a visual on the shock dog

the metropolitan museum of art, Purchase, Barbara Walters Gift, in honor of Cha Cha, 2014,
www.metmuseum.org. OASC 

I've mentioned before that the Maltese breed used to be called a shock dog, in the way we speak of shocks of hair or grass.  Did they look any different from the Maltese of today?  Here's a chance to compare and contrast, for this shock dog was carved by British sculptor Anne Seymour Damer around 1782.
Not only is this an appealing portrait in Carrera marble, but Damer herself sounds mighty appealing: a Regency girl (1748-9 to 1828), she was nobly born, well educated, and known for an empathetic and skillful style.  A woman being known for her artistic ability at that time was an accomplishment in itself, too.  A bonus note - she signed this piece with her name in Greek!  You can see that and a few more views here at the Met.