dogage.co
ToyToy Group

Maltese

The Maltese is documented in Greek and Roman writing back 2,000 years, with origin attributed to the island of Malta or ancient Mediterranean lapdogs of similar type.

Calculate Maltese age
Lifespan13.1 yrrange 12–14
SizeToyToy Group
Weight3.5–7 lb1.6–3.2 kg
Senior at9 yrgeriatric at 13

Gallery (3)

About

About the Maltese

The Maltese is documented in Greek and Roman writing back 2,000 years, with origin attributed to the island of Malta or ancient Mediterranean lapdogs of similar type. One of the oldest documented toy breeds in Europe.

Aging

How Malteses age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 13.1 years (n=2,687). Portosystemic shunt is a defining inherited concern; patellar luxation, granulomatous meningoencephalitis (GME), and retained deciduous teeth round out tracked issues.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.1 yr · range 12–14Senior careSenior at 9 · geriatric at 13Common health issues4 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
3.5–7 lb(1.6–3.2 kg)
Height
7–9 in(17.8–22.9 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
WhiteWhite & LemonWhite & Tan
Temperament

Temperament

How Malteses tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

gentleplayfulcharmingaffectionate
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Periodontal Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Periodontal Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Malteses are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

Compare

Compare Maltese to another breed

Pick any of the 200 breeds in the library and we'll open a side-by-side comparison.

Start typing a breed name.

References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.