideal for a purebred maltese. If yours is not purebred, it may be a mix of a maltese and a bigger dog therefore the skinny feel even at 12-16 pounds.

Maltese poodle mixes are pretty common. So are maltese rat terrier combos. I've even seen a few maltese cocker spaniel combos.

Again, a pic would be very helpful.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

It is totally possible that your dog is actually a Maltese. Most Maltese will never get the coat you see on show dogs. It takes certain types of nutrition and coat care, as well as careful breeding. Also, it is harder for a girl to grow a full coat than a boy due to hormanal changes. If the spots on the coat are a light cream or lemon color, that also fits the Maltese standard. Breeders prefer a pure white coat, but lemon marks are sometimes seen. Finally, the large size may be due to poor breeding. If the people who bred the dog were not experienced, they may not have chosen proper representatives of the breed. So long as she is a sweet dog, it doesn't really matter at the end of the day!

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

When you look at information about purebred dogs, it usually gives the standard" the ideal and what is allowable in the show ring. That doesn't mean that your dog is not a purebred.

Some purebred dogs are larger or smaller than what is allowable, or there coat is different or they have colors or markings that are not allowed in show dogs.

The reason for this is that each breeder should try to improve the quality of the puppies compared to the parent dogs. There is a standard and an ideal for each breed. That is how breeds of dogs came to be so different,by breeding for a result. There are pups that are not "good" specimens for their breed, but they may have wonderful temperament and be the best pets.

Your dog may well be a Maltese, just one too big and with a different coat. If she's a good dog, I wouldn't worry about her breeding, unless you paid a lot and want to show or breed her.

I remember that some breeders would euthanize the puppies that didn't meet their expectations. Like Dalmatians born with yellow spots, puppies too large or other things that knowledgeable buyers would know were not within the breed standard.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

Sounds more like a Lhasa Apso or Shih Tzu (or at least Maltese mixed with one of these) to me; try going to google.com amd type in Maltese and/or Lhasa Apso and/or Shih Tzu, click on images and take a look at the photos of both breeds.

Perhaps momma was a Maltese and daddy was a Rolling Stone?

We have a couple of Lhasas that come in where I work and they are not pure white; they have irregular areas on them that are tannish or grayish, look almost like someone spilled something on them and couldn't quite get it out...

Perhaps momma was a Maltese and daddy was a Rolling Stone?

Were the people just making an educated guess as to breed, I mean was she from a shelter or something like that?

Or there's the possibility that she is just not "breed standard", the dogs we see at the doggie daycare where I work, are often larger than they technically should be.

The AKC website also has photos and descriptions of pure bred dogs:

http://search.akc.com/2187-Lhasa-Apso.ht...

http://search.akc.com/2199-Maltese.html

http://search.akc.com/2339-Shih-Tzu.html

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

Soudns almost like a cross between a mini poodle and a maltese.

Any dog experts out there that know their breeds???????????

probably a maltese cross with a shih tzu, or yorkie they are quite popular now

www.eurobichons.com

put a pic on the above named site and \i am sure one of our members can say within minutes