The Evolution of Maltipoos
As you likely already know, the Maltipoo is a hybrid dog breed created by combining two purebred dogs. The parenting breeds, Poodle and Maltese, are some of the most popular dogs globally, Poodles ranking at #6 most popular, and the Maltese ranking at solid #38 on the dog popularity scale. While it's not as high as the Poodle, it is relatively high considering the sheer number of dog breeds that exist today.
Poodles
The earliest versions of the Poodle were found in Germany; the word "poodle" is derived from the German word "pudel" or "pudelin," which means "puddle" or "to splash in the water." This name was given in reference to the duck dog's water retrieving abilities. As the Poodle grew in popularity, the French became infatuated with the breed and adopted it as their own. Now known as the national dog of France, the name has followed, evolving into the well-known "French Poodle." Since then, the Poodle has often been associated with France despite the breed's origin country; Germany. In the late 1800s, breeders began experimenting with size variations and eventually perfected what is now known as the miniature Poodle. The Poodle was bred and created to retrieve waterfowl more than 400 years ago, but only then, in 1887, was the Poodle recognized by the AKC. It would later be split into different size categories for each variation of Poodle. After many years, poodles became so unpopular that they nearly died out in America during the 1920s. Fortunately, the breed rose back into the spotlight in the 1960s, where they've stayed ever since.
Maltese
Modern Bichon dogs have evolved into four different categories: The Maltese, The Bichon Frise, the Havanese, and the Bolognese. The Maltese's exact origins are unknown, but they're believed to have derived from ancient versions of the Maltese from areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Places like Egypt, southern Europe, Sicily, and the island of Malta. It's believed that the Maltese were brought to these areas by the Phoenicians who colonized the region. During this time, the ancient Maltese were working dogs. They were placed aboard these ships to protect the food from rodents as they sailed. They were potentially an item of trade or barter in exchange for food and other goods at some point. Once in possession of those on Malta, Maltese began being bred solely for comfort and companionship. Favored by women, you could often find ladies holding these dogs around in their sleeves or on their laps. After many centuries the Maltese made its way to Britain, dubbed a pet dog, and became well known in dog shows in the United Kingdom. Shortly after, the dogs made their way to America and became one of the nation's most popular dogs. Today, Maltese are still among the most popular Bichon dogs, outranking the Bolognese and the Bichon Frise! It’s hard to compare the Maltese vs the Maltipoo on the popularity scale since most rankings strictly use purebred dogs.
Creation of the Maltipoo
While the Maltipoo isn't yet recognized as a breed, the Maltese, Poodle cross was not accidental. In the 1990s, the Maltipoo was first bred to be a low-maintenance companion, tempering the Poodle's high-strung nature and adjusting the Maltese's coat to create a highly affectionate hypoallergenic companion dog that would be great for novice pet owners.
Maltipoo history hasn't had much to tell yet, since the breed is only around 30 years old. We know the Maltipoo was first seen in America and has been the perfect pet choice for many families since then. Due to their distinctive traits, the best of both parenting breeds brought together, we do not doubt that the popularity of the Maltipoo will continue to climb.
If the evolution of the Maltipoo has been as fascinating to you as it is to us, perhaps consider adopting your own Maltipoo and who knows, maybe you'll make history!