The Maltipoo is known to capture hearts once everyone sees them. However, people often mistook them as a purebred Yorkshire terrier, Shih Tzu, or the King Charles spaniel! But they are really just close cousins between the other breeds. Compared to the three breeds mentioned earlier, the Maltipoo is a cross mixed breed. In this article, we will talk more about them: how they are like, what they are and how to take care of them!
Learn more about them as you read through this guide. Let’s go!
What is a Maltipoo?
The adorable Maltipoo is a cross or a mixed breed between a purebred Maltese and a purebred Poodle. They originated from the United States as they were made for the purpose of a much small and adorable companion fit for a family lifestyle. The breeders certainly chose a really great combination as the two purebreds: Maltese and the Poodle, are really popular breeds. The outcome was a cute bundle of joy!
The Maltipoo was also created for other convenient purposes. The breeders wanted to get a dog that was capable of being hypoallergenic, non-shedding and at the same time, one that was very trainable.
To get to know the Maltipoo a lot better, let’s take a brief look at what their parents are.
The Maltese
The Maltese is part of the toy breed family. They are considered to be a good therapy dog. This is because they are friendly, gentle, and fearless. They are also known for their long coats, small legs, and cute hairstyles!
The Poodle
This is the poodle! They are a fluffy ball of fur in a group of formal dog breeds. There are three kinds of poodles: the Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle. This breed is said to be elegant, proud, and clever. They are famous for their looks being in dog pageants but are known to be fierce hunters back in the past before they were introduced as the dog fashionistas!
The Maltipoo’s Physical Appearance
- The Maltipoo can reach up to 15 inches in height depending on their poodle parent whether they are standard, miniature or toy. They can appear smaller or taller.
- Maltipoos mostly inherit the curly coat from their Poodle parent and sometimes may have straight or wavy fur.
- They can be long with little legs or just about right.
Meet Chloe the Maltipoo puppy in video:
How do Matipoos behave?
- The Maltipoo is a very playful dog. They can get energetic every now and then
- As they are energetic, they are great dogs to take walks with as you jog or take a stroll
- They are friendly and loving towards people and more importantly, to children
- Maltipoos like to play chase or hunt but may easily get scared of the things they do not quite understand fully
How big do Maltipoos get?
Maltipoos as adults is generally small. Like the Maltese, they are small dogs. However, it would also depend on the poodle parent’s side since there are three different sizes of poodles.
Knowing that the Maltese is a toy breed, their height can range from 8 to 10 inches with 6 to 8 pounds.
Poodles part of the toy breed can be measured up to 10 inches with 4 to 6 pounds. The Miniature Poodles go a bit much higher than the toy poodle. They can range from 10 to 15 inches at 10 to 15 pounds. Because of this, your Maltipoo’s size can’t exactly be predicted but estimated. It can be that your Maltipoo puppy can grow to be a toy size but larger than expected.
Maltipoo’s Coat Type and Shedding
Since the Maltipoo is a mixed breed between the Maltese and Poodle, we will base on their purebred parents. Both the Poodles and the Maltese are considered as low-shedding breeds which makes the Maltipoo one as well. However, just because the Maltipoo is considered a low-shedding breed as well doesn’t mean their coats are low maintenance.
The Maltipoo will still require regular grooming and trimming. Their fur grows faster due to their genes with the Maltese and poodles which have curly and long coats. When they gain really long fur, it could create lots of problems for the Maltipoo. Problems would include lack of sight since their fur could be covering their eyes. Other problems would be them tripping over the long hairs growing on their bodies or between their paws.
Maltipoo’s Health and Life Span
The Maltipoos are really great dogs! However, everything has their own limits. The Maltipoos are able to live for 10 to 15 years depending on how you take good care of them. They are really cute and small creatures but can be really fragile with it comes to certain things. It can’t be helped that the maltipoos have inherited health conditions from both their parents, the Maltese and Poodles. Because of that, the Maltipoo may have a health condition related to either the two. These possible conditions are:
- A heart condition called Mitral Valve Prolapse
- A Brain Disease called Necrotizing Meningoencephalitis
- Epilepsy
- Orthopedic and eye problems
- Autoimmune Conditions
These problems are common to both Maltese and Poodles. However, it is rare for the offspring, or the Maltipoo to collect all of them. Take note: these may be common conditions to both breeds but this does not necessarily mean it happens all the time. If the puppy is in good health, the lesser they are prone to such conditions.
Interesting Facts about Maltipoos
Conclusion – Is the Maltipoo the right dog for me?
Would it be difficult for me to get a Maltipoo? Would a Maltipoo be alright with my family? Will I be able to get along with a Maltipoo? Is it truly the breed for me?
So far, the Maltipoo is friendly to everyone and adaptable to almost all environmental conditions. They are truly intelligent, lovable, friendly and playful dogs. Most importantly, they are family-friendly so you won’t have to worry about them being in the family at all. They love to play and earn lots of love! As a reward, they become your most loyal companion and family.
So what do you think? If you like this article, please share it with friends and family! I hope you enjoyed it and learned what you needed to know about Maltipoos!