Maltese Dog Breed Guide: Temperament, Care, and Health

If you've ever seen a small white dog with hair that looks like it belongs in a shampoo commercial, that was probably a Maltese. This ancient toy breed has been someone's lap dog for over two thousand years, and once you spend time with one, you'll understand why. They're affectionate, a little dramatic, and they will absolutely let you know when someone's at the door.

Here's everything you need to know before bringing one home.

A Maltese is a small, compact toy breed weighing between 4 and 7 pounds, standing about 7 to 9 inches tall at the shoulder. The American Kennel Club standard calls for dogs under 7 pounds, with 4 to 6 pounds considered ideal for show.

Their signature feature is a long, silky, pure white coat that has no undercoat. That single-layer coat is why Maltese dogs shed very little — great news if you're tired of finding fur on the couch, though it does mean their hair mats easily without regular brushing. Some Maltese have a light ivory tinge, but true white is the standard.

Maltese dogs are affectionate, alert, and surprisingly bold for their size. They bond closely with their families and genuinely dislike being left alone for long stretches — this breed is prone to separation anxiety, and a bored Maltese will bark, and bark, and bark.

They do well with older children who know how to handle a small dog gently, but I wouldn't recommend one for a home with toddlers. A rambunctious four-year-old can accidentally injure a dog that weighs less than a bag of sugar, and a startled Maltese may snap in response. Older kids, singles, couples, and retirees tend to be a much better match.

They also tend to get along fine with other dogs and cats, especially when raised together, and their small size makes them a solid choice for apartment living.

Exercise: A Maltese doesn't need much. A short daily walk plus some indoor playtime is usually enough to keep them physically and mentally satisfied. That said, skipping exercise entirely leads to a restless, anxious dog, so don't treat them as purely decorative.

Grooming: This is where the Maltese demands real commitment. Daily brushing prevents the coat from matting, and most owners schedule a professional trim every 4 to 6 weeks. Many pet Maltese are kept in a shorter "puppy cut" specifically to cut down on grooming time. Tear staining around the eyes is common in the breed and needs daily wiping to keep the white fur from discoloring.

Feeding: Because Maltese puppies are so small, they're prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if meals are spaced too far apart. Frequent small meals are safer for puppies than one or two large ones. Adults do fine on a high-quality small-breed diet, portioned carefully — it's easy to overfeed a 5-pound dog without realizing it.

Maltese are generally a healthy breed with a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, but a few inherited conditions show up often enough that any owner should watch for them:

• Patellar luxation — the kneecap slips out of place. It's common in toy breeds and can range from a minor quirk to something requiring surgery.
• Portosystemic liver shunt — a congenital condition where blood bypasses the liver. Signs usually appear before age two and include poor appetite, stunted growth, and neurological symptoms.
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) — a gradual, incurable loss of vision. Reputable breeders screen for it.
• Dental crowding — their small jaws pack in the same number of teeth as larger dogs, which leads to overcrowding and a higher risk of periodontal disease.
• White shaker syndrome — a tremor disorder that, despite the alarming name, is treatable and not usually dangerous.

None of this means every Maltese will develop these problems. It means asking a breeder about health testing, and keeping up with regular vet checkups, matters more than it would for a breed with fewer known risk areas.

People often cross-shop the Maltese against a few other toy breeds. Here's how they stack up:

If your main draw to the Maltese is the low-shedding coat and lap-dog personality but you want something a bit more robust with kids, a Bichon Frise is worth a look. If you want similarly low energy but slightly less demanding grooming, the Shih Tzu is closer.

A Maltese makes sense if you want a devoted, low-shedding companion and you're realistic about the grooming time and the separation anxiety that can come with the breed. They're a poor fit if you're gone ten hours a day with no one to check in, or if your household includes small children who haven't learned to be gentle with animals yet.