🐕Maltese: gear and buying guides

The Maltese is a small companion dog of 3 to 4 kg, gentle, playful and very close to its owners. Its long, silky white coat, with no undercoat, needs meticulous care but sheds very little. Its small build calls for lightweight accessories and a cosy indoor bed.

Profile : A miniature dog of 3 to 4 kg with a long, silky white coat and no undercoat, of moderate energy.

Species profile

Lifespan

12 to 15 years

Adult weight

3 to 4 kg

Size

21 to 25 cm

Temperament

A gentle, playful, delicate little dog, very close to its owners and made for indoor life.

Health watch

patellar luxation · early dental problems

🩺 This health information is general in nature and does not replace a consultation: at the slightest doubt about your animal’s condition, talk to your vet.

Maltese gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  An adult of 3 to 4 kg eats around 60 to 90 g of kibble per day, in small pieces suited to its fine jaw. Some recipes help limit tear staining around the eyes, a common concern on white coats.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  Its white coat with no undercoat requires daily combing and pin brushing to prevent mats, plus regular cleaning around the eyes against reddish tear stains. A whitening shampoo, around 10 to 15 €, helps keep the coat bright.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  Playful but delicate, it enjoys light plush toys, small soft balls and indoor games with its owner. XS-size toys are essential: standard models are too big and heavy for its jaw.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  It is an indoor dog through and through: a cosy size-S bed, in a quiet spot but close to family life, is all it needs. It copes poorly with long periods alone, so provide a reassuring environment with its toys and a blanket carrying familiar scents.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  At 3 to 4 kg, it travels very well in a carrier bag or approved soft crate, by car or train. A lightweight harness is preferable to a collar to protect its slender neck on walks.

• 🧰 Accessories

  Plan for an XS harness, a fine comb, a pin brush and a cleansing lotion for around the eyes. A waterproof coat is useful: with no undercoat, its hair gives poor insulation against rain and cold.

Guides to read

• No-pull front-clip harness for dogs: what does the science actually show?Accessories

  Front-clip no-pull harness for dogs: what a recent study measured on pulling force, compared with a plain collar and a prong-style collar.

• Why does my dog eat grass? What the research actually saysCare & grooming

  Dog eating grass: what two studies show about how common the behavior is, its link with vomiting, and the cases that should raise concern.

• Reflective vest vs light-up collar for dogs: what's the real difference?Accessories

  Dog visibility at night: what pedestrian-conspicuity research reveals about the real gap between a reflective vest and a light-up collar.

• Anxious dog in the car: motion sickness or real fear of the ride?Travel & safety

  Dog car travel anxiety: what a veterinary study shows about the signs of travel-related problems and the factors that explain them best.

• BARF raw diet for dogs: what are the real benefits, what are the real risks?Food

  Raw BARF diet for dogs: what studies actually show about the claimed benefits, bacterial risk, and real nutritional balance.

• Separation anxiety in dogs: what does research show, what actually helps?Care & grooming

  Dog separation anxiety: what a veterinary study reveals about how common it is, its risk factors, and the solutions that actually work.

• Mental activities for dogs in winter: which indoor games actually work?Toys & enrichment

  Winter mental enrichment for dogs: what a study shows about scent games and indoor activities that make up for shorter walks.

• Microchip or tattoo: which ID actually gets a lost dog home?Travel & safety

  Dog identification: what a study shows about return-to-owner rates depending on whether the dog is microchipped or not.