Maltese

Companion & toy

Toy

Median 13.1 y

FCI group 9 · Companion and Toy Dogs · Derived from the adult weight midpoint (3.5 kg) — the FCI calls it small

Median survival across 2,687 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 10–15 y

Maltese dog refers both to an ancient variety of dwarf, white-coated dog breed from Italy and generally associated also with the island of Malta, and to a modern breed of similar dogs in the toy group, genetically related to the Bichon, Bolognese, and Havanese breeds. The precise link, if any, between the modern and ancient breeds is not known.

Gentle

Playful

Charming

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

3–4 kg

Female

3–4 kg

The breed standard (FCI 65)

Two types. The AKC and the KC/FCI standards describe a different-sized Maltese, so Kintail bands your dog against the one your region follows — set it in Settings. KC/FCI type: 3–4 kg. AKC type: 1.8–2.7 kg.

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (under 6.5 kg band).

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 3–4 kg and females 3–4 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 19 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (under 6.5 kg band).

No Maltese cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

The median is 13.1 y. Median survival across 2,687 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 10–15 y. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.