Inuneko

The match-book of dogs, kept honestly

Maltese

An ancient white-coated lapdog pampered by Mediterranean nobility for millennia — the register's line on the Maltese. The pampering, at least, is still part of the arrangement.

The temperament sheet

Energy is rated low: short outings and a warm lap cover the exercise question, and nobody involved will complain. Company is the real requirement — tolerance for being left alone is rated poor. This is a breed whose one-line entry mentions millennia of pampering, and it sees no reason for the arrangement to lapse now.

With children the rating is needs-supervision, which reflects a tiny frame more than any fault of temperament: the table simply wants an adult in the room. First-time owners get a yes, and space is marked flat-ok.

The practical side

The coat is the commitment. Grooming is rated high — the white coat stays white and untangled only with genuinely regular work — while shedding, in fair exchange, is rated low. Barking is rated vocal: a small voice, used freely, and worth weighing honestly if you live behind thin walls.

Before you decide

The rule of the house still applies: individual dogs outrank their breed sheet, and meeting the dog outranks everything.