Maltese

Maltese Breed Standard

The Kennel Club - Unauthorised Reproduction of Text and Images Prohibited.

A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.

To view photos of this breed please visit the Kennel Club Picture Library



General Appearance
Smart, white-coated dog, with proud head carriage.

Characteristics
Lively, intelligent, alert.

Temperament
Sweet-tempered.

Head and Skull
From stop to centre of skull (centre between forepart of ears) and stop to tip of nose, equally balanced. Stop well defined. Nose black. Muzzle broad, well filled under eye. Not snipey.

Eyes
Oval, not bulging, dark brown, black eye rims, with dark haloes.

Ears
Long, well feathered, hanging close to head; hair to mingle with coat at shoulders.

Mouth
Jaws strong, with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Teeth even.

Neck
Medium length.

Forequarters
Legs short and straight. Shoulders well sloped.

Body
Well balanced, essentially short and cobby. Good spring of rib, back level from withers to tail.

Hindquarters
Legs short, well angulated.

Feet
Round, pads black.

Tail
Feathered, carried well arched over back.

Gait/Movement
Straight and free-flowing, without weaving. Viewed from behind, legs should neither be too close nor too wide apart.

Coat
Reasonable length, never impeding action, straight, of silky texture, never woolly. Never crimped and without woolly undercoat.

Colour
Pure white, but slight lemon markings permissible.

Size
Height not exceeding 25 cms (10 ins) from ground to withers.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - October 2009