Is It Bad for a Maltese to Have Yellow Spots?

The Maltese, which was once known as "Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta," is known to date back more than 2800 years. Publius, the Roman governor of Malta around the time of the Apostle Paul, owned a Maltese which was immortalized in a poem written by the poet Marcus Valerius Martialis. Publius had a portrait painted of his beloved dog, which was said to be hard to distinguish from the actual dog, it was so lifelike.

  1. The Maltese Coat

    • Maltese are small dogs with long, straight, all-white hair which grows continuously like human hair. Sometimes, a Maltese puppy has yellow or tan spots on the coat. The spots vary in size and location, but are most often on the ears. Some puppies have yellow spots on the ears and along their backs. These patches of yellow may be pronounced or almost unnoticeable, depending on the dog. It is common for the spots to fade and the coat to become solid white by the time the puppy is one year old, but this is not always the case.

    The Breed Standard

    • The confirmation ring is intended to judge those dogs which should be bred.

      The American Kennel Club lists the official standards for all breeds of dog accepted into their registry. The standard for the Maltese states that the coat be completely straight, with no waviness, and pure white. The light tan or yellow coloring is allowed on the ears, but is not desirable. This means that, although a dog with yellow spots on the ears will not be disqualified, it may be penalized, in the confirmation ring.

    Concerns

    • People who buy a Maltese puppy and then notice yellow spots on its ears or other parts of its body often worry that they were sold a mixed breed puppy instead of the pure breed they expected. Though unscrupulous breeders exist, the presence of yellow spots doesn't mean the dog is not purebred. No breeder can guarantee that any puppy will lose the yellow spots, so it's not necessarily a sign the breeder did anything wrong. There are no health or temperament problems associated with yellow spots on a Maltese; it is purely a preference in confirmation judging. A Maltese puppy that retains yellow or tan spots all its life can still be a great family pet.

    Considerations

    • Avoid worries about the quality of the puppy or its true heritage by researching breeders carefully and only doing business with a breeder/exhibitor who has a stellar reputation. A reputable breeder will have all possibilities and remedies set forth clearly before any money exchanges hands, and will keep meticulous records of all breeding and history on all her dogs. Yellow spots on a Maltese are not bad; they do not signify anything is wrong with the dog. However, the spots can cause a show dog to lose points.

      Note that Maltese have a tendency to have brownish stains under the eyes and around the mouth. These are stains from saliva and tears, and are not the same thing as the yellow or tan spots on the hair.