Maltese
A tiny Mediterranean companion breed with a single, continuously growing white coat. Low exercise needs, high grooming needs, and a strong pull toward separation anxiety.
- Weight
- 3–4 kg
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
Weight and lifespan are reference ranges from the breed guide. They vary by sex, lineage and individual dog and do not predict your dog’s ideal weight or lifespan. Read the care descriptions alongside the individual dog’s history.
Background and characteristics
The Maltese has spent most of recorded history doing exactly one job: keeping people company. It comes from the Mediterranean and is most closely tied to the island of Malta, and it was never asked to herd, hunt, or guard. That history shows up in the modern dog.
A Maltese is alert and vocal about visitors but has no real stamina requirement, so two short walks of fifteen to twenty minutes plus a little indoor sniffing or trick work covers a normal day. Treat walks as exposure rather than exercise. A Maltese who rarely leaves the house becomes the dog that barks at every delivery driver.
Coat and everyday care
Coat care is where the real commitment lies. The Maltese has a single coat with almost no undercoat, so it drops very little hair, which is a genuine advantage in a carpeted home or a small apartment. But that hair keeps growing like human hair and mats quickly if you skip it.
Plan on a few minutes of brushing every day around the ears, armpits, and collar line, plus a professional groom every four to six weeks. In most US metros that runs roughly $60 to $100 a visit, and it is not optional. Budget for it before the dog comes home.
Before bringing this dog home
Two things surprise first-time owners. The first is separation anxiety. This breed bonds hard, and without deliberate alone-time training from puppyhood it will bark, pace, and have accidents when left.
Build absences up in stages rather than going straight from constant company to an eight-hour workday. The second is structural fragility. Luxating patellas and tracheal collapse are both common, so walk the dog on a harness rather than a neck collar and discourage jumping down from furniture.
Home environment and care planning
If your home has hardwood or laminate throughout, run rugs along the routes the dog uses most, since slick floors are hard on small knees. In a humid summer, dry the coat all the way to the skin after every bath; a coat with no undercoat still traps moisture against the skin and invites hot spots and ear infections.