Maltese buying guide
Should I get a male or female Maltese?
Many buyers agonise over gender. Here is the honest truth: the differences are small, individual personality dominates, and the two real gaps, marking and heat cycles, both flatten once you desex. A trait-by-trait comparison, and what actually should decide it.
Should I choose a male or female Maltese?
The differences are small and the individual puppy matters far more than its sex. Males are often described as a touch more openly cuddly and can mark territory when intact; females come into heat about twice a year when intact. Both behaviours fade with neutering or spaying, and coat, tear-stain and cost upkeep are identical. Choose on temperament, not gender.
The honest short answer
Buyers agonise over this more than almost any other question, so here is the truth up front: with a Maltese, the gender you pick matters far less than the internet suggests. Both the male and the female are gentle, affectionate, people-oriented lapdogs cut from the same cloth, and every honest breed source, from forums to breeders, lands in the same place: there is no significant behavioural gap between the sexes, especially once a dog is desexed. What actually shapes a puppy is individual variation, the mix of its own genetics, its socialisation and the home it grows up in.
There are two genuine differences, and both come down to hormones in an undesexed dog: an intact male is more prone to marking, and an intact female comes into season roughly twice a year. Both are manageable, and both largely disappear with neuter or spay. So the folklore that males are the cuddly ones and females are aloof is a soft tendency at most, not a rule you should choose a family member on. Pick the puppy, not the sex.
Male vs female Maltese, trait by trait
Most comparison articles bury the answer in paragraphs of hedging. Here is the whole thing on one screen. Read the "reality" column, because that is where the honest verdict sits: nearly every row collapses to "individual dog matters more" or "removed by desexing". Treat the male and female columns as soft, overlapping tendency reports, not guarantees; you will meet plenty of velcro females and independent males.
| Trait | Male tendency | Female tendency | The reality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Often upper end of the range | Often lower end, matures faster | Both 2 to 4kg, about 20 to 25cm; the gap is small |
| Affection | Described as openly cuddly, "velcro" | Sometimes a touch more independent | Both are gentle velcro lapdogs; overlap is huge |
| Marking | Intact males more prone to leg-lifting | Rarely marks | Neutering plus house training resolves it |
| Heat / season | None | Intact females in season about twice a year | Spaying removes it entirely |
| Trainability | Clever, a little stubborn | Clever, a little stubborn | No real gap; consistency beats sex |
| Coat & tear stains | White single coat, daily care | White single coat, daily care | Identical upkeep by sex |
| Cost to buy & keep | Broadly the same | Broadly the same | Sex is not a pricing factor here |
Size: males often marginally bigger, both tiny
The Maltese is a single toy breed size, not a range of minis and standards, so whichever sex you pick you are getting a dog of about 2 to 4kg (most sit at 2 to 3kg) and roughly 20 to 25cm at the shoulder. Within that band, a male often finishes slightly larger, at the upper end and carrying a sturdier frame, while a female tends to be a little lighter and to reach her full adult size a touch sooner. The difference is real but small, usually a few hundred grams, not a different category of dog.
If a placed adult weight matters to you, that is worth discussing puppy by puppy, because a female from bigger parents will outweigh a male from petite ones. Sex is a weak predictor. For the full picture of how big a Maltese gets and how to read a growing puppy, see our full-grown size guide. And do not chase "smaller" as a virtue: a heavier, well-built dog within the standard is healthier than a fragile runt.
Size facts that hold for both sexes
- One toy size: about 2 to 4kg, most 2 to 3kg
- Roughly 20 to 25cm tall at the shoulder
- Males often finish at the upper end of the band
- Females tend to reach full size a little faster
- Parents predict adult size better than sex does
Affection and the velcro trait
This is where the myths pile up. Forums call males "the cuddly ones that fall asleep in your lap" and females "more mature, less likely to show love to more than one person". There is a grain of truth: some males stay puppy-ish and openly clingy a little longer. But it is a tendency with enormous overlap, not a switch. The velcro, people-oriented nature is a breed-wide trait: the Maltese was bred for centuries as a companion, and both sexes want to be on you, follow you room to room and press into your side on the sofa. That intense bonding is the breed talking, not the sex.
Plenty of the most devoted, shadow-you-everywhere Maltese are female, and plenty of males are self-possessed little characters. So do not read "independent female" as "cold": it usually just means a dog with a slightly steadier, less needy streak, which some owners actively prefer. The flip side of all that devotion is that this breed can lean toward separation anxiety if over-indulged, in either sex. For the full temperament picture, read our temperament guide. The honest takeaway: if you want a loving lapdog, both sexes deliver.
Marking: the one real intact-male difference
Here is the first genuine, sex-linked difference, and it is the one Reddit owners raise most: "male Malteses tend to pee more than the females to mark their territory." Marking is not a housetraining failure; it is a hormone-driven instinct to deposit small amounts of urine on vertical surfaces to leave a scent message. An intact male is the most prone to it, and it can show up as leg-lifting on furniture indoors, especially in a new home or around other dogs.
The fix is straightforward and it is not "avoid males". Neuter-ing removes most of the hormonal drive, and consistent house training handles the rest; a snug belly band can catch accidents while the habit is being unlearned. Done together, the two resolve marking in the large majority of males. Neutering also tends to take the edge off other intact-male behaviours some owners worry about, such as roaming and the odd flash of aggression toward other dogs. So weigh marking as a manageable, temporary training task, not a reason to cross every boy puppy off your list.
Heat cycles: the one real intact-female difference
The mirror-image difference sits on the female side: an unspayed girl comes into heat cycle, or season, roughly twice a year. Each cycle lasts about one to three weeks and brings light bleeding or spotting, some swelling, and often a shift in mood, clingier or more restless than usual. During that window many owners fit a doggy diaper to protect floors and furniture, and keep her away from intact males. A small number of intact females also go through a false pregnancy afterward.
None of this is dramatic in a well-cared-for pet, but it is a recurring chore that a spay removes completely. Spaying also carries real health benefits, sharply lowering the risk of a dangerous womb infection (pyometra) and reducing mammary tumour risk when done early. That is why the great majority of pet, non-breeding Maltese females are spayed, and why the heat cycle should not, on its own, push you toward a male.
What a heat cycle involves (intact females)
- Comes into season roughly twice a year
- Lasts about one to three weeks each time
- Light bleeding, swelling and mood changes
- A washable diaper protects the home during the cycle
- Spaying removes it entirely and lowers key health risks
Neuter and spay: the great equaliser
Notice the pattern: the two real differences between a male and a female Maltese both live in the intact, undesexed dog, and both are flattened by the same lever. Desexing your dog, neuter for a male and spay for a female, removes the hormonal drivers behind marking and heat cycles and tends to leave a calmer, more settled companion of either sex. It is the single decision that does the most to erase the "which gender" question. See the AKC spay and neuter guidance for the general case.
Timing should be set with your vet, who will weigh your specific puppy's size and development rather than a fixed calendar date; for a toy breed this is commonly discussed from around six to twelve months. We recommend sterilise-ing whichever sex you choose, for the behaviour and the long-term health benefits alike. Once that box is ticked, a neutered male and a spayed female are far more alike than different, which is exactly the point.
Trainability and potty training
Owners often ask which sex is easier to train, hoping it will settle the decision. It will not, because it is close to a non-difference. Both the male and the female Maltese are clever, food-motivated and just stubborn enough to test a soft handler. What decides how trainable your dog turns out is consistency and positive reinforcement, plus early socialisation, not whether it is a boy or a girl.
The one place sex nudges the picture is house training: an intact male's marking can muddy potty training in the early months, which is another argument for timely neuter-ing rather than for avoiding males. Both sexes are small dogs with small bladders, so both need patience, a fixed routine and frequent trips at first. If you want the method, our owner guides on training and potty routines apply equally to a boy or a girl.
Coat, tear stains and cost are identical
This is the part the overseas articles skip, and it matters most in Singapore: the coat, the tear stains and the cost are the same whichever sex you buy. Both the male and the female carry the pure-white, long, silky single coat that needs daily brushing, regular bathing and, for most owners, a practical puppy cut in our heat. The porphyrin-driven eye staining that this white face is prone to shows up identically in boys and girls, and the daily face-cleaning routine is the same either way; see our full tear-stain guide.
Money is the same story. Sex is not a meaningful pricing lever for a pet Maltese here, and the running costs, grooming, food, vaccinations, insurance and vet care, do not care whether your dog is male or female. If budget is driving the decision, spend your energy on the real numbers, not the gender, in our cost of ownership guide. In short: nothing about upkeep should tilt you toward a boy or a girl.
Identical for both sexes
- Pure-white long silky single coat needing daily brushing
- Same tear-stain tendency and face-cleaning routine
- Same puppy-cut and grooming schedule in the heat
- Same buying price band and running costs
- Same HDB approval, licensing and one-dog-per-flat rule
Sex and a second dog at home
If you already have a dog, the sex question changes shape a little. As a rough guide, an opposite-sex pairing, with both dogs desexing-ed, tends to settle most smoothly and see the fewest friction points, which is worth weighing if you are adding a Maltese to a resident dog. Two of the same sex can absolutely live happily together too; it just asks for a slightly more careful, gradual introduction.
Even here, the individual variation rule holds: a well-matched temperament and a patient introduction matter more than the sex combination on paper. If a second dog is on the cards, read our second dog guide first, and tell us about your current dog so we can factor it into the match.
How we help you choose, temperament first
Everything above points one way: stop trying to decide the gender in the abstract, and go meet the puppy. Watch how a given pup behaves, the confident explorer, the quiet cuddler, the bold one that marches over to say hello, because that personality is what you will live with every day for the next 12 to 15 years. The sex label will fade into the background within a week of bringing your Maltese home; the temperament never will.
That is how we work at Curious Tails, our AVS licensed shop. We place both boys and girls, we watch each litter grow, and we temperament match families to the individual puppy that fits their home rather than steering anyone by gender. And because the Maltese is named on HDB's approved small-breed list, either sex is equally fine for a flat, subject to the usual one-dog-per-flat and licensing rules. Tell us what you want in a companion, calm or playful, first-time-owner-friendly or a buddy for a resident dog, and we will introduce you to available puppies whose personality suits you. WhatsApp us on +65 8220 6408 to start.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to get a male or female Maltese?
Neither is better as a rule. The differences are small and individual personality, breeding and socialisation matter far more than sex. Choose the individual puppy whose temperament fits your home.
Are male Maltese more affectionate than females?
Males are often described as a touch more openly cuddly, but it is a soft, overlapping tendency, not a rule. Both sexes are gentle, people-oriented velcro lapdogs, and plenty of females are the clingiest dogs in the house.
Do male Maltese mark indoors?
Intact males are more prone to scent-marking with small amounts of urine. Neutering plus consistent house training usually resolves it, and a belly band helps during training. It is not a strong reason to rule out a male.
Do female Maltese come into heat?
Yes, an intact female comes into season roughly twice a year, with spotting and mood changes for one to three weeks. Spaying removes the heat cycle entirely and carries health benefits, so most pet owners spay.
Is there a size difference between male and female Maltese?
Only a slight one. Both sit in the 2 to 4kg toy range at about 20 to 25cm tall. Males often sit at the upper end and females mature a little faster, but both are tiny lapdogs.
Which gender of Maltese is easier to train?
Neither meaningfully. Both are clever and a little stubborn, so consistency and positive reinforcement matter more than sex. Intact-male marking can complicate potty training, which neutering helps.
Does the sex affect grooming, tear stains or cost?
No. The white single coat, daily brushing, tear-stain upkeep and puppy-cut grooming are identical by sex, and the buying and keeping cost is broadly the same. These do not depend on gender.
Should I get the same or opposite sex as my current dog?
Opposite-sex pairs, both desexed, often settle most smoothly. That said, individual temperament and a careful introduction matter more than the sex combination itself.
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2 Balestier Road #01-701, Singapore 320002 · Weekdays 12pm–6pm · Weekends 10am–6pm. Or message us first: tell us about your home and routine, and we'll tell you honestly if a Maltese fits.