A Maltese is a small dog with a big amount of hair, and all of it is white. Those two facts decide most of what Maltese grooming looks like at home: the coat shows every bit of dirt, food and saliva it touches, and on a dog that weighs about as much as a bag of sugar, there isn't much dog between you and the mats.
Before any of the haircut talk, it helps to know what the breed's coat is meant to be, because a lot of pet Maltese don't grow quite that coat — and the difference changes how much work yours will be.
What the standard says, and why your dog may not match it
The AKC breed standard is specific. The coat is single, without undercoat, and it hangs “long, flat, and silky” nearly to the ground. Color is pure white, with light tan or lemon on the ears allowed. And it goes out of its way to say that any kinkiness, curliness or woolly texture is objectionable.
A standard doesn't bother ruling something out unless it turns up. Plenty of pet Maltese grow a coat that's softer and fluffier than the show-ring version — more cotton than silk. That isn't a flaw in your dog. It's just a different coat, and it behaves differently:
- A silky coat is heavy and slippery. It hangs, it parts cleanly down the back, and it tangles mainly where something rubs it. Brushed regularly, it's a surprisingly forgiving coat for its length.
- A cottony coat stands up off the body, holds static, and grabs onto itself. The strands are fine and wrap around each other, so tangles turn into felted patches faster, and a long cottony coat is a lot more work to keep than a long silky one.
A quick way to tell: after a bath and a brush-out, does the coat fall flat and swing when the dog trots, or does it puff up and stay put? Most dogs land somewhere in between, and the texture can shift as the adult coat comes in. Knowing which way yours leans is the most useful thing you can bring to a haircut decision.
No undercoat doesn't mean no mats
With no undercoat, a Maltese doesn't blow coat in spring and fall, and you won't find tufts of it on the rug. The trade-off is that Maltese hair keeps growing, and the tangles come from friction and moisture instead of trapped undercoat. On this breed, the usual trouble spots are:
- Behind the ears. The standard calls the ears “heavily feathered,” and that feathering rubs the neck hair every time the head moves.
- Under the collar or harness, and in the armpits. Straps grind fine hair into knots fast.
- The chest and beard. Wet from the water bowl and dinner, then dried against the body.
- The feet and between the pads. A low-slung little dog walks through everything.
- The tail plume and the britches. The tail is carried over the back, so its long hair lies on the body hair all day.
Brushing a Maltese means working in sections from the skin out, then checking with a metal comb. A soft pin brush suits the body. Mist the coat first — dry, fine hair breaks when you drag a brush through it. If the comb slides from root to tip, you're done with that section; if it catches, keep going. Ten careful minutes beats half an hour of skimming the top.
Keeping a white dog white
White hair shows everything. The usual spots:
- Under the eyes. The reddish-brown streak from the inner corner is the one everybody knows. We've covered what causes it and what helps in tear stains on dogs, so we won't repeat it here — except to say a gentle daily wipe and keeping the hair near the eyes trimmed or tied up do more than any product.
- Around the mouth. The beard soaks up saliva, water and food, and stays damp. A damp white beard goes rust-colored and starts to smell. Wiping and drying the beard after meals keeps the new growth coming in cleaner, and the stained ends can be trimmed off as they grow out.
- The feet. Grass, mud and fall leaves all leave their mark on white feet. In a Missouri fall, black walnut husks are the worst of these — that stain is set in the hair the same day, as we explain in what black walnuts do to your dog's coat.
Some owners like a whitening or brightening shampoo now and then. It's a choice, not a must, and more isn't better — frequent harsh shampooing can leave a fine coat dry and easier to break. Human hair products and bleach don't belong on a dog. And if a dog is licking his feet or chewing at a spot until the hair goes rusty, that's worth a vet visit before it's a grooming question. Constant licking has a cause, and a shampoo won't fix it.
The face: topknot or short
Maltese head hair grows down over the eyes. The standard lets it be tied up in a topknot or left hanging, and for a pet there's a third option: trim it short so it stays out of the eyes by itself.
- Topknot. Keeps the classic look. It's a daily job, and the band needs taking out and redoing so it doesn't pull or mat at the base.
- Short face. Much less upkeep, and kinder to a dog who won't sit still for a band. You lose the long, flowing head.
- Long and loose. Fine on a dog whose hair falls clear of the eyes. On most pets it ends up in them.
Your call. If you want a topknot, we'll put one in; if you'd rather we didn't, we won't.
Long coat or a puppy cut
The floor-length Maltese is gorgeous. It's also daily brushing, frequent bathing and blow-drying, and in practice a dog who can't do much rolling around in the yard. Plenty of pet Maltese live in a shorter trim instead, and there's no shame in it — a short-coated Maltese is still unmistakably a Maltese.
The coat texture from earlier matters most here. A silky coat can carry a fair amount of length on a few minutes of brushing a day. A cottony coat at the same length will fight you, and a shorter cut is usually the kinder trade for both of you. In between, there's a lot of room: a short body with longer ears and tail, a mid-length all over, a rounded face with a trimmed body. “Puppy cut” means something different to everyone, so a photo helps — our guide to asking for the haircut you want walks through it.
Tell us how many minutes a day you've got for brushing. We'll tell you what we're feeling in the coat and what each length will ask of you, and you pick.
Handling a dog this small
The standard puts Maltese under seven pounds, four to six preferred. A dog that size needs a careful hand. Bones are fine, legs are thin, and a jump off a couch or a grooming table is a long way down for him. At home, brush him on your lap or on a non-slip mat on the floor, not on a counter he can launch off.
Drying matters too. A wet Maltese coat left to air-dry tends to tangle and kink as it dries, and a dog this size doesn't enjoy sitting soaked for an hour. A blow dryer on a low, cool-to-warm setting while you brush through gives you a straighter coat and a lot less tangling to brush out tomorrow.
Start the routine young. A Maltese puppy who gets his feet, face and ears handled every day, briefly, grows into a dog who doesn't panic on grooming day — and that's worth more than any haircut.
If your Maltese is due, book a groom with us. Bring a photo of the look you want, and tell us how much brushing your week can hold.