Maltese
Sweet and low-shedding — ideal for flats and older owners. Tear staining never ends.
About the Maltese
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. Nicholas Cutillo suggested that Maltese dogs might descend from spitz-type canines, and that the ancient variety probably was similar to the latter Pomeranian breeds with their short snout, pricked ears, and bulbous heads. These two varieties, according to Stanley Coren, were perhaps the first dogs employed as human companions.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Key facts
- Origin
- Malta
- Weight
- 2–4 kg
- Height
- 20–25 cm
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Est. monthly cost
- $102 (≈ $1224 per year)
- Purchase price
- $1,450–$2,550 from a breeder
Where the monthly cost comes from
Routine care for a Maltese averages about $102 a month, or roughly $1,224 a year. That figure is summed from the measured US line items below — food is scaled to this breed's body weight and grooming to its coat — not quoted from any single clinic or breeder.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Food (scaled to 3 kg) | $65.75 |
| Treats | $60.00 |
| Routine veterinary care (adjusted for this breed's known issues) | $347.55 |
| Medications (flea, tick, heartworm) | $101.85 |
| Grooming (5/5 coat requirement) | $600.00 |
| Toys | $37.00 |
| Licence | $15.00 |
| Total | $102 |
Pet insurance is not in that total. The average US accident-and-illness premium is $676 a year for a dog, but most pets are not insured, so adding it to every breed would overstate what a typical owner pays.
If you insure, board and budget for emergencies
Owners who carry insurance, leave the pet boarded when travelling and set money aside for emergencies land near $204 a month — about $2,453 a year. This is a modelled budget, not a survey result:
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Routine care, as itemised above | $1,224 |
| Pet insurance (NAPHIA average premium) | $676 |
| Boarding (10 days at $25/day) | $250 |
| Emergency fund (one ~$900 event every 3 years) | $300 |
| Fully-loaded total | $2,453 |
Boarding rate from MarketWatch ($25/day). Emergency allowance modelled on Rover's finding that a typical emergency visit starts near $300 and reaches $4,000 with diagnostics and an overnight stay. The number of boarded days and the once-in-three-years emergency frequency are our own planning assumptions, stated here so you can substitute your own.
Includes routine vet visits, food, grooming and supplies. Excludes emergencies, training, boarding and the purchase price above. Method and sources: data sources.
Temperament and care profile
Health issues to watch
The FDA's animal adverse-event database holds 17,309 reported events filed under this breed name (data current to 2026-10-05). Reports are not proof of causation and are not adjusted for how many animals of the breed exist.
More photos
Photos via Dog CEO.
How it compares
Pick a second breed to see a side-by-side breakdown of cost, size, shedding and lifestyle fit.
Breeds closest to this one
Ranked by measured similarity across shedding, grooming, energy, trainability, apartment fit, child friendliness, vocalisation and adult weight.
- Yorkshire Terrier — about $1/month less
- Bichon Frise — about $3/month more
- Pomeranian — about $13/month less
- French Bulldog — about $29/month less
- Poodle — about $14/month more
- Pug — about $30/month less
- Dachshund — about $31/month less
- Miniature Schnauzer — about $7/month less