How tall is a Maltese?

What a Maltese’s height measures

Height is measured at the withers, the top of the shoulders. The head and ears extend above that line. The American Kennel Club breed profile gives 7-9 inches. The listing describes an adult dog, not a growth chart for puppies.

Ranked by the tallest height its standard names (9 in), the Maltese is the joint 4th smallest of the 297 dog breeds on this site. See the smallest dog breeds ranked.

Drawn at the same 7 in: Biewer Terrier, Brussels Griffon and Yorkshire Terrier. Same drawing, different listings: a Maltese’s, a Biewer Terrier’s, a Brussels Griffon’s and a Yorkshire Terrier’s figures are each the lower end of its range.

This is a published species or breed reference, not a prediction for an individual animal. Where a range is supplied, both ends appear with the reading. Shoulder height and head height are kept apart when comparing animals.

Other toy dogs near its height

• Japanese Chin 8 in
• Papillon 8 in
• Russian Toy 8 in
• Pekingese 6 in
• Pomeranian 6 in
• Havanese 8.5 in
• Toy Fox Terrier 8.5 in
• Affenpinscher 9 in

All 30 toy dogs by height, tallest first, or every dog breed. To compare your own dog, measure it at the withers.

Published height