Pastimes
I walk two different Malteses on a regular basis. They are two very different dogs, except in appearance. One is an older female with boundless energy and enthusiasm for life and myriad health problems (She has liver and heart problems that developed in her old age.), and the other is a rescued mill male who is skittish and timid and craves attention in the form of snuggles and kisses. Both do very well in their kennels during the day when the owner is working. The female is in a regular kennel and goes in there regularly to take a break from the world (hoping for a treat). The male is in a gated-off bathroom during the day, and does well in there with his bed and toys, but he wears a belly band to catch and potty mistakes. When I arrive the female runs in circles, she’s so excited to go out! She tries to stop long enough for me to put her harness on, but if I take too long, she’ll start running in circles around me again. The male, on the other hand, crouches down in total submission as I leash him up. He is glad to see me, but he wishes I would just sit with him on the couch for some snuggle time. Once we get out the door, the female forgets I exist and happily sniffs every tree, bush, ...blade of grass, enthusiastically exploring the world around her. If I reach down to pet her, she tolerates it, but I can practically feel her shrug it off in disinterest. The male on the other hand, trails slowly behind, constantly looking up to me, begging me to crouch down and pet him, which I try to do every time his sister stops. If we pass another dog, the female does her best to remind it that she is the boss. She’ll bark at anything, regardless of its size. Her brother will crouch low, preferably behind a tree, and hope to not be noticed. As we turn to go back home, the male will pick up the pace. As far as he sees it, home is the happy place, the place where he gets snuggles and love, and time on the couch with his owner by the fire. What I’ve learned from these two is that Malteses can have different energy levels, but all of them love to be loved. And treats.
1 year, 11 months ago