Size Chart: How Big Will a Maltese Get?

The breed standard for the Maltese gives weight, not height: under 7 pounds, with 4 to 6 pounds preferred. It sets no height at all; VCA puts adults at 9 to 10 inches. The standard also says overall quality is to be favored over size.

What the breed standard actually specifies

The Maltese is the reversal in a stack of toy breed standards. Most are written in inches and leave weight alone. This one does the opposite. Its size clause reads: “Weight under 7 pounds, with from 4 to 6 pounds preferred.” Then it stops. There is no height figure anywhere in it.

That matters when you compare charts. The Bichon Frise, Havanese and Miniature Schnauzer standards give height and no weight, so the pounds you read for those breeds came from elsewhere. Here it runs the other way: the pounds are the standard’s own, the inches are not. The 9 to 10 inch height here comes from VCA’s Maltese breed page, a veterinary source, as our other breed information pages note in reverse.

Those pounds are a show ideal, written for the ring, not a health target for your dog. A pet Maltese who settles at 8 pounds is not overweight and is not failing anything. Body condition — ribs you can feel, a waist you can see from above — is what matters at home, and VCA’s Body Condition Scores guidance is built on that hands-on check.

Weight by age: general small-breed estimates

The figures below are general small-breed growth estimates, not breed-club data, and none are in the standard. Read them as the rough shape of a curve, not a schedule your puppy must keep.

The coat, and why a puppy cut changes the picture

The Maltese has a single coat with no undercoat. It hangs long, flat and silky, almost to the ground in full coat. Because it drapes instead of puffing out, it does not add bulk the way a curly double coat does. It adds outline, and a lot of it.

Cut it short and the effect is startling. Owners who take a Maltese down to a puppy cut before a Georgia summer often say the dog came back from the groomer looking like half the dog that went in. Nothing changed on the scale. Go by your hands over the ribs and waist, not the silhouette.

What actually determines final adult size

Mostly genetics, and no one can tell you an individual puppy’s adult weight as a fact. The timeline is the dependable part: veterinary guidance on when dogs stop growing puts small breeds at the end of their growth around six to eight months, with full adult size by about twelve months.

Discuss size with your veterinarian rather than using an online calculator if growth stalls, if your puppy loses weight, or if a body condition check disagrees with the scale. Your vet can compare your dog against its own record, the only comparison worth much.

One size-related thing is not a wait-and-see. Veterinary guidance on hypoglycemia notes that low blood sugar “can occur in very young or very small puppies, especially young toy puppies.” The signs to know are drowsiness, trembling, weakness and wobbliness. If you see them in a small Maltese puppy, call your vet the same day.

About the word “teacup”

There is no teacup Maltese. The word is marketing, not a size and not a variety anyone recognises. This is already a toy breed, and a standard that prefers 4 to 6 pounds leaves little room underneath for a smaller edition.

The best answer is in the standard itself. Directly after the weight clause it says: “Overall quality is to be favored over size.” In the same breath as the pounds, that line tells judges a sound, well-made dog at the top of the range beats a lesser dog that happens to be lighter. If the standard will not trade quality for ounces, a seller advertising ounces is not quoting the standard.

If a very small adult is what draws you to the breed, look at breeds that are small by standard on our toy breeds page, and check available puppies by breed for what is here. If you are weighing this breed against another small coated one, our Shih Tzu vs Maltese comparison sets the two side by side.

Common questions

How much does a full-grown Maltese weigh?

The breed standard says under 7 pounds, with 4 to 6 pounds preferred. That is the show ideal rather than a health target, so a pet Maltese a little over 7 pounds is not automatically overweight. Ask your vet to assess body condition rather than reading the scale alone.

How tall does a Maltese get?

Around 9 to 10 inches, according to VCA. The standard gives no height figure at all, so every inch measurement you see for this breed comes from a veterinary or descriptive source.

At what age is a Maltese fully grown?

Small breeds generally finish growing around six to eight months and reach full adult size by about twelve months, per veterinary guidance. A Maltese may keep filling out in coat and condition after that, but the frame is set.

Is a teacup Maltese a real thing?

No. It is a sales word, not a recognised size. The standard already prefers 4 to 6 pounds and adds that “overall quality is to be favored over size”, which is the breed’s own way of saying not to shop by the ounce.

Does a short haircut make a Maltese look smaller?

Noticeably, yes. The single, floor-length coat adds a great deal of outline, so a puppy cut can make the same dog look far smaller with no change in weight. Judge size by feel over the ribs instead.