Dog breed

Maltipoo

The Maltipoo is a cross between a Maltese and a Toy or Miniature Poodle: a small, shaggy companion dog that usually weighs 4.5–9 kg. It is not a breed recognized by the FCI, so looks, size and coat type vary even within a single litter. It combines the Maltese's devotion with the Poodle's smarts and sheds little, but it needs regular haircuts.

Low shedding
Not FCI-recognised
a cross between a Maltese and a Toy or Miniature Poodle, not recognized by the FCI; no breed standard and no ZKwP (Polish Kennel Club) pedigrees

Weight: 4.5–9 kg
Height: 20–36 cm
Lifespan: 12–16 years
Origin: none (crossbreed)

How much food for this breed?Compare with another breed

Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Temperament

The Maltipoo is above all a people dog. It follows its family from room to room, loves sitting on laps and quickly learns household routines, such as the cuddle session that happens when someone gets home from work. From the Poodle it usually inherits brains and playfulness, and from the Maltese affection and a certain stubborn streak. It is mostly friendly with visitors, though it can be barky, announcing every ring of the doorbell. Most get along well with cats and other small dogs if they met them as puppies. It does well with children who are calm and understand that a little dog must not be picked up or squeezed. Its weak spot is being alone: a dog left for eight hours every day may howl, chew things or have accidents indoors, so start teaching it to stay alone in the first few weeks.

Energy: calmvery energetic
Affection: independentvelcro pet
With children: not idealgreat
With other pets: difficultgreat
Trainability: stubborneager to learn
For first-time owners: for experienced ownersyes
With strangers: waryoutgoing
Playfulness: dignifiedeternal puppy
Shedding: minimalheavy
Grooming: easydemanding
Being left alone: strugglescopes well
Apartment living: needs a house and yardgreat in a flat
Barking: quietvocal
With other dogs: difficultgreat
Protectiveness: lowhigh
Drooling: hardly anya lot
Cold tolerance: feels the coldexcellent
Heat tolerance: strugglescopes well

Scores of 1–5 compare the breed with other breeds of the same species, based on the sources at the bottom of the page. Every animal is different. How we score traits

Who is the Maltipoo for?

The Maltipoo suits apartment dwellers, seniors and families with older children who want a small, people-oriented dog and have time for it during the day. It does well with someone who works from home. It's not a good choice if the dog would be alone all day, if you don't want to pay for regular grooming, or if you're looking for a running partner or a mountain hiking companion.

Pros

small and happy in an apartment
low shedding
smart and eager to learn
usually friendly with people and animals

Challenges

needs regular grooming
doesn't cope well with being alone
can be barky
looks and size vary a lot

Size and looks

Size and looks: Maltipoo
Height at the withers	males 20–36 cm, females 20–36 cm
Weight	males 4.5–9 kg, females 4.5–9 kg
Lifespan	12–16 years
Coat	curly
Colors	white, cream, apricot, black, brown, gray
Country of origin	none (crossbreed)
Classification	a cross between a Maltese and a Toy or Miniature Poodle, not recognized by the FCI; no breed standard and no ZKwP (Polish Kennel Club) pedigrees
Also known as	Maltepoo, Malti-poo, Maltese Poodle mix

Care and exercise

30–60minof exercise a day

4/5grooming needs

1/5shedding

Exercise needs are easy to meet: two 20–30 minute walks, some sniffing time and a short game of fetch indoors are usually enough. Maltipoos love learning tricks, and five minutes of practice a day tires out their minds nicely. The real commitment is the coat. Curly or wavy hair sheds little but mats easily, especially behind the ears, in the armpits and on the legs. Brush it down to the skin at least a few times a week, and book a groomer every 6–8 weeks. Trim the hair around the eyes, because it irritates them. In a dog this size, daily toothbrushing is real prevention. Use a harness rather than a collar on walks to take pressure off the trachea. Meal portions are tiny, so it's easy to overdo the treats.

How much should the Maltipoo eat?The calculator starts from this breed’s typical weight: calories and grams a day.

Health and breed-related conditions

The Maltipoo inherits predispositions from both parents. A veterinarian writing for Chewy names luxating patella, dental disease and collapsing trachea as the main concerns. The AKC notes that Maltese can be affected by congenital portosystemic shunts, and small Poodles by eye diseases, luxating patella and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. Chewy gives a lifespan of 13–16 years. Crossing two breeds does not guarantee better health: in the McMillan et al. (2024) study, the median lifespan of crossbreeds was 12.0 years, lower than for Poodles. So ask the breeder about health testing of both parents, not just the puppy's color.

luxating patellaThe orthopedic problem most often reported in both parent breeds and their crosses.
dental and gum diseaseSmall dogs have crowded teeth that build up tartar quickly.
collapsing tracheaWeakened tracheal cartilage causes a typical “goose honk” cough; a harness instead of a collar reduces pressure on the neck.
progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)An inherited eye disease known in Poodles; the Poodle parent can be DNA-tested.
portosystemic shunt (liver shunt)A congenital liver defect described in Maltese; the AKC recommends a bile acid test for the breed.

Health tests to ask the breeder about

patella exam
eye exam (ECVO)
PRA-prcd DNA test (Poodle parent)
heart auscultation

This is general breed information, not a diagnosis. If something worries you, talk to your veterinarian.

Breed history

The Maltipoo belongs to the wave of “designer” Poodle crosses, a group in which the authors of a large 2024 British study also include the Labradoodle. The idea was simple: combine the Maltese's small size and affectionate nature with the Poodle's curly, low-shedding coat and easy trainability. The Maltipoo has no standard, no breed club recognized by the FCI and no shared registry, so the name is used to sell both first-generation puppies (Maltese × Poodle) and later generations of crosses. Researchers at Dogs Trust stress that crossbreeds are a very mixed group and that their health depends on the specific parents, not on the name.

Fun facts

With no official standard, a single litter can include puppies with straight, wavy and curly coats.
Adult size depends mainly on whether the Poodle parent was a Toy or a Miniature.
According to the AKC, the Maltese parent weighs under 3.2 kg, noticeably less than the average Maltipoo.
The name blends the English words “Maltese” and “Poodle.”

Frequently asked questions

Do Maltipoos shed?

Very little, because they usually inherit the Poodle's curly or wavy coat. The dead hair stays in the coat, though, and forms mats if the dog isn't brushed regularly. No dog is fully hypoallergenic, since allergens are also in saliva and dander, so anyone with allergies should spend time with the specific dog first.

How big does a Maltipoo get?

Most weigh 4.5–9 kg and stand 20–36 cm at the shoulder. Dogs with a Toy Poodle parent are smaller, those with a Miniature Poodle parent larger. The best way to estimate adult size is to know the weight of both parents.

How long do Maltipoos live?

A veterinarian writing for Chewy gives 13–16 years, and Maltese and small Poodles are both long-lived breeds. How long a particular dog lives still depends on its parents' health, its weight and dental care.

Can a Maltipoo be left alone?

For short periods, yes, but a full workday is usually too much. This dog is strongly attached to people. Teach it to stay alone gradually from puppyhood, starting with a few minutes, and arrange a midday walk if you'll be gone longer.