Maltese care guide
How do I do a Maltese top knot?
If you keep the long coat, a top knot keeps hair out of your Maltese's eyes. Here is how to tie one gently, which band to use, and when a trim is the kinder answer.
How do I do a Maltese top knot?
Comb the head hair smooth, part a section from the outer corner of each eye back to the crown, gather it straight up without pulling the skin, and secure it with two loose twists of a soft fabric-coated band. You should be able to slide a finger under the band. Take it down at night and retie it daily.
Why the top knot exists at all
A top knot is a small gathered section of head hair, tied above the eyes so it cannot fall forward into them. On a Maltese in a long coat or full show coat, the hair on the skull grows well past the eyes, and loose strands sweeping across the cornea cause real eye irritation: blinking, rubbing and extra tearing. On a pure white face, that extra moisture is exactly what feeds tear stains, so a well-tied topknot is hygiene as much as style.
The AKC breed standard describes the Maltese's long, silky single coat, and the American Maltese Association lists hair in the eyes among the everyday causes of tear staining. Keeping that hair up, or trimming it short, is not optional grooming vanity. It is comfort. Our full Maltese grooming guide covers the rest of the coat; this page is just the top of the head, done gently.
Top knot at a glance
- Purpose: keep long head hair out of the eyes
- Needed only for long coats, never for a puppy cut
- Takes under a minute once practised
- Tied loose, redone daily, down at night
- Bonus: keeps the eye area drier, which helps tear-stain hygiene
What you need
The kit is tiny: a fine-tooth comb (a greyhound or rat-tail comb is ideal for parting), a pin brush for the surrounding coat, a stash of small soft bands, a light conditioning spray so you never work on bone-dry hair, and treats. A little bow is optional decoration, never the fastener itself.
Skip anything with a metal clasp. A bare office elastic or clasped hair tie grips the silky strands, and every removal rips hair out. Purpose-made grooming bands cost a few dollars for hundreds.
Step-by-step: tying a gentle top knot
1. Comb the head hair smooth. Mist lightly, then comb from the nose stop upward until there are zero tangles. Never tie over a knot; the band will tighten onto it.
2. Part the section. With the comb's tail, draw a line from the outer corner of each eye up to the back of the skull, just behind the crown. Everything inside those lines is your topknot section; everything outside stays down.
3. Gather without pulling. Lift and gather the section straight up in your fingers, letting the skin stay relaxed. If the eyelids stretch upward, you have taken too much or lifted too hard.
4. Band it in two loose twists. Slip the band on with two turns at most, sitting slightly forward of the crown so the hair fountains back. Fold the tail through halfway on the last twist if you like a shorter loop.
5. Test it. You should be able to slide a finger under the band at the base, and the tuft should wobble when your Maltese shakes. If your dog looks comfortable and forgets the band within a minute, you tied it right. Finish with a treat, every single time.
Which band? Latex vs fabric vs clips
Owners argue about bands more than technique, so here is the honest comparison. The short version: a latex band gives the best hold but must be cut out with blunt-nosed scissors, never pulled; a fabric-coated band is the kindest daily driver for a pet coat; a small snap clip is breakage-free but rarely survives a play session.
| Fastener | Hold | Breakage risk | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small latex grooming band | Excellent, survives play and naps | Low if cut out, high if pulled out | Good when tied in two loose twists |
| Fabric-coated band | Good for calm daily wear | Lowest of the elastics, slides off gently | Best for daily pet use |
| Snap clip or barrette | Weak, slides out of silky hair | Practically zero | Fine, but most dogs shake it loose |
How tight is too tight
This is the part most tutorials skip, and it matters more than band choice. A topknot should hold hair, not skin. The working rule: one finger slides under the band easily, the tuft moves freely, and your dog's expression looks normal, not surprised. Signs it is too tight: pawing at the head, squinting, rubbing the face along the sofa, or a reluctance to be touched near the band. Take it down immediately and redo it looser; never "wait and see".
The daily redo routine
A top knot is a daily item, like brushing. Each evening, remove the band (cut a latex one), comb the section through, and let the hair rest overnight. Each morning, comb, retie, treat. Two minutes total. The hair under a band left in for days felts into a tight tangle at the base, and that mat sits right against the skin. If you are already fighting knots elsewhere in the coat, our matting guide covers the rescue routine.
While you are up there, do the eye wipe. Top knot time and tear-stain time are the same two minutes at the same end of the dog, and pairing them is how the routine actually survives a busy week.
Teaching a puppy to accept face handling
The best top knot is trained months before the first band goes in. A puppy whose face handling was rushed becomes an adult who ducks, and every grooming task for the next decade gets harder. So acclimatise early: from the first week home, touch the muzzle, lift the head hair, hold it for one second, treat. Build to five seconds, then to combing, then to a practice gather with your fingers only. Keep sessions under a minute and always end on a win.
Only when the finger-gather is boring do you add a band, and the first few wear-times should be short and heavily rewarded. This is one of the things we walk through at handover: every Curious Tails owner leaves knowing how to handle the face, because the Maltese is a gentle velcro companion who genuinely wants to cooperate once the handling feels safe.
Alternatives: the visor trim and the short face
Here is the honest part: you do not need a top knot at all. A visor trim, where the groomer shapes the hair above the eyes into a short awning that cannot reach them, keeps a semi-long coat band-free. A rounded short face goes further, and a full puppy cut removes the problem entirely, which is why it is what most pet Maltese in Singapore wear.
Choose by routine, not by Instagram. If you enjoy the two-minute morning ritual, the long coat with a topknot is a joy. If the band gets forgotten, hair in the eyes plus a damp face is worse than any haircut, so trim instead and skip the guilt.
Show-style vs pet-style, honestly
The wrapped, bowed topknots you see in the show ring are a craft: often a double style with parted, banded and re-banded sections, built by handlers who practise for years and maintain the coat in oiled wraps between shows. You do not need any of that. A single loose gather is the whole job for a pet Maltese, and no dog has ever cared about the difference.
Singapore adds its own vote. Year-round humidity keeps a floor-length coat damp and mat-prone outside aircon, which is why even devoted long-coat owners here often land on a mid-length compromise with a simple topknot, salon visits every 4-6 weeks, and diligent white-coat care in between. That combination is entirely doable. It just deserves to be chosen with open eyes, and we would rather tell you that before you fall in love with a photo.
Frequently asked questions
What band should I use for a Maltese top knot?
For daily pet top knots, a soft fabric-coated band is kindest to the silky hair. Small latex grooming bands hold better but should be cut out with scissors, never pulled out, or they break the hair.
How tight should a top knot be?
Loose enough to slide a finger under the band at the base, with the tuft moving freely. If your dog paws at it, squints or rubs its face, take it down and redo it looser.
Does a top knot help with tear stains?
Indirectly, yes. It keeps hair out of the eyes, which reduces irritation and tearing, and lifts damp hair off the face. It supports the tear-stain routine, it does not replace it.
Should I take the top knot out at night?
Yes. Take it down every evening, comb the section through, and tie a fresh one in the morning. A band left in for days causes matting at the base and constant tension on the follicles.
Can a top knot cause hair loss?
A too-tight band can. Constant pulling damages the follicle and can cause traction alopecia, a bald or sore patch where the band sat. Tied loose and redone daily, a top knot is safe.
When can a puppy start wearing a top knot?
Once the head hair reaches the eyes, often around five to seven months in a growing coat. Spend the weeks before on face-handling practice so the first tie is a non-event.
Is a top knot necessary for a Maltese?
Only if you keep the long coat. A visor trim or a short puppy cut keeps hair out of the eyes with no bands at all, and most pet Maltese in Singapore wear a short style.
What is the difference between a show topknot and a pet top knot?
Show topknots are an elaborate double style with wrapped sections and bows, built by experienced handlers. A pet top knot is one simple loose gather that takes under a minute.
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