Breed profile
Maltese
Explore the care, lifestyle and household factors that matter before making a commitment.
SizeSmall
ExerciseLow
GroomingHigh
ChildrenModerate
BarkingModerate
HealthModerate
What this means
Source-linked data has been researched to help you make an informed decision about life with this breed.
Read how evidence is handledAt a glance
Key facts
Size classSmall
Adult weight3 to 4 kg
Exercise needLow
Energy levelHigh
BarkingModerate
Grooming effortHigh
Health burdenModerate
Breed profile
Life with this breed
Home and lifestyle
- Flat suitability
- Good fit
- Alone tolerance
- Very low
- Energy level
- High
- First-time owner fit
- Good fit
Care and training
- Minimum daily exercise
- 30 minutes
- Mental stimulation
- Moderate
- Trainability
- Moderate
- Grooming effort
- High
- Professional grooming
- Regular professional grooming
- Shedding
- Very low
Household fit
- Children
- Moderate
- Dogs
- Moderate
- Cats
- Good
- Prey drive
- Very low
- Visitors
- Good
Health and evidence
- Health burden
- Moderate
- Heat tolerance
- Moderate
- Cold tolerance
- Poor
Health-burden evidence confidence: Medium.
Recorded health considerations
- Luxating patellas
- Hydrocephalus
- Portosystemic shunt
- Dental problems
- Heart disease
- Chiari malformation/Syringomyelia (CM/SM)
- Cataracts
- Entropion
These are breed-level considerations, not a diagnosis or a guarantee that an individual dog will be affected.
Children and pets need supervision and careful introductions. Individual behaviour varies.