Highland Maltie - Izzy

by Jeanine
(Mount Vernon, NY)

Izzy the Highland Maltie

Izzy is a great blend of the best of both breeds, the Westie and the Maltese! Down to the ears she shows her mix, one ear she holds up like the Westie, one ear down like the Maltese.

She is a devoted companion, loves to be a lap dog while the family is relaxing in the evening like the Maltese. But during her active hours her personality is more like the terrier, she is curious, independent, adventurous and fearless!

On walks she loves to be in front (heeling is a reluctantly followed option of last resort for her) darting from one place to another, exploring every facet of the landscape. When playing with other dogs she prefers to chase and run with the big dogs. She plays a great game of fetch. Outside her energy seem to be boundless! She is also a great watch dog, is not real friendly with strangers, but is very gentle with babies, a real plus for a small dog.

Lastly, the dog is super smart, training her was actually easy. Because she is so curious and independent obedience training was a must, she quickly responded to the hand signals and voice commands. Later I taught her other tricks, such as, roll over, say please (she stands on her back legs while waving her front paws), dance (stands on back legs and circles), and play dead.

She is a very quick learner, often understanding what I wanted her to do within 15 minutes or so! The dog is very healthy, free of the genetic disorders that often challenge the pure breeds. Which is the main reason I opted for a hybrid, I wanted a dog with an expanded gene pool. Well I got one two years ago and it has been great!