What are the odds that our 1 year old Maltese dog killed a rat that we found near the house?
You may be surprised, but based upon our experience, we think it is entirely possible that your dog killed the rat. As we have mentioned elsewhere, every individual Maltese has a unique personality, and while some are passive and shy, there are a few that get downright aggressive at times. The more aggressive “Alpha” types (male or female) may go after small animals for sport; and as they sometimes do with their toys, if they catch the little critters they will shake the living daylights out of them and even rip them into pieces. We have seen some Maltese go after mice, gophers and snakes on our property. Some of them have even brought mice and gopher heads into the house. I know, it sounds shocking, but it’s true. Please note, however, that we live on a ranch in a rural area. City dwellers are probably less likely to see anything like this.
