Does anyone have a Maltese Dog?

[Pennypickle]

Hi I have always owned dogs and I am feeling very lost without one.

My son is extremely allergic to dog hair and so when our last dog died we felt unable to get another family pet. Son has now left college and has started working so is out most of the time (works during the day and out with girlfriend/mates evenings).

I have been researching various breeds and have read that Maltese Dogs are hypoallergenic and do not moult. I have fallen in love with the Maltese Dog ( The long coated, cheeky, looking ones, rather than the prim, perfectly groomed, with bow in the hair type). I'm just looking to see if anyone has a Maltese and can clarify whether they shed at all please?

No dog is truly hypoallergenic, even those that are very low-shedding, as the allergens are also contained in their saliva and dander (dead skin cells). Similarly no breeds are truly non-shedding as all dogs will lose hairs, though the amount varies considerably. As a general rule the less a dog sheds the higher the grooming requirements though it's not always the case. Breeds with extremely short single coats (i.e. no fluffy undercoat) can be both fairly low shedding and low maintenance.

Maltese shed relatively little but their coats do require quite a lot of care, even when they're clipped fairly short. They need grooming every day and will obviously also need clipping (either professionally or you can do it at home with some decent clippers and a bit of practise) on a regular basis as well.

It would be a good idea for your DS to meet some Maltese so you can see if he does have a reaction to them. My DH has asthma and gets snuffly around many breeds but is generally fine with whippets and similarly short/fine coated breeds.

Thank you Cornflakes. Yes I'm aware that all dogs shed (to a certain extent). The last 3 dogs we had were a bearded collie, German Shepherd and a border collie - so huge overload on shedding....

I am looking for a small dog (I don't usually like small dogs tbh but have fallen in love with the Maltese) mainly for company as I miss my doggie walks with friends, and doggie cuddles. I'm looking for a dog that, although may shed a little, I can easily keep on top of

DH is allergic to dogs, but not yorkies. Their hair is more like human hair.