The Maltese Breed Standard

The breed standard is the written description of the ideal Maltese, held by the American Maltese Association and approved by the American Kennel Club. It is what judges measure a dog against in the ring and what we have measured every breeding decision against since 1992. The official wording is on the AKC and AMA sites. What follows is what each part of it asks for, in plain words, and why it matters even if you never set foot in a show ring.

The whole dog

A Maltese is a toy dog with one coat and one colour: a long, silky, flat white mantle that hangs to the ground and moves when the dog moves. Under it is a compact, well-balanced animal that carries itself as though it has somewhere to be. The standard asks for a dog that is gentle and affectionate but also lively and without fear, and that last word is the one most people miss. A correct Maltese is not a nervous dog. Timidity is a fault in the ring and a misery in a home.

Size

Under seven pounds, with four to six pounds preferred. That is the entire size clause. There is no "toy", "tiny" or "teacup" tier below it; the whole breed is already a small one, and anything advertised as smaller than the standard is either a normal Maltese with a marketing name or an unhealthy one. We have written more about that on the teacup Maltese page. The standard also asks that height and length match, so the dog looks square rather than long and low.

Head and expression

The head is of medium length in proportion to the body, with a slightly rounded skull and a moderate stop between forehead and muzzle. The muzzle is fine and tapers slightly, never snipey, and the bite meets evenly or in a scissors. The eyes are round, dark and set well apart, and the rims around them are black; the nose is black too. Those black points against the white coat are what give the breed its look, and faded pigment is one of the first things a judge notices. The ears are low set, drop, and so heavily feathered that the fringe runs into the coat of the neck.

Neck, body and tail

Enough neck to carry the head high. A level back from withers to tail, a deep chest, ribs that spring well out, and a short loin. The tail is a long-haired plume that curves gracefully over the back with the tip lying to one side of the hindquarters. A Maltese that stands roached, sways, or carries its tail flat is wrong, and it usually moves wrong as well.

Legs, feet and movement

Fine-boned, straight legs with good feathering, feet small and round with black pads. The standard describes the gait as jaunty, smooth and flowing, and asks that the legs move straight and true when seen coming and going, without crossing or weaving. Movement is where structure shows, which is why we hold show puppies to six months before grading them: at twelve weeks a puppy's gait tells you very little, and at six months it tells you nearly everything.

Coat and colour

A single coat, no undercoat, long and flat and silky, hanging straight to the ground on each side of a part that runs from nose to tail. Curl, waviness, kink and a cottony or woolly texture are all faults, and in a pet they are more than cosmetic: a cottony coat mats in hours and a silk coat brushes out in minutes. Colour is pure white. A little light tan or lemon on the ears is permitted but not wanted. The hair on the head may be tied in a topknot or left loose.

Temperament

The standard spends a surprising amount of its length on how the dog behaves: gentle-mannered and affectionate, eager and sprightly in action, and, despite its size, apparently without fear. A Maltese should trust people. When one does not, it is nearly always because of how it was raised rather than what it is, and it is the reason our puppies live in the house and leave at twelve weeks.

Why the standard matters for a pet

Nobody buys a pet puppy to have it judged. But a breeder who selects to the standard is selecting for black pigment, a silk coat, sound legs, a level back and a fearless temperament, and every one of those is a thing you will live with for fifteen years. The standard is not a beauty contest rulebook. It is a description of a dog that is built to last. Our champions are the dogs judges agreed met it; the puppies are their relatives.