How can I tell if my maltese is going to be small?

Answer by  withluck (1745)

The best way to tell what an adult Maltese will look like is to look at the puppy's parents. Male dogs will be close to the fathers size and females close to the mothers size. Being the largest in the litter or the runt will also effect the dog's size.

Answer by  KittyCat (39)

You can't really tell how small the maltese will be. I know as a rule of thumb the smaller their paws the smaller they will be. I own a maltese and thought she was going to be less than 5 pounds. She weighs 7 pounds now.

Answer by  carine (24)

The maltese dog is known for its appearance, white silky hair, black nose, dark brown eyes, for its great companionship and small size, under 7 pounds, so if the dog meets this characteristics and isn't another race he will shurely won't grow any bigger and his weight will stay between 4 and 6 pounds.

Answer by  shastie (1601)

The first sure way to tell is the size of the dogs parents, if they are small your dog will be small.

Answer by  Julie3606 (49)

The most accurate way to know is to look at the size of the dog's parents. Based on their weight and size, that will give an good assumption.

Answer by  Roland27 (16334)

First you need to know if your puppy is a teacup or a toy. If you double and a half your puppy's weight at twelve weeks you should get an approximate size. The breeder should have told you how big the puppy should be, but don't count on that as an exact size. It's only an approximate.

Answer by  sophie65 (69)

A maltese is by breed a small dog. The dog usually ranges between 6-7 pounds and should not weigh more than that.

Answer by  Zaka (2315)

By looking at the size of his/ her paws by the age on 6 months. If paws seem thin-fingered chances are the paws will not develop much.

Answer by  champaign9497 (11977)

There are a couple ways take hold of the scruff on the neck and see how much extra skin is there if the paws are small so is the dog

Answer by  katharine (3981)

Maltese dogs are a small breed in general, so if you have a purebred Maltese it isn't going to be a big dog.