Overview
The Maltese has been a professional companion for over two thousand years — kept by Greek and Roman aristocrats, painted into Renaissance courts, and treasured ever since as the quintessential lap dog. The surprise inside the white silk is spirit: this is a fearless, playful little dog with genuine terrier-adjacent verve, not a fragile ornament.
Temperament & personality
Gentle, charming, and bold in the manner of dogs who have never once been told they are small. Maltese bond intensely with their people and make surprisingly effective little watchdogs. They are smart and trainable, responding to praise and play; housetraining needs the patience all toy breeds demand.
Appearance
A small, sturdy dog made almost entirely of coat: long, straight, silky white hair that in show trim sweeps the floor, contrasting with large dark eyes, black eye rims and nose, and a plumed tail over the back. Under the glamour is a compact, hardy little dog that moves with jaunty confidence.
Care & daily life
The long coat needs daily brushing and regular bathing; most pets wear a puppy cut and need just weekly brushing. Exercise is modest — about 30–45 minutes of walks and play. Train housetraining patiently (a toy-breed weak point) and keep up dental care. Tear staining around the eyes is cosmetic and managed with routine face washing.
Health & lifespan
The Maltese is generally known for the following health watch-points:
- Dental disease in a small, crowded jaw
- Liver (portosystemic) shunts occur in the breed
- Mitral valve disease and patent ductus arteriosus are breed-associated heart issues
- Luxating patella and white shaker syndrome occur
- Tear staining is common and cosmetic, but eye checks rule out deeper causes
Living with a Maltese
Maltese are tailor-made for apartments, cities, and smaller homes, and for owners who want constant companionship — they shadow their people devotedly. They dislike long solitude and suit retirees, home-workers, and calm families beautifully.
History
The Maltese may be the oldest European toy breed: Aristotle mentions small white dogs of Malta, and Roman and Greek art and poetry celebrate them as status-symbol companions. The breed survived the fall of empires as a ladies' lap dog and court favourite, unchanged in type for an astonishing span of recorded history.