15 Awesome Maltese Haircuts and Hairdos (With Pictures & Grooming Tips)
In this article
One of the most exciting things about owning a Maltese is that there are so many hairdo possibilities! From cute, summery cuts to long, curly trims, there are so many looks your guy or gal can sport.
Here, we will discuss several adorable, spunky, fresh looks you can give your Maltese—along with a few that just require an accessory! We have 9 haircut ideas and 6 hairdos for you to try. You can have much fun pampering your dog, making them the cutest Maltese in town. Let's look at these sweet examples.
Maintenance Between Grooming Sessions
Invest in a gentle yet effective dog shampoo if you want to keep your Maltese's coat fresh between trims. A regular at-home bathing and brushing schedule will keep their dander and shedding at bay, hydrate their skin, and keep their fur soft and fluffy.
Our Favorite Products
Bathing your dog may be challenging, but selecting the right shampoo can help make the process a bit easier. Our favorite products come from Hepper's Shampoo product line, offering natural, pet-friendly solutions meticulously designed to gently cleanse your dog's skin and coat without any risk of irritating or drying them out. These formulas are free of harmful additives such as dyes, soaps, sulfates, and phthalates. The Deep Cleansing Shampoo is a great option for pet owners who have difficulty neutralizing tough doggy odors. Hepper's Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is a great way to treat your pet to aloe vera and oatmeal's calming benefits while you revel in the delightful and refreshing scents!
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
For Sensitive Pups
 |
|
Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo |
|
Check Price |
For Smelly Pups
 |
|
Hepper Deep Clean Shampoo |
|
Check Price |
At Dogster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool pet company!
The 9 Awesome Maltese Haircuts
1. Show Cut
Even if you don't have a show dog, your little snow-white cutie can still look like one! The Maltese have quite a stunning show cut, if we do say so ourselves. One of the most attractive features about this dog initially was its silky, floor-length fur that is in impeccable form.
This cut is elegant and straight, unlike the curly appearance you often see. Typically, once the fur grows to a certain length, it can weigh down the curls, creating a straighter experience—especially with daily brushing.
We want to be clear: This particular cut does require a lot of maintenance! Even if you switch it up later, it's always nice to try it out once or twice! So, always be prepared for the right brushing tools to keep your pup looking its best.
2. Puppy Cut
A puppy cut is one of the most common cuts for more than just Maltese. It has gotten famous for a good reason! It is straightforward to manage. Plus, it just looks downright adorable on fluffy little dogs.
With different groomers, a puppy cut might look a little different. Many professionals can put their own spin on it. But traditionally, it was developed for Poodles while transitioning to adult coats.
Now, there is no exact standard. It is usually presented as having a one-length, loosely trimmed coat all over. It's accompanied by a shaggy face with long hair on the snout and ears. It usually measures between 1 to 2 inches, which is actually a pretty large range.
3. Maltese Bob Cut
The Maltese bob cut is a super cute choice that is cutesy and breezy. All over the body, the coat is roughly the same length, except the face. Around the face, the hair is parted down the middle like a human bob, and the hair grows longer, framing the face.
This cut gives your Maltese a sweet, innocent appearance and shows off all their adorable facial features. Plus, you can still appreciate the swoops and curls in their fur without it getting too long or out of control.
Many folks opt for this cut for their Maltese because it's super fresh and simple to maintain at home.
4. Maltese Short Cut
The short cut is a popular choice among a bunch of curly breeds. In this traditional cut, the groomer will trim the fur across the torso to roughly ¼ of an inch. The stomach, neck, and buttocks are trimmed even shorter—around 1/16 of an inch.
The face is trimmed in a bob-style fashion. But this hairstyle looks awfully prissy with feathery fur around the bottom of the legs. The tail is super frilly, too, fluffing out with two inches of fringe. It gives a feminine vibe to the coat, framing the face and accentuating the legs and tail.
It’s a cute, summery look that will keep your buddy cool but cute! All around, this look makes coat maintenance a breeze.
5. Teddy Bear Cut
The teddy bear cut is too cute! This gives your dog an almost cartoon-like appearance, touting a fluffy framed face and downy legs. It truly is what it sounds: a haircut that makes your Maltese as adorable as a stuffed teddy.
The head is trimmed in a nearly circular fashion to frame the face with fluff.
For this look, the hair on the back and sides is the shortest, measuring around ¼ of an inch. The legs, tail, neck, and stomach are left a little longer, around ½ an inch usually.
This is a trendy hairstyle for Maltese dogs—and that's not all! Many little curly dogs sport this look because it's so darn sweet.
6. Korean Cut
The Korean cut touts hair roughly an inch long all over the body. Then, the groomer leaves the legs, tail, and head hair long— they need all that extra hair on the head to show off those pigtails! This look gives your Maltese a bit of a china doll look. So precious!
This elegant look keeps the hair short on the body, which gets longer down the legs and toward the face and tail. This cut really accentuates the precise cuts around the face.
7. Open Book Maltese Haircut
The open-book Maltese haircut is definitely a nice cut for winter. The hair is much longer, generally one length across the body and legs. The tail is poofy, and the hair looks just a bit shaggy, like a Benji-style look.
This would be a great hairdo if you're looking for a more masculine Maltese look. It would look absolutely stunning on a dapper little gentleman.
8. Mullet Maltese Haircut
If we do say so ourselves, this might be the most hilarious haircut on the list. The hair on the body is decently long, giving a nice fluffy appearance. The hair on the head is parted down the middle, giving way to straight across bangs that make it hard to see the eyes.
The hair, chin, and ears are all the same length giving a mullet-style appearance. This look gives your dog a very grumpy adorable vibe. But if you show your groomer a picture, we're sure they're happy to oblige.
9. Go Short All Over
If it's summertime and you just want something completely simple without the extra frills and thrills, you can just choose to go short all over. Your pup will be nice and cooled off, and that's all that really matters.
The 6 Hairdos for a Maltese
If you want to go with something other than an all-over body cut, you can always try little tricks to make it all your own. Here are a few ideas you can incorporate in with your Maltese’s regular grooming to make some pretty interesting appearances.
10. Top Knot
The top knot isn't so much an overall cut, but it's undoubtedly a very attractive hairdo! Initially, it was designed to help keep the hair out of dogs like the Maltese’s eyes, who have very long hair that can obstruct their vision.
Now, it has become more of a trend, perfectly tucked up on the head with a small elastic band. Some people add bows, ribbons or other materials to spruce up the look. Ultimately, the whole look is up to you.
11. Curly Ears
You can give your Maltese a nice short cut all over and leave all the frills for the front. You can work with the curls on the ears to make them very tight and bouncy. Add some ribbons and you have one stunning pooch. After all, you basically don't even see the ears! It just looks like two super precious pigtails.
12. Add Accessories
You can add all of the cute accessories you want. If your dog has a fresh cut, you can add clips, bandanas, hair bands, and other attractive extras.
13. Feet Flaring
No matter what hairstyle you choose around the neck and face, you can leave the leg hair long for a bell bottom-like look. This look will require daily brushing, as it will be quite easy for your little Maltese to get tangles and mats. However, with proper care, the feet flaring technique is unique and classy.
14. Braids
Braids are ever-so-adorable on your little Maltese. Essentially, you can leave your pup’s coat as long or short as you want it, but don’t trim around the face for quite a while—let it grow! Soon, you can make the cutest braids ever.
You can go with traditional braids, Viking-style braids, or even a cute little fishtail. You can look on sites like Pinterest and all over the web for tutorials on how to make nifty, interesting-looking braids that you might have yet to do.
The possibilities here are really endless, so the ultimate look is completely up to you!
15. Add a Bow/Bowtie
Sometimes, Maltese hairstyles can make it a little difficult to know whether they are a boy or girl. If you want to add the distinction, you can always choose a dapper bow tie for your little boy or a brilliant bow for your little girl.
You can find accessories online and in other pet shops. You can even find handmade goodies on sites like Etsy. If you are the kind of person who loves a good DIY, you can also make your own, and hey! You can even start a collection if you please.
DIY Grooming: The How-To’s and What-Not-To-Dos
If you're up for the challenge, grooming your Maltese is a very doable thing you can learn from your home. All you need are the tools and teaching resources necessary to create the perfect cuts.
It might get a little expensive initially to gather supplies you need to cut your Maltese hair yourself. However, after a few months, it will completely pay for itself by cutting out the cost of professional grooming.
Grooming at home isn't for everyone, so we'll go ahead and review the tools you'll need, the resources you need to use, and some other things to keep in mind before you commit.
Tools You’ll Need
Coat Clippers
Coat clippers are one of the most important aspects of grooming at home. You'll need them to make your life a whole lot easier and make every trim super sleek and all one length.
You can get different attachments for clippers to achieve various lengths on the body. Some cuts require longer hair on the legs and shorter hair on the body. With these attachments, you can easily guide the clippers across to fade into each one of these precise measurements. You can easily buy coat clippers at any local pet shop or online.
Scissors
Having a pair of grooming scissors is incredibly important for achieving those nice sharp cuts around the feet and face. Since these scissors are so sharp, it is crucial to learn how to handle them before you try to groom your dog.
If you have a rambunctious little one, you should have a helper to help keep you still to prevent any accidents when handling. You can buy scissors virtually anywhere, including many shops online.
Brush
Brushing is essential for days that require full body grooming and your average day as well. Brushing your Maltese daily will help prevent mats and tangles and keep the coat looking fresh and smooth.
There are several kinds of brushes, including bristle brushes, deshedding tools, and slicker brushes. The type of brush you will use depends on what you're trying to achieve at that time.
Bristle brushes tend to smooth the coat, removing dirt and debris while distributing the oils evenly across your dog's skin.
Deshedding tools should only be used once every few weeks to get all of the loose, dead hair follicles away from the skin. These can irritate your pup's skin if they are used too frequently, so always make sure to use them accordingly.
Slicker brushes are perfect for everyday brushing. They tend to be all one length, and the bristles are short with protected tips. You have to discard the hair manually, and some other slicker brushes have a release feature to make cleanup a breeze.
Comb
Combs are a very good thing to have on hand when you're grooming your Maltese. Even though they're not really that handy for everyday grooming, they help you hold the hair still to achieve a very sharp cut.
Combs generally just help with precision, but they can also help detangle or reach difficult areas.
Nail Clippers
Don’t forget to trim your doggy's nails when you are finished with the coat. You can buy nail clippers that are explicitly designed for small breeds online or in-store.
Grooming Table (Optional)
If you plan to get really technical, you can get a grooming table to make your life easier. These tables are designed to meet you at the waist and have securing mechanisms to keep your dog still.
Grooming tables can be expensive, but it's a nice investment if you plan to continue this grooming method throughout your puppy's life.
Be Careful of Extra Short Cuts
Since your Maltese is a sensitive little dog, be careful when cutting the hair very short. If you cut the hair too short and the dog is exposed to the sun for any length of time, it can cause sunburns.
If you accidentally cut your pup's hair too short, always protect their skin with sunblock or while outdoors.
- Only Natural Pet Shampoo - Our vegan, plant-based formulation is made with safe and natural pH-balanced ingredients to moisturize and soothe skin, leaving a fresh, soft and glossy coat to turn heads
- No Soap - A cat and dog wash free from soaps, glutens, dyes, DEA, sulfates and phthalates means it's a hypoallergenic dog shampoo for itchy skin / cat shampoo for itchy skin made with only good stuff
- Colloidal Oatmeal - Formula soothes and nourishes dry, irritated skin, providing itchy skin relief for dogs and cats alike. Trust us - they'll thank you with lots of licks!
Taking Your Pup to a Professional
If you do decide to take your pup to a professional, that is all just as well. However, you're going to want to make sure you choose the correct groomer to get the desired results. Not all grooming facilities are built the same, after all.
Grooming facilities can be private, at vet's offices, or chain pet shops. You can select whatever works best for your dog and your budget. Depending on the services offered and individual rates, some groomers will be more expensive than others.
Some groomers charge much less for small dogs and much more for big dogs, as these jobs are very different. Since you have a small Maltese, grooming should be reasonably priced.
Much like your vet, your dog will get used to your chosen groomer. However, you'll always want to make sure that your dog feels completely safe with your groomer. You'll also want to ensure you trust them to do the job.
Some folks never take their dog back to the same groomer and instead decide to go to convenient locations where there might be more than one person that works that role.
If you take your dog to a professional, you can expect to pay between $40 and $75 on average. There are also self-service facilities where you pay roughly $15 to $20. Since you have a small dog like Maltese, you will pay on the lower end of the spectrum.
Do Pet Insurance Plans Cover Grooming Costs?
Like human insurance plans, haircuts are considered cosmetic and often not covered under pet insurance policies. Rarely, a plan might add something to cover grooming costs, but typically this would fall under teeth brushing and other dental work.
Still, checking with your insurance company to see if grooming is covered doesn't hurt. It would cut out a large portion of the expense. Just don't bank on it.
Conclusion
Grooming can be such a fun time, as your little Maltese can try out all sorts of different looks regularly. But grooming can also be pricey, so learning how to do this at home is very valuable. So, which of these adorable hairstyles will you choose for your Maltese next?
Some people don't feel comfortable nor have the resources to groom at home, and that's perfectly fine, too. There are plenty of professionals on standby waiting to help you out. All you need to do is give them direction, and they will create the outcome!
Sources
Featured Image Credit: Rovsky, Shutterstock
Expert dog care, straight to your inbox
News, insights, expert advice, and everything dog.
No spam — unsubscribe anytime.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy & Cookies Policy.
How useful was this post?
Click a star to rate. You can leave written feedback afterwards. (We read all feedback.)
Ashley Bates is a freelance dog writer and pet enthusiast who is currently studying the art of animal therapy. A mother to four human children— and 23 furry and feathery kids, too – Ashley volunteers at local shelters, advocates for animal well-being, and rescues every creature in need. Her mission is to create awareness, education, and entertainment about pets to prevent homelessness. Her specialties are dogs and cats.
