Are Maltese Dogs Good Family Pets? It Depends

Maltese dogs make great family pets for most families but not all families.

Maltese dogs are quite gentle, affectionate, responsive, and full of love and trust. These dogs are easy to pick up and take with you anywhere you want to go due to their smaller size. In addition, these pups are lively, full of energy, playful and affectionate, and are usually at peace with strangers and other animals. For people suffering from allergies, getting a Maltese dog can be great as they do not shed much, and they love warm and sunny weather, so taking them out for a run or walk during such weather might be great for them.

Maltese are small dogs, but they are usually categorized as fearless, vigorous, and a bit tougher than their appearance may let on. These pups are very social and playful, but it is good to do some research to decide whether you want Maltese as your family dog or not. The questions you might look for depending on the family size you have, whether there are children or not, and what type of environment your Maltese dog requires.

With these traits, a Maltese dog can be a great family pet, but many factors might affect the inclusion of a Maltese dog in a family. Every dog and even human has both good and bad sides to them. The same goes for the Maltese dogs, and to know if they can be the best or good family dog, keep on reading as all the answers to your questions lie in the next headings.

Are Maltese Dogs good family dogs?

Maltese dogs are generally very people-oriented dogs which means they strive for attention from their owners. These pups are majorly friendly towards strangers and love their owners very much. But they are prone to injuries if not handled carefully, which can harm them dangerously. However, Maltese are not aggressive if given a proper socialization environment and training.

Though, if they feel like they have been threatened, they do get quite aggressive and can be very dangerous because this breed is known to be fearless and harmful when provoked despite their small size. Maltese dogs love other dogs, making them the best family dog when you have other pups in the vicinity.

But again, everything goes back to their training and how well they can handle social gatherings. Before buying a Maltese dog as a family dog, it is important to know that they have barking habits in their genetics. That means they can never prevent themselves from barking, and if you are looking for a quiet dog, then this breed is not for you. Maltese dogs might look aggressive from a distance while barking at others, but that is just how they are. It does not mean that they will harm the stranger. Instead, it is their way of calling them out, and up close, you will see their friendly side even with someone unknown to them.

But if they exhibit any signs of aggression in some cases, then a visit to the Vet is important, and it is better to take corrective measures before it is too late. 

Are Maltese Dogs good with young children?

Maltese are highly outgoing and intelligent little dogs, but their small size makes them the target when keeping them in a house full of kids. These pups are very gentle, but at the same time, they are extremely fragile as well. This fragile nature makes them a target for children. However, these pups are quite good when looking for a companion for children as they can be great when wanting a fluffy lap dog to cuddle with.

Their playful and outgoing nature makes them quite loved by the children, and they are great for children over eight years old, but again all of it depends on the training of the Maltese and the maturity of the child having them. 

The bones of Maltese are extremely fragile and can break even with the small weight of a child dropping on them, so standing or sitting on Maltese can cause severe damage to them and even death in some cases. Therefore, to let the young children enjoy the love and affection from a Maltese, it is better to teach both the dog and child how to avoid these risks and respond to the child, respect dogs, and treat them respectively. In this way, both the dog and the younger child can be saved and enjoy each other’s company.

Are Maltese Dogs good with babies?

Like every other kid, babies also love toys. But in this case, the toy for them might be a living, running a bundle of joy, also known as Maltese. Maltese are extremely good for kids, specifically babies, but the babies, in general, are still not aware of their surroundings and can be quite harmful to the dog.

Even though this relationship between a Maltese and a baby is sweet, there are many risks involved. The first risk can be the baby dropping or stepping on this little pup and damaging its bones. The second can be the Maltese showing off their temperament. The Maltese are plain and simple dogs with a sweet-tempered nature and are very good with strangers, but sometimes, these pups do not love loud voices or crying babies. The crying babies can alert Maltese, making them angry and in return for them to bite or hit the baby so that they can stop with their voices. This can be quite dangerous.

All in all, Maltese dogs are great, and some children do call them their only best friend due to their sweet and affectionate nature but leaving children and Maltese dogs unattended or unsupervised is not a great decision to make as it may harm one or the other in their not so harmful and lovely friendship bond. Also, even though Maltese dogs are known to have good manners, you never know what goes on in a dog’s head. So, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Are Maltese Dogs good with other dogs?

Maltese are natural charmers and are generally very outgoing and socializing dogs present. These pups are naturally open, intrigued, and are easily appealed to by everything around them. In general, they are friendly with everyone around them, including the majority of the dog breeds.

Even though Maltese dogs get along with most of the other dogs and are outgoing and friendly, it does not mean that they do not prefer their privacy. There are times when they do need their privacy for resting and other things. There are both types of Maltese dogs, the over-friendly one and the keeping to themselves one.

The training of the Maltese dogs and the social interaction they have had during their early years define how well the dog turns out to be. If the Maltese dogs are trained well and have been socializing since they were younger then, for them to get along with other dogs will be easy, but if they have been staying indoors without many interactions, then they might feel overwhelmed with being in the dog filled environment.

Many dog breeds go well with Maltese dogs and can be kept at home with them. These breeds include Barbets, Basset Hounds, Cocker Spaniel, Golden Doodle, Maltipoo, English foxhound, Great Dane, Bolognese, and many more dog breeds considered as friends for the Maltese community. All in all, keeping a Maltese with other dogs is a great idea if your pup loves socializing.

Our thoughts on why Maltese puppies good as a family pet?

Maltese dogs are good when looking for family pets as they do not require huge spaces to live and are very human-friendly. These are best for owners with allergies as they are light shedders and are acceptable by many allergy-prone people who want to own dogs. A good family dog must be lively, playful, active, and energetic.

Maltese are all that and more as they usually enjoy learning tricks to keep their owners entertained, their cuddling nature makes them the most loved dog breed out there to keep in your home, but they do get angry when facing children with a temper as they do have their temper to deal with.

It is recommended not to have a Maltese dog if you have toddlers in your house as these dogs are small and have very fragile bones which can easily break and kill the dog. So depending on your household and taking help from our informative article, you can decide whether you want to have Maltese as your family dog or not.