Maltese — breed guide
An ancient, featherweight companion happiest in a lap. Too delicate for boisterous toddlers.
At a glance
- Group
- toy
- Size
- Toy
- Weight
- 1.8–3.6 kg (4–8 lb)
- Life span
- 12–15 years
- Coat
- Long, white, silky single coat
Living with a Maltese
- Low energy — happy with gentle daily exercise.
- Heavy grooming — frequent brushing and regular trims.
- Barely sheds.
- Trainable with consistency.
- Barks readily.
- Can do well with children, with care — easier with older kids than toddlers.
- Gets along with other dogs.
- Typically lives happily with a cat.
- Suits apartment living, given its daily walks.
- A reasonable choice for a first-time owner.
- Average heat tolerance.
- Feels the cold.
Temperament
Gentle · Playful · Charming · Fearless
Health to watch
- Luxating patella
- Dental disease
- Portosystemic shunt
- White dog shaker syndrome
Owner-logged information shared via Leash Life is not veterinary advice; ask your vet about screening for these.
Did you know
Maltese have been lap luxury for 2,800 years — Aristotle himself praised their “perfect proportion”.
Questions people ask
Is a Maltese good with kids?
With care. Malteses generally do well with older children who already know how to behave around a dog; with toddlers, supervise every interaction and give the animal somewhere it can retreat to.
Is a Maltese good with cats?
Usually yes. Malteses typically settle well with a resident cat — introduce them slowly and give the cat a high perch and a way out of the room.
How much exercise does a Maltese need?
A gentle daily walk.
Can a Maltese handle hot weather?
About average — use normal hot-day sense.
Leash Life keeps a Maltese's day — walks, meals, meds, weight — in one shared feed for the whole household, and warns on the walk weather this breed can't take. Free to start.