All Dog Breeds >>Health of Maltese
A crossbreed is a dog with two pure bred parents of different breeds. Dogs traditionally were crossed in this manner in hopes of creating a puppy with desirable qualities from each parent. Crossbreeds are typically larger than the pure breeds. For pet dogs, crosses may be done to enhance the marketability of puppies, and are often given portmanteau names. Maltese are often deliberately crossed with Shih Tzus and Poodles to produce small, fluffy lap dogs. Maltese-Poodle crosses are called Maltipoos. Maltese crossed with Pugs are also seeing an increase in popularity. Maltese with Shih Tzus are called Mal-Shihs, Shihtese, or Mitzus. This results in a dog which is a small, friendly animal and may have a unique low (or no) shedding coat.