Maltese Dogs shed very little which means they are easy maintenance when it comes to grooming and keeping their coats looking smart. However, it does pay to take them along to be professionally groomed from time to time. They do also tend to get tear stains under their eyes which are more noticeable due to their white coats and although unsightly, this does not pose any sort of health issue. Cleaning tear stains can be done using a clean, damp cloth being careful not to hurt a dog's eyes in the process.
These dogs may be small in stature, but they are lively, energetic characters and therefore need to be given the right amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation for them to be truly happy, well-balanced characters. It’s important for these little dogs to burn off any excess calories otherwise they may put on too much weight which can negatively impact their overall health and well-being.
If you have decided to get a puppy from a breeder, they would provide you with a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to it for the first few weeks after bringing a puppy home. You can change their diet when the time is right, but this needs to be done very gradually and carefully over a few weeks to make sure puppies don't suffer any tummy upsets. Puppies do a lot of growing during the first couple of years of their lives which in short, means it's crucial for them to be fed a high quality diet when they are young.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature Maltese Dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories which is important or they might start to gain too much weight.
