Teacup Maltese – 12 Dog Breed Information On The Toy Maltese

• Origin: Malta
• Size: Small  or teacup
• Dog Breed Group: Toy group, Gun dog
• Purebred: Yes
• Lifespan: 12-15 years
• Height: 7-9 inches
• Weight: 2-4 lbs (not more than 7 lbs)
• Coat Appearance: Long, silky
• Coat Colors: Yellowish lemon, Light Tan, Pristine white
• Temperament: Friendly, loyal, trustworthy, playful, cheerful, vigorous, lovely
• Good With Children: Yes under supervision
• Intelligence Level: Moderate-high
• Good With Pets: Yes under supervision
• Hypoallergenic: Yes
• Grooming: Moderate
• Shedding: Moderate
• Suitable For Apartments: High
• Need For Exercise: Low
• Easy To Train: Yes
• Good For First-Time Owners: High (not ideal for families with small children)
• Health Issues: Hydrocephalus, Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), Obesity, Mono/Bilateral Cryptorchidism
• Litter Size: 2-4 puppies
• Average Price: $750 – $ 2500 USD (US)

Infographic

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Size

• Height – 7-9 inches
• Weight – 2-4 lbs (not more than 7 lbs)

Teacup Maltese Lifespan

The average lifespan of a Teacup Maltese is between 12-15 years. They are known to survive for a longer duration if properly taken care of.

Coat Color

• Yellowish lemon
• Light Tan
• Solid pristine white

The coat appears single in feature and does not have an undercoat. It actually hangs silky, flat, and long over the sides.

The head-hair can be left hanging. Some Teacup Maltese dog owners prefer topknot.

Appearance

The Teacup Maltese is a cool and charismatic toy dog covered completely from top to bottom with long, silky, pure white hair.

These dogs are friendly and soft, sprightly and eager in action.

Overlooking his size, the Teacup Maltese own a strong attitude to behave like a friendly lifelong companion.

For all their cute and small diminutive appearance, these dogs live as if fear does not exist in their dictionary. His friendly responsiveness and trust are simply appealing.

The Teacup Maltese is playful, vigorous, lively, and regarded among the dogs with a pleasant demeanor. Maltese are adaptable, charming, and cool toy companions.

Size is not the only factor that varies in a Teacup dog-like Maltese. They are social, enthusiastic, easily trainable, intelligent, and adorable.

Maltese dogs love walking

Teacup Maltese dogs prefer playing outside or going for a long walk. These dogs often remain friendly and cheerful well into their old age.

According to experts, you should patiently wait until your Teacup Maltese is nothing less than 8 months old to walk a long distance.

Vets give this piece of suggestion because your Teacup Maltese puppy bones are still growing.

Allow your Maltese puppy to play inside a fenced area until he has achieved maturity. Kindly get your dog checked by a vet so that he can later start an activity and exercise program.

Being house dogs, Teacup Maltese do not handle extreme cold or heat well. Most dog owners paper-train their Teacup Maltese in case the weather plays havoc.

When you own a Maltese, you will understand that brushing and cleaning your Maltese dog can be a brilliant experience.

Basic Maltese Grooming Tasks

Before we dive deep, let’s understand some of the important functions one should know about grooming a Maltese puppy.

Teeth scrubbing – Teeth are cleaned once daily

Keeping the ears clean – Once a month

Nail trimming – A filling is needed at least once every 6 weeks

Coat wipes – You can do this based on the basis to keep up the coat clean

Facial wipes – Wipe the face clean 3 times daily

Bathing schedule Most Maltese need a bath with good pet-friendly shampoo once every 20 days

Spritzing – Some owners do it along with brushing

Combing – You better use a comb to keep the face clean and for both with long and medium coats.

Brushing – The length of the coat decides the frequency of brushing. It could range from doing it daily to 3 days once.

Eye cleaning and facial wiping

Since Maltese are purely white dogs and the coat hairs are silky and soft, this shows that coat staining can occur quite easily.

You should follow a dedicated approach else face discoloration can happen very fast.

The most common problem areas are hairs around the chin and mouth. They can quickly turn yellow in color.

Facial hairs turning rust, brown, and pink discoloration are called tear stains.

How to clean your Teacup Maltese (Face and Eye)?

For cleaning, you can use quality canine wipes. It is advised to clean the Teacup Maltese’s face once after every meal.

For stained areas-  You should be on your toes when it comes to the upkeep of a Teacup Maltese.

The main causes of staining include yeast infection, drinking or eating from plastic bowls, and excessive tearing.

Body Wipes

Grooming wipes are definitely a plus-

• Removes bad odor and keeps the dog smelling fresh
• Erases bits of feces and urine splashes that can spoil the coat
• Cleans fine particles of dirt and debris
• Removes contact or airborne allergens

How to keep the teeth clean?

Effective teeth care will include daily 5-minute brushing using a finger brush or small brush.

Dog plaque fighting water supplement and a dental chew will complete the cleaning list.

Spritzing, Combing, And Brushing

Spritz, combing, and brushing all work in a symphony to keep the dog looking great.

 Spritzing

Spritzing refers to the process of using a leave-in dog conditioner spray.

This spray will

• Ensure that your Teacup Maltese smells good
• Enables the coat to repel irritants, allergens, debris, and dirt
• Perform as a detangler; maintain mats at bay
• Frees the hair from split ends and keeps the hair healthy
• Stops damage arising due to contact
• Prevents hair fall in winter or cold conditions
• Offer protection from the sun

Spritzing – Based on coat length

• For longer coats- keep the bottle 4 inches
• Spritz lightly- ½ inches away from your dog’s body
• Brush down the tips

You can also use the spritz spray twice or thrice a week to keep the hair healthy.

Brushing

Avoid raking or slicker brushes. Depending on the coat length, select the right brush.

Use a bristle brush for closely trimmed coats. For long or medium coats, a pin brush with polished or cushioned tips works.

Combing

• For Teacup Maltese with long or medium hairstyles, comb the coat before it is actually brushed.
• Combing helps to remove tangles.
• A comb can be used on Maltese with any coat length.

Teacup Maltese Shedding

These dogs do not have an undercoat and shed less. Their coats can become dirty and mat easily.

Teacup Maltese can be a hard dog to housetrain. With consistent effort and care, they can be trained to use a litter box or a potty outdoors.

Teacup Maltese, in fact, are quite stubborn and need constant exposure to sounds and people to stop them from becoming shy or fearful.

These dogs remain a bit more cautious and skittish compared to their larger counterparts.

Being easily prone to separation anxiety, you should ensure that you or someone will be home to attend to their call.

These barks tend to bark a lot but can be trained to stay “quiet.”

Maltese dogs are best suited for obedience training because they are responsive and attentive.

Never move away from positive reinforcement and start training as soon as possible.

The Teacup Maltese on a happier note is a fun and easy-going dog to train.

How much food does a Teacup Maltese need on a daily basis?

There are different factors that decide the quantity of food that a Teacup Maltese requires for healthy development. These factors include your dog’s natural metabolism, activity level, and age.

Feeding Tips – Teacup Maltese Puppies

• The first two years are important in any puppy’s life. Body and bones grow at a stunning rate facilitating the need for calories, vitamins, and nutrients.
• Growing Teacup Maltese puppies need around 28-42 grams of dog food equal to their original body weight.
• Never follow a free feeding method if your Teacup Maltese is over 3 months of age.
• A fully-grown adult Teacup Maltese should only need a full meal on a daily basis.

Feeding Tips – Adult Teacup Maltese

• Dogs over the age of two will consume less food. You can give around ½ ounce of food on a daily basis per body pound.
• Divide the meals into several small meals.
• Active and robust Teacup Maltese will need more amount compared to others.
• When your dog touches seven years of age, one meal filled with healthy snacks is enough.
• Please serve the food in a calm and quiet place.

• The most interesting theory is that Maltese dogs were produced in Malta and the Romans hijacked this idea.
• These dogs were called Spaniel gentle, Shock dog, Roman Ladies’ dog, Melitaie dog, Maltese Terrier, Maltese Lion dog, and Comforter dog.
• This small dog has a very rich history and is more than 2800 years old.
• Queens of those days were so fascinated with this dog that they fed them in gold bowls.
• The governor of Rome, Publius, had a cute Maltese called Issa. Poet Martial penned a poem in honor of Issa.
• Hollywood celebrities Elizabeth Taylor and Halle Berry were proud owners of Maltese dogs.
• The white coat of Maltese was developed by Romans who considered white as the color of god.
• Teacup Maltese are excellent jumpers. They seem to show no fear or little fear.
• In Florida, Riley, a Maltese therapy dog is actively involved in service activities since 2009. Being small, Maltese dogs make excellent therapy dogs.
• Take Trouble, a Maltese dog was left with a fortune of $12 million USD when her owner Leona Helmsley passed away in 2007.

Teacup Maltese dogs are normally healthy. These dogs are easily susceptible to knee and spine problems if they play on and off the furniture. Some major health concerns are:

Obesity

Maltese dogs tend to get obese if left unnoticed.

Signs to check if your Teacup Maltese is obese or not

• If you find it difficult to locate his ribs, it’s high time you implement a diet plan.
• Does your Maltese dog find it hard to scratch or rub her ear? If these dogs become unruly round, then grooming is a nightmare.
• After walking a few steps do you find your Maltese dog panting for breath? This is a simple sign that shows that your dog is obese or out of shape.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

PDA is the most popular hereditary, congenital heart abnormality of dogs.

Maltese dogs are genetically predisposed to it. This causes a frequent overload of blood which can lead to death or heart failure.

Some dogs are euthanized because of respiratory distress.

This condition is treatable and also mostly curable if intervention happens early.

Minor Health Concerns

Mono/Bilateral Cryptorchidism

A common health issue among male Teacup Maltese is where the puppy’s testicles move into the scrotum. This condition occurs 10 days after the Maltese dog is born.

Hydrocephalus

The “water on the brain” or hydrocephalus is seen in toy dogs and small dog breeds. This is a life-threatening condition in dogs. Puppies can perform normal following shunt placement.

Teacup Maltese Price

A teacup Maltese could easily cost between $750 and $2500 USD. On average, any AKC-registered breeder can charge between $1200-$1500 USD.

Most breeders can also request a deposit (non-refundable) of $200-$300 USD while processing the application.

Teacup Maltese Mix

Some of the well-known Teacup Maltese hybrid breeds include

• Poodle + Maltese = Maltipoo
• Maltese + Shih Tzu = Malshi
• Pomeranian + Maltese = Maltipom
• Maltese + Chihuahua = Malchi
• Pekingese + Maltese = Peke-A-Tese
• Maltese + Yorkshire Terrier = Morkie

2019 Reputed Maltese Breeders

Buy only from reputable breeders and do your research thoroughly before buying it from non-registered AKC breeders.

• Lakeshore Maltese Rindge, New Hampshire
• Annas Heavenly Maltese Phoenix, Arizona
• Josymir Maltese Greensburg, Pennsylvania
• Sand Maltese Charlotte, Tennessee
• Angel Lite Maltese Attalla, Alabama
• Sonshine Acres Lincoln, Nebraska