The Maltese

The Maltese is one of the oldest of the companion breeds and one of the few that was never bred to do anything but keep people company. There is no herding, hunting or ratting job in its past to explain its shape. The shape is the job: a small white dog with a silk coat that was a luxury in the ancient Mediterranean and has stayed one.

Where it comes from

The breed takes its name from Malta, and small white lap dogs from the central Mediterranean turn up in Greek and Roman writing and on pottery from well before the Christian era. Whether every one of those dogs was a Maltese as we know it is a question for historians; what is not in doubt is that a dog of this type has been kept purely as a companion for over two thousand years, long enough for the temperament to have been shaped by that as thoroughly as a sheepdog's was shaped by sheep. The modern breed was standardised in England in the nineteenth century and recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1888, among its earliest breeds.

What it looks like

Under seven pounds, four to six preferred, and covered from nose to ground in a single, straight, silky white coat that parts along the spine. Black eyes, black nose, black eye rims and black pads are the only colour on a correct dog. The tail is a plume carried over the back. The full description is on the breed standard page; the short version is that a Maltese should look like a small white dog with nothing fussy about it, that moves as though it is pleased with itself.

What it is like

Lively, affectionate and, for its size, surprisingly brave. A Maltese will take on the doorbell, the vacuum cleaner and a Labrador with the same conviction, and the breed standard specifically asks for that fearlessness. It is a people dog in the fullest sense: it wants to be in the room you are in, preferably on you, and it will follow you from room to room to make sure. Left alone all day every day it does badly. Kept with a family that is around, it is one of the easiest dogs there is: quiet in the house, quick to learn, happy with a walk or a game and happier with a lap.

It is not a toy in the sense of being delicate. A well-bred Maltese from sound parents is a sturdy small dog that can jump on and off furniture, walk a mile, and play with children who have been shown how to pick it up. It is also, we should say, a dog with opinions, and the owner who lets a five pound dog run the house will find that it does.

The coat, honestly

The coat is the breed's glory and its one real demand. There is no undercoat and very little shedding, which is why people with allergies often manage a Maltese when they cannot manage other breeds. In exchange, the coat has to be brushed to the skin every day if it is kept long, or clipped short every six weeks or so if it is not, and the face has to be kept clean and dry to stay white. Owners who were told a Maltese was "low maintenance" are the ones who ring us in a panic about mats. We would rather tell you now: the dog is easy, the coat is work, and the grooming page explains exactly how much.

Health and lifespan

A Maltese from tested parents commonly lives into its mid teens. The conditions the breed is known for are slipping kneecaps, heart murmurs, eye problems and liver shunt, which is why we test both parents of every litter for precisely those four things and show the certificates. Teeth need attention in all toy breeds and this one is no exception. The care library covers the day to day.

Who it suits

Anyone who is home, or mostly home, and wants a dog that is part of the household rather than part of the garden. Older owners, apartment dwellers, families with children old enough to be gentle, and people who enjoy grooming or are willing to pay someone who does. Not the household that wants a dog to leave in the yard, and not the one that will not keep up with the coat. If that sounds like you, read about how we place a pet puppy.