Maltese

The Maltese is a small companion dog with a white, straight, silky coat. Unlike the Maltipoo, it is a fully FCI-recognized breed: standard no. 65, Group IX, Section 1 — Bichons and related breeds.

For a buyer that means something concrete: there is a written standard against which an adult dog can be measured. Size, proportions, colour and coat type are predictable, and a puppy with a pedigree comes from parents entered in a studbook.

The breed comes from the central Mediterranean, and the standard is held under Italian patronage. Despite the name, it does not originate on the island of Malta — the word traces back to a Semitic root meaning refuge or harbour. For centuries the Maltese was a lap dog bred purely for company: not for work, guarding or hunting. That still shows in its character — it wants to be with its people, not merely near them.

At Naomi’s our Maltese are family dogs and breeding females at the same time. Our females live in the house rather than a kennel run, and every puppy we place comes from them.

An adult Maltese stands 21–25 cm at the withers for males and 20–23 cm for females, weighing 3–4 kg. It is a small dog but not a fragile one — compact, slightly rectangular in outline and confident on its feet.

The coat is uniformly white, long, straight and silky to the touch. The standard allows a very pale ivory shade but no patches or markings. The key difference from most small breeds: the Maltese has no undercoat. The hair grows continuously, much like human hair.

Dark round eyes and a black nose stand out sharply against the white coat and give the breed its characteristic attentive expression.

At home the coat is kept in one of two ways: long and show-length, reaching the floor, or in a shorter pet trim. Most families choose the second, and it is in no way inferior — it simply calls for grooming appointments instead of daily coat management.

The Maltese is cheerful, lively and strongly bonded to its owner. Several centuries of breeding purely for companionship have produced a dog that genuinely struggles with being alone — not out of stubbornness, but because that is what it was bred for.

It is also braver than its size suggests. It can be alert, react to sounds outside the door and announce strangers. That is an asset until it hardens into habitual barking, which is why calm work on reacting to triggers should start in puppyhood.

The breed is intelligent and willing, but sensitive. A raised voice and pressure achieve the opposite of what is intended. Short, consistent, reward-based sessions accomplish far more.

A Maltese gets along well with other dogs and usually accepts cats if introduced early.

This question comes up in almost every conversation with a buyer, so here is a straight answer.

The Maltese is a purebred dog. It has an FCI standard, a pedigree and a predictable adult appearance. The coat is straight and silky, the colour white, and an adult weighs 3–4 kg. If it matters to you to know in advance how the dog will look and what it will weigh, this is the safer choice.

The Maltipoo is a Maltese crossed with a Toy or Miniature Poodle. It is not FCI-recognized, and its appearance depends on which parent it takes after. The coat may be wavy or curly, and an adult Maltipoo weighs anywhere from 2 to 7 kg — up to twice as much as a Maltese. Colours include apricot, cream and brown.

Grooming differs in the details: the straight hair of a Maltese tangles and needs daily combing, while the curly coat of a Maltipoo mats and needs to be worked through down to the skin. Neither breed is low-maintenance.

We keep both at Naomi’s and are glad to advise on the choice — without pushing whatever happens to be available.

The Maltese does well in an apartment, with couples, with older owners and in families whose children are old enough to understand they are handling a three-kilogram dog.

It needs walks, play and daily contact, but not a garden or long distances. It travels well and is easy to take along.

It is not the right choice for someone who leaves the house for ten hours a day. Nor is it a dog for anyone unwilling to deal with coat care — with this breed grooming is not optional, it is a condition.

It does, and it is better to know about them before buying rather than after.

Grooming is demanding. Daily combing on a long coat is not an exaggeration but a real requirement — a neglected mat has to be cut out, not brushed out.

A white coat shows everything. Tear marks under the eyes, staining around the muzzle after meals, dirt from a rainy walk — on a dog of any other colour nobody would notice.

It handles solitude poorly and tends to say so by barking. It can also be a fussy eater and needs patience during house-training, since a small bladder means more frequent trips outside.

This is a dog for a home where someone is around. Not for a home that stands empty.

On a long coat, combing is daily; on a short trim, several times a week is enough. Use a comb and a brush that reaches through the full length of the hair — brushing only the surface leaves mats forming right against the skin.

Bathe with a shampoo for white coats every few weeks, always combing thoroughly once the dog is dry. Book the groomer regularly, whichever trim you choose.

The area around the eyes needs daily attention. Wiping prevents rust-coloured tear marks from setting in, and if the tearing is heavy it is worth having a vet check that the tear ducts are clear.

Then the small-breed standard: ears, nails and teeth. Tartar builds up quickly in a Maltese, so dental hygiene should become routine from puppyhood.

The Maltese is considered a long-lived breed. With good care, appropriate feeding and regular veterinary check-ups it typically lives 12 to 15 years.

Like all small breeds it can be prone to luxating patella and dental problems — in toy breeds the teeth are the single most common reason for a vet visit. Less often it shows temporary hypoglycaemia in very small puppies during the first weeks after going home, and excessive tearing linked to the structure of the tear ducts.

Two conditions affect the Maltese more than other small dogs and are worth knowing about: a congenital portosystemic shunt, a vessel that bypasses the liver, and tracheal collapse, which produces a dry honking cough. Both are uncommon, and both are worth raising with the breeder.

None of these can be eliminated by a promise. They can be reduced by choosing the parents carefully, watching the litter closely and telling the buyer honestly what we know about the individual puppy.

Good-quality food matched to the dog's age and size, with a kibble small enough for a small jaw. A puppy eats more often, and a different formulation, than an adult.

At 3–4 kg the portions are very small and any deviation shows faster than it would in a large dog. Excess weight in a Maltese loads the joints and spine, so weigh the dog regularly rather than judging by eye.

It is also worth watching what stains the coat around the muzzle — some foods, and even tap water, can intensify discolouration in white-coated dogs.

The price depends on the parents' origin, the pedigree, veterinary care, rearing conditions, documentation and how much work the kennel actually puts into a litter.

A pedigree puppy from health-checked parents costs more than an advertisement with no papers, and that is normal. The difference is not the document itself but what stands behind it: known ancestry, veterinary oversight and the ability to ask about the dog's grandparents.

A very low price usually means something was cut — most often care for the mother or the first weeks of socialization. Those are precisely the costs that cannot be made up later.

With us the buyer receives a contract, full documentation and contact after collection. We quote current prices individually, since they depend on the specific litter.

A good breeder shows you the mother. It is the simplest test and the hardest to fake — if the female cannot be seen, it is worth asking why.

It is also worth asking about the pedigree and the parents' origin, veterinary care, vaccinations, worming, the microchip, the contract, current feeding, how socialization has gone and what support follows collection.

The warning signs are usually the same: willingness to release a puppy before eight weeks, no contract, a meeting in a car park instead of at the kennel, several different breeds on offer at once.

At Naomi’s the puppies grow up in the house, and the buyer sees where the dog comes from and how it was raised before collection.

Naomi’s is a home kennel, not a farm. Our breeding females are family dogs first and live with us.

From their first days the puppies grow up in an ordinary home, among everyday sounds, people and routine. It is the best preparation for life in a new family that we can give them.

The buyer receives a contract, documentation, complete information on feeding and vaccinations, and contact with us after collection. Selling a puppy does not close the relationship — questions a year later are welcome too.