Maltese

Meet the maltese terror | National News | News.com.au

IT may look like a harmless little lapdog but the maltese terrier has joined the ranks of some of New South Wales' most dangerous breeds of attacking canines.

The NSW Government has listed the diminutive pet on the Department of Local Government's dog-attack register. The maltese came in at number 19 after being involved in 12 attacks between July and September this year, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

It is the first time the breed has made the top 20 list of attacking breeds since the register was set up at the start of the year. The terrier joins breeds such as the staffordshire bull terrier, which topped the list with 116 attacks and the Australian cattle dog with 56.

Others to make the top 20 included the german shepherd with 55 attacks, the american staffordshire terrier (45) and the rottweiler (43). The only other small dog to make the list was the jack russell terrier with 21 recorded incidents.

State Local Government Minister Barbara Perry said the listing of the terrier proved all dogs had the potential to attack.

"The fact that dogs of this popular breed are involved in attacks brings home the message that dog owners must keep their pets under control at all times," she said.

Under NSW laws, councils must report dog attacks to the State Government within 72 hours of the incident. The figures showed the number of dog attacks in NSW to have risen, with 823 incidents reported by councils during the quarter.

In the previous quarter, there were 774 attacks.

At least 16 people were hospitalised after a dog attack, with a further 126 requiring medical treatment.

Children were the subject of 108 attacks.