Fun Maltipoo Facts For Kids

Are you a dog lover and love reading about mixed-breeds? Then you will love to read all about Maltipoo dogs too! But first, you might be wondering "what is a Maltipoo?"

A Maltipoo is a hybrid dog created by crossing a toy or miniature Poodle with a toy Maltese. Its parent breeds Poodle and Maltese are water dogs and lapdogs respectively, the combination of which gives us an adorable pooch with a loving nature and a people-oriented personality.

It is also called a designer dog as it is specially bred by, and to create a companion for, humans.

Their friendly, affectionate, and loyal nature makes it very easy to train them and make them great company as they will literally never leave your side as they love trotting beside their humans.

Due to their ancestral history, they shed very little amounts of fur so are widely adopted by people with allergies. They are a very good dog but if they are anxious, curious, or simply left alone they bark a lot, even at strangers out of curiosity.

They are known for their puppy-like face even when they become fully grown adults and Maltipoos are a great choice for first-time pet parents, but they do need a lot of attention, care, and grooming.

If you are ready to dedicate yourself to your dog, as a Maltipoo will do to you, you will have yourself an adorable little dog with lots of love and cuddles to give.

Make sure to keep them away from young children, as they might be too harsh on these little pooches. Children must be taught how to handle a Maltipoo, especially if it's a puppy, and owners should never leave them outside all day.

To know more about these cute little balls of love, keep reading!

Maltipoo Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Maltipoo?

A Maltipoo is a mixed breed dog. It is a cross between Poodles and Maltese dogs.

What class of animal does a Maltipoo belong to?

The Maltese dog breed belongs to the mammalian class of animals.

How many Maltipoos are there in the world?

The Maltipoo dog breed is a relatively new cross-breed so, despite gaining quick popularity, we are unclear about its exact population.  

Where does a Maltipoo live?

The Maltipoo dog is a designer dog breed that is bred to be a good companion dog, so they live in domestic houses with families or their owners.

What is a Maltipoo's habitat?

The Maltipoo lives in homes with us, humans! The Maltipoo dog is a hybrid breed of small dogs bred with a toy or miniature Poodle and a Maltese.

Its Poodle parent originated in Germany and Maltese dogs are quite ancient dogs so it is unclear what its exact place of origin is.

Poodles were bred as water dogs, whereas Maltese are also called ornament dogs as they were bred for companionship. The Maltipoo breed itself was developed in the United States around 30 years ago.

They were initially created as small dogs to be a great companion.

They are very affectionate and, because of their playful and friendly nature, they are also often used as therapy dogs and are an excellent miniature watchdog as they are very alert and have a tendency to bark when they see strangers approaching.

Since they are designer dogs and live in close proximity to humans, they are very friendly to humans as well as other animals and live happily in their houses or apartments.

Who do Maltipoos live with?

Maltipoo breed dogs are very social and friendly and easily adjust to all kinds of domestic environments as they are very gentle, affectionate, and playful companion dogs. They have a friendly people-oriented personality which makes them ideal for big families with multiple pets and children.

This hybrid dog will get along very well in a large home, but they also thrive in apartments and smaller spaces (provided they are given enough opportunities to exercise each day).

Maltipoo puppies and dogs don't do well when left alone and can suffer from separation anxiety. A Maltipoo puppy is generally very easy to train as they are very devoted, obedient, and loyal which makes them a great companion for most humans.

How long does a Maltipoo live?

Maltipoo dogs have a life expectancy of between 10 and 15 years which can depend on their diet, activity level, daily exercise routine, and overall health.

Maltipoos are small dogs, and small dogs can be fragile with some common health problems that all small dog breeds are at risk of.

Some of these health problems include Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, white shaker syndrome (which causes the entire body to tremor for long periods of time in small-breed dogs), progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), epilepsy, portosystemic shunt (PSS), and patellar luxation among others.

If you are worried that your small dog is suffering from one of these health issues, you should try not to worry and arrange a visit to the vet to get your dog checked over.

How do they reproduce?

As Maltese-Poodle puppies turn about five months old, they reach adolescence and the females experience their first 'season' around this time. These animals reach sexual maturity at eight months.

A female Maltipoo dog's cycle, once mature, can last between five and seven months with two to four weeks of the active stage.

A female dog can bear between four and six Maltipoo puppies, but sometimes they only bear one puppy depending on the parent breeds and the dog's overall health. It is best if the Maltipoo female is between the age of two and three when she mates and carries a litter.

What is their conservation status?

Maltipoos are small-size breeds that appeared just 30 years ago. They are known as man-made, designer, or hybrid dogs that were bred to be companions to humans with allergies (as they are low shedding dogs).

Neither the purebred Maltese and Poodles nor the mixed breed Maltipoos are listed on IUCN Red List, in fact, they have become quite a popular pet, especially with celebrities.

Maltipoo Fun Facts

What do Maltipoos look like?

Maltipoos are a designer breed so it is very hard to predict their appearance or coat color exactly.

They can have any coat color from black, white, and brown, to cream, apricot, silver, grey, and more. The typical Maltipoo size depends totally on their parents but they are generally between 8-14 in (20.32-35.56 cm) tall and weigh about 5-20 lb (2.26-9.07 kg).

They have a shiny medium-long coat of curly or wavy fur with a fluffy, soft, wool-like texture, and a small round teddy bear-like face which makes them look like a puppy even when they are well into their older age.

How cute are they?

Maltipoo dogs and puppies both are extremely cute and adorable. A Maltipoo mix puppy is tiny enough to fit in your palms and looks like a little ball of fluff. Their people-oriented personality, friendly and social nature, playfulness, and teddy bear face shape make them a super cute puppy that everyone loves and adores!

How do they communicate?

Like all dogs, Maltipoos bark, growl, whine, or yap to communicate. Since they are very friendly and social they love head scratches, pats, and lots of cuddles. They are lap dogs and will make sure you are never left alone.

How big is a Maltipoo?

Maltipoos sizes can be anything from 8-14 in (20.32-35.56 cm) depending on the cross. It has four main sizes, teacup, toy, miniature, and standard, with teacups being the smallest, and standard being the largest breeds.

A teacup Maltipoo full-grown dog can be small enough to fit in your palm or even in a purse! A Maltipoo dog is typically bigger than its Maltese parent and smaller than its Poodle parent.

How fast can a Maltipoo run?

In general, dogs can run between 15-20 miles per hour, but Maltipoos, like many small-breed dogs, aren't good runners even if they are hyperactive or playful. They are slow runners and can't run for long distances.

How much does a Maltipoo weigh?

An adult Maltipoo dog can weigh anything between 5-20 lb (2.26-9.07 kg), which is heavier than a Maltese at 2-8 lb and lighter than a Poodle at 14-71 lb. This designer dog was made for companionship so its small size makes it easy to carry around.

What are their male and female names of the species?

A female Maltipoo is called a bitch and the male Maltipoo is simply called a dog.

What would you call a baby Maltipoo?

A Maltipoo dog's babies are called pups or puppies as they are part of the canine family.

What do they eat?

Like all small dog breeds, Maltipoos don't need a lot of food but a properly balanced diet according to their age, size, and health issues (if any).

It is advised to give them up to one and a half cups of high-quality dog food daily, divided into two meals, and to avoid giving them too many treats as this will lower the appetite of the dog at mealtimes.

You should be able to feel its ribs without pressing too hard, this is a good way to ensure that your dog is not over-weight.

Are they slobbery?

Maltipoos have very low drooling tendencies, except when there's food in front of them at mealtime, of course!

Would they make a good pet?

Maltipoos were designed to become pets and are the perfect companions for many in domestic households. They are especially good pets for those who have allergies and want a hypoallergic dog.

Its small size and friendly nature make the Maltipoo an incredible family pet and an amazing companion to people living alone too. A Maltipoo puppy is quite expensive and Maltipoos need a lot of attention and care.

Owners should only adopt a Maltipoo if they are prepared to spend a good amount of time maintaining and caring for their dog.

Maltipoos also need regular grooming, daily brushing of teeth, combing almost every day, and bathing every three weeks. It is due to their low-shedding tendencies that such care is needed.

The Maltipoo temperament isn't aggressive or stubborn, they are obedient and easy to train, and training should ideally start at between seven and eight weeks old. When training a Maltipoo, remember to use lots of positive reinforcement and reward system methods.

Did you know...

Maltipoos have become popular celebrity dogs because more and more celebrities are adopting Maltipoos for their small-size and adorable teddy bear looks. There is even a Maltese Poodle mix dog named Maliboo who has over 500,000 followers on Instagram!

A teacup Maltipoo adult is only 10 in tall and weighs about 4 lb, how small!

Can Maltipoos be left outside all day?

The Maltipoo breed was created for companionship. Even though it is an active dog, they thrive as inside dogs and don't do well outdoors for a long time.

Owners should never leave a Maltipoo outside all day, this will be distressing for the dog. Walking them twice a day for no more than 40 minutes and enjoying playtime for 20 minutes will be enough for their daily exercise needs.

Are Maltipoos good watchdogs?

Maltipoos can be a good watchdog from time to time. They do have barking tendencies, especially when strangers approach, which can be helpful to alert the owner of strangers approaching their home.

However, they aren't the bravest dogs and they can get very anxious and bark out of fear and curiosity. They generally never attack anyone as they are not aggressive in nature.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Maltipoo coloring pages.