Are You Looking For A Cute, Loyal, 4 Legged Companion? Then consider a Malchi. A Malchi Is a hybrid dog from a Chihuahua and a Maltese. If you like the best characteristics of a Chihuahua combined with the best characteristics of a Maltese, the answer might be yes.The chihuahua is considered the smallest dog in the world, she is a very good watch dog, playful, and a great companion dog! The Maltese is a delightful pint-size dog, its stuffed-toy appearance wins the hearts of many and its natural animation makes it appear as a beautiful little mechanical dog, they have charm, an excellent memory and trainability.

There are no guarantees that your Malchi will have the best characteristics of both the Maltese and the Chihuahua. But if your Malchi does, than you can expect a dog with a medium length soft fur coat, which more often than not is white/creme colored with a stripe or patch of brownish/beige spots. The Malchi is good with older children or younger ones who are well behaved and has a life span longer than most breeds. <TIP> brush her teeth every other day and this will add 3-5 years to her life! I especially like these dogs for apartment dwellers and the elderly. They can be paper trained very easily, so that they do not need to be taken out in bad weather, such as deep snow, which would be hard for them to maneuver in. The Malchi is fiercely loyal to one person in the household, it is just their way.

They do need exercise, like most dogs, but the area needed for them to roam in, will be considerably less than a larger breed would need. It is very easy to let a small dog gain too much weight through a lack of exercise and over feeding. If your Malchi has the temperament of the Maltese breed, it should get along well with other pets and children. But it may have the temperament of the Chihuahua, which means that it might not enjoy being in the company of smaller kids.

I will say however, I am not a big fan of keeping small dogs around children below the age of five. Small dogs tend to look like toys to children below this age and are sometimes treated as such.  Not only can this cause a dog to become skittish, it also can cause them to bite. Even though they are doing so in their own defense, it is still not acceptable behavior.

I have a bad tendency to spoil my pets and a dog as cute as a Malchi brings this out in me even more. This means that it is important that you (or myself), as an owner need to discipline yourself to take the time to give your dog consistent training, to keep it from developing bad behavior. The Malchi LOVES their chew toys and if you give him just a few special ones, chewing on shoes, furniture and other things in the house will be at a minimum, I've never seen a dog more in LOVE with their own toys!

Is the Malchi one of the cutest breeds of dog you will come across? I'm biased, so I say definitely! Is it the right breed of dog for you? That is something you need to carefully consider based on your living situation, but as far as my favorite dog goes...The Malchi wins hands down!!

Kim Kenney*Puppy Lover